many persons who did not stand to him in that relation, who will yet remember their intercourse with Mr. H. P. Bowen with feelings of affection and respect."-Stockton Mercury.

NAYLAND.-The Rev. George Ward, late of Bradfield, St. George, near Bury St. Edmunds, has accepted a cordial invitation from the church and congregation at Nayland, near Colchester.

OLDBURY.-By the self-denying and untiring efforts of the Rev. W. Hood, in conjunction with the kind and liberal spirit of his people and other friends, the above chapel has been relieved from a debt which has long pressed upon it. About five years ago the sum of £400, borrowed on mortgage, was paid off, and in January, 1856, a resolution was adopted to attempt the liquidation of nearly £300, which still remained unpaid. During the last two years, subscriptions from the members of the congregation and other friends have been collected, and to complete the payment of the whole debt public services have recently been held. On Wednesday evening, March 17, a powerful sermon was preached by the Rev. J. A. James, of Birmingham; and nearly 300 friends assembled at a teameeting on Monday, March 22nd, to celebrate the occasion; the Rev. J. Hammond presided, and very interesting addresses were delivered by the Revs. W. Bevan, R. Davies, T. Arnold, J. Whewell, R. Ann, W. Creed, and D. Addenbrooke. The collection, including the profits of the tea-meeting, amounted to £60, by which the debt is entirely liquidated, and a few surplus pounds left in hand for the improvement of the chapel.

PECKHAM RYE, LONDON.-On Wednesday evening, March 31st, 1858, the Rev. J. Hiles Hitchens, late of Western College, Plymouth, was publicly set apart to the ministry, in connexion with the New Congregational Church, Peckham Rye. The Rev. R. W. Betts, of Hanover Chapel, Peckham, commenced the service with reading and prayer. The Rev. A. M. Henderson, of Claremont Chapel, Pentonville, delivered the introductory discourse, and proposed the usual questions. The Rev. James Sherman, of Blackheath, offered the ordina

tion prayer. The Rev. R. Alliott, LL.D., President of Cheshunt College, and formerly president of Western College, delivered an excellent charge to the minister from 2 Tim. ii. 15, "Study to show thyself approved unto God." The Revs. Samuel Thodey, Johnson Barker, LL.B., John Chater, J. D. Davies, and E. T. Egg, took part in the service, which was one of great interest. The congregation was large, though the weather was unfavourable.

PIMLICO.-The Rev. B. Price, of Clapham, has accepted a cordial invitation to become the pastor of the church assembling at

Buckingham Chapel, Palace Street, and entered on his labours Lord's-day, April 18th. This we look upon as a very happy settlement. Mr. Price is a man of the same spirit as its early pastor, our once much loved and still remembered friend, the Rev. A. E. Dunn, and from his labours we anticipate great good. A deserving flock has received a worthy shepherd.

STOCKPORT.-The Rev. C. Jay, late of New College, London, grandson of the late Rev. William Jay, of Bath, has accepted a most cordial and unanimous invitation to succeed the Rev. N. H. Pugsley as minister of Hanover Chapel, Stockport, and will enter upon his duties in June.

THAME. The Rev. J. G. Stevenson, of Hackney College, has accepted a cordial invitation to become pastor of the church and congregation assembling in the Independent Chapel, Thame, Oxon, and commenced his ministry on the second Sabbath in April.

TIVERTON.-A tea-meeting of the church and congregation of the Independent Chapel was held on Monday, April 5th, for the purpose of welcoming the Rev. J. H. Bowhay as their pastor. About 350 took tea together in the two commodious schoolrooms. During the evening earnest addresses, suitable to the occasion, were delivered in the chapel, by F. S. Gervis, Esq., Mr. King (minister of the branch chapel in the town), R. & B. Were, Esqs. (deacons), Mr. Gervis, Jun., Mr. Jamieson, and G. Cockram, Esq., which were responded to by the pastor.

COLONIAL RECORD.

Of all our Colonies, Canada is, unquestionably, entitled to occupy the first place. It is Great Britain in epitome, having all the good with a great diminution of the evil. Its development is altogether extraordinary, presenting to Emigrants the most inviting field on earth. We may state a few facts.

If the ecclesiastical statistics in Lovell's Canada Directory be accurate, the clergy of the Canadas of all churches amount to two thousand two hundred and thirty, distributed after the following ratio:Roman Catholic. 757; Wesleyan Methodist, 360; Church of England, 275; Church of Scotland, 87; Presbyterian Free Church, 127; United Presbyterian, 63; American Presbyterian, 1; Baptist, 176; Congregational, 68; Episcopal Methodists, 152; Wesleyan New Connexion, 58; Primitive Methodist, 38; Bible Christians, 24; French Evangelical, 10; Christians, 29; Unitarian, 2; Jewish Synagogues, 3. The Wesleyans have now, be it said, by far the largest Protestant body of ministers in the country, to say nothing at present of their multitudinous and affectionate able

lay agency. Though a great part of the population are Romanists, the ministry of all the Protestant churches is nearly double the number of priests; and the total number of ministers in United Canada, Protestant and Papal, gives one to every thousand inhabitants. This can be said by few colonies, states, or kingdoms. Let the advocates of endowment reflect on this fact.

There are many Colleges and Academies in Lower Canada, which are in many respects equivalent to the Grammar Schools of Upper Canada, which are numerous. In Upper Canada there are-the University of Toronto, a provincial institution; University College, Toronto; Upper Canada College, Toronto; University of Victoria College, (Wesleyan) Cobourg; University of Queen's College, (Presbyterian) Kingston; University of Trinity College (Episcopalian), Toronto; Regiopolis College (Romanist), Kingston; Knox's College (Presbyterian), Toronto; Bytown College (Romanist), Ottowa; St. Michael's College (Romanist), Toronto. In Lower Canada there are-the University of M'Gill College, Montreal; Lowell University (Romanist), Quebec; University of Bishop's College (Episcopalian), Lennoxville. Besides these, there are the Congregational Institute, and the United Presbyterian Divinity Hall, in Toronto, and the recently established Canadian Collegiate Institute, at Georgetown, near Toronto. These are bonâ fide Canadian institutions, efficient and respectable.

The Book establishments are numerous, large, costly, and variously supplied. The common school libraries are a universal good. Many public reading-rooms are open on advantageous terms. Cheap and well-edited papers abound. There were published in Canada, in 1857, 244 newspapers and periodicals; among which were 20 dailies, twice as many as in Great Britain, 20 tri-weeklies, 13 semi-weeklies, 153 weeklies, and 29 monthlies. The hardy settler chops, and reads, and becomes intelligent.

In Railways, 2,210 miles have been chartered, and already 1,500 miles completed. About 300 Canada owned steamers, propellers, schooners, and other vessels are on her magnificent waters. In Canada East there are some 300 townships. In Canada West there are thirty-one county municipalities, 380 township councils, and 1,200 Government, legislative, judicial and other public officers, independent of nearly 1,500 postmasters. Canada is a sombre wilderness no longer!

There are many millions of fertile acres yet unsurveyed, and millions purchased; and the axe of the athletic settler must prolong its inspiring reverberations, and the intrepid heralds of Calvary must

stretch their sacred itinerancy, and common schools extend their sway, as the smoke of other and still other remote shanties rises above our British forests; but there are, in 1858, not less than sixteen hundred and sixty flourishing cities, towns, and villages in Canada.

Englishmen industrious, tax-devoured, and impoverished Englishmen! how long will ye tarry with no prospect for the everyday life but the workhouse, a pauper's fare, a pauper's garb, and a pauper's grave? Up, men! up, bag and baggage, and away to this Goshen of the New World! Here the cry is for room, there for men to occupy the magnificent territory.

NEW ZEALAND. THE REV. R. A. TARLTON. From the Otago Witness of the 28th of November, 1857, we learn that the Bosworth, which sailed from London for Dunedia on the 10th of August last, had arrived on the 25th of November, having accomplished the run in 102 days. It will be interesting to many of our readers to learn, that amongst the list of passengers are Mr. Tarlton, formerly copastor with the late Rev. J. Gawthorn of Derby, with Mrs. Tarlton "and children. The voyage had been prosperous throughout; but an attempt was made to set the vessel on fire, with which offence two of her sailors were charged, and put in irons for the remainder of the voyage. It is a matter of extreme thankfulness that this vessel, with her precious cargo of 107 passengers and crew, were saved from that most awful of calamities-a fire at sea.

AUSTRALIA. Intending Emigrants will, for the present, do well to delay a little; there is a heavy glut in the labour market, and much distress. It appears from the census returns that out of a population of 410.000 no less than 135,000 people were living in tents. The wretched accommodation of the people generally is also shown by the classification of houses. Out of a total of 102,000 houses no less than 36,080 have only one room, 27,922 two rooms, 19,909 three and four rooms, 5,074 five and six rooms, and only 3,668 more than six rooms. There are, however, 9,348 not stated, which, if stated, might change the proportions. The "houses" classed according to the materials of which they are made (the word built would not apply in all cases) are--brick and stone, 12,612; wood and iron, 42,574; canvas, 45,161; not stated, 1,634. Melbourne is becoming a city of palaces; in the suburbs the wealthy live in comfort, and even in splendour, but there can be neither comfort nor decency in the 74,000 houses of one and two rooms, whether they be built of canvas, wood, or corrugated iron. This bespeaks a state of things which involves great hardships, as the fruit of poverty. Crime has increased of late in

the colony, and is increasing, and that too of the worst character. This is, perhaps, attributable in part to the great number of persons sentenced in 1852 and 1853 to long periods of labour on the roads, whose periods of service are now expiring. This has generated a disposition to resort to Lynch law in some parts of the country, not well protected by the police. At a place called Havelock, near Maryborough, the people assembled to the number of 1,200 or 1,500, and pulled down some low grogshops, known to harbour bad charac

ters.

In spite of all this, there is much piety in the colony and immense progress in everything.

GENERAL RECORD.

POPISH BISHOPRICS.-The number of Roman Catholic bishoprics in the world, inclusive of 12 patriarchates, is 830. Of these 620 are in Europe, 275 in Italy alone, which, estimating the population at 25,061,988, is one diocese to every 91,134 inhabitants, while the proportion in France is one to 418,000. The bishoprics are divided among the various Italian states as follows: -Sardinia, 41; Lombardy, 20; Parma, 4; Modena, 5; Tuscany, 21; the States of the Church, 70; the Two Sicilies, 114. The States of the Church, with a population of 3,000,000, have already as many bishoprics as France, which, with a population of over 36,000,000, has but 79. Belgium has 7 bishoprics; Holland, 4; Portugal, with the Azores and Madeira, 20; Spain, with the Balearic Islands, 55; Great Britain, 44, of which 30 are in Ireland. Austria, exclusive of its Italian provinces (which are enumerated above), 62, of which 24 are in Hungary; Switzerland, 5; Germany, 24, of which 8 are in Prussia, the great Protestant power of the continent; Poland, 15; Russia in Europe, 10; Turkey in Europe, Greece, and the Ionian Islands, 20. The number of bishoprics in Asia is 65; in Africa, 11; in America, 124, of which there are 70 in North, 11 in Central, and 43 in South America; and in Oceanica, 10. Of the 12 patriarchates 3 are in Europe, 7 in Asia, 1 in Africa, and 1 in America (Spanish West India).

PROTESTANT EXAMPLE.-The Anti-Popish movement is manifesting considerable life and activity in Glasgow just now. There have been during this winter no fewer than eleven great City-hall meetings on the subject of Popery, with an attendance averaging nearly 3,000. On Tuesday, 30th March, the Scottish Reformation Society held the eleventh of these meetings, when their controversial agent, Mr. Alexander Jamieson, delivered a very excellent lecture, on "Relics," to a numerous and highly respectable auditory. At the close of the

meeting, Mr. Jamieson, the Rev. Robert Gault, and others, adverted to the refusal of the city officials to let the hall for lectures with discussion at the close, denouncing such a restriction as unworthy of a free, British, and Protestant city. Whether in consequence of these remarks or not, we cannot say, but we learn since that the privilege has been restored.

PROGRESS OF POPERY. At a recent meeting of the Free Church Presbytery, the Rev. Mr. Gault gave a statement of the Anti-Popish Mission efforts made in Glasgow. He stated that Popery had in the city, two bishops, fifteen priests, four convents, and a considerable number of schools and other institutions supplementing their influence. The Presbytery, we understand, are about to render the mission still more effective, by increasing the means at the disposal of Mr. Gault.

REFORMATION IN BOHEMIA.-It is reported by those who claim full knowledge in the premises that the Reformation put down by the Romish Church centuries ago, by fire and blood, is likely to break forth again with renewed power. The priests are said to be generally prepared to leave the church, if some provision can be made for their support. Dr. Nowotny, who has become a Protestant, gives the names of thirty-five who, like himself, have forsaken the church, and left Bohemia in search of a livelihood. It is thought that fully two-thirds of those who remain are ready for a similar movement when Providence opens the way. is to be hoped they may carry the people with them, and still retain their fields of labour in their native land.-American Paper.

It

THE REV. HENRY BATCHELOR'S SUNDAY AFTERNOON LECTURES.-The Rev. H. Batchelor has concluded his three months' course of lectures to the people in the Temperance Hall, Townhead Street. The subject of the last lecture was, "The City and Scenery of Jerusalem in the time of our Lord." At the conclusion, Francis Hoole, Esq., requested the audience to express their thankfulness to Mr. Batchelor for his labours on their behalf, which was unanimously responded to by a show of hands. These lectures have sustained their interest throughout, and the attendance has steadily increased, till, from the middle of the course, the lectures must have been listened to by from 1,500 to 2,000 people every Sunday.-Sheffield Independent.

BISHOPS FOR INDIA.-The Bombay Times, just received, has some remarks on the project set afoot by the Ecclesiastical party in England to erect more bishoprics in India. While expressing satisfaction at the movement to enlarge the missionary band in that country, the Indian journalist intimates that any attempt to introduce a native church system, dependent on the

State for support, will meet the most determined opposition. India does not want more State bishops-it has enough already. Let those who are burning for the conversion of the Hindoos, go out in primitive missionary guise, if they will; but India, evidently, does not want, and will not have, a hypocritical State Church.

THE LEICESTER RACE-COURSE REFUSED TO SUNDAY BANDS.-At a meeting of the Leicester Town Council, Mr. Biggs, once M.P., for Newport, proposed that the racecourse (the property of the town) be let, subject to arrangement, for Sunday bands to play in the afternoons and evenings of the Sabbath. The motion met with a decided negative, only being supported by

two votes.

SUNDAY LABOUR.-The newspaper agents of New York recently held a meeting at which they mutually agreed to abandon the sale of Sunday newspapers, in order that "their employers and themselves might have Sunday morning and Sunday

unimpaired for purposes of relaxation. The profits realized were not deemed of sufficient consideration to warrant the sacrifice required by retaining that part of their business." Indeed! how much " profit" would "warrant' "the contempt of the Lord's Day?

MAMMON'S TEMPLE.-In the Congregational chapel, Brooklyn, United States, of which the Rev. H. W. Beecher is the minister, there are 298 pews, which are let annually; one gallery being free. At the end of each year occupation ceases, and the choice of pews is determined by premiums above the fixed amount; whoever will give the most for any pew secures it for a year. At the beginning of the present year the fixed value of pews was 12,000 dollars, which was raised by premiums to 16,250 dollars. All were let. The principle here involved is one of the most intense carnality. The plan merits the severest condemnation; we shall look in vain to England or to Europe for anything to match it.

IN these times, when vast numbers will be going forth to the Mission field, the following lines may not be without both use and interest:

THE MISSIONARY TO HIS BRIDE. I go through perils of land and sea, Where man in idolatry bows the knee! I go to a land where darkness reigns, And slavery forges her direst chains; From kindred far, and from social glee: Friend of my heart, wilt thou come with me? To sound through the adverse camp an alarm, To seek in his strongholds the foe to disarm; To dare the assault with many or few, To hope against hope, and though faint to

pursue;

Not e'en in the mortal conflict to flee:
Sister in Christ, wilt thou go with me?
Unwearied to watch by a moral grave,
Alone intent lost souls to save;
For Christ to suffer all earthly loss,
Yet firm to uphold the hallow'd cross;
Through fire and blood, be it Heaven's decree
To pass: wilt thou share this lot with me?
Wilt thou fondly, devoted, and firm of soul,
Through life, o'er my spirit hold sweet con-
trol;

Or prepare by a dying couch to stand,
And mourn alone in a stranger land;
All earthly things that most precious be
To risk for thy Lord: wilt thou go with me?

THE REPLY.

Is there a danger I might not share,
A sorrow with thee that I could not bear?
Nor perils around me, nor griefs from above,
Can rival the might of deathless love.
In the flood, in the flame no terrors I see;
I go for my Lord, and I go with thee!

In panoply arm'd, to the world unknown, We'll brave the conflict, and snatch the crown;

Hope be our anchor, the vail within,

And our bliss the souls that for Christ we win!

I hear his voice o'er the distant sea, And I come to the help of the mighty" with thee!

TIME.

"Then what is time? it is a stream,
Down which we quickly glide;

It bears us onward to the tomb
Upon its rapid tide."

I ask'd the golden sun and silver spheres,
Those bright chronometers of days and years;
They answer'd, Time is but a meteor's glare;
And bade me for eternity prepare.

I ask'd a spirit lost; but oh, the shriek
That pierced my soul! I shudder while I
speak.

It cried, A particle, a speck, a mite
Of endless years, duration infinite.

MAN'S FLEETING LIFE. MAN, like a stream, is in perpetual flow, Death's a destroyer of quotidian prey; My youth, my noontide, his; my yesterday; The bold invader shares the present hour: Each moment on the former shuts the grave. While man is growing, life is in decrease, And cradles rock us nearer to the tomb. Our birth is nothing but our death begun, As tapers waste, that instant they take fire. Shall we then fear, lest that should come to pass,

Which comes to pass each moment of our lives?