The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-26 00:00:00

BORNEO CHURCH MISSION.

On Thursday the annual meeting of the friends and
supporters of the above institution was held in the Hanover-
square Itowns. The Right lion. the Earl of ELLLSMEHR
took the chair, and opened the proceedings iu a brief
address.

The report, which was distributes' among the meeting,
consisted chiefly of letters from the missionaries in Borneo
and from Rajah Brooke, showing that the efficient mainten-
&nee and future extension of the home school were most
important to the welfare of the mission; that it was expe-
dient to keep up the day schools, as bringing the mission-
lures into direct intercourse with the more intellectual na-
tives, and raising the tone of their minds; but they had but
little effect in a Christian point of view. The home school,
where the children are trained as Christians, and withdrawn
' in their early years front the debasing habits and associa-
tions of heathenism, it was hoped would be the chief nur-
sery for the church. The annual expense of each child is
about six guineas.
The accounts for the past year showed a balance at the
bankers of 248/. Is. lid. ; subscriptions, donations, &c.,
7951. 17s. 25. •' interest on 1,010/. Exchequer bills, 221. Is.
9d. • sale of 8001. Exchequer bills, 8391. 13s. 8O.; total,
1,9051. 14s. 311. The expenditure during the same period,
for salaries of and outfits of missionaries, building, roads,
rent, and other expenses, 1,5911. 96. 9d.; leaving a balance
in hand on the 31st of December, 1840, of 3111. 4s. 6d.

The Bishop of LONDON moved the first resolution to
the effect : " That the accounts received from Borneo are
highly encouraging as respects the progress of the misisou ;
but, ut the same time, show the necessity for incteased ex-
ertions to promote the accomplishment of the objects for
which it was established." Ills lordship expressed himself
highly gratified ut the good attendance on the occasion, in
spite of the unpropitious state of the weather. it was now
14 or 15 years ago since Mr. Earle called attention to
Borneo, and recommended the establishment of a tree port
which, he said, would lead the way to civilisation, and,
consequently, to Christianisation. First it was necessary to
protect native commerce and then to ensure free inter-
course ; it was impossible to carry on commerce while the
high seas were infested with bands of pirate. ; it would not
be necessary here to dilute upon the moans which had been
used by the eminent person who was then amongst them.
(Cheers.) We might look forward to the time when the
name of Sir James Brooke would appear in history as the
pioneer of Christianity in the east. (Cheers.) The be-
ginning of this cnterpnse had been but small, had it been
otherwise the whole project might probably have failed ;
the individual already alluded to felt that if he could but
once plant a foundation he was sure of ultimate suc-
cess. Men of the IJyak tribes were peculiarly un-
fitted for Christianity ; they delight in human sacrifice,
they consider the possession of human heads the
greatest trophy they can possess. They believe in a future
state, and that their happiness will be in prop rtion to the
number of their followers, estimated by the number of
human heads they possess. He would mention une circum-
stance which was peculiarly encouraging : this extensive
field of labour had been visited by his excellent friend the
Bishop of Calcutta, who had consecrated a new church at
Borneo, and had spoken of the mission as one of the most
promising in the east, and one that uttered the greatest en-
couragement to persevere iu Christianising the Indian
Archipelago. But this great work had only been begun
they had not the means to carry it out ; he therefore hoped
that the mission would not be allowed to languish.
Sir JAMES BROOKE, in rising to second the resolu-
tion, was loudly cheered. lie said it was four years since,
in that room, lie hail intimated hid willingness to aid the
Borneo mission. lie had clone so with fear and trembling.
He was aware that in Sarawak he ruled and lived by
moral influence alone, and that if any ill-will excited the
Mahoinetau nation it would prove fatal to the mis-
sion and to himself, and that therebg the seeds of civi-
lisation would have perished before they had shooted.
When the mission arrived pains were taken to show the
native tribes that it was not intended to enforce any new
doctrine upon them, but that they should merely be tole-
rated, and that any one who felt eunvineed might join
them. No obstacle was offered to this : they were received
kindly by one of the chiefs, who had since become his (Sir
James Brooke's) intimate friend. It had always: been his
chief aim to impart general knowledge in preference to any
particular religious doctrine. The church and missionary
house had been erected, to which WAS attached a school, in
which children were instructed, not only in this Christion
religion, but in Christian habits. lie had ever
found the natives a generous although a haughty
people. Ile had been among them in their wildest
moods, but never found them treacherous. lie lived at
Sarawak atthe will of the people, he made no law without
appealing to the people, anything emanating from theta
was brought wider the dist ussiou of the European autho-
rities and native chiefs. lied he the means, he would not
be among them to ask fur support, and better would it lie
Borneo should return to barbarism, or be flowing with
blood as 1 found it, or that I should perish, than that we
should inculcate christian principles, and not have christian
practice. (Cheers.) In concluding, Sir James alluded to
the recent controversy, and said be would suffer it all fur
the cause, and trusted that he should bear no malice.
The Bishop of OXFORD proposed a resolution declaring
that the meeting agreed with Sir James Brooke in his
opinion that the erection of a bishopric for Sarawak was a
step urgently required by the circumstances of the mission ;
and entered into a lengthened detail of the true apostolicul
mode of establishing missions, which he said ut the resent
day was entirely lost sight of, and to the neglect oh' which
he attributed the limited extension of Christianity in some
of the British possessions. lie argued that the true mode
was to establish, in the first place, a bishop, and then, us a
matter of course, priests of the second order would be ap-
pointed, according to the necessities of the different
localities.

Sir
INGLIS seconded the resolution ; which was put
and carried.

The Rev. Mr. JACKSON moved, and Captain BETlluxe,
R.N., seconded, a resolution in favour of un appeal to be
at once made to the liberality of churchmen for the funds
necessary for the establishment of a bishopric in Borneo,
and for the extension of the operations of the mission.
The motion was carried umunmously ; and, after a vote
of thanks to the Earl of Ellesmere fur his conduct iu the
chair, the meeting broke up.