"This Board consists of fifteen members, viz. Rev. James Kemper, President; Rev. Joshua L. Wilson, Vice-President; Rev. Elijah Slack, Rev. David Root, Rev. John Thompson, Rev. Daniel Hayden, Rev. David Munfort, David E. Wade, Esq., Col. William Scillinger, John Mahard, Esq., Treasurer, Messrs. John F. Keys, Robert Boal, Jun., and James Chute, Secretary. Immediately after the organization of the board, they proceeded to take such measures as were deemed the most effectual to promote the objects of their appointment. A circular letter was addressed to the ministers, and other pious influential persons throughout the Synod of Ohio, urging the importance of forming auxiliary societies, and endeavouring to excite a general sentiment in favour of the Missionary cause. "In October last the Synod of Ohio met in this place. This was considered an auspicious period to prefer the claims of the Society, and this board addressed the Synod on the subject of Missions. The Synod addressed a circular to the churches, in which was represented, in a clear and favourable manner, the importance of Missionary exertions. What will be the result of the measures taken by our board is yet to be developed. 66 Sanguine expectations were entertained, that the Christian community would be roused to a sense of their duty to the heathen, and that some efficient measures would be taken to supply the temporal necessities of those who are devoting their lives to impart the bread of life to the spiritually destitute. The board have not, however, fully realized their expectations with regard to the formation of auxiliaries since the circulation of their letter, and the circular of the Synod. They have, therefore, addressed the presbyteries with a view to employ an agent, or agents, to go through their bounds and establish auxiliaries, and obtain subscriptions to the Missionary Register. Twenty auxiliary societies have sent contribations to this agency. A short time previous to the organization of this board, clothing, provisions, and other articles which had been contributed by the abovementioned societies, to the amount of one hundred dollars, were sent by Mr. Keys to the Union Mission. "On the 15th of July this board forwarded to the Harmony Station, clothing and farming utensils to the amount of four hundred and fifty dollars. These were sent to Mr. Wurtz, the Missionary agent in Louisville; but the board have not yet heard of their arrival at the station. A letter was received some time ago from the Union Mission, stating that the freight of their goods, up the Arkansaw, cost them last year about one thousand dollars; that they had sold one boat, and lost the other; that they stood in need of a boat; and that they wanted seven hands to aid them in their business. The Mission requested that a boat be purchased, and seven hands hired for one year, and that these hands should take the boat, loaded with provisions, to the station. This measure, they conceive, will save expense. Their calculation is as follows, viz: cost of a keel boat, three hundred dollars; seven hands, at fifteen dollars per month, for three months, the time thought necessary to take a boat to them, three hundred and fifteen; provisions thirty five dollars. Total, six hundred and fifty dollars. "This calculation was too large. A boat has been purchased for one hundred and thirty dollars. Seven hands have been engaged at twelve dollars per month, for one year. In addition to these, a captain of the boat has been engaged for one hundred dollars for the voyage. On the reception of this letter from Mr. Vaill, the board addressed a circular to all the auxiliary societies, urging their prompt at tention to this call of their Missionaries. Some of them have sent in their annual donations, and the board have fitted out the boat, with the articles mentioned in the invoice annexed to this report. Dis tant auxiliaries have probably been prevented from sending in their donations, in consequence of the almost impassable state of the roads. "Yesterday the Missionary boat left this, with an excellent stage of water to descend the Ohio. This is our only apology for delaying this report to this time. "The board have received the fifth annual report of the United Foreign Missionary Society, together with the twelfth number of the second volume, and the three first numbers of the third volume of the American Missionary Register. It would be gratifying to the board to receive them regularly; and they are determined to use all possible exertions to give them a wide circulation." Foreign Entelligence. ANNIVERSARIES IN LONDON. [From the London Missionary Register.] From the following list of annual meetings which took place in London, from the middle of April to about the middle of May, in addition to many sermons and various meetings of committees, it will be seen that this has been an active season for those benevolent persons who engage in these works of charity : April 16: North West London Auxiliary Bible Society-22: London Welsh Auxiliary Bible Society-25: Westminster Auxiliary Bible Society-29: East-London Irish Free-Schools-50: Irish Society of London: Wesleyan London Auxiliary Missionary Society: London Society for Female Servants-May 5: Wesleyan Missionary Society-6: Church Missionary Society-7: British and Foreign Bible Society-8: Prayer-Book and Homily Society-9: Jews' Society-10: Hibernian Society-12: Female Penitentiary: Port of London Seamen's Society: British and Foreign School Society-13: Sunday-School Union: Naval and Military Bible Society Irish Evangelical Society-15: Sons of the Clergy: London Missionary Society-16: Religious Tract Society: African Institution-19: Merchant-Seamen's Bible Society. We shall limit our notices of the anniversaries to a general view of the proceedings on these occasions, with such resolutions as may have a reference to the transactions or prospects of the respective societies, and an account of the state of their funds. We are happy to state, that so far as our observation and information extend, the spirit which prevailed in the various meetings and public services was truly christian. Unostentatious statements of what had been done or attempted, honest avowals of difficulties and disappointments, humble acknowledgments of human (insufficiency, grateful ascriptions of all glory to God, a deep sense of entire dependence on the influences of the Holy Spirit, strong impressions of the misery of the unchristianized world and the duty of labouring for its conversion, powerful and affecting testimonies of eye-witnesses both of the state of the heathen and of the good in progress among them, a growing concern for the honour of Christ in the salvation of the world, and a kind and brotherly regard to all christian societies labouring in this great cause-this is the spirit, and these are the proceedings, which should distinguish the assemblies of Christ's servants on these occasions: and we rejoice to bear testimony, that a large infusion of this temper characterized the present season. Chapel, by the Rev. W. Jay, of Bath; and a third, at Southwark Chapel, by the Rev. Robert Wood, of Liverpool. The collections were 1901. On Sunday, May the 4th, sermons were preached in behalf of the society, in most of the Wesleyan Chapels in London and its immediate vicinity: the collections after which amounted to upward Six resolutions were adopted, and of 600l. The sermons were sixty-seven twelve addresses delivered. in number. State of the Funds. From the report, read by the secretary, the Rev. G. Mutter, it appeared that the income of the year had been 403l. 6s. 7d. and the expenditure 3961. 38. 8d. The collections amounted to 100%. WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY. The annual meeting of the parent institution was preceded, as usual, by that of the London District Auxiliary; which was held on Wednesday, April the 30th, at Great Queen Street Chapel; Lancelot Haslope, Esq. in the chair. The colJection amounted to 761. A public prayer meeting was held at the City-Road Chapel, at 7 o'clock, on the morning of Thursday, May the 1st, for the purpose of specially imploring the divine blessing on the anniversary, and on all christian missions throughout the world. Sermons were preached, as follows, before the parent society: one, at the City-Road Chapel, by the Rev. Dr. Adam Clarke; a second, at Great-Queen-Street VOL. IV. The annual meeting of the society was held, on Monday, the 5th of May, at 11 o'clock, at the City-Road Chapel; Joseph Butterworth, Esq., M. P., in the chair. It was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Clarke, president of the last conference of the Wesleyan society. The report was read by the Rev. Richard Watson and the Rev. Jabez Bunting, two of the society's secretaries. Nine resolutions, and eighteen addresses. Among the resolutions was the following: That this meeting solemnly recognizes, afresh, the claims which the unenlightened millions of the heathen world possess upon the piety and benevolence of the whole christian church: and is also deeply sensible of the necessity and importance of that portion of the Missionary labours of this society, which is devoted to the moral improvement of the British Colonies; and especially of the slave population of the West Indies. The collection at the meeting amounted to 150l. and donations, connected with 31 the meeting, made the amount consider- of God, for the revival and extension ably more than 3001. among them of christian truth. CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Twenty-third Anniversary. On Monday evening, May the 5th, the annual sermon was preached at Christ Church, Newgate-street, by the Rev. John W. Cunningham, M. A. Vicar of Harrow, from John, xii. 31, 32. On Tuesday, the 6th, the chair was taken at the annual meeting, held in Freemasons'-Hall, at twelve o'clock, by lord Gambier, the president. His lordship having addressed the meeting, an abstract of the Report was read by the secretary; who was followed by the treasurer, in some remarks on the state of the funds. Six resolutions, and thirteen addresses. Among the resolutions were the following: That this meeting cannot but record its grateful sense of the divine goodness in continuing to afford a steady increase to the income of the society, and also a growing conviction to its members that it is only by the grace of the Holy Spirit that Missionary exertions can become successful. That this meeting, viewing with commiseration the degraded state of our heathen fellow-subjects in India and Ceylon, and especially the condition of the Hindoo widows, rejoices in the progress of its Missions in those quarters; and more particularly in the establishment and rapid increase of female schools. That this meeting feels that the discouragements attending the New-Zealand Mission ought not to damp the zeal of the Society, but rather to stimulate the members to more earnest prayer, and the society to more strenuous and extended efforts. That this meeting learns with pleasure the permission granted by the local government to form a printing establishment in Malta for the benefit of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean; and cherishes the hope that the troubles in which some of those countries are involved, may be overruled, by the mercy From the abstract of the report delivered to the meeting, we subjoin the committee's remarks on the state of the funds: The committee have to express their thanks, as in former years, for the very kind and efficient aid, which has, by different friends, been rendered to the assistant secretary in visiting the various associations; and they earnestly request of every clergyman, and of all other persons of influence, anxious for the prosperity of the society, that they will, in every practicable way, promote the formation of and efficiency of those which are already new associations, and the productiveness established. The society's numerous associations require a regular course of visiting, which it is now found impracticable to maintain, even with all the help of friends, without an increase of such officers of the society as are more especially devoted to this employ in the meanwhile, large districts of the country offer themselves to the hand of the cultivator, at present nearly wholly unproductive to the society for want of labourers. : It is ground of congratulation and thankfulness, that under these circumstances, and considering the pressure of difficulties which has continued through the year, the income of the society still holds on its steady rate of increase. In its twenty-second year the income, without deducting the expenses incurred on account of the associations, amounted to about 34,000l.: that of the twenty-third year, just brought to a close, reckoned in the same way, has advanced to 35,000l. The steady rate of the society's increase has been greatly augmented during the last ten years, chiefly in consequence of the establishment of associations-the income of the society in its thirteenth year having been 3000l. ; while in its fourteenth, the formation of associations, which had their origin chiefly in the zeal awakened throughout the country for opening India to christianity, the income rapidly rose to a gross amount of nearly 12,000l. The first thirteen years of the society may be considered, for the reasons just given, as its state of infancy: it has been since gradually acquiring strength and developing powers, which will one day, it may be hoped, arrive, under the blessing of God, at that maturity which may enable the society to achieve its full portion of that conquest over the empire of darkness and sin which awaits the combined efforts of all the true members of the church of Christ. The whole income of these first thirteen years was little more than 22,000l. the income of the last year, alone, has been, as already stated, 35,000l. The average annual income of each of these thirteen years was a little more than 1700.-that of each of the last ten has been upwards of 25,500l. The society never had since it began to that He has enabled the society to proceed with such an equal and steady course. Promising fields of labour are, indeed, opening on every side; and a far larger sum might be profitably expended in promoting the conversion of the heathen, than is as yet placed at the society's disposal: the missions already formed, particularly those in Africa and India, are beginning to ask for more funds to enable them to extend their exertions: the committee beg, therefore, to urge on all the society's friends every practicable exertion to increase its means of usefulness. The collections amounted to 366l. 11s. 9d.-of which that at the church was 217. 38. 9d., and that at the meeting, 1491. 83. About 150 clergymen were present; among whom was the Rev. Dr. Heber, lord bishop (elect) of the See of Calcutta. BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. Nineteenth Anniversary. On Wednesday, May the 7th, the chair was taken by the president, lord Teignmouth, at the annual meeting in Freemason's Hall, at 11 o'clock. The report was read by the Rev. W. Dealtry. Eight resolutions, and nineteen addresses. His excellency Mr. Papoff, secretary of the Russian Bible Society, was introduced by the Rev. Dr. Paterson; and the Rev. Professor Stapfer of Paris, and Professor Gautier of Geneva, by the Rev. Dr. Steinkopff. These three gentleman addressed the meeting in English. The death of Mr. Owen was referred to, with much feeling, by the noble president, in opening the meeting, and by most of the speakers. It was announced that the Rev. Andrew Brandram, M. A. of Oriel College, and curate of Beckenham, had been appointed his successor. State of the Funds. send out missionaries, and has not at this Receipts of the year, 97,0627. 11s. 9d. Printing the scriptures tracts £ s. d. 66,825 18 3 709 12 0 1507 3 1 |