The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-05-04 00:00:00

ikzszirkAN ittatoxikt mistrifid.

testerday the Wesleyan Missionary hold their anitins.
meeting at the City-rood Chapel ; and tes Off'
unfavourable state of the weather, the employ wig as ismsannit
and reaPtetable aa on fdrnser =Wont Antat%nante
present we noticed the Right Hon. Eli O. H. .P. ; .1.
Butterworth, Est ; W. Williams, Ent M.P. A Key;
the Rer. Mr. Irving; Edward Phillipit, Eng. OfCorawall, ihe. kla
An appropriate hymn having been sung, Ind a prayer offered
by the Rev. Henry Moore, president of the Canfanneof it'estlertri
Methodists, the bluenose of the day (-Omani:teed by calling Joseett
BUTT eannaen, Esq. td the Chair.
The Chairman row and said, he was happy to elate to the meet:
ing that the great work in which they were engaged did not lose
any degree of interest in the public mind ; that things armed them
encouraged every grind friend to the gloriotts cause they had undere
taken to renew his exertions on its behalf; and that toe foiling;
enjoyed by this country were sufficient to induce even those whd
were the least sanguine in their ultimate sweetie, ndt to deepaire
Whilst, then, thee possessed the means of forwarding this crud
eaten. it would he extroonlinary were they to remain idle
and he trusted they would that day evince to their fellow.:
Christians that their zed was nrit abated nor their energies im-
indeed, in the noble work they were then asesembleff tat promote. •
It gave hint great 'denture to inform them, that the general
general state of their 3lioildeariesi *ale truly gratifythg; They never
received such eneouregement from the West Indian proprieties at
now, rich had they ever before such joist reason to hope for the per-
fect fulfilment of their object—en far at least as their hirithle mears
extended ; for notwithstanding the unhappy tor:Anion of hie pate'
ensiles' colony, they were supported in their 'lotions by the united.
aid of all the rest. Indeed so truly sensible were the pmprieton of
the singleness of heart, and the honest sinceiity of purpou by
which theY were actuated, in sending forth men to preach the •
Gospel of Christ to their benighted slaves. that nutny of theta Ind
come forward to sweet them in their undertaking. He had that
morning received abutter from • Went Indiapropeietwe, Metalled
a donation of tial. (hear, hear,) which, the writer acid, was in con-
eider:Mon of the extensive benefit he had received from the labours
of the Wodeyan 3liwionary eh•oete•y, by their hating' tan '•t the
negro !laves on his estates the Christian religion. He wenli not,
however, mention the name of the gentleman, because it wet
very likely they would have ear' opeinettinity of Hearing him
themeelves in the course of the morning. The • Gieverror of
St-Vincent's had ideo largely enteicribell towards the mis-
sionary eatne, and the Hewn of Awenthly at that colony had'
remitted no lees than Me/. in aid of their fund,. This indeed wee
coquet of s very different kind, and ern the best answer that could
he given to the pertans livirtg at Itarbadoes as an the general fbeling
that pervsuled the colonies towards thee! iestonarySocieties. Inallusiod
to the recent unhappy disturber, eh at Demerara, the Hon. Gentleman
observed, that although their Soelety had suffered coneidayeble. and
but ry had been done to the hapless negroes, which he now deeply
'smeared : yet they did not for a moment intend to eitcnie the tin.
pee per conduct of certain sieves there. nor (hold they veer encoue
nee the negroes, let their !sufferings he what they might, to take
the law into their own hands ; but on the other hand, thcj ceitalnlv
mild nut justify the conduct of the Government agatrist
The lion. Gentleman said he had read with great attention and ex:
ceerling regret the full report of the teed of that unhappy Gentle.
man, and he did not hesitate to declare it as his firm opinion that
a more unjust, more illegal proceeding, never met the sanctioe of
any Government. The treatment of 31r. Smith was creel to a dee
grey. Ilk conduct was misinterpreted, his language tortured to a
wring sense, and hie most pirate papers, which were never ir-
tended for the public eve, but solely for his own meditation, were
ransacked, and after all even they did not shew him to bean) thing
else but a pious man, and an invaluable servant of the London
Missionary Society—a Society which, like their own,. Would never
encourage retitle amongst the 'dues, but whose sole object Was the
general welfare of the colonic*, anti whesee !whines were dhe:eted
the inculcation of all the moral duties in the minds of the nave po-
pulation, both towards their meters and their Government. Ala
lueing to their funds, the Hon. Gentleman observed that the sub-
scriptions of the last year had exceeded those of any former yen' •
by several thousand pound*.
The Re*. Dlr. IVATSO;.: then mall the Report of the Come:
mittee, containing every voittm Mona scconnt Of the proceedings of
the different missionaries both at home and abroad during the lut
year. It appeared by the Report that the receipts during the year
amounted in the whole to 3e,lit'sol. Ids. End., exceeding in amount
the accoUnts of tile former year by the sum of 4,11001.„ that the
balance in hand was 2.3301.; and that the number of missionaries
that had been sent out by the Society was 1574 but that it *as yet
neeetwary to send out many more: .
The II:11AI MAN here observed, that the Treasurer was in add
trance more than 2,0001.
Alderman Kix, in a neat speech, moved the first tesoltition,
that the Report he printed.
The Rev. R. NEWTON, of Manehestet, seconded the motion In
a speech, of which we are sorry we cannot even give an outlined
The Rev. Gentleman argued with much fore, and eloquence
against the friends of the 31issionery Cause being appalled by th♦
difficulties that prescn;esl themselves in the way of their unglue'
undertaking. Thal there were dint: illness all of then) *Ow Jeweled
vet they must distinguish between whit was diffieult and *hat we&
impossible. The reel question with them all ought to be, what ft
duty, and net what Is ililfiCtilt They, ought never Si theist Wee
language of their great Mauer • his worts were unchangeable, sail
their duty indispensable •• Go (said hm—go ye into alf the world
and preach the Gospel." The Rev. Gentleman- preeleeded Ea ttf
eloquent strain to enforce the cause which tl ly was seat to fora ird
that day, and at the conclusion of his speech be related the circum-
stance of his having called on a friend who had foe many you,
subscribed to the funds of the Society. His friend observed to hip*
" %reit. I suppose you are going again on mifeianary meeting *
it is the best of causes to ee engaged in : my lifeis very uncerti it,
but lam determined to subscribe for the year 11123 t" and he n
gave tile Rev. Gentleman a 101. note. After paintng a little whi:e,
his friend again observed, " Yee, whether on earth or in heaven I
will be a donor to you"—and he then gave 7111. more *cheers),
which. said the Rev. Gentleman, I have now the pleasure to hand
to you, and he placed all: on the table.
The Rev. IILN Towere.EY rose he propose the iM Res lue
tion ; anal having been a Missionary to India, he communicated
to the Meeting several very interesting and affecting fkets in r
ferenee to the Ilindomean Religion, and partlchbely to the mat y
lamentable errors the doctrines of that religion tended to produce
in the lives of its professors, who, in their different Cutts, were no
less distinguished front one another, than their common creed was
from that of the Christian. He stated, that by the returns of
the police in British India alone, there appeared to be one woman
burnt alive in evety ten houses. His opinion wan, that throughout
India in every four hours one person wee immolated on the pile.—
In allusion to the Magistracy of the East Indies, the Rev. Gentle-
man said he was happy to inform the Meeting that it surpassed
the blagietracy of the West Indies as much as day surpassed
night. He had never, during MI years residence, experienced one
intemption front the Government ; but that on every oterasien the
Government had invariably lent it, aid in the furthetatice of the
Missionary cause. And he begged to state, that the Government
had recently resolved to augment its contribution in support of the
School, to 110,000 rupees annually—being 10,00(11. sterling devoted
yearly to the enlightenment of British India. (Hear, hear.) The
Reverend Gentleman then moved the lld Resolution.
The Rev. E 'mete I) IRVING torte EU second it. tie was moat
warmly greeted by the meeting, which, it was apparent, very Sen-
sibly affected him. He began with a somewhat enhdued and tee.
mulous tone, by wishing that it had been his good fortune to have
seen that which his Werthy Brother had seen and stated to the meet-
ing in support (lithe resolution, for then he could have had the assur-
ance which he had had, and which made hie words seem like fact..
He wished he had strength ineteed of being exhausted by the !shames
I cf the Sabbath. for then he 'email have exerted himself in the great
cause of that day ; and finally, and above all the rest, he wished
that he had that unction. that present sense of the spirit of God,
that was so essential to the inspired men of old, when they came
to speak of the cause of God before men; but with what
strength he pnwessed, he most cheerfully offered himself to
that cengregatiots. lie felt that in speaking to them, he was
speaking of due radical good of ('hrist ; it was to them the ditty
belonged to demonstrate the proposition, and to support be
argument the truth of the proper season, and the wisdom Of
adopting that gtcat principle in legislation which had latterly
so much agitated the empire. It remained with them to pre-
pare the Indians fair the reception of that good which many
Christians wished them to participate—it wu for them to make
ripe the emancipation of the slave they must prepare it for
the Statesmen, who in their vanity *ere not willing to admit
others to have precedence in the work on Legislation ; but they
must do the work ; their mean, and despised, and Inlnneninnea
labours, must do the work still ; and the greatness of that
work demanded of them patience and forlwaranee. The time
was not yet arrived for the freedom of the slave; much re-
mained to be dope before the mini of the African could be
brought to that 3hite, which would fit it in receive all the
Christian benefits intended for them. The early Chrietiane la-
boured for four centuries in preparing the minds of the nations
to receive the tenth. They continued to labour, and in the
end they brought their testimony to the world by the success of
the efforts they had persevered in—they spread by degrees the
truth in influencing the minds of men and Rulers. are
then they affected the lees themselves, pervading all by
the spirit of the truth thee taught. The Missionary Preiety
must, like the primitive Cl:reties*, labour and prepare the way
for the statesmen of the wield ; they must make fit the toil ere the
!nett of moral principle and the capabilities cif social life could ht
sown and cultivated in the breast of the untaught negro. They
had already gone far to convince men that the African had a soul
as well as the European ; they now only had to make this apparent
—that the Africans were men like as they were ; capable of the
fear of God before the fear of man ; that they cone enjoy the do-
mestic cieniforte of life as well AS I:ll7opeanS could—be as earnest
in the mew of religion, coedit endure pain, and lose of fined..
and even death itself, in testimony of the truth of the Grorl—and
then the question would be ripe ; but till then the question would
not be ripe for the Legisleture to prepare and determine intuit:nitres
on which such important reetilts depended. The Rev. Gent. pro-
ceeded in advising a policy of conduct on the part of the Mission_
aches, in consonance with the principles he had thus laid down, and
observed,; that they who were capable of spiritually discerning these
things could perceive that emancipation from slavery wu the work
of the Christian preacher. and not of the legislator; but that the
wise men of the woret could not perceive this ; they could nor ,use
beyond the light of their moral reason. and the inferences they
drew from that mime acre all the guides they had. Het let us
pity, said the Rev. Gentleman, do not let US upbraid ; can not let
us fight ; let sts be calm anal patient, and try all that we can do, and
th •n things will come triumphantly on : let ue teach the .lfriame
their moral duties to their masters anal to their Government, seed
quiet the public apprehensions, and induce the good Christian mo.
ttre of respect for the civil polity. Let this scene be. and then all
will work well towards the realizing the hopes anal wishes of the
friends of Christ and his cause. The Rev. Gentleman then ele
korted the meeting to co-operate in the great undertaking. and osa-

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1 smut impressive, argumentative, and statesman-like speech
t .we regret our limits will not permit us tow justice to)
a the applause of the whole assembly.
Right Hon. Sir Gsoaue IlEstar Ross moved the 3d
esolintlon. He expremed his great obligations towards the Society,
at Oa ganef they had given his mind from the heavy responsibility
t Welt at having several negroes tinder his immediate authority
sea West India proptietor. He then noticed the many benefinal
malts that might be expected to arise front the labours of the mis-
sand said they were friends to the State ; and that as
Asian ad the effect of destroying slavery at Rome, he saw no
why it might not have a similar effect in the IVest Indies.
These was no man who did not feel that much must be done in
elision before the question of emancipation could be determined.
'rho Right Hon. Geutleinan then alluded to the recent appointments
made by Government of two Bishops, at the West Indus Colonies,
614enatued the Meeting that he had made the best inquiries as to
the nature of the instnirtions given to them, and that his movie.
tin was, that every proper and conciliatory feeling existed on the
part of Government towards the missionaries, whose nperations
weal net In the !east be retarded by the new arrangement, which,
ne a member of the established church, he certainly thought was
valciilated tow much good to the general cause, which they all bad
Lit Itsart
HOWARD SANDFORD, EM. seconded the motion.
wtw AVILLIAMS. Esq. moved the thanks of the alerting to
the Committee and Secrets:tea ; he said that he could trace the
first rise of a spiritual temple in the humble orLin of the British
at.d Foreign Bible Society; that Society had now dispersed the'
holy word of God into every nation, suid had put into the hands of
the missionaries a book, withmat which all their effbrts would be
seuk and powerless; but with it they were enabled to lead millions
to the knowledgeof Gral.
J0371.P11 CAaa, Esq. of Cornwall, seconded the motion.
The Rev. Mr. WATSON returned thanks.
'lle Bev. 31r. ANDERSON, of 31atichester, moved the .Bth Re-
snlution in a speech of nearly an hour in length, and of a descrip.
tie a at me! impassiancel. classical, aril ehajuent.
;Award ?WILLI ps, Esq. seconded tine motion.
'lie Mc:. J. BuNTIXt; then read the list of donations for the
ptese-4 year, amounting, in the whole, with the collections at the
chapel ((exclusive of what was collected that morning) to the stint
of 1.225.
The Rev. H. Moose moved the thanks of the meeting to the
Lliarman, which having been seconded—
The (m tie wan btiedy briefly returned thanks.
The lienng was engaged fram eleven o'clock to a quarter past
four, and the collections In the chapel, and at the dour, sere con-