It is generally known that in Feb. 1833, the Hon. the Court of Directors of the East India Company sent out a Despatch to the Supreme Government in India, to the effect that the taxes on idolatrous worship should no longer be levied and received by the Government, and that "in all matters relating to their temples, their worship, their festivals, their religious practices, and ceremonial observances, the native subjects of the Government in India should be entirely left to themselves." By the transmission of an order, couched in terms so explicit and positive as these, lively hopes were awakened that the evil would speedily terminate, but to the extreme regret of multitudes of the disciples of Christ, the causes of complaint, after a lapse of four years, were found not to have undergone the slightest abatement. Renewed efforts were therefore felt to be necessary. At a meeting of the General Court of Proprietors in the East India House, on the 21st of Dec., 1836, one of the proprietors, Mr. Poynder, brought forward a resolution, the object of which was to recommend to the Court of Directors to take more decided measures for carrying into execution its own order of 1833. This resolution was unanimously adopted, and a grateful expectation was excited that such an order would be issued as could leave to the authorities in India no possible plea or pretext for not immediately and totally abandoning its voluntary connexion with the idolatry of the country. To this reasonable expectation, painful disappointment has again succeeded. The Despatch of Feb. 22, 1837, sent out to India in consequence of the resolution of Dec., 1836, appears to have gone no further than to censure the authorities abroad for not sending home accounts of the revenue arising from the taxation and patronage of idolatry, instead of insisting on the extinction of these enormities altogether, and which alone was the object, virtually promised on the one hand, and fully expected on the other. But the disappointment connected with this fearful subject has not terminated here. The proceedings, at a meeting of the General Court of Proprietors in March last, have been for some time before the public. On that occasion, Mr. Poynder, with unwearied zeal, again brought the subject under the consideration of the Court. We regret that it is not in our power to transfer the whole of his observations to our pages. Mr. Poynder adduced conclusive

evidence to show that the Despatch of 1833 had not been acted upon by the Indian Government, and from the conduct of the Governor-General of India and the Governor of Madras, in reference to the memorials which had been presented to them, praying that the servants of the Company might be relieved from attending the Hindu temples and ceremonies, he inferred that little hope could be entertained of the voluntary abandonment by the local legislature of India of the connexion so long and so justly deprecated. He expressed his opinion, that nothing effectual would be done without an appeal to the British Government, and that a great public effort would be necessary in order to accomplish this object. Mr. Poynder concluded by proposing the following resolution for the adoption of the Court :

"That this Court, adverting to the fact that above five years had now elapsed since the date of the Hon. Directors' Despatch of the 20th of February 1833, expressly ordering the withdrawal of the encouragement afforded by the Company, its officers, and servants, to the idolatrous worship of India, and also directing the relinquishment of the revenue derived from that source; and, further, considering that the principal religious and Missionary societies of this country have of late strongly petitioned the Company, the Crown, and the Parliament, against the continuance of the system of patronage and taxation, which it was the professed object of that Despatch to abrogate, it be resolved, that the time is now fully arrived when it has become the duty of the General Court of Proprietors to submit to the Hon. Court of Directors the necessity of requiring that such a distinct and unequivocal renewal of the orders contained in the before-mentioned Despatch may be forthwith transmitted to the Supreme Government of India as shall have the effect of carrying such Despatch into full and complete operation."

In seconding the motion, Mr. Hankey observed, that the subject was growing in importance every day, and it was evident that the public would no longer be satisfied with half measures. The propagation of Christianity in India was exciting the deepest interest throughout the country, involving, as it did, the future happiness and prosperity of our Eastern empire. Did the supporters of the motion wish the Company to resort to violent means for the suppression of idolatry? By no means. Did they wish

to take away the rights of the natives? Far from it. All they asked was, that the same protection and favour might be granted to the Christians as was freely allowed to the Mohammedans and Pagans of Hindustan. Let the claims of religion on the one hand, and of superstition on the other, be treated with perfect equality, and they would soon see which side would gain the victory. Experience had proved that the orders formerly issued might be acted on with the greatest safety, as regarded political consequences. In fact, there could be no shadow of a pretext for refusing to carry these orders into effect. He therefore trusted that the Court would accede to the motion of the worthy proprietor, that the Despatch of 1833 should no longer remain in abeyance, unsupported by the authority of the Court, or explained away and neutralised by subsequent communications, but be acted on with upright and honest sincerity.

The Chairman having proposed an amendment, to the effect, that the continued public discussion of questions, affecting the religious feelings of the natives of India was fraught with danger, and that the settlement of such questions would be most properly and safely left to the responsible executive, a protracted discussion ensued. The original motion was ably supported by Mr. Marriott, Sir Charles Forbes, and other proprietors; but on a division of the Court, we regret to add, that it was negatived.

It is right to observe, that accounts have reached this country by which it appears that a partial improvement in some of the minor details of the grievances in question has taken place in India, especially in the Bengal Presidency, but the main cause of complaint still continues to operate with undiminished force. In a future number we hope to furnish additional information on these points, but we cannot close the subject for the present, without calling attention to

late proceedings in the House of Peers, which give a new and encouraging feature to the discussion of this deeply important question. We refer to the presentation of a petition by the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the 26th of March last, from Protestant ministers of all denominations, in the town of Birmingham, complaining that the civil and military servants of the East India Company were obliged to assist at the idolatrous worship of the natives of Hindustan; that the East India Company derived a revenue from the worship of idols; and, declaring that the infringement of the rights of conscience in favour of an idolatrous religion was offensive to God, tending to lower the character of Englishmen in the minds of the natives, and to prevent the spread of Christianity in India. They, above all, prayed that the soldiers should not be compelled to attend the idolatrous worship in that country. The Bishop of Chichester having presented a similar petition, the Bishop of London said, that if it was true, as alleged, that the order to the Governor of India that the English residents should not be called upon to attend on the religious worship of the Hindus, had not been acted upon, it was an eternal disgrace on the British Government that such a system should be allowed to exist; and its officers in permitting it to continue, and in neglecting to put the Indian colonies on the same footing with other countries, as regarded the state of Christianity, had been guilty of a great neglect of their duties. It really appeared to him that the state of the country had retrograded instead of its having advanced, and he begged to give notice, that unless some noble Lord should in the meantime make some motion on the subject, he should before long move for a return of copies of any correspondence which might have taken place, and which might throw a light upon the subject.

ARRIVAL OF THE REV. B. IN February last, the Rev. Benjamin Franklin, who sailed in the Sophia, from Lon

by a continuance of his blessing, and a perpetual supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, we shall still be supported, and enabled to go on our way rejoicing. Four of the brethren are engaged to preach the next Sabbath, at Union Chapel, and other places in the town. We hope these and other occasional services in which we are permitted to engage, will be like bread cast upon the waters found after many days."

FRANKLIN, IN JAMAICA.

don in December, 1837, arrived at Jamaica.

Berbice, arrived at that Station, per the Georgiana.

Mr. H. RoYLE.

ON Monday, Jan. 22, Mr. Henry Royle, appointed to the island of Rarotonga, in the South Seas, was ordained to the Missionary office, at Manchester. The following ministers engaged successively in the services : -Rev. J. Griffin, Rev. J. Williams, Rev. J. A. Coombs, Rev. R. Fletcher, Rev. Dr. M'All, Rev. J. Gwyther, and Rev. J. Anyon.

Mr. G. CHARTER.

On Tuesday, Feb. 6, Mr. George Charter, appointed to the South Sea Mission, was ordained at Melbourne, Cambridgeshire. The Rev. W. W. Cantlow, Rev. S. Thodey, Rev. T. Hopkins, Rev. J. Medway, Rev. John Williams, Rev. T. J. Davies, Rev. S. S. England, Rev. H. Madgin, and Rev. H. Winzar, took part in the services.

RETURN OF THE REV. We readily insert the following communication from our venerable brother, who proposes shortly to return to the people of his charge, in Tahiti, and believe that many friends will find a pleasure in supplying the articles he has specified in his note :

April 18, 1838.

DEAR BROTHER, God having been pleased to restore my health in a good measure during the last summer, and having allowed me to attend to the correction of the press during the printing of the whole of the Bible in the Tahitian language, which was completed on the 22nd of February last, I hope that through the same mercy, both myself and Mrs. Nott will be able soon to return to the Islands to renew our former labours, with the additional advantage of having the entire Scriptures in our hands to communicate to the people. To assist us

A box of carpenters' tools, door-locks, hinges, table knives and forks, fish-hooks, axes, adzes, and hatchets, large scissors, of sorts, looking-glasses, razors, nails for flooring, for weather-boarding, shingling nails, green and black paint, pots and kettles for cooking, a few good lamps, long butch. ers' knives, a mill for plat, a bonnet-block or two, ribbons, flat irons, dark and light calico, prints, merinoes, haberdashery, sewing-cotton, needles, and thimbles, combs of sorts, pencils, slates, and writing-paper.

The thanks of the Directors are respectfully presented to the following:-viz., to friends at Salisbury, per Rev. Professor Hoppus, for two chalices for Jamaica; to Mr. T. J. Pearson, Conisbro' for 32 children's hats for South Seas; to Ladies at MillHill, for a box of valuable articles for Rev. J. Williams; to Ladies at Stranraer, per Rev. J. M'Gregor, for 2 cases of clothing, cutlery, &c. for South Seas, value 401.; to Miss Arundel, for a parcel of worsteds, &c. for Mrs. Williams; to Ladies of Rev. W. Woodhouse's congregation, Swansea, for a flag for the "Camden," with the inscription "Cenad Hedd," i.e. "Messenger of Peace;" to friends at Unionstreet chapel, (Rev. J. Arundel's,) for three flags for the "Camden;" to Anna, for 3 pairs ear-rings, to be sold to purchase a Bible for Malietoa, Chief of the Samoan islands; to Ladies at Hitchin, for a parcel of useful clothing, &c., for Mrs. Macdonald; to the Ladies at Miss Robins's school, Edgbaston, for a box of useful articles for the South Sea Mission; to

Ladies at Dorking, per Rev. R. Connebee, for a parcel of useful articles for South Seas; to Rev Thomas Morell, for a large box of valuable books for the South Sea Mission; to Mr. Sheppard, Bedford-row, for a parcel of books for the South Seas; to Ladies at Carmarthen, per Rev. T. Joseph, for a box of useful articles; to the Misses Grindell and Beddow, for 7 dresses for the Marquesas; to Master Samuel Caston, for two screw-plates, for Rev. John Williams; to S. S., for a valuable present of carpenter's tools, &c., for the "Camden;" to M. M., Camberwell, for a quilted petticoat for the S. Seas; to David Robertson, Esq., Bethnal-green, for one dozen silver-handled knives and forks, and 6 parcels of books, pamphlets, &c.; to anonymous, at Corfe Castle, for a few tools for Jan Tzatzoe; to a sincere friend to virtue and religion; to Mr. Wheeler; to a small family; to Capt. Dougal; to the Misses A-, Brixton; to H. Hooper, Esq.. Camberwell; to E. Davenport, Esq., Lime-street,

......... 10

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