amendments, the whole of its clauses were agreed to. A resolution was moved and seconded-"That the Conference empower their executive committee to appoint a treasurer." Carried unanimously. The thanks of the meeting were then cordially rendered to the executive committee, to the secretaries, to those gentlemen who had favoured them with papers, and to the gentlemen who had presided over the different meetings of the Conference. The Conference was then dissolved. A TEACHER'S REPORT TO HIS CLASS ABOUT THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY'S ANNIVERSARY. THE class were gathered together, prepared to enjoy a great treat; for they were all young missionaries at heart, and longed to hear their teacher's report respecting the great Missionary meeting. Their countenances beamed with gladness, especially so with John and Henry Lovegrace, Edward Hardwork, and little Hopewell. There were ten or twelve in the class; but these were the most advanced and the most zealous in the cause of missions. They had contributed to the Missionary ship, and collected for it, and were become quite interested in all the Society's operations. "Well, teacher," said John Lovegrace, "I hope you will do as you said you would, and tell us this morning about the Missionary meeting." While John acted as spokesman for the Best, every boy seemed to bend forward, anxious to hear the teacher's assent. Of course the teacher assented, for he had given his promise, and was always known to keep his word. "Yes, John," he said, "I have taken some time in preparing a report for you, that I might read it to you this morning. It will take up all our time, so that we shall not have our Bible lesson to-day. Are you all willing to make this exchange for once ?" They all replied together, "Yes, teacher!" So the teacher began at once, sometimes reading, but now and then conversing without book, and asking if they heard and understood. He told them they might ask questions as he proceeded, if they wanted information on any point. The following is his report as he wrote it. We shall call it THE TEACHER'S REPORT. My dear young friends,-The fiftieth anniversary of the London Missionary Society was held at Exeter Hall on Thursday the 9th of May. The weather was exceedingly fine, and long before the time of meeting, the Hall was well filled. When the chair was taken there were about four or five thousand persons present, and it was a noble sight to witness so large a crowd of the friends of missions. On the platform were a large number of ministers from town and country, and in the chair a pious member of parliament, William Evans, Esq. The meeting commenced by singing and prayer. After this the chairman made an opening speech, in which he thanked the meeting for the honour done him by appointing him as chairman, and spoke of the great things effected by that Society. The Rev. A. TIDMAN, one of the secretaries, then read a brief report of the society's operations during the past year, which was in substance as follows: "In TAHITI, France continues to exercise her usurped power over the defenceless Queen and her people, in the form, not of a sovereignty, but of a protectorate, though it was to be feared the difference would prove little more than a name. The residence of the French had begun to exercise a demoralising influence on the Tahitians; but still there was reason to hope that a revival of religion was not far distant. In the Leeward and Hervey groups, and also in the Navigator's Islands, the kingdom of our Lord had steadily advanced; but the mission to the New Hebrides, where, at this time last year, hope was shedding its brightest beam, had, for the present, been abandoned, in consequence of the furious opposition of the native priesthood and their adherents. "In CHINA, never had the prospect of the Christian church been so strong and vivid as at the present time. The empire could not yet be traversed in its length and breadth by the messengers of Christ, but the open space was already too wide for the present agency and funds. At Hongkong, a permanent station, with an effective printing establishment, had been founded; and towards the close of the year, Messrs Medhurst and Lockhart arrived at Shang-hae city, where they had taken up their residence in the midst of a very large Chinese population, and not the slightest opposition had been offered by the public authorities. "In INDIA, idolatry and caste combine to impede the spread and triumph of the truth. Still the grace that bringeth salvation has not been without its trophies in the past year-it has gone forth with the voice of the devoted missionary, and fruit has been gathered unto life eternal. The confidence of the people in the gods that cannot save was becoming more and more feeble; the absurdities of Hindoo mythology and superstition were passing away before the light of European science and literature; the conviction in the native mind, that Christianity will at length prevail over the ancient forms of religion, was daily gaining strength; the truth and excellence of the gospel are admitted by vast numbers of the people, and disputed by few; and all things seem ready for the King of Glory to enter into his rightful possession. AFRICA, the darkness is "In numerous parts of SOUTH past, and the true light now shineth. review, many a heart had experienced the riches of Divine love, and been restored to purity and peace; and many, who had long given evidence of unfeigned faith in Christ, had been received into fellowship with his church. In Caffraria, where but little fruit had previously appeared, there had been an enlarged ingathering of the gracious rewards of holy and patient toil; and among the unnumbered tribes north and east of the Kuruman, the devoted missionaries had persevered in making known a Saviour's name, and had opened a new station among a people far in the desert. "The intelligence from MADAGASCAR contained only the same mournful features which, for several successive years, had been communicated. No opening had appeared for the revival of missionary labour, and the society had been called to suffer an additional and most poignant affliction in the death of the devoted Johns, who had fallen a sacrifice to his zeal in attempting to rescue the persecuted native Christians. In connexion with the missions in the WEST INDIES, there had been abundant reason to thank God and take courage. The attachment of the people to the ordinances of religion continued unabated, and there had been ample evidences of the grace of God bestowed on the churches and congregations. The missions in British Guiana were all but self-sustained, and in Jamaica the churches were rapidly advancing towards the same honourable position. "The Directors had sent forth during the year, to various parts of the world, missionaries with their families, amounting (exclusive of children) to nineteen individuals. "The total amount of receipts during the past year has been £81,812 17s. 11d.; the expenditure £83,525 11s. 7d.” After the report had been read, a deeply interesting scene occurred. The Rev. J. SHURMAN, missionary from Benares, publicly presented the Chairman with a copy of the entire Bible, in the Hindustani language-a language spoken by about forty millions of people in India! Mr Shurman with one or two others undertook the task of translating and printing it from the Hebrew and Greek. The last sheet was completed on "May the 30th, 1843." The Chairman said he was delighted to receive from the hands of the translator such a 66 precious treasure." The Rev. JOHN BLACKBURN, minister of Claremont Chapel, London, then rose to move the adoption of the report. His speech was long, but very effective. He adverted very touchingly to the many devoted missionaries and friends of missions, who had died during the year. Peter Wright, in South Africa; David Johns, in Madagascar; Professor Kidd, and John Morrison, and Mr Dyer, all friends of the cause, in China. This he said was a great loss. But they should learn from the death of such, to look more to their Saviour, and less to men. "I remember," he said, “in one of the tales of Miss Edgworth, an anecdote borrowed from the proceedings of a Spanish artist, who was employed to depict the last supper.' It was his object to throw all the sublimity of his art into the figure and countenance of the Master. But he put on the table in the fore-ground some chased cups, the workmanship of which was exceedingly beautiful, and when his friends came to see the picture on the easel, every one said, 'What beautiful cups they are.' 'Ah!' said he, I have made a mistake; those cups divert the eyes of the spectator from the Master, to whom I wished to direct the attention of the observer;' and he took his brush and rubbed them from the canvas, that the strength and vigour of the chief object might be seen as it should. I need not apply that interesting anecdote. You feel that God has taken the vessels of the sanctuary, that we may be shut up to Him who is the fountain of all good, and that we may sing with more feeling than we have ever yet done that verse in the 102nd Psalm, which Dr Watts has thus paraphrased : "Yet in the midst of death and grief Christ is the same through every age.' He then adverted to the aggressions of the Roman catholics, on our missionary stations. However much he might admire some who professed the Romish faith for their self-denial and devotion, yet of the system which is being pursued at the present time he could not but express his indignation. "They have drawn up a plan to pursue all the protestant missions throughout the world. We have an instance of this in Tahiti. But have we need to make ourselves unhappy on that account? Have not the people the Scriptures? Have we not laboured there for half a century to educate and inform them? Does not the report state that they call the ceremonies of Rome the old superstitions of idolatry, which they have renounced? The way in which the Roman catholics announce their astonishing success is sufficiently amusing. It was bad enough, to hear that Xavier made his ten thousand converts in a month, but he dealt in miracles, and that may account for it; but that the modern missions of Roman catholics have to tell of thousands and tens of thousands of converts, is more than we can give credence to. But what sort of converts are they? I will relate a fact which, in some measure, will enlighten your minds upon it. Murray, in his account of the discoveries in Western Africa, mentions this incident, and it will throw a good deal of light upon the subject. Some fathers arrived as Roman catholic. missionaries, and went to the towns and villages on the Congo river; they found the people come in astonishing numbers to be baptized. They flocked,' to use a scriptural figure, 'like doves to their windows.' What was the occasion of it they could hardly understand; for when they arrived at a town they were not allowed to sleep, but were kept up by night as well as by day to administer baptism, and the people received the ordinance with a fervour and earnestness |