October 22, by the Bishop of Gibraltar. The Patriarch of Constantinople "paid the unprecedented compliment of sending his Vicar and a Bishop to be present."

THE Ven. H. H. PARRY, Archdeacon of BARBADOS, is to be consecrated COADJUTOR for the diocese of that name.

WEST INDIES.-A strange statement lately appeared in the English papers that the Bishop of Kingston had abandoned a church at Aboukir, Jamaica, to the Wesleyans. We are enabled to explain this. "The building in question, which has never been consecrated, was assigned by the planters who built it to the first Bishop of Jamaica, under condition that it should revert to the Wesleyans in the event of its remaining one complete year unoccupied by the Church of England. Availing themselves of that condition, the Wesleyans have now reclaimed the chapel, for which it has been found impossible to provide a minister of the Church. It was formerly supplied by the assistant of a stipendiary curate, was never well filled, and in the existing dearth of clergy in Jamaica, the Governor and the Bishop of Kingston seem to have found it necessary to leave it closed, or only periodically served."

UNITED STATES.-The subject of Marriage and Divorce seems at length to have effectually engaged the attention of Churchmen in the Republic. The late able and devout lawyer, Hugh D. Evans of Maryland, who was to have moved a canon on this subject in the General Convention, has left as a legacy to the Church a very learned and exhaustive "Treatise on the Christian Doctrine of Marriage," in which he sustains the integrity of Parker's Table of Prohibited Degrees, and argues against all the various kinds of modern laxity. The Gospel Messenger gives a terrible account of the extent to which social corruption has gone in the New England and other Northern States, which are wont to "pride themselves on their superior morality over the unprogressive States of the South:

"In Vermont, for the last 5 years, there has been 1 divorce for every 19 marriages; in Massachusetts 1 in 37; in Connecticut 1 to 10, and so on with most of our Northern States. Under this condition of legalized polygamy, we have conspiracies to get a wife into a State prison or a lunatic asylum, to get a second marriage. We have scores of people passing under different names from that of their parents, and the Pagan exchange of husbands and wives; and all this acquiesced in . . . and even by ministers of the Gospel participes criminis."

On these statements the Southern Churchman observes: "The Gospel Messenger speaks of the old Pagan exchange of husbands and wives. Such things have been done by Pagans, but not in the Pagan Republic of Rome. Pagan Rome was 500 years old before the first divorce, and even then the indignation of all Rome pursued the divorcer to the end of his days, although the excuse was plausible.' Although Virginia, North Carolina, and other Southern States (and it may be some of the Northern States whose laws we know not) present an enviable record upon this subject; yet, so far as we know, there is no such record in Christendom upon this question, like that of poor slandered and suffering South Carolina. There is no provision in the laws of South Carolina allowing

divorce from the bonds of matrimony, and there is not a single example of it in the history of that Commonwealth from its inauguration to its dissolution; and her citizens, in their humiliation, can look back upon as fair a record of woman's purity as this earth affords. A gentleman of more than threescore years of age, and of a large observation in South Carolina, where he was born, and has lived all his life, told us that he had never heard of but one case of female infidelity in the higher social circles. We believe that there never was but one application to the legislature for a divorce; and that, although an aggravated case, was refused upon the ground that it was against the settled policy of South Carolina,' and that it was better that a hardship, acknowledged by every one to be such, should be endured by an individual, than that an opening should be made for a practice so fraught with evil as is divorce.”

Bishop TUTTLE of MONTANA has declined the Diocese of Missouri, which had elected him. From Utah, which is within his arduous missionary field, grateful tidings come of the progress of the Faith. Mr. Haskins sends from that "seat of Satan" the following statistics from the church and school registers since the Mission began its work in May, 1867: "Baptized, infants and adults, 72; of Mormon antecedents, 43; all others, 29. Confirmed of Mormon antecedents, 14; all others, 14. Received to Communion, formerly confirmed, all Mormons, 7. Of the 30 pupils at present on our school roll, there are Gentiles, 25; persons who have abandoned Mormonism, 40; Mormons, 25. The Mormons who send to our school are those who disbelieve the doctrine of polygamy, and are in other respects weak in that faith. The renouncing Mormons are of course bitterly opposed to the whole Mormon system. All of the 65 of Mormon antecedents are poor, with a few exceptions. Thirty-six of them are free scholars. Eleven of these are now provided for by scholarships, leaving 25 still unprovided for. Strange to say, the Mormons, though they have a school tax and school fund, have no free schools, and refuse to take any scholars free. Thus, through the school, the Mission is gaining the respect and love of Mormons even.”

Some of the party in the Church who have lately been advocating exchange of pulpits with Dissenters, and decrying Episcopal authority, are now complaining of Romanism in the Prayer-book.

In his address to the Convention of his Diocese of NEW YORK, Bishop POTTER has lately spoken of the Church's growth as follows:-" In 1838, the time of the formation of the Western portion of the State into a separate diocese, there remained in this present diocese of New York 249 clergymen and 235 parishes and stations. There are now 446 clergymen and 333 parishes and stations. In 1854, when I was called to the charge of the diocese, fourteen years ago, there were 304 clergymen and 252 parishes and stations; showing an increase in this last period of 142 clergymen and 81 parishes and stations."

AUSTRALIA. The statistical returns for the past year of the Diocese of MELBOURNE have just been published. There is a large amount annually granted from the Colonial Treasury to aid the Church, distributed by vote of Synod. The amount available in 1867 for Church buildings (under the

Constitution Act) was 10,8381. and a similar amount was available from the same source for the stipends of clergymen. Of the latter sum, 8001. was paid towards the income of the Bishop, 250l. towards that of the Dean, and 100%. each to the Archdeacons of Geelong and Castlemaine. The remainder is given to several parishes to supplement their local contributions. There are 21 churches the clergy of which receive nothing from this fund; 9 which receive 401. each; 31 which receive at the rate of 651. annually; and 38 which are paid at the rate of 1107. each, the latter being principally in outlaying and thinly inhabited districts, where the local contributions are small. There is also an annual grant of 600l. from S.P.G.; and a General Fund is provided by subscriptions and donations, which, from 1866 to December 1867, amounted to 1,3231.; of this the annual donation of 1,000l. is from a single Churchman. The contributions from parishes, &c. for the same period, with collections at meetings, amount to 2,8621. The disbursements from this fund were in the aggregate 3,2477., including a deficit from the former year of 4931., and leaving a deficit to the current year of 3841. The details of several minor funds are also given. The receipts of the Church Endowment Fund (formed in 1851, and intended to accumulate for 21 years,) were 470l. ; those of the Bishopric Endowment Fund, 1,044/.

The number of Churches is returned at 161. The Sunday-school teachers number 1,498, and the average attendance of children is 14,484. There is a Sunday School Institute, which has been in operation during ten years, and a book depôt, which is a branch of it; the receipts of this amount to 1,0221.

The incomes of clergymen are stated as follows:-Under 2007. seven ; of 2001. and under 250l. thirteen; of 300l. and under 400l. twentythree; of 400l. and under 500l. twenty-two; of 500l. and under 6007. eleven; 6007. one. Of the parishes and parochial districts, 64 are provided with parsonages, and 35 are without. Considering the wealth and number of some of the congregations, and the ability of many of the clergy, it is certainly remarkable that no clergyman in this colony has an income approaching to much more than one half the income of Presbyterian and Congregational ministers in the city of Melbourne. The Melbourne Church News declares that the statistical account generally is by no means flattering to the diocese.

At the recent Synod of the Diocese of BRISBANE there was considerable discussion on the details of the Church constitution. The following declaration to be signed by future Bishops was agreed upon :-" I, A. B., chosen Bishop of the Church and See of Brisbane, do promise that I will teach and maintain the doctrine and discipline of the United Church of England and Ireland, as acknowledged and received by the Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane; and I do also declare that I consent to be bound by all the rules and regulations which have heretofore been made, or which may from time to time be made, by the Synod of the Diocese of Brisbane ; and in consideration of being appointed Bishop of the said Church or See of Brisbane, I hereby undertake immediately to resign the said appointment, together with all the rights and emoluments appertaining thereto, if sentence requiring such resignation should at any time be passed upon

me, after examination had, by the tribunal acknowledged by the said Synod for the trial of a Bishop, saving all rights of appeal allowed by the said Synod."

66

ITALY.-The Pope has invited to the on-coming Pan-Roman Synod the Bishops of the Orthodox Eastern Church. The Holy Synod of Russia is about to send a reply, giving reasons for not accepting the invitation. The Pope has also addressed an Apostolic Letter" to "omnes Protestantes et Acatholicos." The London Times states that the Establishment in Prussia has been so incensed by the Pope's "addressing them as his erring children that, by order of the Central Consistory, a declaration has been read in all churches and chapels of that country, declining the invitation, and repelling the arrogance with which it is accompanied.'

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE.-Monthly Meeting, October 6.-Archdeacon Sinclair in the chair.

After the other business had been disposed of, the proposed grant for Natal came under discussion. E. A. FitzRoy, Esq., moved, the Hon. H. Walpole seconding,

"That this Society, feeling strongly the suffering and exceptional position of the Church in the Diocese of Natal, and the munificence of the legacy recently left the Society, hereby resolves that a grant of 2,000l., or such further sum as the Standing Committee may think possible to give, be made to the Dean of Maritzburg and the Church Committee of that diocese."

The Rev. Dr. J. A. Hessey, on behalf of the Standing Committee, moved as an amendment, seconded by H. E. Pellew, Esq.,

"That this Society, while declining to enter upon questions which, as a Society, it is not entitled to decide, and which appear to belong rather to ecclesiastical or judicial authority, feels strongly the exceptional position of the Church in the Diocese of Natal; and, taking into consideration the means at present at its disposal, hereby resolves that the sum of 2,000l. be granted for Church purposes in the existing area of that diocese, to be allotted to such cases as shall be approved of by the Standing Committee, and sanctioned in the ordinary way by the Board." This amendment was put from the chair, and negatived. The following amendment was then moved by the Rev. M. W. Mayow:

"That this Society, without entering upon questions which appear to belong to judicial authority, still feels very strongly the exceptional position of the Church in the Colony of Natal; and, taking into consideration the means at its disposal, hereby resolves that the sum of 2,000l. be granted for Church purposes in that Colony, to be allotted by the Standing Committee on application from the Bishop of Capetown, or such three persons as he may appoint to make application in that behalf."

The Bishop of Capetown, who was present, expressed his contentment with this amendment, but on a show of hands it was negatived.

The original motion then being put, there appeared, on a division, for the resolution, 130; against it, 94; majority in favour of Mr. FitzRoy's resolution, 36.

THE

COLONIAL CHURCH CHRONICLE,

Missionary Journal,

AND

FOREIGN ECCLESIASTICAL REPORTER.

DECEMBER, 1868.

THE GENERAL CONVENTION OF THE CHURCH IN THE UNITED STATES.

THE twenty-ninth General Convention of the American Church assembled at New York on October 7. At the opening service in Trinity Church thirty-six Bishops were present, besides the Bishop of Rupertsland. The sermon was preached by the Bishop of Delaware. Two other British Colonial Bishops were welcomed as visitors on subsequent days-the Bishops of Fredericton and Ontario.

The House of Bishops proceeded to business under the new Presiding Bishop, Bishop Smith of Kentucky, with the Rev. Dr. Potter as Secretary. The House of Clerical and Lay Deputies appointed as their President and Secretary the Revs. Dr. Craik and W. S. Perry (historiographer of the Church). Thus "organized," the Convention continued its session to October 29. As usual, we are enabled by the full reports in the New York Church Journal to present an immediate summary of the business transacted.

I. It seems natural to begin with noticing the report presented by the "Committee on the State of the Church" appointed, according to custom, by the Lower House. This report represented the condition of affairs as affording abundant reasons for encouragement and gratitude :

The laity of the Church had awakened to a livelier sense of their obligation to give and labour as fellow-workers with their ministers unto