WESLEYAN MISSIONARY MEETING.

New Zealander, Volume 9, Issue 777, 24 September 1853, Page 3

WESLEYAN MISSIONARY MEETING.

The Annual Meeting of the New Zealand District Auxiliary to the Wesleyan Missionary Society was held in the Wesleyan Chapel, Auckland, on Monday evening last. A very large congregation assembled on the occasion. After a Hymn had been sung, and prayer offered up by the Rev. James Duller, on the motion of the Rov. YV. Lawry, David Rough, Esq. was called on to preside, The Chairman expressed his sense of the honour that had been conferred on him, and the pleasure he experienced in seeing around him so many old friends and fellow colonists. Of all people in the world, they in New Zealand should feel interested in the cause of missions. Some who had only lately arrived might not fully know this j but they could not have been there at all,— at least they could not be in the enjoyment of such peace and prosperity—but for the labours of the missionaries. (Hear, hear.) Those who know the country best believe that even now much of its progress is to he attributed to missionary zeal and enterprise. Their duty was to strengthen the hands of the missionaries. The field of New Zealand had been well broken-up, but still it required much cultivation, and the elearing away of many noxious weeds. This

Society was carrying forward its operations not only in New Zealand but in the numerous neighbouring Islands, North and East of New Zealand ; the difficulties which the missionaries had been called to surmount might seem scarcely credible ; but, judging from what had been done in New Zealand, he could well believe that their efforts had been successful. Some now living may see the worst of those Islands civilized in the true way—by the Gospel of Peace. (Cheers.) He would not further detain the meeting, but would call on the Secretary to read the Report. The Rev. Thomas Buddle then read the following : REPORT FOR 1853.

In presenting a Report of the Wesleyan Mission* to this meeting, the Committee deem it right to draw the attention of their friends to the present financial position of the Parent Society, as being one that calls for sympathy and extended liberality. Considering the attempts that have been made to destroy public confidence in our executive, and to induce subscribers to withhold their support, it Is cause for great thankfulness to God that the regular income of the past year has been equal to that of any former year; but the expenditure necessary to maintain in a state of efficiency the widely-ex-tended operations of the Society has been nearly £SOOO in excess of the income.

The sum total of income from all sources was £105,381 lfli. 6rf. The expenditure amounted to £110,337 os. lit/. This excess, added to the previous deficiency, leaves a balance of £24,691 i)s. 2d. unprovided for. To meet this deficiency three methods are open to the Parent Committee:—(l.) By reducing the missionaries' allowances : this they are unwilling to do, as they consider their agents are allowed nothing beyond what is necessor, for the support of their families. (2.) By contracting the sphere of tn. derations, and withdrawing some of their missionaries from their ptUCnt fields of labour. (3.) By enlarged effort among the Churches, messing their liberality till they become adequate to the wants of the Jot'iety and the claims of the world. It is for the friends and supporters of Christian Missions to say how the case shall be met. For a comprehensive view of the Society's operations in various parts of the world, the Committee must refer their friends to the General Annual Report, which presents much that is deeply interesting and encouraging, and exhibits satisfactory evidence that the Society does not labour for nought and in vain.

The state of the Mission in the New Zealand District i» such as, on the one hand, to produce encouragement, and on the other hand, to cause anxiety. The spread of civilization among the native converts is a pleasing feature. Their increasing love for European clothing, comforts, modes of agriculture, arts and laws is greatly tending to the improvement of their temporal condition. On the mission stations generally, the mat and the blanket are thrown off for more accent European clothing; the fern root and pohue are rejected for wheat, many broad acres of which may now be seen around the native villages; the meal of filthy kororirori (decomposed maize) is exchanged for rice and sugar; the native huu for the plough and harrow, while several water mills are erected on the tributaries of some of our fine harbours, built at their own expense, and employed in grinding their wheat into flour, tons of which are sent into our markets. Industrial schools are every where rising up, where the native youth are receiving such a religious and industrial training as is well calculated to effect a great change in the habits of the people, and to prepare them to take their place among the civilized nations of the earth. But Missionary Funds and energies are intended not merely to civilize, but emphatically to evangelize; to convert men to Christ, and prepare them for their eternal destinies; and the spiritual condition of the Native churches is one that produces no small degree of anxiety. The transition of lale, of the Native population, is by no means favorable to the spread of spiritual religion. The new circumstances into which they have been thrown by the colonization of the country have, to a great extent, drawn away their attention from eternal things, and their improvement in the knowledge and practice of Christianity has been somewhat interrupted. These results are nothing beyond what was expected, as the natural and ordinary effect of bringing a people in a state of incipient Christianity into direct and immediate contact with large numbers of foreigners, and the numerous temptations connected with increased wealth and commerce;—nor do we regard them as likely to be permanent; they are but temporary in their character, and when the testing time has passed away, the work of God among the New-Zealanders will remain; and the church which your missionaries, in connection with others, have been employed in building, will be the joy of the whole land. We go forth weeping, bearing precious seed, and shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing our sheaves with us. There is another fact relating to the Native race that spreads gloom over our prospects. The natives are manifestly rapidly decreasing in numbers; to this fact all the missionaries bear testimony. The number of deaths in nearly all the districts is much greater than the number of births. The number of children that die in infancy and childhood is comparatively very large, so that it is generally found that the proportion of children to the adult population is very small, far below that of civilized nations. The spread of European vices among them is also telling fearfully on the population. This fact your committee would employ as a powerful motive, and stimulus to future and increased zeal and effort. The Gospel is their only hope ; it has the promise of the life that now is, as well as of that which is to come.

The work of God in the European Settlements, we trust, is steadily progressing, though the commercial fluctuations that have taken place during the past year and the changes to which we have been subjected by the state of the adjoining colonies, have somewhat interrupted the spread of the work j yet we have cause to thank God and take courage. The following are the STATISTICS OF THE NEW ZEALAND DISTIUCT.

The District Financial Report was then read. The Rev. John "VVhteley, of Kawhia, rose to move the first resolution. As this was a New Zealand Missionary Meeting, he thought it might be right that he, as the oldest missionary resident in New Zealand, should propose it ; but he would make only two or three remarks. It was right that be should appear to declare his continued attachment to a cause to which he had been devoted for twenty-one years, and for which he hoped to live and die. With reference to one part of the financial Report just read he wished to'state that when he left Kawhia the missionary collections had not been completed, and he had arranged that a general "meeting should be held on the 4th of this month, when he expected to be back there. But he had been obliged to remain in Auckland, and in anticipation of the results of the meeting, he had ventured to hand over the sum of £4O. It was only by the Overland Mail that day that he had received the list of the results, and he was now able to state that the contributions amounted to upwards of i.';">Js (Cheers.) Mr. Whiteley concluded by moving the following Resolution : That this meeting offers praise to Almighty God, for the success which he has graciously granted to all the Evangelical Missionary Churches, but especially for the powerful effects of the Gospel, as ministered by the agents of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, in the islands of Polynesia. The Rev. Nathaniel Turner, of Sydney, seconded the Resolution. He regretted that lie had not physical strength to speak as he would desire on a cause very near his heart. If his strength and time permitted, he could go with the Resolution through the South Sea Missions, for be had in former years been more or less connected with most of them. He was one of the first band sent forth to this benighted land, —for New Zealand was benighted beyond what those who have only recently come here can easily conceive. In 1823 Satan held all but unmolested sway in the country. True, the Church Missionaries had previously been labouring in it, but still there were few indeed of the New Zcalanders who had correct views of God or salvation. His first station was the valley of Wangaroa. The mission premises were near the spot where the crew of the Boyd hail been massacred and eaten, and he and his friends were often threatened with a similar fate to that which had befallen their countrymen. They had many trials, and were "in deaths often," hut God was their refuge. He had himself almost fallen a victim in endeavouring to save a brother from being murdered ; a Native threw a spear at him (Mr. Turner) and then attempted to thrmt it into his side ; he was carried away as dying, and to this moment he felt some of the effects of that blow. Soon after, w.ir broke out; the missionaries were stripped of all; their premises were burnt to the ground, and, reluctant as they were to go away, they were compelled to fly. He could tell of even blacker circumstances, hut he would forbear. They were received with great kindness at the next Church Mission Station, by Messrs. Kemp and Clarke ; but the opposing Chiefs declared they must not be sheltered there ; and they were obliged to hasten on to the Bay of Islands, whence they returned to New South Wales to equip themselves again. Some of his brethren came to Ilokianga, but Providence remarkably directed his way to the Friendly Islands, where he found many asking the way to Zion, and where he laboured for four years, until his health

failed, and he was obliged to return to the I colonies. In 1830 be came to New Zealand again. j He found a blessed change. He saw hundreds of j the Natives praying, and heard them singing the j praises of God.* lie heard a Native youth proj claiming the love of God, and enforcing the : faithful saying that Christ Jesus came into the I world to save sinners. For three or four years i he continued thus to labour here, seeing the I triumphs of the Cross, after which he again returned to the neighbouring colonies. He re- ! joiced now to be here once more, for (to use a Native expression) he had " left one of his hearts in New Zealand" ; and while he had heard the Reports of his Brethren in the District Meeting, he did praise his Maker. New Zealand owed much to the Gospel. It would not, he believed, have been at that moment a British Colony, had the missionaries not preceded the colonists. lie remembered when the first vessel with settlers arrived at the North, and anchored in the Hokianga, the emigrants, on hearing of the dangers to which they would be exposed, feared to remain, and went away to New South Wales. Those who were now enjoying many comforts, able to build houses, to spread over the land, and to dwell here in safety, ought to help the Society. It was right they should know that when it appeared at the District Meeting that the claims on the Parent Society enforced retrenchment, the devoted missionaries here had agreed to say—"Cut of part of our incomes, rather than any station should be given up." What would become of the Natives if missionary influence were withdrawn ! Surely those who were rising into affluence ought to be liberal in supporting Mission (stations which are the bulwarks of the land. (Cheers.) The Ke&oJjt'on was then put by the Chairman, and (like all the. other resolutions) unanimously agreed to. The Rev. Thomas Williams moved the second Resolution. He had come from Feejee, and if those who heard him had also come from Feejee they would feel a deep interest in the people. It was generally thought that the people of Feejee were only barely above brutes; but though dreadfully bad in many respects, they were a noble people. Mr. Williams proceeded to narrate a number of facts showing both the fearful depths of depravity and cruelty in which they are sunk, and the evidences that their eyes are opening,— that they are in a transition state. For instance, on one Sunday evening, he had seen a man on one side of a river with the roasted thigh of a human being in his hand, and about to devour it, while on the other side was a young man earnestly engaged in the study of the New Testament. The Feejcoans love the word of God, and to this fact he (Mr. W.) attributed the success of the missionaries. He concluded a very interesting speech by urging that Feejee should be helped by prayer, and by additional men (for he declared its claims were not duly attended to in this respect. ) and that Feejee had not its fair share of aid as compared with other fields. If young men touched with the missionary spirit heard him, ho would entreat them to go to that field of labour. (Hear, hear.) He moved the following Resolution, — That this meeting regards the immense extent of Pagan and Papal darkness, which yet covers the earth, as a just reason for humiliation, as well as much greater exertion, and acknowledges the imperative need of greater holiness in the church, and of mightier and more frequent intercessions from it, in order to the evangelization of the world.

The Rev. W. B. Boyce, of Sydney, seconded the Resolution. Referring to a remark of the last speaker, he said that although he would wish to send twenty Missionaries to Feejee, yet it must be content at present to have—not what it requires—but whi.t the Society can afford to give it. in ten or fifteen years the climate frequently destroyed the constitution, and the Missionaries who lost their health there could not then be cast of but must be cared for from the funds of the Society. Indeed the fact that missionaries were si ill found ready to offer themselves for Western Africa and Feejee was in itself an evidence that the spirit of martyrdom still exists in the Church. He proceeded to observe that the real interest in Missionary meetings was increasing. They wero assembled for a noble object, sympathising with the sympathies of Christ. But none could feel an interest in them like that felt by missionaries, like Mr. Turner and Mr. Williams, who had themselves seen so much of the effect of truth in taking bold of the mind, and bringing savages to cry for mercy. It was pleasing also to see the civilising influence of the Gospel. There had been controversies whether the gospel or civilisation should come first; but civilization without Christianity was as a steam engine without the steam. Christianity was the great moving power; like the plough it broke up the ground, and prepared for all the civilization that the resources of the country would afford. Wearing Manchester calicoes and Yorkshire broad-cloths was but a small part of civilization, as compared with learning to respect each others rights, and sharing in the moral elevavation ot the Anglo-Saxon race, a race which it appeared God for wise purposes had destined to spread through every part of the world where white men can live. The colony of New Zealand bad no need to be ashamed of its origin. (Hear,hear.) Whatever individuals may have done, the colonists generally bad not cheat.>d the natives of their lands; (Hear, hear.) and, although no doubt some European vices had been introduced, yet on the whole the presence of the colonists had not been an injury to the Natives. They had set before them the example of people rising in the world by the labour of their hands and that this example was not lost appeared from theamount of corn-fields, wheat mills, and other improvements belonging to the Natives. With regard to the decrease in the numbers of the Maories, he believed that when it arrived at a certain minimum point there would be a re-action, and that the result would be, not the destruction of the aboriginal race, but its amalgamation with the superior European race. In order to this consummation, missionary effort must be sustained. At the District Meeting, the question of withdrawing from some of the stations had been raised; but though the self-sacrifice of the missionaries the necessity had been averted. The friends of missions must, however, be increasingly liberal, not merely for the value of the money, but to show to the public at home what they thought of missions. In the order of Providence many valuable things are expensive. There is a great cry for cheapness.—for cheap Government, cheapness in sliops, and in everything. But all the institutions of Christianity are more or less costly. The ministers of the Gospel must be supported, and this costs money; so does the relief of the poor and the sic!;, —it would no doubt be cheaper to let them starve, or to kill them, as is done in Feejee : and the circulation of the Scriptures costs money, however cheaply Bibles may be printed. God, he believed, had ordained this purposely, in order to give suitable employment to our physical and intellectual activity, using men as the hands through which His benevolence may be exercised, and in order to give a healthy scope to all our sympathies,— exciting, not the false sympathy which causes many to cry over a work of fiction, while ultimately they are rather hardened than softened by it, but a sympathy which makes the heart like God when its promptings are followed out sacrificially. They should feel thus for New Zealand and Feejee,—not merely expressing interest about them in words, but doing something in the spirit of sacrifice for them. In proportion as they were faithful, God would bless them. They had in New Zealand a fine climate and many advantages calculated to render it equal to any country. It was, in a natural point of view, one of the loveliest of lands, and the Gospel plant bad taken root here which he trusted would be found as a tree of life, the leaves of which would be for the healing of the people of the country. It was cheering to know that, whatever differences of opinion might exist in the colony on a variety of public questions, all ranks participated in the to benefit and save the Maori population, (Cheers.)

The Rev, Robert Young, of London, on rising to move the third resolution was received with much applause. The resolution was as follows: This meeting Tecognizes the claims of this Society to continued sujijißt, and the necessity of vigorous local efforts to effectuate lie designs, and to supplement the generous contributions of the British Churches.^

Mr. Young said, be was happy to appear before that respectable congregation as the humble advocate of the Missionary cause. His having been personally engaged in that cause for ten years of his life afforded him feelings of pleasure not to be described, and a joy which a stranger intermeddled not with. 'His first mission was to Jamaica. When a Missionary arrived in that country he met not only with the deep-shaded African : and white European, but all the intermediate shades of Sambo, Mulatto, Quadroon, Mustee, and Mustephene. It might be pleasing to the friends of missions to be informed that these people, especially the black and coloured population were grateful for the Gospel sent to them. On his arrival in Kingston, it was no sooner known that a Missionary and his wife had arrived than scores of people hastened to congratulate them, and bid them welcome. The Mission House was soon crowded to excess, and many not being able to gain admittance, climbed up and looked through the windows with countenances beaming with delight. Some wept over them, some put their hands upon their heads and blessed them, some praised the God of heaven, some thanked the friends of missions, and others in the over-flow-ings of their grateful feelings literally began to leap for joy. Scores of times he had heard from them expressions of gratitude to those who had sent Missionaries to guide their feet into the way of peace, and occasionally he had heard such expressions under very impressive circumstances. On one occasion he visited a dying negro, who told him tbat he was happy in his soul, and soon would bejwith Jesus. His feelings then overcame him, and he (Mr. Y.) thought he was no more, but he opened bis eyes again, and by a desperate and last effort as "it proved, he said in broken accents, " Stop me Massa! me forget one thing; when you go m England, tell them good people that me die happy, that me thankful of the gospel them send, that me now pray for them." So saying, he closed his eyes again, and for ever, on this perishing world, and his redeemed and happy spirit took its flight—no doubt to the paradise of God. The attention of the people to the services of the Sanctuary was another pleasing trait in their character. He had often seen scores of negroes on a Sabbath morning at five o'clock, after having walked from ten to twenty miles without either shoe or sandal to their feet, waiting at the door-posts of Zion to gain admittance ; and when at that early hour, he had thrown open the gates and bid the tribes welcome, the joy that sparkled in their eyes and beamed from their countenances seemed to say " Lord, we have loved the habitation of thy house, and the place where thy honour dwelleth." Their genuine piety was also worthy of remark. He had heard it said that the members of the Mission Churches in that country were simply proselyted, and not under the influence of saving Christianity. Now he had conversed with some thousands of them on the subject of religion. He had observed them in the field and in the market. He had seen them in health and in affliction, in bondage and in freedom, and in various circumstances calculated to elicit their real character; and he was prepared to say that though "all were not Israel that were called Israel," yet it was his conviction that the spirit and conduct of thousands of them would be ornamental to any section of the Christian church. [Here Mr. Y. related several facts to illustrate and confirm this statement.] Another feature in the character of the people among whom he had laboured was their liberality. Freely they had received and freely did they give. They had built large chapels and paid for them, and in other respects supported with great benevolence the Missionary cause, lie had enjoyed the honour of preaching the first Missionary sermon and of making the first Missionary speech in Jamaica. For some time his brethren had hesitated as to the propriety of holding public Missionary Meetings lest they should be construed into unlawful assemblies, and lead the authorities to close their chapels as they had previously done. Two of them, however, were bold enough to make the attempt, and he had the honour of being one of the two. The Meeting was in every respect successful. This encouraged them to proceed to another station and hold a similar meeting, which also proved gratifying and encouraging. They went forward to a third station, and determined to have the meeting there arranged according to the model at home. Hitherto they had appealed very modest, but now they determined to have a platform and chairman, and to have every thing conducted according to the best style of which the}* were capable. But alas for them! the chapel was under repairs at the time, and there was no roof upon it, except the bare rafters. That, however, proved a convenience rather than otherwise, for scores of negroes not being able to gain admittance climbed upon the timbers, wedged in their black faces between the rafters, so that from the ridge-pole to the eaves there was a covering of human countenances. It was a novel but interesting sight, and he did not wonder that a son of the Emerald Isle should have actually bounded upon the platform and exclaimed, " Gentlemen ! I never saw any thing like this before. The chapel is full within and without!" The speaker began to address the meeting, and who could not have spoken on such an occasion. It was enough to make the dumb to speak and the lame to leap for joy, and for once in his life he believed that even he himself was almost eloquent whilst addressing that extraordinary assembly. The speakers did not so much describe the miseries of heathenism as detail the efforts made by Christians to send them the gospel, and the proceedings of the lady-mission ;ry collectors were particularly referred to. The effects were overpowering. They had tears above and tears below, bursts of joy here and burets of joy there, until heaven and earth seemed be coming together; and angels and men had united to say, "Jlalelujah ! for the Lord God omnipotent reigncth." The proceeds of the meeting were satisfactory, and in connexion with these and similar meetings in the Island, the sum of £1,400 was that year raised in support of the Mission Fund. Such" was the liberality of the people in the West Indies, that he believed that but for the depressed circumstances in which they were at present placed, they would sustain the mission established amongst them, and to which the vjwere so greatly indebted. But this great work in that country had not been accomplished without opposition. Dr. Coke, the first Wesleyan Missionary to Jamaica, was greatly persecuted, and the missionaries he left behind him were soon imprisoned; and one of them cast into the common workhouse for no other crime than that of preaching the gospel to the negroes. During his (Mr. Young's)residence on theislandhehad not the honour of being imprisoned} for Christ's sake, but he had frequently been brought before rulers, and more 4 than once had to plead his own cause in open court against a host of lawyers. Slavery, the chief cause of this, had been happily removed. The planters knew well that, though the Wesleyan missionaries did not interfere with the civil condition of the people, yet that there labours were working on to civil ends, and would ultimately break or melt the fetters from the hapless slave. They had no objection for a part of the gospel to bo "preached to their dependents, but other parts they thought dangerous for slaves to know. One day he was waited upon by a wealthy planter, and requested to visit his property, "and teach his negroes " morality and industry/ He accepted the invitation—the negroes were summoned from the field—met by the owner at the door of his spacious mansion, and informed that lie had brought a gentlemen to instruct them in every thing that it was proper for them to know. The planter gave him a very excellent character as a preacher before he had heard him. He (Mr, Y.) had some idea that his views would undergo a change on the subject before long, and the sequel proved that he was not mistaken. The people assembled for worship in the large hall, "and I took my stand," said Mr. Young, *' behind the table. He assisted me in singing, and when I prayed he responded loudly, as he said to teach the negroes how to pray. I read my text, and, in the exposition of which, I was led to speak against sabbath breaking, and another sin that shall be nameless, —two evils of which my host was notoriously guilty. He soon betrayed signs of great disquietude, and evidently intimated by significant looks find gestures'that I was travelling out of the record. But I knew whither 1 was travelling. I had possession and determined to keep it. A? soon as

the discourse was finished he rose from his seat in a state of great excitement, and said, « 1 do not helieve that now. Stop, my negroes; Mr. Young has deceived me. I brought him here to teach you morality and industry ; that is, not to steal from vour master, nor to be idle at your work; but,'instead of that he has been finding fault with me all the time, which, to say the least of it, is very nngentlemanly conduct He has told you it is wrong to violate the sabbath but when he said so he must have forgotten that the law respecting the sabbath was given souie hundred years before the West Indies were discovered, and cannot therefore be intended to apply to any part of the Western world. And as respects the other evil of which he has said so much, it was patronised by one ot tlie finest christian gentlemm mentioned in the benutures -his name was Abraham!' Tin sJd he, by the most shameful perversion of the Word ot bod, seek to establish his own views, and sat down evidently well pleased with what he his success. I rose and replied, and went .uracil deeper into the subject than I had done in the seimon. He rose and replied. I rose and replied : thus did we keep up the conflict for some two or three hours, to the no small amusement ot the negroes, who on perceiving the way in which I had fixed their master, departed with a loud laugh, exclaiming 'Ah, Massa Parson be too many for Busha L' But hear the sequel! In the course of a few weeks, I saw this same planter an humble penitent at the feet of Christ, and tor many years has he been preaching the gospel in. that'part of the world. Great is truth and it -will prevail. When the'question of emancipation was agitated in the Imperial parliament, several meetings were held in Jamaica to request the Governor to send the Missionaries from the island. At one of these meetings, an aged man who was asked to eive his opinion, said, 'Gentlemen,! agree with you tint it would be a good thing it we could get rid of these Missionaries, but how to do it is the pinching question. It is too late in the day, gentlemen. . Had you not desired these men", you should never have allowed them to land ; for, where they once get in, it is impossible ever to get them out again. They are even woise than Satan himself! I do read ot Satan having been cast out, but I have never read nor heard of these Methodist fellows ever having been cast out. Go home, gentlemen, you are too late in the field.' There is a sense m which the words of the aged planter are true. We have got into France, and Spain, and Germany ; we have got into Western, Eastern, and Southern Africa. We have got into Ceylon, India, and China-. We have got into the forests of America, and the most of the islands of the West Indies. We have got into Australia, New Zealand, and several islands of Polynesia, and have not in one case been cast out. It is true that heathen priests have tried to cast us out—savage chieftains have tried to cast us out—licentious travellers havetriedtocist us out—commercial companies have tried to cast us out—and unprincipled editors of newspapers have tried to cast us out; but we are in yet; and, we mem to remain in until the conquests of the Saviour shall be carried from the equator to the poles, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth. The object of the Missionary enterprise is the conversion ot the world. For this it employs its energies—for this it lifts up its importunate voice, crying Give! Give ! Nor will it ever say it has enough until it has explored every continent of the earth; visited every island of the sea; deposed every idol from its throne; regenerated every pagan heart; gathered into Shiloh every Jewish wanderer; wrested every trophy from the Arab thief, and enriched heaven with its momentous spoils. How great, how glorious, how vast the design! But is not the object visionary, and every attempt to accomplish it dictated by fanaticism! So say those who view the obstacles in the way of its accomplishment through the microscopic eye of unbelief, and like the dismayed spies, endeavour to disseminate the same spirit throughout the camps of our Israel. It is true there are difficulties to overcome, but they are not insurmountable—there are strongholds to storm, but they are not impregnable —there are giants to combat, but they cannot stand before the Lord of Hosts ; and though there be walls of fortification reaching to the very heavens, they shall tremble at the sound of the trumpet and tall before the Ark of the Lord. Our motto therefore must be onward 1 Our watchword, onward! And nothing but onward must be heard throughout the missionary _ host, until angels and men unite in proclaiming that the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom ot our God ancl of his Christ." (Cheers.) At the conclusion of Mr. Young's speech, the chairman observed that, as the most appropriate way of seconding it, the collection would then be made. This was accordingly done, and (as was subsequently announced) the collection amounted to £4Q being considerably above that of the last or any preceding year. The Rev. James Buller, of Kaipara, moved the fourth resolution, as follows:

That C.\e thanks of this Meeting are due and are hereby pre* sented to the Collectors and to the Officers and Committee for their services, and that ihe following gentlemen be the Officers for the ensuing year. Treasurer —Mr. J. Williamson. Secretaries— Rev. T. Buddie, and Mr. T. Russell. Committee —Messrs. Hughes, Langford, G. Graham, M. Somerville, Griffith, aud H. Ellis.

The Rev. David Bruce, of the Free Church of Scotland, seconded the resolution in a brief address, in which he adverted to the liberality of the natives as evidenced in the contributions of which they had heard that night, and urged the Committee to do what they could to induce the Europeans to give more. He had heard with much pleasure the missionary intelligence from various parts of the world which had been communicated, and he trusted it would have the influence which it was fitted to exercise.

The Rev. Thomas Buddle moved, and the Rev. John White r,v seconded a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which having been agreed to, and acknowledged by Captain Rough, the proceedings were closed with prayer by the Rev. Alexander

Missionaries and Assistant Missionaries ~ 19 Catechists ~ ~ ~ ~ ,- ~ — , 2 English. Native. Day School Teachers — 8 ~ „ 2 Sabbath School Teachers ~ ~ <)G ~ ~ 31)9 Chapels ,»«.»«« ~ 18 ~ ~ m Other Preaching Places ~ ,. 13 ~ 97 Church Members ~ — 5% ~ ~ 3479 On trial for Church Membership ~ 9 _ ~ _ 2U1 Day Scholars ~ «~ ~ _ 284 ~ - ~ 1924 Sabbath Scholars — — „ 830 ~ „ _ 5387 Attendants on Divine Worship . .. 2400 ~ ~ 7714