Other acquisitions were subsequently made, but in 1745 they had only 10 settlements in India. Since that time they have acquired many extensive provinces and kingdoms-some by purchase, but more by conquest; and this company of merchants have now more people under their dominion than any sovereign on earth, except the emperor of China. Their subjects are estimated at between 70 and 80 millions, and their tributaries and allies at upwards of 30 millions. The army of the company in 1822 amounted to 203,454 men, nine-tenths of whom were natives, and only one tenth Europeans. The company export from India to Europe vast quantities of cotton, spices, indigo, and sugar, and from China 25 millions of pounds of tea per annum. They commenced the culture of indigo in Bengal in 1779, and for the last 10 or 12 years, have exported about 5 millions of pounds annually. The average price in Bengal is 6 shillings, ($1,33), per pound. They first planted mulberry trees in 1780, and in 1821 exported 1,057,000 pounds of silk. It is estimated that England has received from India, since the year 1600, in net profits, 150 millions of pounds sterling. The British have always been victorious in the east; every war has extended their possessions, and they are now the undisputed masters of India. Recently the king of Burmah has been terrified into submission, and a large portion of his territory has been added to the empire of the East India company.-Niles' Reg. AFRICA. The expedition fitted out by the British to survey the coast of Africa, and of the island of Madagascar, has just accomplished the object in view. It is stated that some important additions will be made to our geographical knowledge-no particular discovery, however, is yet made known-It is also said that 24,000 miles of coast have been surveyed. The British vessels, Barraconta and Leveu, performed this severe service, and lost, by sickness, no less than one hundred and thirty-five men. The history of the expedition is looked for with much anxiety. The slave trade, on the coast of Africa, is vigorously pursued under various flags-chiefly French, Dutch and Brazilian; under some of which many renegado Americans cover themselves. Cuba and Brazil receive the chief portion of the miserable victims of avarice, and the time will come when the authors and encouragers of this infamous traffic will cry aloud for mercy. It must come. It is computed that the slave captains throw into the sea about three thousand persons every year, either to avoid detection, when about to be over-hauled on the coast by vessels of war, or to relieve themselves of negroes who are sick, and thought past recovery, whose room may be needed for the better keeping of others. The condition of the slave ships captured, present the most horrible pictures of cruelty that can be imagined-and one would suppose that devils in the shape of men, had been let loose for a season, to exhibit a complete destitution of every feeling of humanity. The traders have established several towns or stations on the coast, for carrying on their business. The governor of Sierra Leone, gen. Turner, lately headed an expedition against some of them, and destroyed the whole in his neighborhood, purifying the infernal holds with fire. The wretches made battle in several instances, but were defeated and dispersed with much loss. Among the towns conflagrated was " Nonguba," a place supposed by some of the negroes to be the local habitation of Old Satan, for so the priests taught them -and well it might be so considered because of its trade. A slave vessel belonging to St. Salvador, Brazil, with 600 negroes on board, carrying 12 guns and 70 men, was lately captured by a British tender of 4 guns and 20 The cowardly creatures all ran below, except the boatswain, when the attack was commenced. We wish that there was some law to sell these men. fellows in the interior of Africa. Thirty sail of slave ships, belonging to Bahia, have lately been captured on the coast-in consequence business was very dull in that city, and the merchants greatly embarrassed. Three vessels, however, had safely arrived with 1,065 slaves.-Niles' Reg. AMERICA. COLOMBIA.-The treasury of this republic is represented as being in a wretched state. Accounts that arrived in the beginning of the month represented the republic as in a state of total dissolution, and that Bolivar himself was aiming at the sovereignty. Later accounts, however, bring more favourable intelligence: Bolivar had arrived, and a disposition was manifested to restore and preserve the former order of things. By a decree of the VicePresident, the army and navy of Colombia wear mourning for three days as a testimony of respect to the memory of Adams and Jefferson. PERU.-There appears to be considerable disturbance in Peru, the people are getting to be discontented with having so large a Colombian force in the country. A plot to deprive them of their arms and to drive them from the country after killing Bolivar, has been discovered. Thirty persons of the first families are said to have been arrested and imprisoned as leaders of the conspiracy. On the whole, the affairs of this southern continent appear to be in a very unsettled state. It would appear there is not yet sufficient intelligence and civilization among the people for self-government, and the establishment of any other form of government, appears to be impracticable. BUENOS AYRES.-There is no present prospect of a termination of the war with Brazil, through lord Ponsonby's mediation at Rio Janerio. All articles of import are very high-specie scarce, and at nearly double the price of the paper currency. About 4,000 men had been impressed to reinforce the army in the Banda Oriental. A decree against private banking has been issued. CANADA. The population and importance of this colony is rapidly increasing-in Upper Canada at a rate nearly equal to that of any of our new states. A very large amount of money has been appropriated for fortifications, and many strong works are erecting, especially at or near the mouth of Grand River, and on the Montreal mountain. Barracks for 2.000 men are to be built at Queenston. The British North American colonies, are exciting much increased attention "at home." The British paper published at New York, the "Albion" asserts, that, his majesty's ministers now contemplate the most important changes in the form and system of the local government of the British North American provinces. Conceiving that the welfare of these fine provinces would be promote if placed under one general, vigorous, and effective government, they have formed the plan of uniting them into ONE CONFEDERATE SYSTEM. Each province will still retain its own local government and two legislative bodies as they at present exist, with some modifications; but it will be required to send a certain number of delegates to the place of the general government to enact laws for the whole. At the head of this grand confederation will be placed some distinguished individual appointed by the crown." Some speak of Halifax as the seat of the general government, others of Quebec, others of Montreal. An act has passed the house of assembly in Upper Canada, granting 200 acres of land to every congregation throughout the province, without distinction of sect. There was some demur about granting this boon to Unitarians, but it finally prevailed to place them on a level with the others. UNITED STATES.-Congress assembled on the 5th ultimo, the message of the President is a long and important document of which however we consider it unnecessary to give extracts, as our readers will probably have read it before this reaches them. That which seems most to engage the attention of the public is, the exclusion of American vessels from the British colonies in the West Indies, after the 1st of December last, by the British order in council.— The documents and papers, accompanying the President's message, on this subject, are voluminous; from all of which we learn the following particulars : That the regulation of commerce between the United States and British colo nies in the West Indies, was not settled by the treaty of 1815, but according to usual practice, was regulated by acts of parliament; that in 1822, the ports of the colonies were opened to American vessels laden with the produce of the United States, upon paying a certain duty; this offer was practically accepted. But in March 1823, Congress passed an act imposing an alien duty of 94 cents per ton, and an additional duty on the cargos of British vessels from the colonies, entering the ports of the United States, until it should be made to appear that American vessels were admitted into the colonial ports on the same footing with British vessels from British ports: the design of which, of course, was to bring about this object. As, however, the British did not agree to this, they imposed an additional countervailing duty on American vessels in the ports of the West Indies, equal to that imposed by the act of Congress; which however has not been demanded for upwards of two years. In this state the West India trade has continued till this time, Ever since the passing of the acts above mentioned, there have been proposals made and accepted to regulate this matter by treaty. In the discussions relative to this, the parties could not agree, and the negotiation was broken off, with the understanding that it was to be resumed as soon as possible. Various causes, however, have operated to prevent this, in reference to which the British minister seems to impute blame to the United States, as apparently trifling with the subject, in never having forwarded to their minister the necessary instructions, and they on the contrary, rest the blame on circumstances beyond their controul, such as the sickness of Mr. King, and the sickness and absence of the British ministers &c. In the mean time, in July 1825, the British Parliament passed an act declaring the ports of the colonies in the West Indies open to all nations who, having colonies, should open them to British vessels in the same manner; and to those not having colonies, on condition of their admitting British vessels into their ports on the footing of the most favoured nation. This latter proposal applied to the United States, to which they did not accede: owing, as is alleged, to the difficulty of understanding the precise import of the act, and a belief that, as a negotiation on this subject was pending, it was not intended to apply to them, more especially, as no direct notice to that effect was officially given. The British ministry, however, appear to have understood it to apply to the United States, as well as to any other country, and as they did not accede to it, the order in council to exclude American vessels from the West Indies, after the 1st of December, was issued From this statement it would appear, that the proceedings complained of, have arisen out of a mutual misunderstanding, which we have no doubt will be easily rectified. While the undoubted right of Great-Britian to dictate on what terms she will permit any nation to trade with her colonies, is admitted on both sides, it is no less obvious, that it is for the interest of both countries that their intercourse with each other should be of the most liberal and conciliatory kind. The convention entered into by Mr. Gallatin with the British government, fixes the compensation for slaves and other property carried off by the British, subsequent to the treaty of Ghent, at $1,200,000, which is $300,000 less than the claims preferred. From the statement of the Secretary of the navy, submitted to the President, it appears that the present naval force of the United States, is as follows: 12 ships of the line, 17 frigates of the first class, 3 of the 2d class, 16 sloops of war, 4 schooners of 12 guns, and 3 other vessels. According to the Treasury report it appears, that the whole receipts for the year amount to $25,885.932 50 5,201,650 43 Balance in the treasury 31st of December, 1825, Leaving a balance in the treasury, the 1st of Jan. 1827, of 24,662,043 96 $6,425,538 97 On the first of January 1827, the whole national debt of the United States, will amount to $73,920,844 69. I am happy to see, by your November number, that you are turning the public attention to the subject of Ecclesiastical Funds. Though money, on its own account, is unworthy of being desired, yet for a variety of purposes, in connection with the interests of the church of Christ, it is very necessary. It is necessary, in the Associate Church, for helping the poor of the church -for instituting and supporting Seminaries of learning-for helping forward, with a view to the holy ministry, young men of piety and talents, but in straitened worldly circumstances-for printing public papers-for helping poor Congregations to support a stated minister, and poor vacancies to pay their supplies of preaching for paying the expenses of missionaries, in greater numbers, and intinerating more constantly and much more extensively than heretofore. How inadequate our Funds are at present, in the Associate Church, for the above purposes, is but too well known. To devise a method, in conformity with the divine rule, to remedy this evil, is certainly desirable. For my own part I can think of no plan which promises so fair, as that of adopting, in all our congregations, the good old way of collecting on the first day of the week, when church members are assembled together for public worship, and every such day, if the state of the funds require it. It appears to me, that the members of Session, or Deacons (if there be any) under the direction of Session, in each congregation should receive the collection, make a return of it to Session and, that the Session should keep a regular account of it in their VOL. III. 34 minutes and,after they have defrayed the necessary expences at the dispensation of the Lord's supper, and made some other expenditures,which necessarily occur,in the religious disposal of the money committed to their trust, that they pay the supplies in their hands to the Synod's Treasurer, at least once a year, to be at the disposal of Synod for all the variety of purposes the Synod may determine. Let Synod lay injunctions, to this purpose, on all the Presbyteries and, the Presbyteries on all the Sessions and congregations, under their inspection. Let Sessions be ordered to make an annual report to their respective congregations, exhibiting, the amount of collections received, and the disposal thereof; and let Presbyteries require that the minutes of Sessions be frequently according to an old rule of the church of Scotland, submitted to their inspection. To the above plan, in as far at least, as respects collecting on the Lord's day, I am aware there are some objections. It is objected 1. That to collect money in a worshipping assembly, for general religious purposes, such as those above stated, is not the work of the Sabbath. In answer to this, what does the apostle say? 1 Cor xvi. 1, 2. "Now concerning collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." Some say that the passage quoted, does not warrant any public collection on the Lord's day, for the apostle means that each church member should lay by him, at home, on that day, a certain sum for the purpose of being in readiness, to give the apostle by the time of his coming. The apostle, however, is speaking of collecting, and he does not certainly mean that his orders about it would be fulfilled, in the case of nothing more being done, by the several members of the church, than having their donations at their respective homes. Could it, with any propriety, be said that these contributions were gathered, that lay scattered in a thousand places, in the city of Corinth and its vicinity? And, if no other ways gathered, would this have saved gatherings when the apostle came? Moreover if collecting, on the first day of the week, were sinful, would it be much less so, for persons to lay up, on that day their money at home? It is objected 2. Though it were admitted that the churches of Galatia and Corinth were ordered, by the apostle, to collect on the first day 1 |