RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

DOINGS OF THE AMERICAN BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS FOR FOREIGN MISSIONS.

Ar a meeting of the Board held by adjournment, in Boston, Nov. 9, 1812, the following Bye-Laws were adopted.

CHAPTER I.

Of the Duties of the Officers.

SECTION 1. It shall be the duty of the President, and, in his absence of the Vice President, and, in the absence of both President and Vice President, of the oldest member of the Board present, to preside at each meeting of the Board, and to perform such official acts either during the session of the Board, or at any other time, as shall be assigned to him by any future bye-law, or any future vote, of the Board.

2. It shall be the duty of the Prudential Committee to carry into effect all votes and orders of the Board, the execution of which shall not have been assigned to some other Committee; to superintend all the missions instituted or patronized by the Board;-to examine, counsel, instruct, and direct, all missionaries approved by the Board;-to keep the bond given by the Treasurer to the Board, in pursuance of the Act of Incorporation;-to draw orders on the Treasurer, authorizing the payment of all monies which shall be expended under their direction;-to prescribe the place where the money of the Board shall be deposited;-to direct the loaning of monics, or the purchasing of productive stock, as they shall judge most conducive to the interests of the Board;-to ascertain the state of the Treasury at least twice a year, and oftener if they see cause; to appoint, or authorize the appointment of, such agents at home and abroad, as may, in their opinion, be necessary to secure a safe remittance and a faithful expenditure of monies, and for such other purposes as in their judgment the interests of the Board may require;-and to perform any other duties, which shall be necessary, in their opinion, to carry into effect the foregoing powers, or to promote the interests of the Board, provided the same shall not be contrary to any vote or bye-law of the Board, nor to the Act of Incorporation,

The Prudential Committee shall appoint one of their number to be their Clerk, whose duty it shall be to keep a full record of their doings, and to sign all their orders and other official acts. The records above described shall be always open to the inspection of the Board.

3. It shall be the duty of the Corresponding Secretary to act as the organ of the Board in conducting the written correspondences. between this Board and similar institutions, and between this Board, and individuals, at home and abroad, generally; and to make such

written communications as the Board or the Prudential Committee shall particularly direct.

4. It shall be the duty of the Recording Secretary to keep accu. rate minutes of the proceedings of the Board and to enter the same in a book of records, and to certify all such doings of the Board as are to be known only by an inspection of the records.

5 It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to receive all monies or other property given, contributed, or paid to the funds of the Board, and to give receipts therefor;-to keep safely all the monies. of the Board, and all notes, bonds, deeds, and other evidences of property; to pay out monies according to the orders of the Prudential Committee signed by their Clerk, or of the Board signed by the Recording Secretary;-to keep fair and accurate accounts of all monies received and expended;-to make up particular annual accounts, and estimates, for the information of the Board;-to loan and invest monies, and make remittances, according to the direction of the Board, or of the Prudential Committee;-to exhibit his accounts, whenever required, to the Board or the Prudential Committee; and to do such other acts as experience may prove to be necessary in order to a faithful execution of the duties of his office.

6. It shall be the duty of the Auditor to examine the Books of the Treasurer thoroughly and particularly, at least once a year; and, if he shall find the accounts correctly kept and accurately computed, the payments well vouched for, and the balance satisfactorily stated and accounted for, to give his certificate accordingly, which certificate he shall enter at large in the Treasurer's books, and transmit a duplicate thereof to the Recording Secretary.

CHAPTER II.

Of the meetings of the Board.

SECTION 1. There shall be an annual meeting of this Board, on the third Wednesday of September in each year, until the Board shall, at any annual meeting, fix upon some other day for that purpose. The place of holding each annual meeting shall be fixed by vote at the annual meeting next preceding. The officers of the Board shall be chosen at each annnal meeting, and shall hold their offices until others are elected.

2. It shall be the duty of the President, or (in case of his death or inability) of the Vice President, or (in case of the death or inaability of both President and Vice President) of the oldest member of the Board, to call a special meeting of the Board on the written application of the Prudential Committee, or any three other members of the Board. The time and place of holding the meeting shall be such, as the officer who calls the meeting shall appoint. On receiving an application as above described, the officer to whom the same is directed shall give each member of the Board notice of the time and place of meeting, by transmitting to each member a letter by mail in such season, that by the ordinary course of the

mails, each member may receive his notification at least thirty. days before the day of said meeting.

3. All adjourned meetings shall be notified as follows: The Recording Secretary shall transmit written notice of any adjourned meeting to every member of the Board, as soon as practicable after such meeting shall have been agreed upon by the Board.

4. At any meeting of the Board three members shall form a quorum to adjourn or dissolve the meeting; and five members shall form a quorum to transact business.

The

At this meeting, the Auditor's certificate, dated October 8, 1812, relative to the Treasurer's accounts, was communicated. meeting was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Morse.

FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE BOARD.

THE annnual meeting of the Board was held at Concert Hall in Boston, on Wednesday Sept. 15, 1813.

Present,

The Hon. JOHN TREADWELL, Esq. LL. D
Rev. JOSEPH LYMAN, D. D

Rev. TIMOTHY DWIGHT, D. D. LL. D.
Rev. SAMUEL SPRING, D. D.

WILLIAM BARTLET, Esq.

Rev. SETH PAYSON, D. D.

Hon. JOHN HOOKER, Esq.

Rev. CALVIN CHAPIN,

Rev. JAMES RICHARDS,

Rev. SAMUEL WORCESTER, D. D.

JEREMIAH EVARTS, Esq.

The meeting was opened with prayer by the Vice President. Minutes of the last annual meeting and of two adjourned meetings were read.

The following gentlemen were chosen officers for the year ensuing, viz.

The Hon. JOHN TREADWELL, Esq. President.

The Rev. Dr. SPRING, Vice President.

WILLIAM BARTLET, Esq.

The Rev. Dr. SPRING,

The Rev. Dr. WORCESTER,

JEREMIAH EVARTS, Esq.

Prudential Committee

The Rev. Dr. WORCESTER, Corresponding Secretary.
The Rev. Mr. CHAPIN, Recording Secretary.

JEREMIAH EVARTS, Esq. Treasurer.
CHARLES WALLEY,* Esq. Auditor.

* SAMUEL H. WALLEY, Esq. the former Auditor, declined a re-election, on account

of his numerous avocations.

The Rev. Dr. Spring laid before the Board a seal, which had been presented to the Board by Robert Ralston, Esq. Whereupon, Voted, to accept the said seal as the seal of this corporation. Voted, that the thanks of this Board be presented to Mr. Ralston for his generous donation.

The Rev. Dr. Lyman and the Hon. Mr. Hooker, were appointed a committee to revise the bye-law respecting the powers of the Prudential Committee.

The Rev. Mr. Chapin and the Rev. Dr. Payson were appointed a committee to report on the case of Messrs. Judson and Rice, who have withdrawn themselves from the service of the Board.

The Rev. Dr. Spring had leave of absence the remainder of the session.

Adjourned till 9 o'clock to-morrow morning.

Thursday, Sept. 16. Met according to adjournment, and the business of the day was opened with prayer by the Recording Secretary. The Rev. JEDIDIAH MORSE, D. D. took his seat at the Board. Voted, that this Board consider the relation between this Board, and the Rev Adoniram Judson, jun. as having been dissolved, on the first day of Sept. 1812, when, in a letter to the Corresponding Secretary, he announced his withdrawment of himself from under our instructions.

Voted, that this Board consider the relation between this Board and the Rev. Luther Rice, as having been dissolved, on the 23d day of October, 1812, when, in a letter to the Corresponding Secretary, he signified, that it was no longer compatible with his sentiments to follow our instructions.

Voted, that the following be adopted as a part of the bye-laws, chap. I. sect. 2.

All applications to be employed as missionaries shall be made to the Prudential Committee; and said committee shall carefully inquire and examine into the qualifications of any applicants; and in case thereupon they are well satisfied of the propriety of employing such applicants, they are authorized to expend any sums of money necessary for fully qualifying the applicants for the mission to which they may be designated, or on which they may be proposed to be sent; and when, in the judgment of said committee, the applicants may be suitably qualified, the said committee are author ized to send them on such missions, as they may think proper.

And the Prudential Committee are authorized to suspend any missionary, whenever, in their judgment, he shall violate the instructions given him, or shall fail to perform the duties reasonably required of him, until the next meeting of the Board.

The Prudential Committee shall regularly report their proceedings to the Board.

At 11 o'clock A. M. attended public worship, when a sermon was delivered by the Rev. Dr. Dwight from John x, 16.

Voted, that the thanks of this Board be presented to the Rev. Dr. Dwight for his sermon this day delivered, and that a copy be requested for publication.

The Rev. Dr. Morse, Mr. Evarts, and the Rev. Dr. Worcester were appointed a committee to carry the, above vote into effect. The Report of the Prudential Committee was accepted.

The Treasurer's accounts were exhibited, as examined and certified by the Auditor, and accepted.

The Rev. Drs. Dwight, Morse, and Lyman, were appointed a committee relative to the connexion between Mr. Eleazer Williams and this Board.

Voted, that Mr. Evarts be requested to present the thanks of this Board to Mr. Duren, and the choir of singers under his direction, for their very acceptable services in the public exercises of this day.

Voted, That the thanks of this Board be presented to the committee of the First Church in Boston, for the use of their church for public religious exercises.

Voted, that the Prudential Committee be directed to make inquiry respecting the settlement of a mission at St. Salvador, Brazil; at Port Louis, in the Isle of France; and on the island of Madagascar.

Whereas it has been stated to this Board by the Prudential Committee, that a gentleman, who wishes his name not to be mentioned, has offered to this Board a printing-press, whenever it shall be needed to publish the Scriptures under the direction of the Board,

Voted, that the Clerk of the Prudential Committee be requested to present the thanks of the Board for this liberal offer, and that the donation be accepted.

Voted, that this Board approve of the measures taken by Messrs. Richards and Warren, as reported by the Prudential Committee; and that the thanks of this Board be presented to Robert Ralston, Esq. Drs. Dorsey, James, Chapman, Hewson, Davis, and Billings, the Rev. Drs. Staughton and Rogers, Mr. Patterson, and others, for the kindness and patronage which they have respectively extended to Messrs. Richards and Warren.

Adjourned till nine o'clock to-morrow morning.

Friday, Sept. 17. Met according to adjournment, and the business of the day was opened with prayer by the Rev. Dr. Payson. The committee, to whom was referred the case of Mr. Eleazer Williams, presented the following report which was accepted:

That Eleazer Williams, upon satisfying the Prudential Committee with respect to his departure from the course prescribed to him by the Board, and engaging to place himself fixedly under their direction, may again be received under the patronage of the Board. Voted, that the Treasurer be allowed three hundred dollars for his official services the last year.

A communication was received from the Hon. Elias Boudinot, Esq. a member of this Board, enclosing, as a donation, a bill of ex• change on London for one hundred pounds sterling; whereupon

He had prematurely joined his brethren, the Iroquois Indians, in New York and Vermont, near the frontiers of the United States