and the making of grants for the ensuing year until the next Conference. It is earnestly hoped that those churches which have not yet forwarded their contributions will do so immediately; and it is also essential that greater zeal and liberality should be manifested by the churches in this district generally, other wise our Home Mission Stations must languish for the want of sufficient support. The Secretary having stated that his term of office had expired, it was resolved, 1. That the thanks of this Conference be presented to the Secretary for his services during the past three years. 2.That he be requested to continue in office during the next three years. The next Conference was appointed to be held at Gosberton, on Thursday, Sep. 7th: brother Jones of March to preach in the morning. In the evening brother Lyon read and prayed, and brother Chamberlain preached from 3 John 2. THOMAS BARRASS, Sec. ANNIVERSARIES. NORTHALLERTON, Yorkshire -We have had our annual services, which were of an interesting character. On Lord's-day, May 21st, 1854, three sermons were preached by Rev. T. Cardwell, of Hamsterley, at Brompton in the morning from Psalm cxix 59, 60; and at Northallerton in the afternoon from A Forgetful Hearer, James i. 25, when collections were made towards liquidating the debt on Brompton chapel. On the following evening we had a tea meeting at Northallerton, which in numbers and entertainment surpassed any similar meeting we have ever held at Northallerton. After tea our beloved and respected pastor, Mr. Stubbings, presided. Excellent addresses were delivered by the chairman, and the Revs. T. Cardwell, J. Lewis of Darlington, D. Peacock of Masham, J. Harrison and Mr. Pearson of Bedale. Other ministers who had promised to attend were prevented by afflic tion. The speakers testified their high esteem for Mr. Stubbings, from their intimate knowledge of his piety and disinterested labours. It is nine years since Mr. Stubbings commenced his labours at Northallerton and Brompton, which are entirely gratuitous. As a christian minister his course has been useful, honourable, and consistent. It is our earnest prayer that he may be spared to labour among us many years, and the blessing of God may still attend his labours. Signed on behalf of the church, } De BARTON DAY SCHOOL.-On Thursday, June 8, the eleventh anniversary of our day school at Barton was celebrated. The day was one of great interest. The gatherings were unusually large, both in the afternoon and evening. At two o'clock the examination of the children commenced, and was continued without intermission till past four. At half-past four tea was provided, and upwards of three hundred sat down. In the evening our spacious chapel was again crowded; speakers and singers and players on instruments were there, and on every countenance pleasure beamed. After a report of the state of the school had been read by one of the pastors of the churchMr. Bott, the Revs. J. Preston, J. Lewitt, and J. Cotton appropriately addressed the meeting. The proceeds of the tea, which had been gratuitously provided, amounted to £18 138 9d, and the collections to upwards of £11, making a total of nearly £30. HEPTONSTALL SLACK, Sabbath school Anniversary. Two excellent and impressive sermons were preached on Lord's-Day, May 21st, in the G. B. Chapel, by the Rev. C. Springthorpe, minister of the place, to overflowing and attentive congregations, when collections were made in behalf of the school amounting to upwards of £30. W. M. HUGGLESCOTE. This retired and quiet village is usually the scene of considerable excitement when the annual sermons are preached on behalf of the Sabbath and day schools connected with the G. B. place of worship. This year, May 28th, the Rev. J. Sibree of Coventry delivered two valuable discourses to crowded congregations. Pieces of sacred music were composed for the occasion by Mr. Dennis. Much good feeling was realized, and the collections reached the handsome sum of about £24. BIRCHCLIFF. The anniversary of our Sabbath-school took place on Lord's-day, June 4th, when two very eloquent and impressive discourses were delivered by Rev. Dr. Burns of London. Collections, £36 9s 21d. J. B. L. BIRMINGHAM, Lombard-street.-On Lord's Day, May 21st, the Rev. G. Cheatle delivered two sermons in aid of our sabbathschools, when the collections amounted to the large sum of £32 1s 84d, being considerably more than was ever before collected in this place for the same purpose, and nearly £8 more than last year. In connection with the schools there are three week-day evening classes, for read ing, writing, and arithmetic, for the use of which gas has been introduced; and during the past year the rooms have been painted, &c., so that our wants have ma terially increased; and in the providence of God our means have increased also. Our schools are not only large (numbering between 300 and 400 children), but prosperous. Much good appears to be doing; and during the present year five have come from the " nursery " into the church, and there are others in whom we have hope. BIRMINGHAM, Lombard Street.-On Lord's Day, 21st May, 1854, two excellent sermons were preached by our esteemed and venerable pastor, in aid of the Sabbath Schools connected with the above named place. The collections amounted to the handsome sum of £32, which is an eighth more than on any former occasion. G. WRIGHT. BROUGHTON.--On Lord's-day morning, May 7th, the ordinance of believers' baptism was administered to four persons; on which occasion the Rev. T. Hoe delivered a lucid discourse from Acts xi. 23. In the afternoon the newly-baptized were received into more intimate communion by sitting down with us at the Lord's table. B. LENTON, near Nottingham.-The following baptisms are reported at this infant church: Jan. 1st, nine; Feb. 1st, eight; June 4th, six. May they be steadfast. B. SALFORD.-On Lord's-day, April 30th, after a sermon from "What saith the scriptures?" one of our male teachers put on Christ by baptism. May others be induced to follow his example. R. G. B. BIRMINGHAM, Lombard-street.-On Lord's Day, June 4th, the Rev, G. Cheatle deliMEASHAM.-Anniversary sermons will vered an impressive discourse on the subbe preached by the Rev. J. Buckley, ject of baptism to a crowded congregation, August 6th. Bazaar and Tea meeting and afterwards immersed fourteen candiAugust 7th-the entire proceeds will be dates. Three of the number were from applied to the reduction of the chapel the Sunday schools, and eight from Sutdebt. ton Coldfield, where the cause is reviving Articles or subscriptions will be thank--here also our congregations are very fully received by Mr. Boss, Mr. Henry Orgill, Miss Whitworth, Measham, and Miss Taylor, Swepstone. BAPTISMS. OLD BASFORD.-Lord's day. June 11th, after a powerful sermon by our beloved pastor, the Rev. H. Hunter, from Matthew xv. 6, latter part--" Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition,"-fifteen persons were baptized in the name of the Holy Trinity, by brother Severn of Hucknall. Twelve of these friends join us in church fellowship, the other three remaining with their own churches the Independent, New Connexion, and Primitive Method ists. Seven of these friends are from our Sabbath-school. In the afternoon brother Hunter administered the Lord's supper, and in the evening preached an excellent sermon founded on Acts v. 31-"Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." The attendance of both members and spectators was unusually large, and the season one of high spirit ual enjoyment. We have several hopeful enquirers, and other encouraging proofs that the God of Jacob is blessing his people here. W. B. good, better than they have been for years, and still improving. The weekevening services are well attended, and we believe there is much good doing. ORDINATIONS. SALFORD, Zion Chapel, Broughton Road. -The Rev. B. Wood, having laboured in our church, acceptably and successfully, during the last twelve months, it was unanimously resolved, at a church-meeting held on Wednesday, June 14th, 1854, that he should be the permanent pastor of the church. We trust that by the exercise of strong faith, and close communion with God, the hands of our pastor will be held up; and that he will stand forth of the cross-being the honoured instruboldly to unfurl the blood-stained banner ment in God's hand of effecting the conversion of many immortal souls. REMOVAL. F. S. W. Brother J. C. SMITH, of Kirton-in-Lindsey, is just about to remove to Alford, to be co-pastor with brother Kiddall. Mr. Kiddall's stated sphere of labour is to be Walkergate, Louth, and Mr. Smith's is to be Maltby and Alford. POETRY. LINES SUGGESTED BY THE DEATH OF THE LATE MISS LOIS TOWERS OF SHEEPSHEAD. BY REV. J. BROMWICH. How pleasing the Spring with its flow'rets so new, And dying, the lily-like child of a day, Must in the dark grave find a dwelling. Yet the Spirit may rise, with the Saviour to be, To feast on the fruit of the life-bearing tree, Thus virgins may blush in the beauties of May, While virgins more wise and expecting decay, Young Lois once vied with the shining parterre, In a temper expressed by the jessamine fair- The pink so imbued in her roseate cheek, Stern death did the frail earthly tenement break, And art thou then gone to the regions of bliss, Then let us at once aim to follow her flight, For meetness to enter the mansions of light, Then when we arrive at our own dying day, How sweet then to meet where we never shall part, With Jesus in sight as well as in heart, MISSIONARY OBSERVER. THE JEWEL MINE. So many references have been made in the communications of the brethren to the tract entitled "Jewel Mine of Salvation," that several friends have expressed a desire to see a translation of it. Some interesting particulars of this tract are given in the G. B. R. for March, 1852, in an article entitled, "The Serampore Press and the Orissa Mission." In addition to the information there given, it is affecting to state that the native writer of the Bengal edition of this tract--Ram Bushoo-never became an avowed disciple of Christ. The following interesting particulars are extracted from "Early Bengali Tract Distribution," a paper by Rev. C. B. Lewis, of Calcutta, who has devoted considerable attention to this subject. "We notice a tract then printed under the title of "The Gospel Messenger," which was written to usher in the Bible. This little book contained "a hundred lines, in Bengali The writer was a Kayasth, named Ram Ram Basu, who had been deeply convinced of the truth of christianity, through the instructions of Mr. Thomas, whose Munshi he was, as early as 1788-three years before Carey had propounded to his brethren at their meeting at Clipstone, the question, "Whether it were not practicable, and their bounden duty, to attempt somewhat toward spreading the Gospel in the heathen world?" This interesting man could never be prevailed upon to give up caste for Christ; he knew the truth, and he despised the superstitions of his forefathers, but to the last he was ashamed to bear the reproach of having joined himself to the people of God. This verse. must have been a bitter disappointment to the missionaries; and even now, the fact cannot be contemplated without distress. But we are here speaking of his little poem, "The Gospel's Messenger," the first thoroughly native tract printed in Bengali. The reader may be curious to know what were its merits. Let him then ask the experienced tract distributor in Bengal, what he thinks of "the Mine of Salvation," or let him ask the Orissa missionary whether "the Jewel Mine of Salvation" has ever been known to do good? and in their cheering replies and references to instances of awakening through the instrumentality of these little books, he will receive satisfactory evidence of the value of Ram Ram Basu's "Gospel's Messenger." The poem has been enlarged and re-written, it has been translated and re-translated, and has changed its name, but we have complete and satisfactory proof before us, that the basis of the tract now called "the Mine of Salvation was "the Gospel's Messenger," and that the author of it was Ram Ram Basu." The name of the original tract, which was much smaller than the present one, was "The Gospel Messenger;" and the following versification of it by Mr. Marshman, is extracted from the "Biblical Magazine," for 1802. It seems to have been the first tract published by the missionaries in India. In future numbers we shall favour our readers with a versification by Dr. Sutton, of the enlarged tract now in use, which was published in the Quarterly Papers. twenty years ago, but is now in comparatively few hands. THE GOSPEL MESSENGER. Written in Bengalee by RAM BOSHOO, and translated by Mr. Marshman. (Reprinted from the "Biblical Magazine" for 1802.) Several thousands of the original have been printed by the missionaries, and distributed among the natives of Bengal, who read it with great avidity. The translator has observed, that owing to the great difference between the idiom of the two languages, it was very difficult to preserve the spirit of the poem; but such as it is, it is presented to the reader as a specimen of Hindoo composition, and of the views they entertain of the Gospel way of salvation. Several lines of the poem are here omitted for the sake of brevity. HEAR O ye people! with attentive mind- Hell, what is that? What dreadful pains are there? In other books is no salvation found: Hindus and Mussulmans their shasters boast: These we have well examin'd-but at most They're children's stories; falsehood in disguise; Such shasters we have formerly possest, But the Great Shaster found, we threw away the rest. In this alone is full redemption stor❜d. Hear, hear, ye people! hear with greatest care: Don't call it m'leech's,† and so despise The m'leech's shaster! no;-in this salvation lies. Hear with your mind, would you escape from hell :— But quenchless fire shall be the certain doom Thus, formerly, the Lord his will made known Yet men in sin did plunge, till all were impious grown, "For this," he said, "I've found a remedy." In mercy God disclos'd the wondrous plan, A second way to bless the ruin'd creature man: And sin's desert bear in the sinner's room; *The Bengalee name for rupees: these and cowries are the most current monies of the country. † M'leech or Mulleech, a term signifying "unclean"; applied by the Hindoos to all other nations, but more especially to Europeans: as the Greeks formerly styled all other nations barbarians. |