City Of London Auxiliary ...
The Times, 1824-11-05T00:00:00

This Sodcit, !1e_4. 114 itwelfth aninual treetinz yesterday, at the EgYptlall..0ha4 f4, M A-ans1.me_ the Right Han. theLomy M.Ayou thje bodly of the JigtJ VAf Ite alronged, principally with lidies, long before thec Wjny4nes af tta day commenced (We remark-ed thzat the lroportionofJl4igr-t .*. g-f.pei in attendance was-much greater on tius occa%lion tfssr, o w4j atir"ting year.) At twelve o'clock. the Lo3rd Mayor. a wlp=iaflo y 1o,rd Bexley, Aldermnen Brownae, Venablets, atnd Key, atul ec4ogltise friends of the -Society camcn- on the platformn. On taking the diaty, the 1st,on i1,s,ios. exp reased lit~isfr the h4onour done to him Ir, cAlling tson film to lreside-nizo respeci- able and important a meeting. ilia duties in that station were wellI knon t al wh herd itn an he-woldnot say any thing further uponthe thn t ex~ ahop tht eerygeadernan 'whioshould cone frwad t adres th metin wold onfne himaself to the subectimmdIaelybefre t, nd hatthe meeting would receive wits atintatentontheoberatinsofevery gen.tleman who mighit Tdie Rev,. ROBPPtws. C. Drrjo1_ (onie nF theSecretaria) theM camne forwardzandreadthe report. ft commenced by cxprmsigtlieuojfedgt pleasure which it would give the Committee to be able Eo report "1that the amount of annual Ptubscriptins vis undiminishied; th-at nio decrea-se had heen observablie in nthe number of their siupporters, nor any lack of' zeal and activ-e exertion on the -par, of their fnienida anid collectors." " The force of truth, however" (it added), "1cool. pelsgthe unwelcome admiission, that thecir efibrts and success have ntbrne full proportion to the extent of their high dieties, andl that the encourAgenseut which thi s Society receives i, scarcely suchl as might be expL-cted from the wealth and liberality of this great me- -ropolis. ln the earlier years of its existence, eiideed, the Interests ofthis Society were sct forward with a watmh of energy wbichi few of the auxiliaries were able to exceed. It hat, bowevere, nrot mnaintained the vigoasrof its onset. The excitement enkindledl by first formnAtion, antd the imprescion occasioned by first success, -een-i to have passed away; and the almost unvaryinz Uni1formity of de- tail, (although it give-s thie best assurance of usefulness), is received with diminished etnthusiasm, and listenied to with mnoresiet though perhaps not with less cordlial, ap,probation. Whether,there- fore, it is, that the gratuitous officers of the Society are unable from the deniands rmadce upon their timne by other public and pnrivte duties, to give to its concerns that unbrokeaq attention 'and supervi.. sion, withoat which few societies can be fully prosperous, or that the interest is lessened now that tise influence ol'novelty hars ceaee it, operate.-or that ant impresion has fasqtened on the mind, thates~ the first urgency, of the wanits of our home population is in somsejic. gree relieved, our exertions are no longer necessery, (forgetfui orf the multitudes in heathen lands).-.or, that thcere a3re astll much apa. .thy and indiffierence observable in many by whom this great que'. tion is not yet aslequatelv felt, and whiose judements yet remain to he convince(d in favour if thsgreat worli,-whatever be the springr of our present comaparative depression, certain it is, that in all the" branches and associations connected with thIs auziliary, so much is not recorded to hav,e been done, nor so mumn en1. lected, in the last year as irs the year preceding. These rerafk,sI are not intended, however, to prepare the tray for that which may be Vinrfterpeed. into a distressing sautemannt of'your Society's aliTitis. You Committee are still able to report the continued patronage of the magistracy of the city, and the proimpt and kind essnaner im which every Lord Mayor, witheat on.- exception since volcr Society was first formed, has grantedI the use of the Egyptian.liall-ror youir annual meetings, and has always presidled on the occiasin, and none with greater reasiness and eourteay than the presenit occupanit of the civic chair." The report, after mientioninr that the Rev. C. Scholl, Minister of the Frehch Protestant church in the city, hadlaccepted the appointmnent of a gratuitous Secretary to the Society4 and that the anniverary meeting wouild in future he held in the monith of April, !aunt on to observe, that " the prisons aid -work- h..s.. of thi cit'y still continuie to draw thie atttention of youir Committee : a supply of Bibles atnd Testaments has been fur, nished in the last year to the Fleet prison and to His Majesty's Kusi of Newgate, in both of wvhich there appeared some deficierncy; and the 'sub-Committee- had the gratification of being told by the wardsmen and turnkeys, that the Holy, Serptures were frequently read by the [Prisoners." After noticing the exertions of the `Workhouse Sub- Coln.. mittee in procuring a suipply of Bibles and Testaments to the work? houses of several parishes in the city, the r.eport goes on to give the moun ofthe receipts and expendliture for the year. From t1tis it ap. pard tat "1the total incomie of the Society for the pSt ya is 8581. fls. 2J1. The sum remitted to the vatent Society fo Ibs i,nd in free contributions, is 6221. 13s. 4d. The extentof theasit ance rendered by the ladies' branch will be seen isth sum of 50. remitted by thiem this year to the Auxiliary; the greatesKt part of' whih, t s prtiulrlyworhyof otie,has been raised by emaill weaky cntniutiss. he otalnumer of Bibles and Testaments issed y te ldie' banc is2,76;andI the amount of their re.. ceipa drin th thee ear inwhih tey have been joined to) your "You Comitte hve dstrbute inth~e pnst year 1,6A0 Bibles ald Tetaments, mak-inr a total of 33,36 since their establishment; and the whele of yur Society's receipts in the same period amount to nearly 17,0601." The report then proceeds; to notice the exertions of several of the city branch associations. Amoang 'these it mnentions, that "1The Cannon-street a-ssociations htave distributed since their formaLtion, 1,074. Bibles andi Testanments, anti have raised the rum of 8421. 11The North City associations have distributed 1,668 copies of the Scriptures and collected 9961. 9a. 106. "1The West City nassociations have raised the sum of 1,2401. 15s. 2l.1 and circulated 3,561 copies. of the Scriptures. 12The Blackfri4rs, 4,108 Bibles, and 2,0041. 11The Bis1hopagate Ladies' asquoemtion report ani increase of nearly forty subserihsr%, andti [ave raised 1771. Since their formation, hay. digslstributed 322 Bibles and Testaments. "The Central Ladies' association, 1151., and have distributed 176 Bibles and Tesctamients. "1 The South East Ladies' association have circulated 143 Bibles and Testatitents. and have raised the turne of 171. The West City Ladies' association report a case in which one member of a Roman Catholic family, after the collector had been repeatedly repulsed from the house, not ostly purchased with mucht grateful feeling a Bible for his own use, but becamae a regular stub- scriber for the benefit of others. "1In the Smithfield Assocation there has been an increase in the number of Bibles distributed, as also (by nearlv one-half ) in the Sumi collected at the last anniversary mneeting." After adverting to some of the many advantagesq which have been derived from the free circulation of thie goly Srptures., the report proceeds to mak-e a very urgent appeal in favoar of the Society, remarks upon the comparatively smnall sums derived from the dona~- tions of the rich, and observes that if only one person in 15 (of the inhabitants of the city,within thewalls) contributed a guilnea a year., the sum would be 6,000 guineas a year instead of its,present amounit. The report thus concludes:-"In concluding this report,yourecomsnit. tee would desire conrtinually to bear in mind that whatever success this Auxiliary Society has obtained, has origirnated in the blessing of Goid upon itsa laborurs, and that to the samne blessing they must be ever looking for its continued prosperity. That difficulties and disrouragements should be sometimes interwoven with so0 high a work as this, is only what midght be expected, and is, perhaps, to be desired : for so apt are we all to exalt the in- s,trument, and overlook the Dower and presence of the Divine ansd Almnighty, Agent, that lessoits of homiilies' are continually needed. But if this miatter he of God-if it tend to promote his glary-if it be begun and continued,in him, end if it be perforised in 'his ap pointed way, it shall, it must succeed. His time witi be ultimltel made clear, and his power apparent." As soon as the Secretary had conicluded, Lord BEXLEYw came forward, and said he felt great pleasure in moviag-1" That the report nowi read be approved, anti that it be printed under the direction of the Commi ttee." It wras ro him a Soutce of considerable gratification to perceive the first magistrate of' the city presiding in a meeting calculated to be productive of so many advantnge.s to his fellow-citizens. It was indeed highly ho- nourable to his Lortdship (the Lord Mayor), that a year qepet sn the faithful discharge of the high and imuportant duties of his ma. gisterial office should be thus closed, by presiding over an assepribly assciated forr such beneficent purposes as that then before oMm. (Hear, hear.) WVith respect to the report which had been read, he, as a sincere supporter of Bible Socieduit,regretted thatit should have had to notice a decrease in the funds of the Society in the present year; hutlietstrsed it would be found thatthisdidanot proceed Irom any relaxation in the zeal of the members; and he hoped that, to whatever cause it might be to be attribuied, the lon, wi,ould he re- paired, and that the citizens of London would not be inatten- tive to the appeal now miatte to their liberality. Though there badl not been done, in the last year, as much as might have been expected for the object of the Society, still it was a source of pleasting reflec-. tion to the friends and supporterm of the -parent institution to per- ceive what h,ad been already achieved by, its; labours. Who wouldl have thiought, twenty years ago, that that institution should sto flourish, nas to be able in such a space to appropriate a sumn of net less tIhan 900,0O01L for the disgsemination of the sacred Scrip-, tures, and to, distribute not fewer than five million copiies ox' them throughout the earth ? TheScriptuiresk ware now printed int (wethik te nblelor sad) 1 dff~euelanguages, and the Bible Sociey ths posesse witin iselfthe means of giig to every trib of verynatin o earh, te saredword of Ged in that larn. guag whih ech udersood (Her.)But not only, were the Sacred qualified to explainl to, the unenlightened th sacred text, and to inculcate its moral precepts. It was extremely gratifying so perceive the hauppy effects which bad resulted front the per- severing exertions of' the Society' in this resPect. In she South Sen I slands, whiere the first attempts of ithe lissionaries had bocn opoe yso maydsorging circumlstances-where the lnab- bita:tssere solong suank in every hind of vice and sensuality,a news. light--the lighit of' the Gospel had recently burst forth ; and it- lad' been Seens that whbole rnations, as if by one accord, received t-he teli- a.(Hear.) WVith such results of their labouar. every encouragement in their; etun dertlsig; nd e crste tht te isue f 'hatday's- p~i woul bean dditona inucemnt o tem.The tlo$16i'Mord thankedl the meeting fo~r the attention with 'whih it had hex'rd7hin?, and concluded by movinig as above. Alderman BatowwE seconded the motion and concarred'Vith the noble Leord who moved it in thinktirng illat if there was; auw ground for regret at the slight falling off in the last year, still there was ample cause for rejoicing in the general prospeity vf the parent Society, and the great success which had already attended its labours. fie did hope, however, that it would bc fonad that the apparent ditninution in the number of supperters was not a real tne, but that it arose from on applicatien of the subsetiptions, usually given for the objects of the Socitty at home, to carry on its purpos in other countriea. Yet though he vas dis c'sed to juice at the general prosperity of the, BibleSociety, stil his joy was damped by the knowledge thhat there were lo be toutid amongst us men who denied the adv antage of cit. cualitng the Scripturen without comment. Re regretted that within this year, it should have been publicly stated-iR places where it could not have been immediately controverted-that such circulation w as rather injurious than benecial. He did notmean now tointrm_ duce atmy religious controversy, but he could not avoid erpressing his surprise, that in a Piotestant country such doctrines should be held. In conclusion, the wortbh alderman congratulated the Tord Mayor, that at the conclusion of his mayoralty, the duties ef whielt he had discharged so honourably tobinself,and so beneficially tobis tbllow-citizens,he uhouldhave topreslde over aSociety,whone labours tendcd so muc.h to render the dluties of his successors in office sine. citres; for he did hope, that the efTect oftbe widc spretdof thesscred Scriptures wvould be, to create se very general a sense and practice of moral dutiers as very materially to abridge tlle laboursof the civil Therecsolustion was then pit, and catnied. MEr. FAVELL, itt moving the second resolution, a. congratulated shxbe Lard MEayor on the situation in 3wluih he rwas thus'placed at the conclusion of his mugistracy, and proceeded b.iely to-oiint out th - mrOrateacls whbich might be expectea from the sueeesSfu xrin of ucha ocityas the present. The increase in thenum-ber of our churchles, ha Observed,. would not of itself be-.pofo u oa itliprovement : tliat impirovement would dependt on thei irnctese in' the n3umber. of thOse uhvlo readl and practiised ilie moral lessons of the sacred Scriptures.. There wvas a time, beotre the fire of'Lotidon, and in the darik ages1% Whoiv'the metropolis containedi three timies as' manyr taurchesr it didl at preseat, but at thatt time the Bible wfat% a prohibited book. The consequene wa,ththepiowar- Uncharedfritableness sprtto,ad persecutions and all h-inds of uncartabileunt prult nwta h uua of the sacred hook vwas InglitOtaliyn prlbie bu1titl-nucted,there was a corresponid- fTidgib Jty fnereligaonssen this feeling would bie filigndtoy IncrIeds nlrprir, hs sacred volumes were dihignetnty stdie.(er)l, ocue by moviog-1" That thi5 everiIg be io f eein eelysesbl ta no good trigllt evelr beadons byth intt n itOut tebeings of Al. etiigey Go, earestlyrecomend to every mribrfteSociety te-dutY ofspecial and ceaseless prayer, for thu growing 'Of thi's a-nd every oither auxiliary of the'Bible Society.5'pa The Rey. GEOURGE CLAYTON seconded this Tmotion, and dwelt uPon the aeccsitv Of constantly invoking the Divine aid upon thte exertions of the 20cfcry. Then, after adyerinto many of the atl. vantag- wbich lhad-alreay accrued from tht;i9-etablislhment of the Bible Associations, he turnedI to some of the objectionsi which hadl beer, urczed a~inst thtem. Amongst others it hiad been said, that 'they had not ten produc.tive efthat general efPect which their sup. Porters had Anticipate for that since the formation of those asoa. ciAtions. vice and crime hadl Increased. Now, If the fact were so, ittillihe ienied that suclh increase could be attributea to tha general 'dL'ztseinatiOn of those stacred bORMta whoseevery page Inculcated 'the pares 1' rin(i1ls of virtue an'd Morality. it was absurd to im fline5'~ tetLople could becom~e worse by having constantly in their thoughts ani~ before thele eyes, those excellent rules of moral And religious conduct in which the Scriptures abounded. But was there no othert q.a in~ whieh the increase of crime of late yearn couild 1re aOunted fbr Should not the great increase in our population 'h or'sidered ? WVould not that in itself accouLnt in a great degree- lrt comparative increase of crime? There was, besides, anoiher Tmatter which should be taken into calcLxlation, in looking at the coamestveicIV fcrn e were now, and -had been for somne timne, in a state of pece at home aTnd abroad, It was vell known, -that peace begat plenty, and that plenty be*at vice and profligacy ; and though ste shouxld not pray that the 141Wor. of war might be unisheathed, but rather that it might rust in the scabbard Atill it was well known, that during a peace, anid espe- cially in the ~perIod immrediately foLlowing a long war, a number of esViLdisposed persons were thrown linen society, whose vicious habits 'wouxld belikuly to swell the list of criminals, as compared with pre- ceding and subsequent periods. But as well m,r,ig,ht it be said, that the establishmnent of civil magistrates and of law for the protection of persons and property had been the cauise of the increase ssf~dse, eepsecrime had increased after their estabilish. ~nene,as appy theargument to the tlistribution o f Bibles. The anarhis, uingthe came argument might comei to that meeing stip hecivil magistrates o? their gown, and take fro hi Lodshp that chain with which he was hionoured, s~i4 nbicr- e--sI so greatly contributed to honoiss- (hear); for herewannoarumet which could be uirged against the Bible, astndigsoinceas crme,which would not be equally, subversive of cl thefprmsand estrints of' civilized society. (Heat, -Buthe were often told of the inc-rease of crime--why Inol flttu opponents of the Bible cake into -considera. onthe incereast ot virtue? Or would It be said, that spek. Jrfggenerally, the people were not Im-,frOed in their niomls ? It was ,eeztaiia that this was the case, thoo4ih, from the very nature of the case, th V e was not as conspircuous as the crimne. Ciewe -detected VaS immediately rAde public, hatt virtue was in its nature iitnobtrusive and retiripg. The vices of the hardened crinsinal were published aLnd s;pread nbroad, hut thxe tears of the penitent were shed in secret. Th4z mat who repented of his evil ways anid turned his thloughts towata (lad, shunned thte haunts of his former associates, anld his gooa actions were comparatively little known. But thosie whose duities led them to be cloxer observers of hiuman nature, and who %ought oFpportualties of inspecing human conduct in private nae' si public, would bear him out in sayiag that virtue rKa encreed, an that, o, in consequence of the'diszemination of inhel rstm er ptures. Hear, hear.)TIhisi improvement was visible Aacaes.It was visible to those who freuetly isitedou i 7-ns, and itL was visi ble i n thec great and beneficial havnlgse which had bees effected on hoard our ships. (Hear, hear.) The Rey. (Gen. *elr.nan then proceeded to illstrate each of those points with obser. rvations drawn, he said, from the experience of those who had made thenioral improvement ofthieir fellow-maen their study. In conclusion, hie called upon the mneeting to exert themselves zealouslY, and with. Ouit delay, in asisting the parent society in those benevolent pursuitst 9f'whic ithe improvemnent of solarge a -portion of their fellow-mnen, an everv Part Of the world, was the object. 'The'mnotion was then put, ~nd carrned. Aldermant VENALULE5SRaid, he had intendeA to submit the mo- 'Sian which had been placed in hiis hands, without any re- ,zark, other than a declaration of skincere attachment to the well-being of the British and Foreign' ible Society. but safter the -allusion which had been maLde to thec decrease in the Society'-s funds in the last year, he coutld not avoid off'ering a few words. It seemed to be the opinion of many, who, if they were not altogether opposed -to the exertions of the Society, were at least 'very lukewarm ia its support, that as there hiad already been very, large sums subscribed, and a vast numnber of Biblesi distribuvted, enough was dosqe, and that additional Funds were not caled for. They who urged this objec tion seemed to be altogether uninfoirmed as to the concernis of the Society. WVould any zealouis Christian, he asked2 rest satis.. flied with thie prerientstate of Ireland, where, in a Popuation ofaeveni -illons of inhabitants, the Bible was not Irnthe hands of one inl fifty? Then there we're many of tue hea-then nations without any means of knowing the true (lad wittisout the Assistance of our Bibles and our missionaries. Could, he asked, any one be contented to leave these nationis an they were, wifthout an etfort to release themn from t'heir daikness, particularly after the -signal success which had alreadY -crowned the exer-tions of the Society in many instances in this re- -spect ? Re trusted there were few thus diposed. This country -could boast the glory of having founided the North America colo. nies ;.but it would be a much greter glory to her tu be the means of .'bringing anly one nation to the knowledge of the religion of IChriat. The worthy Alderman concluded by moving-" That this meeting -views writh undiminished interest the effortsq of the Bible Associa. tions, in coonexion with the City of London Auxiliary, and, know- ing that the success of all such societies is effected bv Dilvine agency througbhhuimain instrumnentality, it appeals to all the members of the instittution for additionaleattention, earnestnes, and zeal." The Rev. 'War. ORtSIE (of Camberwell) seconded this motion, and conatended at same length that the support of such a siociety as thne present was not an indiffierent act, which a man mnight or might not peform without any breach of mloral obligation, but that it was -to the Christian believer a duty which he was bound to perflorm. 'The man who believed that the sacred Scriptures contained the re- vealed will of God, could not, consistently withi his duty to Goad and to his neighbour, omilt to use all she means in his power for the putr. pose of disseminating those Scritures aa widely as possible. The motion Wasthen put. cand ied The Rev. W-m. EVAar'sows next came forward to propose- "That this meeting, sensible of the advantages which on der the Almig;hty blessing have been derived from the patronage always con- fe~rred -on the society, tenders an expression of gratitud,e to the Rtiglits Mon the L-ord MAiyor, the Presideit ; to the Right lion, and others th'e Vice-Presidents; to the Treasurer ; to the Secretaries; and to 'the Committee, for their countenance, support, and exertins, during Sbe past year.1 The Rfv. 'ientlernan, after several observations on the general character and Importance of the Society, proceeded to state, that notwithstanding the regret which the meeting must feel at part oi the statement mnade in the reportstlll they had no ground to despond for tha the present year was distinguisheda by circurnstance which would foirm an importanit epech in their history He alluded to the faicts, that in the year just concluded, the-re had been corn. ieted by the learned eDr. Morrison, at perfect translation of the 3ible into the Chinese -language, and that the same learned and -indefatigable individual hlad also completed the translation of the Church of England Liturgy Into the same language. Thus one very iniportalut difihculty in the wFay of havinig the Gospel truths known to that singular people was obviated. WVhen it was considered, that these translations gave at least on=e eing to the knowledge o1 the true God, to nearly three hundred mfhons of people, he trusted that its great imiportance, with reference to the chief objects of the Society, would be duly appreciated. (Hear, hear.) Heiwould now turri to aniothier part of he world, so wthichthe attention of thepareni socie-ty had been a great deal directed-he meanit Ireland. He couldI assure the Lordt Aayor, that there wras a great conspiracy go- in ni ht cutry by the society, and that they hiad already sent a lage uppy o ars to support it. (Hear, heay.) 'The a-rms which he ha set wrethje saced Scriptures, and it would not be denied tha thy wre hemost 4effectual aganst the powers of darkness, ~( ear her.)TheSociety had already sent over 4P,000 copies ol thesaced critues to one Association in that country ; 15,000 ti ~nnoher and12,00to another, to be distributed-amongst the people Il~ thy hd nt cnfned themselves to seniding 1nglish translations~ ther wer besdesthese 5,000 copies in the Irish c caracter and an. guage. This was a consiracy against the bigotry, ignorance, and superstition whilch existed.amongat his (M r. Evanson's) countrymen and he thoanht that the Society must be found guilty of It. It was yj9rius wrk, nd mst ~ l~ ''~eiiiidwere beginnlnp ardently to desire the sacred Scriptures, and their desire could noi be witHstood. The echo of the Papal Bull against the reading ol the sacred volumes without a comiment, was heard in the west and gouth of Irelanid, and the manner in which it vwas received showed .the soreniess that wasq felt en this poiar. The appetites of him coun- ttrymen were shtarp for spirittral food-.was craving, and nothing less 'than the true food wouild satisfy them. They had all heard of the llady wiro,. hungry after a long journey, was asked whether she woiuld have sume beef? Oh, ye%s, lie would have beef. Beef wish mustardtl? Yes, she would hasve beef with musitard. But she sansat lst sked wht wold he think of the inustard 'sath~it he ee? I wa th sae ay with many of those who catredforth sprital pptits o te people of Irelanid. They 'w~ia~ gie the themustad wihoutthe beef-the would gi,ve 'them he coment ithou the ible.(Hear, and a au,b 55,I 1iortever. tue SocseiY had already taken care that they should have~ sthe Bibleitsself, and it was i support of this laudable attempt that lea celled er% the meeting for ita support. (Hear.? The revereudgen. 'IleMan then proceeded to conitend, that the spirit of the age was fa. -vourable to the acquisition of every kind of intellectual improve. miens, and that it would be unjust to withhold from a large portion *of their fellow men the mnost imporiant of all intellectual knowledige, the knowledge of God and of his sacred laws as revealed in the Holy rScr ures. He concluded by moving the resolution as above. xc Bev. H. TOWNSEND (of Calcutta) seconded the resolution, 1idin a speech of soeme ]en tls pointed out the advantage of -reading the holy Scriptures. which samongst oth?er cases) he instanced in his own conversion from a dbisslute life, wliten at the age of 25; - and alsottat of a friend, who hadl at one time been tthe intimate asso- ciste and disciple of Tom Paine, but who was first impressed with a belief in the Christian religion fromi the accidental reading of Jlhitie's work On Ihe Truthe of CJirisiiarrity. The motion was now put, and carried. o the Rev. dlr, DILLON (one of the secretaries) came forward to vet4ra tbaaks for the motion. He believed, he said, he should throw hasi~iri for one mement on the tender mercies of their kind indul- geete, whilst he acknowledged the resolution of thanks which the has,becn pleased to pass to the office-bearers of the Society, y- thotgh he flt that he could not liope for their indulgence beyond th e utterance of a few words. Indeed, he honestly confes%ed, tbn after exertions of so high an order as those which had bee already witnessed do-day, if he were at liberty to consult his i~wn private feelings, ie wouldl he fully contented to leave the Eibl hociety to stand on that ground wher-e its friefnds had so ably nndatriuinpiiantly placed if. A sense of officialduty, however, woul4 not allow hinm tD be present at this meeting, without request. is- ulf sevg?a) gentlemen who hadh cbsrge4 themsselves writh a Paire in the day'sdiAcussion,and Particilarly those who hatd already spoken, to accept the thanks of the comrmittce for their Idndness in, having come forward'on thisoccusionto uirge them tounweliedperseverance in the work before them r and he trusted'that ther result ofthis mcet- ing would be the throwing in of a fresh andlarge ouiautitv of moral force into thit machine which it was their 'province towv7ork, and that to all their branches and associations new life would be im- rarte bywlhattheyhadheard. Therev,gentlemanthutscontinted- * And then, my Lord, if this be thc cse--if we shall be found to begin and go through a new year of our society in a new manner, and, in short, to be ' zealously affected always In this good thing,' hovrever otbers may blame us for inordinate zeal and extravagalit exertion in promoting the spiritual welfare of our fellow-creatures, sutre anm we shall not find,in that season of trial which is advancing upon us all, when thesorrows of deatlh shall compass us nbout,:any ground of remorse or self-reproach. No, my Lord, in that awful no- ment, when every tie tbat binds us to mortality shall be loosened, and time, with all ite blanndishments, shall have faded from our view, we shall not then apbraiid ourselves for having stooped our losly way;into the cottage of the poor mran with the record of. salaticn inl ou; hands; nor for any thing thai we have done (though for muchi that we shall have left iundonej to make ' the way of JehoJfall known upon earth, and his Wsaing health among aU nations.' Allew me, then, ladles and gentlernen, to tbank you for the mark of kindness and respect you have just shown to your secretaries, and to express our willingness for future services." The Rev. J. C. 4CHOLL, AUinister of the French Protestant Church, (announced to the meeting as added to the Secretaries of the Sc cety,$ slated, that friendly as he was more andl more to rhe Bible Society, and he was willing to be tied to it by as many ties a; hi, friends chose; and that, called as he ~vas to preach tbe word of God In this city, he consideted the offlce he accepted as a menns of preaching it morTe tenTivcly, and in the purest Way. Besides, it wasi de6rAble that the feature of the Society as British and Foreign should be realized ir its Secretaries. He believed that this Society was the greatest and most blessed instrutrent at work on' the conti- nent of Europe for the disseminatA or religious truth. It had been the means of raislnR utp the Bible, as the Only stanidat2 of divine truth, eutof that oblvion into whicl in miany parti It had fallen. It had much mnore drawn the attention ot' the world to the Bible. He knew nr instance of a very learned old man in a Oermaa unaversity, who declared that his serioxus attention hiad never been drawn to the Bible before the Bible Institution of that to on, and who derived from it its best comforts. The Catholics in France had been in some measure awakened to their spiritual wants by the operations of the Sogiety It was a pleasure to know tlat the Duke of Angouleme, the Dauphin, had aplied for coopes of the New 'Ilestarnent, in French, for his household Such iacts as these m.:st encolrage the friends of the Society to renewed and persevering exertions. ITho wint of room obliges us to limit our report of the rest of the proceeding.s to a mere dexscription of what was donc.l T he Rev. Dr. ST YLE:S moved the appsointment os' the officcrs of the Society for the ensuing year. This was seconded by the Rev. Thomas Msordmner, and carried. Sir C. HUNTER moved "' That this meeting records its gratitade 1o the ladies who have exerted themselves with so much quiet and unostentatious zeal in the Society's behalf, and aPproves of the ap. pointmentg which have been arranged by the Comnittee of the sad{es' Branch.1 This wvas seconded by the Rev. J. Hatchard, and caTrIed. Alderman and Sheriff KEY moved " That the thanks of this meeting be given to the Right Hon. the Lord Mlayor, for his Lord- ship's kindness in granting to the Society the use of the Bgvptian- hail, and in presiding on this occasion; and that the meeting do now adjourn to April next." This was seconded by the Rev. 51r. Cur- en, and supported by the Rev. Mr. Drewr. It was then pat by Alderman KVey, and carriedt by accLamation. The LORtD *AIAYOR returned thanks, and the meeting broke up. CITY OP ZOA'DON AUXILIARY BIBLE SOC1TRhT.