, 1873-04-19

VI any OCncr form OF CnrlSClan worship
than that of the National Church.
The largest group of families attached
to the Protestant Faith is settled in Ponce /;
and no sooner had the Proclamation of Re
ligious Liberty followed the late Revolu-
ton in Spain than although attached to
different Communions, they agreed to
unite in building a Church, for which they
now obtained the cordial consent of the
Government, and in inviting the Bishop of
Antigua to procure for them a Pastor and
to take the oversight of the flock. To this
step they were mainly led by the advice of
the Rev. W.. 0. Allan, the large hearted
Pastor of the Dutch Reformed Church in
St. Thomas, who early in 1871, at their
invitation, assembled in the house of one
OF the leading gentry Of the city the first
congregation of PrOtestants that ever
united for Public Worship in Porto Rico.
He was accordingly followed some time
after by the Rev J G. Dubois, aud then
by the Rev. Charles j. Branch, the Rec
tors Of the two lourishing English Church
os in the neighbouring island of st. Croix,
who arranged in turn with the Bishop OF
Antigua, to visit the island in alternate
months, Under their occasional ministry a
most interesting congregation has been
formed. In his visit last month, the
Bishop laid in presence of a large congre-
CATION, not only of the Protestants of the
place, but of Roman Catholics interested
in the work, the first stone of the wall
foundation on which the Iron Church will
rest and the building only awaits the
means of completion to enable the Com
mittee to invite a Clergyman to come
among them as their pastor.
Those who have felt an interest in this
undertaking, will learn with regret that it
is has received a check from unexpected
difficulties, which may prove fatal to it
unless assistance can be procured from
without. The Protestants "of Ponce and
its neighbourhood numbering about $50
OF all classes, zealously subscribed early
in last year a sum sufficient to import
from some well-known Iron works near
Liverpool a Church of chaste Ecclesiastical
style toaccommOdate a congregation of
$50, of which the first cost with packing
and shipping expenses was G1300. Of
this amount, the sum of 9700 was remitted
tOthe Contractors together with the order,
and the remaining 5000 after wards in a
Bill of Excange on a highly respectable
house in London and Ponce, the failure of
ofwhich unhappily was announced before
the maturity of the Bill. The amount thus
lost at least for a time, has been paid to
the Contractors, by a loan for which the
two largest original subscribers have made
themselves responsible, and which must be
repaid in the middle of this year. IT is
hoped that at any rate half the amount of
the protested bill may eventually be rec
overed from the dividends of the bankrupt
firm, Meantime the Church has been landed
in Ponce at a heavy charge for freight of
9312 10. and for duty Of $50; to meet
which it has been found necessary to bor-
row the means at a high rate of interest.
The subsequent failure of a still larger
house in Ponce towards the close of 1879,
has thrown the whole commerce of the
place into temporary difficulty, and has in
volyed most of the Protestant families in
some distress. 1t has become impossible
for the small congregation, who had previ-
ously taxed themselves to the utmost of
their ability, to raise the amount now ne
cessary to complete the erection of the
building clear of debt. For this the sum
of 975O at least will be required; whilst
in the future the stipend Of the minister,
already contributed for the first halfyear,
has to be provided