Religious Tract Society of London. 407 may be established and strengthened; Christian affection excited and cherished; and Christian Zeal concentrated, and rendered proportionably effective. The Committee indulge a hope that they have satisfactorily described the common ground of Scriptural principles which is occupied by the supporters of the Religious Tract Society; and that the spirit of conciliation by which its members are actuated, and the precise and exclusive objects to which their operations are di rected, are not less satisfactorily defined and explained. These Scriptural principles, this Christian spirit, and these legitimate and important operations, constitute the Bond of Union, affection, and exertion, of the Religious Tract Society. It has been, and ever will be, the most conscientious, the most willing, and the most earnest endeavour of the Committee to preserve this holy Bond from violation; and they have no hesitation in declaring;-that if at any time, or under any circumstances, they should knowingly suffer a Tract to emanate from this Institution, which should include sentiments hostile to the principles on which it is founded, or to the character or discipline of any of the denominations of Christians of which its various members are composed, such conduct would be a violation of the duties and obligations which they owe to the Society at large, and to their Christian brethren individually, who constitute its strength, its ornament, and its efficiency. To ensure a consistent and unvarying exemplification of the principles above referred to, has ever been the duty and the cordial endeavour of the Committee; and there has been such a perfect understanding of these principles, as they relate to Doctrinal sentiments and to the Bond of union which connects the members of this Institution in affection and exertion, that their endeavours have been easy to themselves, and have been acknowledged to be satisfactory to the Society at large. The measures which have been pursued to ensure these harmonious operations, and to produce these happy results, chiefly have respect to the Constitution of the Committee, and to the mode and spirit of its deliberations and decisions As the Society is composed of members of the Church of England, and of Dissenters of several denominations, the Committee has been assimilated to this Leading and characteristic feature of the Institution ever since its establishment; and this measure has been attended with the utmost cordiality of operation, and been productive of the most pleasing effects. It may be added, that this principle of assimilation is preferable to any specific and determinate division of the Committee, because it precludes any direct idea of opposition of character and interest;-it admits of partial variations in circumstances which may make it expedient to propose or to retain, an individual, (whether a Churchman or Dissenter) whose talents and zeal may particularly Wenefit the Society; and it is thought to proceed upon a fair and just comparison between the Members of the Committee, and the Members of the Society, considered under their various denominations. 408 Letter from Sir Alexander Johnstone The spirit in which the deliberations of the Committee are conducted, does not partake of the wariness of suspicion, or of the irritations of jealousy. Whenever a Tract is proposed and read, or when any measure is brought forward, each member of the Committee is expected to deliver his opinion, with reference to a determination thereon; and a free conversation is thus excited, by which the feelings and sentiments of every individnal are elicited, on the subjects under consideration. By these means, the Committee are prepared for a decision, with respect to the merits of the case before them; and at the same time acquire a knowledge of the impressions which it has made on the mind of each person; and the decision is grounded, rather on the general favour or opposition which the subject has met with. in the course of previous discussion, than upon the result of a mere numerical division. Finally. The Committee are convinced, that the conscientious and unvarying regard which they have ever manifested for the Scriptural principles upon which the Religious Tract Society has been established, in connexion with the liberal and ingenuous spirit which has pervaded their deliberations and decisions, have tended to preserve the purity and impartiality of the Tracts which have been published; and have also constituted the best and most effective check that can be provided against the introduction of any thing offensive. And they are also persuaded, that a constant and faithful regard to these principles, and an earnest endeavour to preserve and cherish the pure and peaceful spirit of Christianity, in all their deliberations and decisions, will be the likeliest means of securing the approbation of the Society at large;-of fulfilling its benevolent plans, and of accomplishing its most enlarged objects. By order of the Committee, LEGH RICHMOND, C. F. A. STEINKOPFF, BAPTIST MISSION, SECRETARIES. Letter from Sir Alexander Johnstone, Chief Justice of Ceylon, to the Secretary of the Baptist Missionary Society; dated Columbo, October 3, 1816. SIR, I have the pleasure to send you, for the information of your society, copies of the proceedings which have lately been had on this island, relative to the emancipation of all children who may have been born of slave parents since the 12th of last month; from those proceedings you will perceive, that the state of domestic slavery, which has prevailed here for three hundred years, has been abolished. As the unanimity with which the measure has been adopted by all classes of people, natives as well as Europeans, may, in a great degree, be attributed to the zeal with which the different Missionary Societies have, for some years, circulated the doctrines of respecting the emancipation of slaves in Ceylon. 409 Christianity among the inhabitants of the country, and as your committee may wish to know the different steps which I have felt it my duty to take since the year 1806, to bring about so desirable an object; I beg leave also to send you the copy of a letter which I have lately written upon the subject, to some of the missionaries who reside at this place. Allow me to offer you my congratulations on the occasion. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient humble servant, Letter from Sir Alexander Johnstone to the Baptist Missionaries in Ceylon, Messrs. Chater, Griffiths, and Siers; dated Colombo, Sept. 20, 1816. GENTLEMEN, I have the honour to send you, for the information of your society in England, a copy of the proceedings which have lately taken place at Colombo, Galle, and Jaffna, relative to the emancipation of children born of slaves, after the 12th of last month. It will, I am sure, be gratifying to your friends, to hear of the measure which the principal proprietors of slaves at these places have adopted. As soon as I became, in 1806, a judge of the su preme court, and a member of His Majesty's council in this island, I proposed, but without success, a similar measure. Although I was disappointed at that time, I did not despair of ultimately succeeding in my object; and I felt it to be my duty to persevere, and to make every effort in my power, to encourage the establishment in these settlements, of such political and religious institutions, as were calculated to give the natives a more rational idea than they had been accustomed to entertain of liberty and of religion, and thereby gradually prepare their minds for the abolition of that state of slavery which had prevailed amongst them for three hundred years. With this view I went to England early in 1809; while there, I submitted to His Majesty's ministers the propriety of establishing, in these settlements, the trial by jury; and to the Bible Society, as well as to many of the religious societies, I suggested the necessity of their forming some permanent system for ameliorating the morals of the people, by enlarging their knowledge of the Christian religion. His Majesty's ministers having approved of my proposal, the trial by jury was established in these settlements in 1811; and, at my suggestion, the right of sitting upon juries was not confined in this island, as it is in other parts of India, to Europeans only, but was extended, without distinction, to all the natives of the country. The Bible, and other religious societies, having also approved of my plan, immediately began to take, and have ever since continued to take, the most active and decisive measures for extending to this part of India, the benefit of their several institutions. I have for some time observed, with satisfaction, the change 410 Newark Sunday School Society. which the establishment of trial by jnry, and the exertions of the several missionary societies on this island, have produced in the feelings of the people with respect to domestic slavery; and I availed myself, with pleasure, of the opportunity which the arri val of the last reports of the African Institution lately afforded me, to send to the principal proprietors of slaves the account which has been published in them of the proceedings that were had at Colombo in 1813, under the 50th of G. 3, and to recall to their recollection the proposal which I formerly made to them in 1806. The unanimity with which that proposal has been adopted on the present occasion, compared with the opposition which a similar proposal met with in 1806, affords a proof, which must be flatter. ing to every Englishman, of the salutary effects which may, with certainty, be produced in a country by gradually imparting to its inhabitants some of those advantages which are derived from the freedom of our constitution and the purity of our religion, and may be instructive, as an example, to those persons, whose inclinations may hereafter lead them to adopt any measures for the moral improvement of the natives in other parts of India. As the principal proprietors of slaves on this island, have declared free all children who may be born of their slaves after the 12th of last August, it becomes the duty of every one who feels an interest in the cause, to take care that the children, who may be born free in consequence of this measure, should be educated in such a manner as to be able to make a proper use of their freedom; and it is to your society, as well as to the other missionary societies, to which the natives are already so much indebted, that I look with confidence for the education and religious instruction of all those children. I need not, I trust, add, that you may command my services in any way in which you think they may be of use, in forwarding an object which is so intimately connected with the prosperity and the happiness of a very numerous class of the inhabitants of this island. I have the honour to be, Gentlemen, Your most obedient humble servant, NEWARK SUNDAY SCHOOL SOCIETY. An association was recently formed under the above designation, at Newark, New-Jersey, for the purpose of encouraging Sabbath Schools in that place, and providing funds for the support of such as may be conducted under its superintendence. The payment of 25 cents on subscribing, and in addition the half yearly payment of not less than 25 cents, constitute a member; and a contribution of 8 dollars, or more, a member for life. The concerns of the Society are to be managed by a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and 7 Directors, to be chosen annually; five of whom make a quorum. A Committee of the Managers are African Association at New-Brunswick, N. J. 411 to visit the Schools, &c.-The Teachers report to the Managers at least once in three months the situation and improvement of their several classes. The Teachers are ex officio members of the Board of Managers, and may vote on any question except one relating to the appropriation of the funds of the Society.-The annual meetings of the Society are to be held on the 2d Wednesday in August. The Board meet statedly once in two months.-Rev. William Woodbridge, President; Mr. James Tichenor, Vice-President; Mr. William Ward, Secretary; Mr. Charles I. Graham, Treasurer. THE AFRICAN ASSOCIATION Was lately formed at New-Brunswick, N. J. Its object is to aid in procuring funds for the support of students in the African Theological Seminary instituted by the Synod of New-York and New-Jersey. It is composed of people of colour. The annual. contribution for a member who is free, is 1 dollar, and for a slave, 25 cents. The latter is not allowed to contribute without the express permission of his master or mistress. We are informed that this little Association has already contributed, thirty dollars to the funds of the above Seminary. It is truly pleasing to behold the too long degraded descendants of Africa becoming alive to the importance of acquiring useful knowledge, and especially to behold them manifesting a deep interest in that kind of instruction which is to qualify them for the sublime employment of carrying the lamp of Divine truth into the abodes of spiritual darkness and death, and proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ to their perishing fellow sinners. We most cheerfully say God speed' to all such praise-worthy institutions, and fervently pray that they be abundantly multiplied in all parts of our land, and crowned with a blessing from on high. COLONIZATION OF FREE BLACKS. We understand that the American Society for colonizing the free people of colour, have appointed the Rev. Samuel J. Mills of Connecticut, their agent, to go to England, and from thence to the coast of Africa, for the purpose of obtaining information respecting a suitable place for establishing the contemplated colony. It is. deemed advisable to employ two agents on that interesting mission, provided adequate funds can be raised to enable the above Society to prosecute the object. An Auxiliary Society to that Institu tion was some time since formed in Baltimore, and another more recently in Philadelphia; from both which considerable aid may be reasonably expected. It is hoped that our city, which has uniformly manifested so much liberality in promoting useful designs, will not long delay to emulate the good example of those sister cities, in contributing to this benevolent enterprize. As a specimen of the interest which this undertaking has excited in some of the southern sections of this country, we give the fol-. lowing extract or a letter to the Editor from a worthy clergyman in Frederick County, Virginia. |