Colonial, Foreign, and Home News.

SUMMARY.

OUR latest intelligence from NOVA SCOTIA consists chiefly of the details of various district meetings in connexion with the Diocesan Church Society. It is stated that a meeting of the Clergy of the Diocese and of lay-delegates is about to take place to consider how means can be devised for filling the vacant episcopate. The Bishop of NEWFOUNDLAND is still detained by the affairs of the Church in Bermuda. On Dec. 21st, the Bishop of TORONTO called a meeting of the Church University Board. His Lordship stated that the total amount of subscriptions to the University Fund is now 43,155l. currency. A proposed charter, the draft of which was laid before the meeting, has been submitted to the government.

The Rev. F. H. Rutledge was elected, on January 8th, Bishop of Florida. The Rev. J. Payne is about to return from Liberia to the United States for the purpose of being consecrated. The Rev. C. C. Hoffman sailed from Baltimore for Cape Palmas, on Dec. 21st. From a statement in the Banner of the Cross, it appears that the American Church numbered in 1800, 7 Bishops and 220 other Clergy; in 1819, 18 Bishops and 281 other Clergy; whilst at present there are 32 Bishops with 1,589 other Clergy.

VIRGINIA.-Fire at the Bishop's House.-We are truly sorry to learn from a correspondent, that the residence of Bishop Meade, near Millwood, Virginia, was burned on Tuesday afternoon, the 7th inst. The fire was accidental. The house being situated in the country, and no one at home except his daughterin-law and her children, it was impossible to arrest the flames. The entire contents of the Bishop's study, and most of the furniture in the lower part of the house, were saved—his neighbours, who saw the fire at a distance, arriving in time to render important aid. Indeed, as we are informed, there was no very costly furniture, or other fixtures which could not be handled in hot haste, without much damage. The whole Church may well rejoice in the preservation of the contents of the Bishop's library. But these being removed, few Episcopal palaces could have made a smaller blaze. A house on fire must always be a sad sight, especially in the country, and more especially in the month of January. But according to our correspondent, there have been many more unhappy spectacles than that. The Bishop, who arrived a little while after the house had been abandoned, was seen walking about cheerfully amidst piles of books, and saluting his neighbours pleasantly, as if nothing had happened. Some were running to and fro to make suitable arrangements for preserving the furniture and books. Another group was looking at the blaze, their souls as hot as the bricks, with projects to build the Bishop another and better house. Others were in profound speculation upon the moral of the event, supposing perhaps, that such simplicity must have been rejoiced in, and that He who determines to stain the pride of all glory, had taken it away. Whilst a third class were of opinion that there would be no disputing about the value of the furniture and fixings of the "Jerusalem chamber." Happy he whose affections are not set upon earthly things, but is ready at any moment to strike his tent and be gone.-Protestant Churchman.

SYDNEY.-Conference of Bishops-A private letter has been received, giving a few details of the meeting of the six bishops in Sydney, called together by the metropolitan. The conference opened with Divine service at the cathedral, on the morning of the 10th of October; on the 29th it closed with like religious observances. Nothing has hitherto transpired of the matters of deliberation, but the letter speaks in no ordinary language of the satisfactory impression made generally on the people of Sydney, by the appearance among them of these truly missionary bishops. The voyage thither was to many of them an undertaking of great length and duration. The people testified their satisfaction, as it is said, by crowding to hear them preach-a proof that God's service was one part of the daily routine of duty. A public meeting was held for the promotion of missions to the islands of the South Seas, in the Diocese of New Zealand. A successful subscription was opened to provide a suitable vessel for the Bishop of New Zealand, his present one of twenty tons being considered unsafe. The bishops departed to their several dioceses about the last day of October, cheered, strengthened, and comforted by thus meeting for mutual advice and consolation in their arduous duty.

SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL.-The monthly Meeting of the Society took place on February 21st, the Rev. Sir H. Dukinfield, Bart. in the chair. Earl Nelson, the Master of the Temple, the Hon. and Rev. A. P. Perceval, Archdeacon Bridge, of Newfoundland, and several influential Clergymen and laymen were present. This being the third Friday in February, the day fixed by charter, the annual election of officers formed the first business. A finance-committee was chosen. Messrs. Lumley & Co., of Carey Street, were appointed solicitors to the Society. A letter was read from the Bishop of Barbados, dated Jan. 11th, announcing that the council have agreed to let the Codrington Estate on terms satisfactory to the Society. A grant of 1007. for five years was made for promoting the education at Codrington College of Missionaries to West Africa. A grant of 150/. each for passage and outfit was made to Mr. J. Seller, and Mr. Henry Pope, who sailed on Feb. 20th to Madras to be trained at Sawyerpooram for Holy Orders. The following petition to both Houses of Parliament, referring to a bill now before the Commons, was agreed upon :

The Petition of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign

Parls showeth

That the British Colonies and dependencies form an integral part of the dominions of the British crown, and that successive sovereigns of this country have been graciously pleased by letters patent under the great seal, to erect twenty-four bishoprics in these colonies and dependencies.

That the Society has contributed largely to the endowment of some of those Bishoprics; and that it expends considerable sums annually in the maintenance of learned and orthodox Clergymen to minister therein GOD's Holy Word and sacraments according to the doctrine and order of the united Church of England and Ireland.

That a foreign Prelate, the Bishop of Rome, has in divers instances intruded into Sees thus lawfully erected, and occupied Bishops nominated by himself, and assuming territorial jurisdiction and titles derived from places within Her Majesty's dominions; and, in some instances, the very title which had previously been assigned to the rightful Bishop of the Diocese by letters patent from the Crown.

That the prerogative of the British Crown has been invaded, and the

rights of the Bishops nominated under its authority have been impaired by such intrusion and usurpation on the part of the Bishop of Rome.

The Society therefore humbly prays, that whatever measures your honourable House may deem it expedient to enact, prohibiting the assumption of titles conferred by the Bishop of Rome, and for otherwise checking Popish aggression in the United Kingdom, may be extended, and where not inconsistent with existing treaties made applicable to the Colonies and dependencies of the British Crown."

Petitions, which have arrived from Canada, for the protection of the Clergy Reserves, were referred to the immediate consideration of the Standing Committee, who were authorized to adopt such measures as they may think necessary with reference to this important question.

BISHOPRIC OF NOVA SCOTIA. The last North American Mail brings "the Minutes of a Meeting of Clergy and Lay Delegates of the Diocese of Nova Scotia," called by the Archdeacon, to take into consideration the letter from the Archbishop of Canterbury, on the subject of an endowment for their Bishopric.

The Government allowance of 2,000l. a-year terminated with the life of the late Bishop, and there is, actually, no certain provision for his successor. The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, no doubt, holds in trust a certain capital to be applied to the maintenance of "Bishops in North America;" but there is nothing to restrict the appropriation to any one particular See; and, as the Archbishop reminds the Clergy of Nova Scotia, it might "be assigned, wholly or in part, to the Bishop of Newfoundland, and thus materially relieve the Society's general funds." His Grace, however, holds out a hope that the Society would "contribute liberally from the fund in question, to the continuance of the See of Nova Scotia, provided that the Clergy and laity of that Diocese show themselves ready to meet such annual grant by a liberal contribution on their part." We rejoice exceedingly that the Archbishop has taken this ground. It is surely time for the oldest of the North American Colonies to do something more than it has hitherto done for the support of its own Church. We trust that the meeting referred to, as well as the more vigorous efforts recently made by the Diocesan Church Society, are proof that the Churchmen of Nova Scotia are about to act upon this conviction. Meanwhile, it is satisfactory to find the Clergy and laity of a Diocese, thus regularly convened for the consideration of Church questions. We observe that the word "Convention" is used, and the forms of conducting business seem adopted from the Church of the United States. One resolution seems to demand an observation,-we give it in full::

"That it be an instruction to the Committee of Correspondence, to mention to His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury a feeling among churchmen in this diocese, that some measures be adopted for securing to them some voice in the nominations of their chief pastors, after the present vacancy shall have been filled up; and to solicit his counsel with regard to the best means of regulating generally the ecclesiastical and temporal affairs of the Church." Nothing can be more natural or reasonable than the feeling expressed in the first part of this resolution, but we must take leave to tell the churchmen of Nova Scotia that if they wish to have the virtual appointment of their bishop, they must provide the means for his support.

It is stated in a semi-official paper, that the Rev. H. Binney, of Worcester College, Oxford, has been nominated to the Bishopric of Nova Scotia.

THE

COLONIAL CHURCH CHRONICLE

AND

Missionary Journal.

APRIL, 1851.

PROGRESS OF THE BORNEO MISSION.

[WE are induced to give this prominence to the following letter by the interest which is generally felt in this Mission, and by its urgent wants.]

BORNEO CHURCH MISSION HOUSE, SARAWAK,
October, 1850.

SIR,-During the two years and a half that the Mission has been in operation here, it has pleased God to cause local events to work most favourably for the beginning and progress of the good work it has taken in hand. The most promising openings present themselves on all sides, and labourers only are wanting to occupy fields already white for the harvest. From this territory to Bruria, and as far inland as the sources of the great rivers, there is not an influential tribe that would not gladly receive Missionaries; and many of the chiefs, with whom I have had personal intercourse, have urged me to come to their countries, and teach them and their people. Daily occurring facts prove, what the state of the country two years ago would hardly have allowed us to hope, that Missionaries may hopefully labour amongst the wildest and remotest tribes we have heard of with safety, and confidence in the good disposition of the natives, and the general healthiness of the climate.

The population of Borneo has doubtless hitherto been much underrated. Taking the known number of inhabitants in the area of this and the countries around us as a rule for the rest of the island, we may calculate the population at from five to six millions, and this computation is probably under the mark, as it appears that the interior parts of the island are more densely inhabited than those countries near the coast and mouths of the rivers, from which the aboriginal people have been gradually driven inwards, either by the oppression and injustice of Malayan rule, or by the constant attacks of predatory tribes. This

vast island is now, in the course of God's providence, thrown open to the missionary efforts of our Church, and to assist her in the work she has exerted in her favour all the great and rapidly increasing power and influence of our Christian Rajah, of whom it is but sober truth to say, that his deeds prove to be willing to spend and be spent for the good, both spiritual and temporal, of his fellow-creatures, whom God has in so wonderful a manner committed to his charge.

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With his help and countenance this Mission can now send its agents far and wide, with every prospect of success, into fields sufficiently interesting to arouse the energies and excite the zeal of the most apathetic-fields in which a Paul and a Xavier would have delighted to labour. Surely men have only to be rightly informed of the glorious openings offered them here, to make them desire to come forth and take their post in a work wherein they may so easily tread in the steps of the great and holy Missionaries of the past.

Hitherto the chief efforts of the Mission have been directed towards taking up a central position, and gaining the confidence and good-will of the natives, and this has to a great extent been done.

The schools of the Mission are regarded with favour, and the benefits imparted by the Dispensary have found their way far and wide to the hearts of many, who, having there received bodily ease, are now willing, even anxious, to learn the things that belong to their souls' peace. The population of Sarawak is now so large and rapidly increasing that the combined efforts of a body of men is necessary to carry on the work of the Mission even here, not to speak of the much larger fields around us. In the Mission Home School there are now twenty children, some orphans, and others given by their parents to be baptized and trained up as Christians. They are of all ages, from two years old to ten; seven already baptized have been with us for more than a year; the remainder have been lately taken, and their baptism is deferred until the opening of our church at Christmas, when we expect the Bishop of Calcutta to consecrate it. These last are the children of a most interesting race of people, the Dyako-Chinese of Pemangkat, from 4,000 to 5,000 of whom have lately emigrated hither. As little has as yet been made known of them, it will be as well to give here a brief summary of their history, as they will in all probability one day be a very important and powerful people, and occupy a considerable place in the future history of Borneo. They emigrated several rations back from the Kay country in China,—which, from their description, seems to be a mountainous region in the interior of the Fokien province,—and settled as gold workers at Montrado,

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