tainly they prove themselves not the reverse. Rum is con sumed in immense quantities, by almost all of them; spirits to the amount of 6000 or 7000 gallons weekly are consumed, which tells a sad tale against the sobriety of the colonists. It is to be expected, also, that where the root has been so depraved, the native born Australians cannot fail to partake of this depraved character, this class being as yet composed, in a great degree, of the descendants of convicts. I am happy to say, however, that the contrary character is evinced by almost all of them, and, by their sobriety, and general temperate habits, they prove themselves superior to the generality of emigrants. This is the more to their credit, considering the evil example continually before them. In point of intelligence, also, and capacity, they are as a body far before the emigrated Europeans, and withal a class of people for whom I entertain a great respect; and now that an end has been put to transportation to this country, the contamination of the convicts' society has been in a great measure removed, and we may anticipate a period when a more virtuous population will be in existence here."

"Melbourne, Port Phillip, June 1841.

"Melbourne is by nature a better soil than Sydney, not only as it regards the quality of the ground, but in a spiritual sense, the moral and intellectual condition of the settlers in it. It will soon be blessed, I trust, with a pastor after God's own heart. If America, according to your tracts, and to what I have heard long ago, has been such a fine soil for Unitarianism, where the doctrine of the unity of God has flourished, I believe this vast continent of Australia will not be behind it. You at home can have no idea of the state of the people as it regards religion. Enthusiasm and bigotry are strangers here. Every one joins with another, they all preach in one another's pulpits. In fact they are all at ease in Zion here, the loves and fishes are sure, that is enough; and to add to all, the great Dr Lang bas turned voluntary. He was in America, and was there converted. I wonder what his friends in Scotland will say to that: he has left Sydney, and gone to Maitland, to be paid as he works. The population of Melbourne is 9000. Now, Melbourne is only five years old. By the time it gets on to fifty-three years we may expect it to be the largest town in Australia. Melbourne, the capital of Port Phillip, or Australia Felix, is about 600 miles from Sydney. It is a beautiful country, and watered by a river called Yarra-Yarra. As I said, its population is 9000 in five years. It contains many fine streets, not like the narrow, irregular streets of Sydney. Its boundary as marked out al

ready, is about five miles in length by three in breadth. There is one Episcopalian church, one Presbyterian, one Roman Catholic, one Methodist, one Jewish Synagogue. The Episcopalians commenced to build a large stone building, but were not able to finish it, and there it stands half up. The Methodists and the Independents have built fine brick churches. The Presbyterians are at work, and will soon have the largest and the handsomest church in New South Wales. Religion is better attended to, and Sunday better kept than at Sydney. This place is more like home. No heart rending scenes of convicts chained like beasts together, nor all those terrible legion of law dispensers, from the lowest constable to the Governor, which a penal colony requires. No everlasting gallows, which is never taken down, but stands up a terror to the prisoner. No white slavery here, tying up a man for the slightest offence, and tearing the flesh off his back, for what? for offending one of his own countrymen, his master, who rules him with a rod of iron. It is true, we have about a dozen in Melbourne making streets and forming roads, but these are liker free than bound, no convict dress on them. Were it not for the overseer who stands over them you would only take them for as many free labourers. I will now close with thanking you kindly for adding to my library so many useful tracts; with my Bible and them, I must go on, and wait with patience till once I am better provided for. I hope in your goodness, that although there has been a disappointment in this first attempt of yours for the furtherance of our cause in this Colony, that you will again send me out a few more select sermons and tracts. I suppose you will have seen Dr Lang's History of the American Churches, published in London; they are reviewing it in the paper here. He gives it to the Unitarians in fine style. He says, "I thank God that the two soul-damning systems of Popery and Unitarianism are fast disappearing in America;" that is contrary to the account I get from your tracts. In another place he says, "I was grieved to see a Presbyterian church which was founded by the Pilgrim fathers, now a Unitarian place of worship." He ascribes this to infidelity. I hope before he is gathered to his fathers, that he will shed floods of tears, to see some of the churches here also devoted to Unitarianism, in this, his adopted land of Australia."

"Sydney, Dec. 1841.

"You suggest the practicability of forming the Unitarians here into a congregation, and, by means of the reading of sermons by the laity, to hold ourselves together until the ap

pointment of a qualified minister from home. Were the colonists of our class in Sydney to be gathered together, really believing in our doctrines, I have no doubt we should form a respectable body in point of numbers; and were a place of meeting procured, and a talented minister to establish himself, I trust that a congregation would flourish. But, constituted as the country at present is, I am afraid that it will be some time ere this can be. I know that at home it is common for Unitarians to meet together in the country districts, and where there are no public places of meeting, such as Tillicoultry in Scotland, and other parts, and for one of themselves to perform the religious services. But you must consider the great difference which exists between New South Wales in respect to the constitution of society, the disposition of the people, and the general morality, and any other part of the world. There is an entire absence of enthusiasm, religious or of any other kind, except what relates to money matters; and throughout all degrees of people, and all creeds, there are not to be found many who entertain ideas primary to that of care for the temporal interest, as long as a flagrant act of sinfulness is kept out of consideration. An attempt of this kind, would therefore be attended at present with no satisfactory result, and we must rest contented with our prospects as they are, until the country receives an increase to cur numbers, and to its religious zeal."

"Montreal, May 1842.

"Montreal may be called the capital of Canada, and the very eye of British America. It contains some fifty thousand inhabitants, and is daily growing more and more important. It is nobly placed on the magnificent St Lawrence, with a country around of beauty and abundance. It is supplied with the comforts and even the luxuries of life on most moderate terms; and, better still, it affords easy means of acquiring them. Here, then, is the point of the matter,-flourishing, populous, and cheap, it has yet no settled Unitarian ministry. There is a clear and large field for work, but there is no labourer. Many, I believe, are longing for the truth, but there is no one to dispense it. Yet there is zeal, and zeal of no ordinary glow. A small body of Unitarians from the old world and the new, are here open in their profession, and many more wait only to see a settled place of worship to confess themselves, and delay forsaking orthodox churches only because they fear being cut off from every sanctuary." "Numbers, I am persuaded, are sick of orthodoxy,-many longing for simple worship, the community is large; and the word well

preached would be heard with open and devouring ears." The preacher to suit this locality" must bave prudence; he must have power,-power to speak,—to speak without fear, in zeal, in faith. He must let fiery arrows fall among the thousands, not painted shafts, and the thousands have many ready to burn with their heat. If he has this power, here he must be fixed, and will do a work of honour and righteousness; if he has not, no use in trying, he would but faint and wither. The ground is clear and free, bigotry there is,-ignorance, too; but speech has open course, and neither bigotry nor ignorance can stand against it." "Stupid sects, with stupid leaders, can form congregations, Why, then, should truth and energy despair? I am confident nothing is wanted but the man, to plant Unitarianism in British America, and that a few years would see offshoots in every part of the land."

BRITISH AND FOREIGN UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION.-The Anniversary of the British and Foreign Unitarian Association was held in London, May 18. The religious services were conducted in Essex Street chapel, the Rev. T. Madge reading the prayers; and the sermon on the Law of Conscience in its action on Nations and Individuals, being preached by the Rev. C. Wicksteed, B. A. of Leeds. At the meeting for transacting the business of the Association, held afterwards in the chapel, T. W. Tottie, Esq. of Leeds, was called to the chair, the report of the committee was read, and various resolutions passed. The receipts of the Association for the last year were £901: 17: 9, the expenditure £725: 9:0. The Committee's report possesses considerable interest; the civil right department has been attentively watched over ; lectures by several of the London ministers have been delivered at Chichester, Portsmouth, and Newport, Isle of Wight, evidently with much usefulness; pecuniary grants have been made to Ilminster, Honiton, Yeovil, Cheltenham, Canterbury, Bloxham, and Milton, the Manchester Village Missionary Society, Malton, and Welburn, Yaxley, Tillicoultry district, Aberdeen, Wolverhampton; and grants of books to Guernsey, Warren Point, Ireland, Dinon in France, Carlingford, Ditchling, Portsmouth, Peterborough, Boston, Tavistock, Tenterden, Little Portland Street Chapel Library; with copies of Griesbach's Greek Testament to Manchester, Coward, and Harvard Colleges.

A social repast was held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, at the close of the business, Mr Richard Martineau in the chair. The meeting was attended by about 250 ladies and gentlemen; the speakers were, the Revds. Dr Rees, E.

Tagart, C. Wicksteed, W. Hincks, Linwood Meeke, Dall, from the Mobile Territory, United States, G. Kenrick, Dr Hutton, T. Madge, S. Wood, and by Baron Beaulieu, and Mr Hornby, the Treasurer.

THE INQUIRER NEWSPAPER.-Heartily do we congratulate our readers, and the Unitarian community at large, on the appearance of a newspaper devoted to the interests of truth, freedom, charity. We are much pleased with the three numbers we have already seen. We have no doubt the Inquirer will continue to improve in interest. The paper will be published in London every Saturday, and demands, as we doubt not, it will deserve, the cordial support of every Christian Unitarian.

THE SOUTHERN UNITARIAN BOOK AND FUND SOCIETIES. -The Anniversary of the Southern Unitarian Book and Fund Societies, was held on Wednesday, July 6, at Poole. The Rev. H. Hawkes introduced the service, and Dr Beard preached on the Unity of God, from Mark xii. 29. The sermon was characterised by a force and freshness of argument which rivetted the attention of all present, and we are happy to say it will shortly be published. In the evening the Rev. W. Wilson read the Scriptures, the Rev. E. Kell offered the general prayer, and an able and interesting discourse was again delivered by Dr Beard, from 2 Cor. iv. 5., "On preaching Christ as the image of God." After the morning service, the business of the meeting was transacted, and the Rev. E. Kell read the report of the two Societies, which shewed that considerable efforts had been made during the past year for the promotion of truth. Controversial lectures had been delivered by ministers from London, at Chichester, Portsmouth, and Newport, which had been very favourably received, especially at the two latter places, and it is hoped would be productive of much benefit, and about 5000 tracts had been put into circulation. Reports were also read of the state and proceedings of the different congregations in the district, which were generally interesting and encouraging. A dutiful and loyal address, expressive of horror and indignation at the recent attempts on her Majesty's life, was then agreed to by the meeting, and signed by the chairman, the Rev. M. Rowntree, on its behalf. The members and friends of the Society dined together between the services, A. Clarke, Esq. of Newport in the chair, when various interesting subjects were responded to by the ministers already mentioned, and the Rev. Messrs Cropper and Adams, and by