-

rowed, and the rest chiefly Contributions- Expenditure: 147,081 Dollars Books printed: 362,492; of which, 170,750 were English Bibles, 173,750 English Testaments, 500 St. Luke in Mohawk, and 15,000 St. Matthew in Hawaiian Books issued: 200,122; being an increase of 65,515 over the Twelfth Year, and an aggregate since the formation of the Society of 846,397: of the Issues of the Year, 191,974 copies were by sale, and 8148 by gra tuitous distribution.

Supply of all Destitute Families. The Resolution of the Annual Meeting, to attempt the supply, in two years, of 800,000 Families in the United States destitute of the Scriptures, was noticed at p. 426. The Committee remark

It is matter of unfeigned thankful ness, that so many of our countrymen have entered, in such a thorough manner, on the work of spreading the Oracles of God. Ten entire States, and, more or less, Countries in every State, have already been or are now engaged in placing a copy of those Oracles in every dwelling within their prescribed limits, where this treasure was wanting. In reference to this subject, it is stated

Many of these 800,000 Families live remote from the Public Sanctuaries of Religion, and but seldom enjoy any of the Means of Grace. It will be a benefaction of no little moment, to put into their hands the great Charter of Salvation; and the kind providence of God will, it is hoped, by other agencies than ours, gradually extend to them the various spiritual blessings, which it is the happiness of a large proportion of our country in rich profusion to enjoy.

The product of the presses last year was more than 360,000 copies of Bibles and Testaments; a somewhat larger amount than were put in circulation by the British and Foreign Bible Society, in the English Language, during the same period: the addition now making of four new power-presses, with the contemplated increase of the whole number to sixteen during the present summer, besides twenty of the ordinary kind, will enable the Board of Managers to print a much greater number of copies during the current year, provided the liberality of this Christian Community keeps pace with their labours.

Advantage of Scripture-Circulation by

Means of Benevolent Societies.

The method of distributing the Scriptures by Benevolent Associations belongs to these latter days of the Church. But few centuries have passed since the Sacred Volume was confined almost exclusively to the libraries of Ecclesiastics. Even since the great Protestant Reformation, this Book has been but narrowly diffused among the more indigent parts of the community, until the age of Bible Societies commenced. So long as Families were dependent for the Bible on the sale of the Book-merchant, few were supplied, except those which already valued the Book, and had the in poverty, and those who had no reve means of procuring it. Those who were rence for the Bible, were almost invariably found to live without it; though they, of all persons, were most in need of its sacred influence.

But, when the time came to supply Families with the Bible through the instrumentality of Benevolent Associ ations, the poor, the obscure, and those most far from righteousness, were the first to be sought out and furnished with this Heavenly Treasure. The individuals, who compose these Associations, do not wait for the destitute to come and ask for the Bread of Life: they well know, that, if so left, thousands would rather starve than come. In the spirit of the Saviour's commands, they go out into the highways and hedges; carrying this Sacred Blessing to all who need it; and, when necessary, bestowing it without money and without price.

were by Sale of the Scriptures, and 25,173 for Contributions: the Expenditure amounted to the same as the Receipts.

New Tracts-There have been added 19 English, 2 French, and 13 German; making the English Series amount to 227, the French to 16, and the German to 37. Five Series of Children's Tracts have been revised and improved, and now make 10 Volumes: 20 Tracts for Young Children, 4 Broad Sheets, and 30 Hand-Bills have been prepared. Baxter's Saints' Rest has been stereotyped: 32 appropriate Tracts, suitably prepared, have been published under the title of the "Christian Reader, intended for the Use of Schools."

Tracts printed-During the year ending May 1, 1829, there were printed

In the English Language..
In French.......

In Spanish

In German

...

Tracts.

.5,008,000

20,000 56,000 84,000 Children's Tracts.. 310,000 BoundVolumes, comprising Tracts,454,000 Broad-Sheet Tracts.. 48,000 Hand-Bill Tracts... 288,000 The whole number of Tracts printed during the year, is 6,268,000, containing 61,052,000 pages duodecimo; and 7,264,000 pages of Children's Tracts. The whole number of Tracts printed since the formation of the Society is, 15,102,000, containing 114,719,000 duodecimo pages; and 12,472,000 pages of Children's Tracts. The Covers on the Tracts, issued during the year, have amounted to 15,216,000 pages. Of the American Tract-Magazine, 5000 copies have been published monthly; making 60,000 during the year. Of the Christian Almanac, 21 distinct editions were published; and 127,000 copies printed at the Society's House.

Tracts circulated-The whole number of pages of Duodecimo and Children's Tracts, Rise and Progress, Broad-Sheets, and Hand-Bill Tracts, circulated during the year, is 48,895,262; of which,44,270,528 were 12mo. pages. The whole number of pages circulated since the formation of the Society is 123,596,778. Most of those circulated during the year have been sold to Auxiliaries and other Benevolent Institutions, nearly at cost. The amount of gratuitous appropriations has been 2,016,628 pages; of which, 251,920 pages were granted to Foreign Countries, and 817,114 to the States west of the Alleghany Mountains. In addition to the above, the Committee have appro

priated 650 Dollars, in money, to aid Foreign Missionary Societies in printing Tracts in Burmah, Ceylon, and Greece. It is stated

A comparison of the amount of Receipts in the past year, with the number of Pages of Tracts and Occasional Volumes printed, will shew that eleven anda-half pages have been printed for every cent received.

Of the Valley of the Mississippi, where great and successful exertions have been made to form Auxiliaries, it is said—

It now embraces more than 4,000,000 of inhabitants, being more than onethird of the whole population of the United States; though, in the year 1790, it scarcely contained 150,000'souls. While the population of the States east of the Alleghany Mountains is scarcely three times as great as it was at that time, the population of the Valley of the Mississippi has, during the same period, increased almost thirty-fold; and it will soon, according to every probable calculation, be so large as, on the principles of our Free Government, very powerfully to influence the operations and interests of our country. In twenty years it will probably contain 12,000,000 of inhabitants, who will then be the majority of our whole population; and many a child, now in the midst of us, may see the day, when it will embrace one of the most powerful Nations in Christendom.

The Report recommends that some course be adopted by different Auxiliaries, by which Tracts shall be distributed systematically. The New-York-City Tract-Society have divided the city into about 500 districts, in which an equal number of distributors give every month one Tract to each family. Other large cities, and small towns and villages, might be supplied in the same

manner.

About fifteen pages of the Report are occupied with notices of the Divine Blessing on the Society's Publications, as witnessed by the various Auxiliaries and individual Contributors.

BOARD OF MISSIONS.

WE collect from the " "Missionary Herald" the following

Summary View of the Society.

Members The Board was incorporated at Boston in the year 1812. It now consists of 68 Elected Members, residing in different parts of the Union; of whom 29 are Laymen. Of the Clergymen, 13 are Presidents of Colleges, and six are Professors in Theological Seminaries. There are, also, 21 Corresponding Members-nine in this country, and twelve in foreign countries-and 446 Honorary Members, constituted by the payment of 50 dollars if Clergymen, and 100 dollars if Laymen: these are entitled to sit with the Board at its Meetings, take part in the debates, and act on Committees.

Associations-Auxiliaries, 69 in number, comprehend 830 Associations of Gentlemen, and 641 of Ladies. Many other Societies, in different parts of the country, contribute the whole or part of their funds to the Board.

Publications-The number of copies of different Works which have been printed, and to a great extent circulated, gratuitously or by sale, during the last year, is as follows

Missionary Herald..... ..15,000
Annual Report...... ...2,500

Missionary Papers.........30,000 Of the Missionary Papers there are twelve Numbers, on important topics pertaining to Missions. They are distributed principally among the contributors to the Associations.

Missionary Stations

Labourers from AmericaOrdained Missionaries

Licensed Preachers.. Catechists..

46

.43

4

4

copies of Works printed by the Society during the five years of its existence....

6,098,899

The Union has Three Periodical Publications, viz. the "Sunday-School Magazine," designed principally for Teachers; and the "Youths' Friend," and the "Infants' Magazine," designed for different classes of Pupils.

Agents Fourteen Sunday - School Missionaries, of five different Denominations, have been employed during the year; who have been very cordially received in all parts of the country, and contributed much to advance the objects of the Union.

Schools &c.-The Returns of Auxiliaries shew the whole number of Schools to be 5901; of Teachers, 52,663; of Scholars, 349,202; of Teachers professing religion, 930; of Scholars professing religion, 1169; and 234,587 Volumes in Sunday-School Libraries-shewing an increase, during the year, of 19,907 Teachers, and 89,546 Scholars.

1829.]

and

We would submit a single suggestion to reflecting and observing men in the United States. We ask them to estimate (so far as it can be done by a pecuniary standard) the amount which Sunday-School Teachers contribute to educate our population. There are 52,663 Teachers in connection with our Society, and now engaged in this work; some of them we know to be men and women whose services in such an undertaking your money would not purchase: but at Thirty-Three Cents a Sabbath, which was the established rate, when Sunday-School Teachers, as at the first, were paid, their compensation would amount to NINE HUNDRED AND THREE THOUSAND, SIX HUNDRED AND NINETYSEVEN DOLLARS annually.

N. W. American Indians.

Red-Riber Colony.

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY. THE embarkation of the Rev. David T. Jones, on his return to his labours in this Mission, was stated at p. 234. From a communication made by him to the Committee, we extract a

Suggestion of an Indian Settlement.

We have often felt and considered a difficulty, which has always presented itself in our intercourse with the Native Indians.

Red-River Settlement is composed of Four Classes of individuals-Canadians, Europeans, Half-breeds, and Native Indians. With the Canadians we have nothing to do, they being under the superintendence of the Roman Catholic Missionaries: in reference to the Europeans and Half-breeds, our Journals and Letters, from time to time, contain sufficient information: but, in regard to the Aborigines, I wish the Committee distinctly to understand, that we have no immediate access to them, and that no systematic plan has hitherto been adopted in regard to their evangelization. Individual good has been done to Dec. 1829.

;

At the same time it will appear, from our Journals, that a desire of becoming Settlers is springing up among them and it will be satisfactory to the Committee to hear, that I do not consider our labour to have been lost in reference to this object: it required some time for an Indian to see the benefits attendant on such a step. All I wish to state is, that I consider the time now come for a beginning to be made, on however limited a scale: let four, five, or six families, more or less according to circumstances, be received annually, and the principle will be established-the foundation for permanent good will be laid; and I have not the slightest hesitation in anticipating, that, by the blessing of God, in a few years we should see an Indian Village, or Villages, which would be no sufferers by a comparison with those of any country.

Could the Committee obtain from the Hudson's-Bay Company, or from the Executors of the late Earl of Selkirk, an allotment of land any where between "Jack-Fish Creek" and "Netley Creek," the work might be commenced there, as the land is fertile, the fishery productive, and wood plentiful. In this case, Mr. Cochran or myself, according to the appointment of the Committee, would move down and form an establishment there. This would be rather an accommodation, than an inconvenience to us; as we have to attend, at present, to a small Congregation and a School at "Little Britain," which we find very bur 4 E