The Chief did not recover; but, having dismissed his Doctor, he applied for permission to have the attendance of the medical officer at Fort Peddie. This was granted, and the Chief is now under that gentleman's care.-Rev. John W. Appleyard, dated Colesberg, March 30th, 1844. POSTSCRIPT. Wesleyan Mission-House, Bishopsgate-Street-Within, London, August 15th, 1844. SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF REVIEW OF THE WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY, HELD IN CONNEXION WITH THE LATE CONFERENCE, AT BIRMINGHAM, TUESDAY, JULY 30TH, 1844: THE REV. JOHN SCOTT, LATE PRESIDENT OF THE CONFERENCE, IN THE CHAIR. AFTER the usual devotional services at the commencement, the General Secretaries read an outline of the proceedings of the General Missionary Committee, and Finance Committee, as recorded in their Minutes, during the year just closed; and, in conclusion, a condensed view of the Society's financial state and prospects, as contained in the Minutes of the General Committee of the 17th of July, 1844. A conversation of some hours ensued on the statement thus submitted, in which part was taken by G. R. Chappell, Esq., of Manchester; John Howard, Esq., of Leeds; Thomas Walker, Esq., of Stockton; Thomas Crook, Esq, of Liverpool; John Burton, Esq., of Leeds; Robinson Kaye, Esq., of Bury; Mr. Beynon, of Birmingham; and the Rev. Messrs. Jacob Stanley, S. D. Waddy, John Maclean, Alexander Bell, Robert Newstead, and the General Treasurers and General Secretaries of the Society. In the course of the conversation very grateful mention was made of the important aid which the Missions had derived, towards liquidating the accumulated debt of past years, from the Centenary Fund; of the liberal response which was given, to so large an extent, to the special appeal made in December last, in behalf of the income of 1843; and of the large and seasonable addition to the income of the year, which the Society had derived from the Christmas and New-Year's Juvenile Offering, which has now become an acknowledged and efficient source of regular income to the Society. The liberality of many individual friends of the Society, and the continuance of the ordinary subscriptions and contributions, during a year of unexampled depression of trade, and the cheerful diligence of the Collectors at large, were had in grateful recollection. Still it was clearly and painfully evident that the present income of the Society is inadequate to the support of the Missions at their present rate of expenditure, or even at the rate to which it is contemplated they may be reduced by the restrictive regulations of the Committee now to be carried into effect. And yet the Committee were unwilling to entertain any proposal for withdrawing our useful and benevolent Missions from any quarter where they are established, or for materially reducing their strength. Many valuable suggestions for avoiding so painful an alternative were offered and warmly supported by the Ministers and gentlemen present, which we now place before our readers in a condensed form, in the hope that they may meet their approbation and adoption. One of the most weighty suggestions, and on which the Committee chiefly dwelt, was, the importance of increasing the sympathy and compassion of all Christian men for the many tribes and nations of the heathen world, who are now easily accessible by Christian Missions, and are either open to their instructions, or earnestly desiring them. These poor outcasts are, by the providence and, we may say, by the grace of God, laid at our doors, miserable and perishing, without any hope or help but that which we may afford them; and it does not appear that the household of Christ's church have yet made sufficient provision for their relief. It was the prevailing opinion of the Meeting, that there were sufficient means for this purpose, if they could be called into requisition; and the only reason of the deficiency, it was argued, was, that the extent of the necessity and the urgency of the case were not generally known or felt. In order to awaken this sympathy, it was considered desirable that more frequent and earnest mention should be made of the condition of the Heathen in public prayer, and that even special meetings should be held, when their case should be made the chief subject of prayer and supplication. In further reference to the augmentation of means for carrying on the Missions, it was suggested that more pains should be taken to secure the attendance of persons at Missionary Meetings, to whom God has intrusted wealth, in the hope that they may be induced to the exercise of larger liberality; and that, in the final arrangement of their property, they may bequeath some of it for the support of Missions. It was also strongly recommended that the business of Missionary Meetings should not be wholly undertaken by Ministers, but that other gentlemen should have an opportunity of expressing their sentiments, and pledging themselves to the support of the Missionary cause. For the information and encouragement of Local Committees, and of the Collectors at large, it was stated, that, in one principal town in Yorkshire, a re-canvass of the town had twice doubled the amount of subscriptions towards the support of Missions. On all hands it was agreed that every member of the Wesleyan society, regarding Methodism at home and abroad as a special work of God, should identify himself with every thing that is Wesleyan, and particularly with the Wesleyan Missions, and should afford them his support. The Committee cheered the sentiment, that, in the most cautious minds, courage increases as difficulties increase; and that, in the estimation of our most judicious friends, there is no cause to fear for the support of our Missions, if the views expressed at this Meeting could be communicated to our friends at large throughout the Circuits, and be practically adopted. It was therefore moved by Thomas Crook, Esq., of Liverpool; and seconded by John Howard, Esq., of Leeds; and unanimously adopted, "That this Committee has learned, with the utmost concern, that, notwithstanding the very earnest and continued efforts which the General Committee have made to reduce the expenditure of the Foreign Missions, so as to bring it within the income of the Society, there is ground of apprehension, from the payments of the last six months, that there will be a deficiency, at the end of the current year, of little less than £10,000; that this Committee deeply sympathizes with the General Committee in their care and anxiety for the continuance of the Foreign Missions in all their efficiency, more especially as it has pleased the great Head of the church to make them instrumental to the accomplishment of an amount of spiritual good to heathen and other unenlightened lands, beyond any measure which might have been anticipated; and that, therefore, before the General Committee proceed to the work of reducing the Missions in foreign lands, a measure which now appears necessary, but which is much to be deprecated, if at all avoidable,-this Meeting pledges itself that each member in his own locality shall use his utmost endeavours for the augmentation of the funds of the Society, by obtaining large and increased contributions for its support, and by endeavouring to promote the activity and efficiency of every Local Committee." Contributions to the Wesleyan Missionary Society, received by the General Treasurers, since our last announcement, to the 9th of August, 1844. Moneys received at the Mission-House. £. s. d. A Friend in the South of Ireland (on Annuity) 500 0 0 Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton, Bart., especially in aid of the 100 0 0 Legacy of the Rev. N. Templeman, Cramborne, Dorset ; 100 0 50 0 0 Samuel Stocks, Esq., Wakefield, by Thomas Farmer, Esq. Legacy of John Baker, Esq.; Messrs. R. Hockey, Richard A Friend to Missions, by the Rev. Robert Newstead B. A Friend at Doncaster, by Mr. Isaac Marsden The Society for promoting Female Education in the East, for ... Rev. Robert and Mrs. Lyon, Boulogne, for the French Mission Samuel Colton, Esq., West-Hall Legacy of Mrs. Hester Evans, Haverfordwest; Captain John A Friend, for Feejee, by the Rev. Robert Young A Friend, by H. G. Walker, Esq. V. O. W... A Friend in the Driffield Circuit A Friend at Grimsby, by the Rev. John Beecham, towards the Mr. John Otter, and Mr. Lister, Stokeham, for the Understone Mr. Batchelor Mr. James Stickney Ridsdale, late Mate of the "Triton" 50 0 0 45 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 20 0 0 00 19 13 3 15 0 0 0 0 10 10 0 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 LONDON-PRINTED BY JAMES NICHOLS, HOXTON-SQUAKE. |