HOME PROCEEDINGS.

DEPARTURE OF MR. AND MRS. SALE.

At length the Committee are enabled to report the departure of one missionary for the field of labour in India, and under circumstances that are peculiarly gratifying. Mr. Sale was accepted for India about twelve months ago, and he has now left for that country in the "William Carey," a vessel belonging to William Jones, Esq., of Pwllheli, who has kindly given our friends a free passage to Calcutta. He has also expressed a hope that his ship may never visit India without carrying on board, and on the same terms, one missionary at least for that vast and important field. Mr. and Mrs. Sale took leave of the Committee at their weekly meeting on January 2nd, and we trust that He who holds the waves in the hollow of his hands will take charge of them till they reach their "destined haven" in peace.

OUR YOUNG MEN.

We have heard with great pleasure that the students of that branch of the Presbyterian body which support the mission at Old Calabar, in West Africa, have "not only formed themselves into a Missionary Association, and thus sought to foster among themselves the spirit of an enlarged and generous sympathy for the worst wants of the human race, but with the ostensible object of assisting to raise funds for the African Mission, they visit, by deputations, many of the congregations of the body, and thus are instrumental in diffusing a missionary spirit throughout the denomination." While we look forward with considerable interest to the benefits likely to result from the " Young Men's Missionary Association " lately formed in London, and trust the example will be followed by our young men in other places, we should be gratified by seeing the students in our colleges take the lead, feeling assured that great good would result to themselves as well as to the cause in which they were engaged.

The next Lecture in connexion with the Young Men's Association will be delivered by Rev. John Branch, of London, on the evening of February 21st. The chair will be taken at eight o'clock.

GRATITUDE WELL EXPRESSED.

While, alas! many expressions of gratitude for mercies received end in words, it is gratifying to hear that the feeling sometimes prompts to personal sacrifice, and we would present for imitation the teacher of a British school, who has transmitted a sovereign, "as a thank-offering to the Lord for his unspeakable mercy in having permitted her to occupy her post for four years without a day's interruption from indisposition."

THE DOVE.

It may be satisfactory to our friends to learn the last intelligence of the "Dove" before she got off the coast. It is from Yarmouth (Isle of Wight), where she put in on the 19th of December, after having encountered very rough weather at the back of the island. The missionaries went on shore, and stayed three hours, and were about to proceed to chapel, when a breeze sprung up, which carried them quickly out of sight; a good Wesleyan friend (Mr. Warder) offering his services gratuitously to pilot them out. After this it appears they had a fine wind for many days.

ANNUAL SERMONS.

The Committee have pleasure in announcing that the Annual Sermons on behalf of the Society will be preached by the Rev. JAMES SHERMAN, of Surrey Chapel, and the Rev. OCTAVIUS WINSLOW, of Leamington.

The former (who was prevented by the illness of the late lamented Mrs. Sherman from fulfilling a similar engagement last year) will preach at Surrey Chapel on the evening of Thursday, April 19th, and the latter will preach at Bloomsbury Chapel, on the morning of Wednesday, April 25th.

NOTICE TO AUXILIARY SOCIETIES AND CONTRIBUTORS.

The Treasurers of Auxiliary Societies, and other friends, who may have money in hand on account of the Society, are respectfully reminded that the Treasurer's account for the year will close on the 31st of March. All payments, therefore, intended to appear in the Appendix to the next Report, must be made in the course of this or the following month.

It is requested that the respective accounts may be sent, properly balanced, to the Secretary, Baptist Mission House, Moorgate Street, accompanied by the list of subscribers, &c., in alphabetical order.

It is respectfully requested that where it is practicable the friends in the country ordering Missionary Cards, &c., would at the same time kindly mention the name of a country bookseller, and his London agent, through whom the parcels may be sent, or such other mode of transmission as may most economise the Funds of the Society.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.

The thanks of the Committee are presented to the following friends

Mr. J. Neal, Liverpool, for a jar of seeds, for Rev. W. Newbegin, Bimbia;

Mr. Cradock, Barton, Lancashire, for a parcel of magazines;

Ladies at Turret Green Chapel, Ipswich, for a box of clothing, &c., for Rev. G. Cowen, Trinidad;

W. L. Smith, Esq., for a parcel of books, for Rev. J. Wenger;

Miss Huntley, Bow, for a parcel of magazines;

A few friends (place unknown), for a parcel of useful articles and twenty shillings;

The Misses Phillips, Pontypool, for a box of fancy articles, for Haiti;

Mrs. W. Miller and friends, Edinburgh, for a case of clothing, medicines, &c., for Rev. J. Merrick, Bimbia;

Joseph Gurney, Esq., for bibles, for Missionaries in Calcutta.

The respectful thanks of the Committee are presented to Messrs. Bowser and Son, for repairs and fittings supplied gratuitously to the "Dove."

CONTRIBUTIONS,

Received on account of the Baptist Missionary Society, during the month of

December, 1848.

The contributions for the Debt from Gloucestershire, by the Rev. E. Carey, acknowledged in the Herald for December, included the following:

Subscriptions and Donations in aid of the Baptist Missionary Society will be thankfully received by William Brodie Gurney, Esq., and Samuel Morton Peto, Esq., M.P., Treasurers, or the Rev. Joseph Angus, M.A., Secretary, at the Mission House, 33, Moorgate Street, LONDON: in EDINBURGH, by the Rev. Christopher Anderson, the Rev. Jonathan Watson and John Macandrew, Esq.; in GLASGOW, by Robert Kettle, Esq.; in CALCUTTA, by the Rev. James Thomas, Baptist Mission Press; and at NEW YORK, United States, by W. Colgate, Esq. Contributions can also be paid in at the Bank of England to the account of "W. B. Gurney and others."

IRISH CHRONICLE.

AN APPEAL

FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF PASTORS, DEACONS, AND CHURCHES

THE financial condition of the society having engaged the serious attention of the committee, we, whose names are appended to this statement, were appointed to consider the subject and report thereon. Our report was received and adopted by the committee, and we are requested to carry out its recommendations. We therefore respectfully invite your attention to the following statement.

The present debt began in 1842. It has gone on increasing, not from incautious expenditure, but from inadequate income. During the years 1841-1844 the average annual excess of expenditure was £259; but, during 1845-1848, it has been reduced to £129; while during this period the income has increased about £140 per annum.

The expenditure in Ireland could not be materially reduced without dismissing long-tried and faithful agents. The reduction which has been effected is the result of the strictest economy in its working expenses there. On this head there has been a saving of £332, or about £80 yearly. Moreover, the committee hoped that, as the usefulness of the society increased, its funds would have increased also; but in this they have been painfully disappointed.

At the close of 1844 a change took place in the secretariat. This could not be accomplished without considerable expense. For a time the home expenditure was increased; but having a secretary wholly devoted to his official duties, the committee were enabled gradually to reduce it; and they felt that a considerable augmentation of income might be reasonably expected.

A saving was also effected when Mr. Davis retired from the office of collecting agent, as the secretary undertook nearly the whole of the travelling and collecting, in addition to his other duties. The gratuitous supply of the Chronicle to several religious publications was stopped; and the expense of printing the Report was diminished one third. By these arrangements the home expenditure has been reduced to the amount of £150 per annum. But, as the average yearly debt has been about £1,200 for the last eight years, nearly £500 has been paid for interest alone, during that time: a very large sum to be added to the usual working expenses of so small a society.

The publication of a History of the Society, about four years ago, involved an expense of £70. It was thought that by this publication the society's operations would be better known, and its funds increased: this item is included in the home expenditure, and will account for its apparent increase; but as one half this sum has been repaid by the sale of the work, and the stock in hand is worth more than the balance, the funds will not ultimately suffer.

In 1846-7 Ireland was visited with famine. Noble efforts were made by our churches to form a relief fund. But the contributions to the general purposes fell off, in consequence, £500. The past year was one of almost universal pecuniary distress. But in spite of these difficulties the committee were enabled to sustain the society's operations with an increase to the debt of only £127, which is a matter of grateful surprise when we know that the Scottish collections for that year were less than usual, by at least £150.

The present liabilities amount to £2,000! This sum, in addition to the usual contributions, is necessary to keep the society in operation. It should be raised