MAICA

MISSIONARY.

-State of the Island. The ist Missionary Herald furnishes a view e present position of this island, by no is so discouraging as many had been o apprehend. We present it to our rs with much satisfaction:Our readers are familiar with the reitecry that ruin of every kind has overthe island of Jamaica; that emancin, if a right,·has yet been injudiciously 1; and that a state of barbarism was ly succeeding to the comparative civilin gradually spreading in the time of ry. That great commercial distress overtaken the island, that numerous tations have been thrown out of cultivaand many more have fallen off in their uce, none will attempt to deny. Mean e this state of things has its alleviation. low price of land has permitted the o to become a free and large purchaser: throughout the country a peasantry is g up possessing the freehold of the soil, securing for itself the future control of government. The folly of the planters ed to this displacement. Ruin to him coming, and has already in numerous nces become, the prosperity of his forslave. Who shall say there is not in a fit retribution for ages of tyranny and ession?- one of those great lessons by -h the Supreme teaches the rectitude of administration of human affairs. We rfully place before our readers the folng extracts from a letter lately received a the Rev. D. J. East. A more useful satisfactory correction cannot be given ome of the misapprehensions which ail respecting the state of the negro, the condition of the island. He says: ring the vacation I have been to Spanish n, Kingston, Four Paths, Porus, ThompTown, Sligo-ville, Passage Fort, Clarkville, Brown's Town, and Guy's Hill. he Spanish Town district I attended, brother Clark and other brethren, a es of missionary meetings; and at most he other places attended some public gious service. In nearly all these stas I was much gratified with the state of gs I witnessed. At Spanish Town and sage Fort we had crowded meetings. At former I should think there were fifteen dred, and at the latter one thousand ole. My observation of the social conon of the people was anything but to ify the slanderous reports which you etimes meet with both in Jamaica and lish newspapers respecting it. Almost luntarily I found myself ironically quotthe terms 'starvation,' 'vagrancy,' 'idle,'' insubordination,' which the enemies

applied to them. Do not listen to them; the charges alleged in such language are false and malicious. The planting interest is sinking; but the people are rising. Money is scarce with them; but they are amassing material wealth, and I have no doubt they will one day become the masters of the soil. They cannot endure the present burdens of taxation; and, I hope they will not. They have their faults; some of these are great and heinous; but they are greatly magnified on the one hand by those whose expectations of them exceeded all that might be reason ably expected; and on the other hand, by those whose souls are sore vexed because they cannot worry and oppress them as once they were wont to do. For my own part, I never hear of a complaint which may not either be traced to the cruel system from which they were only lately liberated, or for which I cannot instantly find a parallel amongst men occupying the same social position in England. My recent travels along mountain passes and amongst mountain settlements have greatly raised my estimate of the people. Where, from the seclusion in which they live, you might expect to find them in a state of semi-barbarism, I found them in comfortable homes, decently clothed, and with well-cultivated provision grounds-some of them as clean as an English kitchen garden; and that is saying much, in a land where after rains a crop of weeds will grow up in a night. But I shall weary you; yet I could not forbear saying this, for my indignation sometimes burns when I read the scandalous assertions with which English ears are sometimes filled by a class serving press. Tell our friends at home they are big black lies. The people are not starving; nor likely to do so. They are not vagrants; nor likely to be so. They are not idle, when they are properly remunerated for their labour. They are not sinking into barbarism, but rising in the scale of civilization.””

TURKEY, Constantinople.-As much interest exists respecting this famous city at this juncture, we extract the following para. graph from an American religious newspaper; the christians of that country having numerous missions in the East of Europe and the West of Asia." The 'Congregationalist' states that a large Protestant book store has been opened in Constantinople, in the very heart of the city. On its shelves are found copies of the scriptures in twelve different languages, and thence have gone · forth, during the past year, more than 10,000 copies of the word of God, besides other religious books and tracts in the various languages of that part of the world. Four hundred dollars worth of the Scriptures in the Ararat dialect have been sent

into Duacio during the

RELIGIOUS.

THE MILLION BIBLES FOR CHINA.Thomas Thompson, Esq., of Poundsford Park, who first made this proposal, has now addressed the 2,400,000 sabbath scholars and 300,000 teachers of England and Wales, exhorting them to come forward in this noble enterprise. We have this month, in one of our leaders, expressed our views on this important undertaking, and we rejoice to hear that the good work goes gallantly on. Beneath we give a copy of a letter from an excellent clergyman in Birmingham to the Record. Such a man as Mr. Miller is would be an ornament to any denomination. Oh that every parochial place of worship in these realms had such a man for its minister! We should not then have the unpleasant duty of exposing the folly and presumption of so many of our established clergy.

"This noble effort for China, needs but to be made known from our pulpits, to be eagerly and bounteously responded to. Our excellent brother, the Rev. J. Angell James, brought it before his people here, and they pledged themselves on one Sunday, to upwards of five and twenty thousand copies. Probably they will send not less than thirty thousand. Provoked to (not unchristian) jealousy, I preached on the subject on Sunday last, and have done little else since but receive contributions. And never, in my experience, were contributions poured in more cheerfully. Poor widows, servants, working men, children, are responding. In addition to a Jubilee contribution of £250 and upwards, we shall send many thousand Testaments from St. Martin's alone. We have upwards of 10,000 promised already, and nearly every hour is adding to the list. If these few lines should be useful as an encouragement to my respected brethren elsewhere, I shall be deeply thankful. They have only to touch the purse-strings very gently; no pressure is needed. May every New Testament sent to China be accompanied by many prayers. On each rests the sure and blessed promise, 'My word shall not return unto me void.' Blessed be the God of the bible for the Bible Society! I remain, Sir, yours faithfully,

JOHN C. MILLER.

Birmingham, St. Martin's Rectory,
Oct. 11, 1853.

P. S. It is of great importance to make our people definitely realize, that every fourpence represents a New Testament."

TUSCANY.-The liberate Miss Cunn sent to the same pris were confined, for di bible and the Pilgr tempt was made to Duchess by an appe pathies; but she a under the influence cowardly and cruel h to interfere. It would ridden Government seize upon this oppo a British lady, out o we took in wresting hands. But will En lady to be imprisoned (for that is the penal contemptible ruler of Had such a thing bee was in power, he wo this ducal bigot bette

Since the above wa has been received of Cunningham. It is owing to the strong British Government, Duke pretended that h out of consideration hoping that the three she had endured woul and to others, but de he would shew no gressors. It appears of the order for her rel like Paul at Phillipi (see Acts xvi. 37) be unlawfully detained; being assured in wri be used if she did no It now also appears th the concealed papists leading daily papers h young lady and the no wrote the immortal b not distribute the "P all, but some evangeli copies of the script language. Scotland ha ourable women not af sneers of the Times puseyism of the Chron ham deserves to be num AN AGED PREACHE from London, said to preached, a few sab Primitives, in Nottin soldier twenty-one year in America and Egypt. recitals at a tea-meeti much interest. THE EPISCOPAL CH States, after refusing f at length consented to a

to their conventions by

WITZERLAND.-A clergyman of the Swiss onal Church has recently given up his 'ge. He stated, from the pulpit, that could no longer administer the Lord's per to all comers indiscriminately, and out any evidence of piety. Confirma, too, he could not approve, " and deed that he could find, in the New Testat, no precept or precedent for the bapof any but the penitent and obedient." had long struggled with these convictions; had at length yielded to their force, for hatsoever is not of faith is sin." FRANGE DECISION!-In one of the police rts at Dublin, a young man has been d for offering, in the street, a copy of a d-bill, announcing a protestant sermon, popish priest. The young man affirmed he only offered it, and the priest accepted But the priest swore that he thrust it on 1; and the magistrate decided that the on was likely to lead to a breach of the ce, What inflammable stuff must an h priest be made of!

GENERAL.

CHURCH RATE CONTESTS seem to be re

ng since the late decision that majorities 3. At Minster, in the Isle of Sheppy, a e of one penny was refused by 452 against At St. Asaph, a cathedral city, a rate of ee farthings was only carried after a nine s poll by a small majority, made up, it is d, of doubtful or spurious votes. At therham, after a poll, above 500 against. the city of Wells, 115 for, 144 against. Wrexham, 558 for, 715 against.-At chdale the church party have laid on mselves a voluntary rate.

THE MOTHER AND HER CHILDREN.-The pers report a puseyite parson, when preach, as representing mother church sitting a warm fireside with vacant seats around =, waiting anxiously for her repentant disting children, and then he exclaimed, Vill not Dissenters now run and see who all get the first kiss!"

THE OVERLAND ROUTE.-Within twelve nths the line of rails will be completed, d then from Ostend to Trieste, 1500 miles, two days-four more days to Alexandriaboard in the Red Sea in thirty six hours at Bombay in twelve days-making three eks to India.

THE RUSSIANS versus THE TURKS.-Dr. ird, who has travelled in Russia, describes as a prevailing opinion that Russians are und to punish the Turks and obliterate ahommedanism.

A SKILFUL FORGERY of Bank of England tes has been executed by photography. is found necessary to adopt a new mode operation in printing and writing on the

"THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT."— The British Quarterly, in an able article on this subject, affirms that out of sixteen millions of souls in England, 350,000 die every year, or nearly 1000 per day; being double what the deaths ought naturally to be, or would be if the "Health Act" were in full operation. The inevitable mortality is ten in 1000 annually, - among the Society of Friends it is less-but now it is twenty-one in 1000. Thus 180,000 perish unnecessarily every year. For every death there are thirty sick, and therefore five millions are sick every year.

UNITED STATES SLAVERY.- Professor Blanchard, of King's College, Illinois, gives the following distressing statement respecting slaves held in the various denominations of protestants in that land of inconsistency.

660,000 slaves, or one-fifth of the 3,300,000 held by professing christians! The value of this property is estimated at above 105 millions of pounds sterling.

THE AMERICAN FREE STATES.-At the close of the Revolutionary War, it is said that slavery existed in all the states. Massachusetts was the first state that threw off the odious custom, by advising a negro to enter an action against his master for wages, which was done and won. Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, soon followed the example. But the infamous Fugitive Act has made all go wrong again.

THE NORTH STAR, a fast-going American steamer, has returned to New York, after voyaging 15,000 miles in twenty-six days, and visiting Europe, Asia, and Africa. "During her absence, the North Star astonished John Bull, was admired by the Russian Court, gazed at by the Sultan, and frightened the Pope." So, at least, the Yankees say!

EMPLOYMENT OF FEMALES.-In the United States, females are employed as compositors in some of the printing establishments. This may be well in some cases, but we would rather hear of them " guiding the house."

PUBLIC SPIRIT.-A gentleman of New York has subscribed 406,600 dollars, the whole amount required, to form a railway from Fayetteville, N. C., to the Deep River Coal Mines in the same state.

FIFTY YEARS AGO FRANCE employed at the most 2000 workmen in spinning 2,000,000 kilos of cotton. Now she every year uses in spinning and weaving 71,000,000 kilos,

THE WESTERLY EQUINOCTIAL GALE, which passed over us on the 25th and 26th of Sep., did immense mischief both on land and at sea. A Liverpool emigrant vessel for Quebec, was driven off Barra Island, one of the Hebrides, when 348 passengers were drowned, and 112 escaped. They were chiefly Irish.

SALTAIRE. This is the name of a new manufacturing colony near Bradford in Yorkshire, consisting of a splendid factory with dwellings for the workmen. At the opening, Titus Salt, the proprietor, dined 3750 persons, 2500 of whom were his own working-people.

But

"AUSTRALIA, which was starved and stinted of everything last April, was overflowing in June; and, from being the most wealthy, has suddenly become the cheapest city in the world." So says the Times in one of its powerful leaders, Oct. 7. Australia a city, was a sad slip! BRITISH NEWSPAPERS.-Seventy millions of stamped newspapers are annually published in Britain, and twenty millions of unstamped publications, from one halfpenny upwards; nearly all the latter are of an immoral tendency.

APPALING RAILWAY ACCIDENTS.-A luggage train lately ran into a passenger train not far from Dublin. The carnage was dreadful. Twelve persons were horribly crushed to death, and as many were seriously wounded.

THE SABBATH QUESTION.-The petitions to Parliament against opening the Crystal Palace on the Lord's-day were 835, with 186,048 signatures-those for, 127 with 24,249 signatures.

PUBLIC HOUSES AND BEER SHOPS.-The petitions to parliament for closing these on the whole of the Lord's-day were 165, with 51,167 signatures.

A MUNIFICENT DONATION of £6000 has been made by W. Brown, Esq. M. P. for South Lancashire, for the establishment of a public library in Liverpool.

FIRE INSURANCES.-The Stamp Duty on policies for life insurance amounted to £1,162,913 for 1852.

POOR LAW ADMINISTRATION. The expences of this establishment for the last year, were £210,261.

PAUPERISM. The decrease to July, 1853, as compared with July, 1852, was 56,533of whom 17,002 were able-bodied.

WALES.-A university for the Principality is now proposed, and will probably be adopted.

BRITISH MUSEUM.-There are now above half a million of volumes of books in this great depository.

FIVE THOUSAND ELECTORS are said to have lost their right to vote in London through

ABROAD. Turkey h conditional declaration and this day (Oct. 24) pires. We may ther hear that hostilities of s menced; though the se vanced for a regular co the Danube. Even no peaceable arrangements fear not. Russia has insolent demands, and without disgrace. It Russian Emperor calcul of the French and Eng would not unite as they his ambitious schemes.lution seems to be app summation. The insu proaching Pekin.-The ron has visited Japan. acted with great caution vessels twenty miles up and gave presents, made to the Government, and should return to China, a to hear what they though Yankees seem determi