Island of Antigua, in conformity with the Rules and Orders of the Society, and under its local regulations. That his Excellency the Governor, or his Honour the Commander in Chief for the time being, be requested to honour the District Committee by becoming its Patron. That the Lord Bishop of the Diocese be requested to accept the Office of President. That the Hon. the President of the Council, the Hon. the Speaker of the Assembly, the Hon. the Chief Justice, the Hon. the Chief Baron, and the Venerable the Archdeacon of Antigua, be requested to accept the Office of Vice-Presidents. That Anthony Musgrave, Esq. M.D. be requested to accept the Office of Treasurer. That the Rev. Samuel Ashton Warner, and the Rev. Alexander William M'Nish, A. B., be requested to accept the Office of Joint-Secretaries. That the Committee do consist of all persons of the Established Church subscribing not less than Five Dollars, and that all subscribers of less than Five Dollars be entitled to the benefits of the Institution, in proportion to their respective subscriptions. The foregoing Resolutions having been entered into, a Subscription was immediately commenced. Thanks were then voted to the Lord Bishop for the fresh marks of his anxiety for the religious welfare of the Island, aud for his Lordship's able conduct in the Chair;-and the proceedings of the day, with the list of subscriptions and donations, ordered to be published in the Weekly Register. Subscribers and Donors, 110. were SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL. BOMBAY DISTRICT COMMITTEE. THE account of the commencement and progress of Bishop's College, Calcutta, up to the death of its ever-tobe-lamented founder, Bishop Middleton, are before our readers in several of our former numbers. We now continue those accounts from a memoir recently prepared by Archdeacon Barnes, and appended to the statement of proceedings at the formation of a District Committee there for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, taking up our narrative at the period of the arrival in India of Bishop Heber. His Lordship reached Calcutta in October, 1823, and was, like his predecessor, intrusted by the Incorporated Society with the sole management of all their concerns in India, relating to the property of Bishop's College, as well as with that power of superintendence over its internal concerns and administration, which belongs to the office of visitor; and under these new auspices, the building of the College, which several causes had retarded, advanced towards its completion. In the same month arrived also the first missionaries of the Incorporated Society to the East, the Rev. Messrs. Moreton and Christian, with letters addressed to the Principal of Bishop's College, under whose direction the rules of the society required them to remain, till sufficiently prepared by the knowledge of the languages for missionary duties. The part of the building, however, destined for the residence of domiciliaries had not then been so long completed as to be judged proper for the reception of these clergymen. They accordingly received the benefit of the attendance of the College teachers, in Calcutta, until settled in the spheres of duty assigned to them respectively, in the circles of native schools at the two extremities of the city, erected by the Diocesan Committee of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Towards the close of the year 1823, a collection was made at St. James's church Calcutta, for the uses of Bishop's College by the Rev. Mr. Hawtayne, which amounted to 475 Sicca Rs. This collection is the first of the kind made in India for the support of this establishment, the circumstances already detailed having hitherto retarded a more general appeal to the friends of the Christian cause within this diocese ; and this sum, together with the gift of land and the 1100 Rs. mentioned as having been contributed at the first commencement of the building, and some books presented at different times to the library, chiefly by Principal Mill, constitutes the whole which the College has yet received, from the bounty of the public in India. It was not till January, 1824, that the complete state of the College apartments and offices enabled the Principal to take up his residence within its walls. In the following month, the society's third missionary, the Rev. Mr. Tweddle, who was ordained specially for this service by the Archbishop of York (as Mr. Christian had been before by the Bishop of London) arrived at the Presidency, and immediately had apartments in the College assigned for his reception. The chapel was now the only part of the building unfinished; and nothing yet remained to prevent the admission of students, agreeably to the provisions made by the Incorpo rated Society and by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Accordingly on March 9th, 1824, two students of the province of Bengal were admitted into the College, and nominated to the theological scholarship of the former society, by the Bishop of Calcutta. In April a third student, not on the foundation, was admitted, whose charges are defrayed by the Church Missionary Society to Africa and the East, and in May a fourth arrived from Madras, who was nominated by the visitor as one of Bishop Middleton's scholars, on the foundation of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Other youths are also in preparation for the College in Madras and Tranquebar, the sons or relatives of the old missionaries of that venerable society in southern India, and other promising students are in preparation at this presidency who are equally with the former under age. Mr. Christian David, native Christian teacher at Jaffnapatam, arrived at the same time with the last mentioned student from Madras, for the purpose of being ordained by the Bishop to a chaplaincy of His Majesty's government at Columbo. This ancient disciple of the ever-memorable Schwartz, and long tried faithful servant of the Church among his countrymen, both in Malabar and Ceylon, became of course a domiciliary of Bishop's College during his stay at the Presidency, at the charges of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. Having been ordained Deacon and Priest, he left the College and proceeded to Ceylon, to exercise the functions of his sacred office. This last month was also distinguished by the arrival of the College printer, for the purpose of conducting that very important department of its labour in India. The same vessel brought the elegant present of communion plate already mentioned, from Mrs. Middleton, and a small but excellent collection of books for the library, from the Incorporated Society, to the value of about 1000l. This library, collected from different sources, contains at present about 3000 printed volumes. It is an excellent collection as it regards biblical criticism, the Fathers, and ecclesiastical history, particularly of the eastern churches, highly respectable in classics and modern divinity, not deficient in oriental literature, and presenting something like a foundation of a good library in general history, voyages and travels, with physical and mathematical science. Besides these there are MSS. the most valuable are the Syrian MSS. collected in Malabar by the late Bishop, and a few by the Principal: some Tend and Pehbevy collected in Surat; Arabic and Persian presented by the Principal and Professor Alt, with some Sanscrit purchased in Poona, particularly the two first Veds and several Powanas. The departure of Bishop Heber on his visitation to the upper and central provinces, accompanied by the Archdeacon of Calcutta, left the management of the society's concerns once more in the hands of the Principal. The present operations of the College will be understood from the preceding account of its history and constitution. They may be distributed into the heads of Education, Instruction of European Missionaries, Inspection of Native Schools, Printing, and Translating. Each of these works is now in operation, though in its infancy; needing, indeed, nothing but the patronage and support of those who are friends of the promotion of Christianity in its purest form, to give efficiency to the system of order upon which all is conducted, and to produce an extension of their application, of which the effects on the permanent welfare of India may be incalculable. The buildings are now complete, with the exception of the chapel, the printing house, and dwellings for the native instructors, which, with some further improvements which are extremely desirable in the grounds, are at present suspended for want of funds. There are now resident within the walls of the College, besides the Rev. Principal Mill and his family, two missionaries (the Rev. Messrs. Tweddle and Serjeant, of whom the latter is about to return to England on account of bad health) the printer already mentioned, three foundation and two non-foundation students. The Rev. Mr. Christian has been placed by the Bishop at Bhagilpore in Bahar, where he is diligently engaged, and at present with the most favorable promise of success, in the promotion of a circle of schools among the Hindoo children in that neighbourhood, and in acquiring the dialect and confidence of the Puhamee or Mountain Tribes in that neighbourhood, an interesting race of men, connected both by language and tradition with the Goonds and other races of central India, and whose freedom from caste, and indifference towards the idolatry It practised on the plains, appear to point them out as peculiarly calculated to attract the notice and reward the labours of a pious missionary. is encouraging to be able to state that Mr. C. has already three candidates for baptism. Mr. Moreton is stationed at Russepugla, near Calcutta, in superintendence of an extensive range of schools supported by the Diocesan Committee of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge. The remaining establishment of the College consists of a Sanscrit and a Bengalee Pundit, a Moulaive, who gives lessons in Hindoostanee and Persian, to which it is proposed to add, so soon as the funds of the institution can bear the expense, native teachers of the Mahratta, Tamul, and Cingalese languages. Prayers are daily read in the library, and are attended on Sundays by a small but highly respectable congregation from the neighbourhood. The daily course of Lectures, by the Principal and by the native teacher under his inspection, is unintermitted, and the progress of the pupils most satisfactory. Such is Bishop's College, as it is, and as it is designed to be; and as such it is respectfully but earnestly recommended to the liberality and patronage of the British nation, as an institution in the success of which all India and the universal Christian Church cannot but be deeply interested,-whose labours, thus far, it is hoped, have been such as to claim the confidence of the public, and to whose future labours and success no probable limit can be assigned, except the want of means to prosecute the illustrious work to which it is consecrated. CHURCH PROCEEDINGS IN THE WEST INDIES. ADDRESSES TO THE BISHOP OF BARBADOES. We hail with delight the favourable reception which the Bishop of Barbadoes has experienced every where throughout his Diocese, as an indication of the benefits which may be expected from his mission; and gladly, therefore, resume the report of proceedings in the West Indies, in which he has been concerned. We gave the Address of the Assembly of ST. KITT'S in our last Number, The following was the purport of his Lordship's reply to it: He returned his sincere thanks to the Assembly, for their congratulations on his arrival, and for the kind and flattering terms in which they had been pleased to express their sentiments towards him. The assurance which the Address conveyed, of the disposition of the House to receive any recommendations from the Bishop, and to co-operate with him in furthering the objects of his mission, afforded him much satisfaction; and he would in every case endeavour to consult the well being and spiritual advantage of the community, leaving it to the judgment of the Legislature to decide on the reasonableness of the propositions which he should submit.-Tendering his acknowledgments to the Legislature for their readiness in passing an Act for regulating the Ecclesiastical jurisdiction in the Colony, in recognition of his patent, his Lordship, in the first instance, suggested for their further consideration, the propriety of investing the Bishop with legal authority to order such alterations or improvements in the Churches as he might deem expedient, with respect to the arrangement of pulpits, &c., or other similar regulations: this authority, though unmentioned in the patent, he thought should be conceded to the Bishop by a local enactment, in order to obviate any opposition to such arrangements which might be raised, the Legislature reserving to themselves any control, which in their judgment might be considered necessary. Another particularly desirable object, his Lordship said, was, that there should be a resident clergyman in each parish: for this purpose, he earnestly recommended the building of parsonage-houses, having observed that most of the parishes are at present destitute of that essential accommodation; and, should a grant be made for the purpose, according to the means of the Colony, his Lordship would almost pledge the assistance of his Majesty's Government towards the accomplishment of this necessary undertaking; which, he hoped, would receive the early attention of the Colonial Legislature.With respect to the stipend allowed to the clergy of the island, which he had been informed was, almost generally, paid in sugar, he recommended that payment in specie be substituted in future; the variation in the prices of sugar, he understood, often rendered it a matter of uncertainty to the clergyman, what his annual allowance really was, and necessarily obliged him to turn his attention to subjects which should not interfere with his peculiar vocation. In some cases, the stipend, under the present system, amounted to 300l. sterling per annum, and in others, his Lordship had understood, it was as low as 150l.; he therefore trusted, that the Legislature would adopt his recommendation on this point, and make a provision, from the Treasury fund, for such commutation of the present allowance as they might judge proper, and suitable to the respectable station in society which the Clergy of the Church of England had ever maintained. - It was peculiarly gratifying to him, his Lordship said, to observe the number of churches in this island; and he had instructed the clergy to regard the white, free coloured, and slave poputation, as equally the objects of their pastoral care. To assist the physical strength of the Establishment, it was in contemplation to appoint a body of lay-catechists, who, under the superintendence of the incumbents of the several parishes, controlled by the Episcopal authority, would extend instruction to the labourers on the surrounding estates; and he thought it of importance also, that, where practicable, Parochial Day-Schools should be established, under the same direction; and by these means the sphere of religious instruction would be considerably enlarged, and both the adult and the young would participate, generally, in its advantages and its blessings.-His Lordship felt great pleasure in adverting to the Charitable Institution, which he had visited, and which he thought highly creditable to the Colony. At Barbadoes, he said, a similar Institution (under the direction of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge) had been established, in which girls as well as boys were educated; and the public grant for its support was not much more than the sum voted for the support of the Institution here, wherein he hoped it would be found practicable to provide for the instruction of girls also. In the School at Barbadoes, he added, there were at present 60 white boys and 34 girls; and it trained up an useful class of persons, competent to discharge the duties of superior managers, book-keepers, &c. His Lordship recommended the formation in this Island of a District Committee of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge; and stated, that bibles, testaments, elementary books for schools, and books of general Christian instruction, would be supplied by the Parent Society, at very reduced prices, on a remittance being made to the Secretary of the Diocesan Committee at Barbadoes, where a general depository of books would be established; -that Society had placed at his disposal a fund of 500l. sterling, to promote their grand object, a considerable part of which sum his Lordship had appropriated to the Establishment at Barbadoes. He hoped these District Committees would be formed in every part of the Diocese, and thereby one uniform and unexceptionable system of Christian instruction, adopted; whilst, by the uniformity of the system which he should pursue in regulating the Clerical Establishments in the different Colonies, the Ecclesiastical body, with the Bishop at their head, would act in unison; —and thus, under the divine blessing, the benevolent views of his Majesty's Government, for advancing the best interests of this part of his dominions, would be happily accomplished. To this end, his Lordship, on his return from England, and the Archdeacons, would occasionally make a visitation throughout the Diocese; and any suggestions which might be offered, tending to the furtherance of the important objects of his ministry, would be regarded with due attention.-In conclusion, his Lordship regretted the unavoidable shortness of his stay; and assured the gentlemen whom he addressed, that, on his return, he would have pleasure in cultivating that personal acquaintance with them, to which the polite attentions of his Excellency the Captain-General had already partially introduced him. The Speaker and Members then "My Lord,- With feelings excited by no ordinary considerations, we, his Majesty's Council for the Island of Saint Christopher, proffer to your Lordship our sincere and hearty congratulations upon your appointment to the spiritual superintendence of these Colonies, and your auspicious arrival in this part of your Diocese. "Deploring the ignorance which too generally prevails among our labouring classes, on the most important of all subjects; and anxious that they should be qualified by intellectual and moral improvements, for a greater participation of civil rights than they at present enjoy; we contemplate with deep interest and heart-felt pleasure, that act of his Majesty's Government, which has submitted to your Lordship's able consideration and directions, measures for conferring on the Slave population of these Colonies, the inestimable benefits of our holy religion. "We hasten to tender to your Lordship, all the assistance in this truly great and charitable undertaking, that we can, either collectively or individually, afford; and we offer to God our humble prayers for his blessing upon your labours. "Permit us to express the great satisfaction we experience, in finding in your Lordship an associate in our Councils, so able to guide us in the great object which we mutually have at heart, and in promoting the general public welfare of this part of his Majesty's dominions. Allow us at the same time, to offer you the most sincere assurance of our high respect for your Lordship's character; and our most earnest wishes that, in the possession of every temporal enjoyment and spiritual consolation, your Lordship will experience that which we know will be considered an indemnity for every privation, and an ample reward for every exertion, the full and perfect success of a mission so important |