Pastors and nine laymen, representing all shades of opinion among Protestants. The result of their labours has not yet transpired.] The Rev. Mark Wilks proposed Count de Gasparin as Presi

dent of the Society, that office being vacant by the death of Count Ver-Huell. Dr. Grandpierre closed the proceedings with prayer.

THE seventeenth Anniversary was held on May 2d. Count Pelet de la Lozère presided. M. d'Albert read the Report. The Society had aided in the establishment of from eighteen to twenty schools since the former Report, and assisted fifty Schoolmasters or Schoolmistresses. A model-school was about being opened; premises had been taken,

the Rules sanctioned by Government; the appointment of the Principal had also been approved of. It was hoped that the establishment would commence on the 1st of June, with from twelve to eighteen pupils. The Meeting was addressed by Messrs. Edel, Delessert, Coulman, Krieger, Montandon, Brun, and L. Vernes.

THIS Anniversary was held on Sunday, the 3d of May. M. Rosselloty, who presided, opened the Meeting with devotional exercises. M. Pastor Vallette gave a general statement of the Deaconesses' operations, and read a special Report on the "Refuge" (Female Penitentiary). Since its origin, twenty-seven females had entered the institution as Deaconesses; fifteen of whom were in active service, one sick, one removed by death, (retirée par le Seigneur, as it is beautifully expressed in the paper before us,) five had withdrawn, and five had been requested to withdraw, as not being adapted for the work; the Committee at the same time stating that no censure whatever was implied in that request.

It was intended in future

to place the three departments of the works namely, education, care of the sick, and the Refuge-under three distinct Committees, subject to one general Committee of Surveillance. M. Pastor Aug. Bost read a Report, detailing the internal arrangements of the institution, and the contemplated organization of the Committees. M. J. Letourneur presented a statement of the financial affairs of the institution, which, it appears, are improving. M. Pastor Cailliatte read a summary of the spiritual aspect of the work, which presented several cases of conversion. The last Report was spoken by M. Pastor Vermeil, and referred more specifically to "the work of the Deaconesses, properly so called." He referred to the attacks against the institution, the relapse of some penitents, the

dismissal of certain sisters, the voluntary departure of others, the unavoidable recall of another from an establishment, the funds of which had fallen off, and the small number of Christians, who, up to that period, had become Deaconesses. But in these trials, he beheld lessons to be learned respecting the work, and precious evidence that the Lord continued to watch over the institution. After some observations from M. Pastor Boucher, the Meeting was concluded by M. Rosselloty, who engaged in prayer. [The attacks above mentioned have reference more particularly to the opposition exhibited by the Rationalist party within the National Protestant Church. For a considerable time past, articles have appeared in the Lien, (Rationalist paper,) attacking not only the institution of Deaconesses, but its Director (M. Pastor Vermeil). No public notice, however, was taken of these attempts to injure the work or the Pastor, till M. Vermeil, having circulated among his brother Pastors of the Reformed (National) Church of Paris, invitations to occupy, in turn, the pulpit of the Deaconesses' chapel, M. Coquerel, in a long letter containing his objections to the institution, declined the offer, and stated his intention to publish both circular and letter in the Lien (of which he is understood to be one of the conductors). M. Vermeil's reply was refused insertion (as written) in the Lien; in consequence of which, the whole correspondence has appeared in supplements to the Archives and L'Espérance. It will, no doubt,

In

All that is necessary to prevent the circulation of any newspaper, or publication of any kind, in Virginia, is, that a Grand Jury shall declare it to be an "abolition" publication, and it becomes a penitentiary offence to circulate it, or even to take it out of the post-office. And be it remembered the Grand Jury are not bound to prove anything it is enough that it asserts or declares. the case we shall give below there is not the least foundation for the statements made by the Wood-county Jury. The very first charge in it is false, and carries the proof of its falsehood on its face; and the character given to the "Western Christian Advoeate" is false and slanderous. Yet there is no redress. "O liberty, what crimes have been committed in thy name ! " If such oppression can be inflicted by legal authority in a republic, what better is it than an absolute monarchy ?

We shall have occasion to refer to these proceedings again. In the mean time it is only necessary to remind our readers, that the Editor of the "Richmond Christian Advocate" long since called the attention of the good people of Virginia to the necessity of taking legal measures to prevent the circulation of the "Christian Advocate and Journal" in that state; and that it was also at Parkersburg, where the mob was set upon the Preacher who was sent, in the regular order prescribed by the Methodist Episcopal Church, to take the oversight of the Church in that place, so that he was compelled to leave his charge.

From the Parkersburg Gazette.

THE WESTERN CHRISTIAN ADVO

CATE."

At the present term of the Circuit Superior Court for this county, the Grand Jury made the following presentment, which we publish for the benefit of our citizens, many of whom, until very recently, were ignorant of the statute upon which it is founded :

Virginia, Wood county to wit: The Grand Jurors for the commonwealth of Virginia, and for the body of the county of Wood, upon their oaths present: That the "Western Christian Advocate," a public newspaper, published in the city of Cincinnati, and state of Ohio, by C. Elliott, editor, is edited by the said C. Elliott; that the said C. Elliott has avowed himself as an abolitionist in the editorial columns of said paper; and the jurors aforesaid, upon their oaths aforesaid, do further present, that the said "Christian Advocate" is an incendiary paper within the meaning of the second section of the Act of the 23d of March, 1836, to suppress the "circulation of incendiary publications, and for other purposes," and the jurors, aforesaid, do further present that the said paper, published as aforesaid, inculcates doctrines denying the rights of masters in their slaves, denouncing slaveholders as manstealers, and calculated to lead to insurrection and rebellion on the part of the slaves; and the jurors aforesaid do further present, that the said paper through the public mails is weekly received at the post-office in Parkersburg, and other post-offices in said county, directed to divers citizens of said county, who are subscribers to said paper, and by said subscribers has been duly received and circulated, in violation of the Act aforesaid. But the jurors aforesaid do further find and present, that they are not satisfied that several postmasters in said county, who distribute said paper, or the subscribers who receive and circulate the

same, have done so knowingly, or with an intention to violate the provision of said Act; and therefore the jurors aforesaid have refused prosecuting any of said postmasters, or the subscribers who receive and circulate said paper, for the felony created by said Act. But the jurors aforesaid, deeply impressed with the evil and dangerous tendency of said paper, feel it to be their duty to warn and admonish their fellow-citizens of their duties in the premises, and of the dangers consequent on a further violation of said Act, and desire this presentment may be entered on the Minutes of the Court.

The statute of March 23d, 1836, alluded to in the above presentment, recites, that "Whereas attempts have been recently made by certain Abolition or Anti-slavery Societies, and evil-disposed persons, being and residing in some of the non-slaveholding states, to interfere with the relations existing between master and slave in this state, and to excite in our coloured population a spirit of insubordination, rebellion, and insurrection, by distributing among them, through the agency of the United States mail, and other means, certain incendiary books, pamphlets, or other writings of an inflammatory and mischievous character and tendency; for remedy whereof, and to provide against the dangers thence arising, it is enacted, that any member of an Abolition Society, or agent of such Society who shall come into this state, and shall here maintain, by speaking or writing, that the owners of slaves have no right in the same, or advocate, or advise the abolition of slavery, shall be deemed guilty of a high misdemeanor, and fined in a sum of not less than fifty, nor more than two hundred dollars." The second section makes it a felonious offence to write or print any book, pamphlet, or other writing, with intent of advising, enticing, or persuading persons of colour within this commonwealth to rebel, or denying the right of masters to property in their slaves, and inculcating the duty of resistance to such right, or shall, with intent to aid the persons aforesaid, knowingly, circulate, or cause to be circulated, any such book, pamphlet, or other writing, and shall, if a slave, or other coloured person, be punished with stripes, not exceeding thirty-nine, and transported and sold beyond the limits of the United States; and if a free white person, be punished

by imprisonment in the penitentiary for a term of not less than two, or more than five, years. The third section makes it the duty of every postmaster within the limits of the state, under the penalty of not less than fifty, nor more than two hundred, dollars, whenever any book, pamphlet, or other writing of the character described, shall have been received at his office, to give immediate notice to some Justice of the Peace, who shall inquire into the circumstances of the case, and have such book, pamphlet, or other writing, burned in his presence; and if it shall appear to such Justice that the person to whom it was sent, subscribed, or agreed to receive the same, knowing its character and tendency, with intent to circulate the same, and thereby aid the purposes of the Abolition Anti-slavery Societies, such Justice shall commit such person to jail, to be dealt with according to law.

The consequence of the presentment by the Grand Jury will be to suppress the circulation of the "Western Christian Advocate" in this county; and to make those who knowingly receive and circulate the same hereafter liable to a prosecution under the statute.

From the Western Christian Advocate.

66

PRESENTMENT OF THE WESTERN CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE" FOR INCENDIARISM!

Our readers are referred to an article from the "Parkersburg Gazette," and another from "Observer," in this week's paper, for an account of the condemnation of the "Western Christian Advocate," as an incendiary publication, under the provisions of an Act of the Virginia Legislature, of March 23d, 1836, and by the decision of the Grand Jury and Judge of the superior court of Wood county, Valencia.

The presentment of the Jury covers their decision under the second section of the Act, which states the offence to be "an intention of advising, enticing, or persuading persons of colour to rebel, denying the right of masters to property in their slaves, inculcating resistance to such right, intention to aid members of an Abolition Society, or the agents of such Societies, knowingly to circulate, or cause to be circulated, incendiary books, pamphlets, or other writings of an inflammatory or mischievous character or tendency." The third section states that "the intention of the offence is to aid the purposes of the Abolition and

Anti-slavery Societies." Such is the crime and its circumstances, intended and expressed plainly by the Act referred

to.

The jurors state, under the solemn obligation of an oath, that the "Western Christian Advocate " is published and edited by C. Elliott, that it is an incendiary paper within the meaning of the second section of the Act, that it inculcates doctrines denying the rights of masters in their slaves, denouncing slave-holders as man-stealers, and calculated to lead to insurrection and rebellion on the part of the slaves. This is the indictment.

Now we maintain that the Act, or its provisions, do not apply to the "Western Christian Advocate," or its editor, and the decision of the Jury is not sustained by the Act, or any part of it. The following are the reasons for this opinion :

The "Western Christian Advocate" is NOT PUBLISHED by C. Elliott, nor did he ever circulate the paper in Virgi

nia.

He is the editor, but not the publisher. Those under the obligation of an oath, in order to avoid perjury, ought to have noticed this; and this alone shows that their decision was a hasty one, if indeed it does not involve perjury. But we put the most favourable construction on this, and presume it was a mere oversight, or mistake made by men in haste.

The editor is not an abolitionist, or a member of an Anti-slavery Society, and never was, and never indeed expects to be. In several things he differs considerably from abolitionists; that is, members of an Anti-slavery Society. Nor is he an agent of any Abolition Society. By this, however, he intends no disrespect to abolitionists, except that he differs from them in some important principles and measures.

He never "advised, enticed, or persuaded persons of colour to rebel," nor would he think it right to do so.

Nor did he ever "deny the right of masters to the property of their slaves." The legal right he never interfered with. He only said, and says, that some person, or persons, have committed a great moral offence in making and retaining men as slaves: but who is or are the sinners, circumstances must decide. He leaves the legal decision of this question to the citizens of the slave-states; and with this he never interfered.

The Methodist Episcopal Church, although not abolition, is nevertheless scripturally and ecclesiastically anti-sla

very, leaving to Cæsar what belongs to Cæsar, and rendering to God what belongs to God. This Church recognises

the union of these United States as an ordinance of God; and cannot encourage principles or measures which will affect this union; except the principles and measures which the constitution of the United States, and of each state, allow and provide for. It is an ARTICLE OF OUR CREED to respect and support the powers that be. But we also claim for the church, as a divine ordinance, unmolested by the civil authority, the power of enforcing the moral laws of Christianity, and its wholesome discipline on church members; and also the maintenance of religious independency in matters pertaining to the church of Christ.

We pray God to grant to the Jury and Judge, who condemned the "Western Christian Advocate," (and with it the reverend and venerable apostolic man, James Quinn,) a better understanding, a timely repentance, a thorough reformation of heart and life. But should they see fit to continue their course, we trust God will give us and the members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Ka. nawha District, holy hearts, unblamable lives, and the spirit of martyrs to suffer, not only the loss of our goods, but also of our very lives, sooner than abandon the pure system of Christianity with which Methodism has furnished us for these last fifty years.

We would, therefore, exhort the Preachers and members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the Kanawha District to cleave fast to the Church of their choice, and God will deliver them out of the hands of misguided men. We hope every Travelling Preacher, Presiding Elder, and all in this District, will stand at their posts whatever may befall them, should it be death. If they cannot endure the infliction of Lynch-law, whether in a coat of tar and feathers, or any such treatment,-whether imprisonment, the penitentiary, or even assassination (of none of which they are in any danger,) how would they be qualified to publish the Gospel in the days of the Apostles, or of their immediate successors; when martyrdom was the general lot of leading Ministers ? But then "the blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church." It may be so again in some parts of the world, but not in western Virginia. We trust, therefore, that every Preacher will remain unflinchingly at his post; and if he meet a martyr's grave, he will also have a martyr's crown. If some be imprisoned,

him, it will be little loss to the church, or to the world.

IN a former Number we gave an account of the Deaconesses' Institution, or Evangelical Sisters of Charity, at Echallens. We have now to record the humiliating fact, that this home of the sick and their self-denying nurses has been broken into, the furniture of the chapel demolished, the pulpit carried away in triumph, the Bible trodden under foot, and the benevolent Director of the establishment (a demissionary Pastor) menaced with death.

On Sunday, May 3d, a number of the Society of Friends, from America, who are making a tour of the Continent, held a Meeting of some forty persons, at their hotel in the town of Aigle. A fireengine was brought to the spot, and certain Vaudois citizens, not content with drenching individuals as they left the Meeting, actually entered the hotel, brought out its inmates by force, and held them while some gallons of water were projected against their persons. These operations lasted about two hours. Several females, some of whom were sick, were knocked down by the jet of the fire-engine. Individuals still more

gravely menaced, succeeded in eluding their pursuers by remaining part of the night shut up in a cellar.

L'Avenir of May 6th contains a letter from the London Missionary Society's celebrated agent in India, the Rev. A. T. Lacroix. It appears that Sunday, March the 1st, was set apart for special prayer on behalf of our persecuted brethren of Vaud, by the Free-Church congregation in Calcutta, and a collection made in their behalf, which produced 2,500f. Mr. Boaz (London Missionary Society) and his congregation, consisting of English and Creoles, followed this good example, and on the evening of the same day collected about 1,600f. Mr. Lacroix preached on both occasions. He concludes his letter thus :-"Would it not be possible for some of the youngest and least engaged among you to devote yourselves to the work of Missions among the Heathen? O, with what joy I should receive those dear brethren, should the Saviour guide their steps into Eastern India!"-Continental Echo.

DR.

SIR JOSEPH BANKS AND SOLANDER AMONGST THE MOUNTAINS OF TERRA DEL FUEGO.On the 25th of August, 1768, the "Endeavour" sailed from Plymouth Sound; but the jealousy of the Brazil Government preventing them from landing at Rio de Janeiro, the first land at which they touched, (except a few days at Madeira,) was the Terra del Fuego, the

southernmost point of the great American continent. Here Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander made extensive botanical collections; but, though it was the height of summer in that severe climate, their attempts to ascend the mountains were attended with extreme danger, from the severity of the snow-storms and the excessive cold. Three of their attendants perished; and Dr. Solander could