His honourable conduct in this painful transaction is above all praise; for though he well knew to how much obloquy in the colony his standing forward in defence of MR. SMITH'S innocence would expose him, his testimony on the spot, and his letters to this country, have been most decided as to his conviction of the entire blamelessness, in this business, and of the general good conduct and usefulness, of the injured Missionary in question. MRS. SMITH, in her letter to the Secretary of the London Missionary Society, observes, "I have mentioned the name of the Rev. Mr. Austin; and it would be base ingratitude in me not to state to the Directors, that this worthy Minister has in spite of all opposition, from nearly the commencement of this persecution, stood up as a warm friend for MR. SMITH. He is Minister of the English Church in George Town, and Chaplain to the Garrison. At an early period, perhaps the first week after the revolt, MR. AUSTIN was appointed a member of a Committee of Inquiry, a great part of whose business it was to investigate MR. SMITH's conduct. He became thoroughly convinced of MR. SMITH'S innocence, and undauntedly avowed his belief. MR. S. never saw him, to his knowledge, until he appeared as a witness for him on the Court Martial. now visits MR. SMITH in the prison." Upon the whole, we doubt not that this also will "turn to the further ance of the Gospel," by affording additional evidence of the upright conduct, and beneficial labours, of those who devote themselves to the work of negro-instruction; and that the disturbances which have existed, or may arise, among the Slaves, are to be traced chiefly to neglect, injury, or religious persecution,-or, at all events, to those vices and discontents which will always grow out of the very system of Slavery, however leniently administered.

POSTSCRIPT.

He

DEATH OF MR. SMITH.-Since the preceding observations were written, we have seen, in the public papers, the intelligence of MR. SMITH's death on the 6th of February. He was still a prisoner when the summons reached him; and from the state of his health

previously to his trial, his great anxiety, and his long confinement, there can be no doubt that he has descended into a premature grave, and fallen a victim to his persecutions. His death may, probably, prevent so complete a developement of the whole affair of his trial and treatment, as would otherwise have taken place. But we believe enough is on record, or forthcoming on unexceptionable testimony, to show how large a share the detestable spirit of religious intolerance and animosity has had, both in those sufferings and calumnies which have now terminated in the death of this excellent man, and also in magnifying the guilt of those unhappy slaves who were members of his congregation, and whose lives. have been taken away during the recent disturbances in Demerara.

PLANS OF GOVERNMENT RE-
THE SLAVES. - The

SPECTING

--

Plan of Government for carrying into effect its pledge respecting the amelioration of the condition of the Slave-population of the colonies, contained in MR. CANNING's Resolutions of last year, has also been laid before Parliament, since the first part of this Retrospect was written. On some points it is clearly a forward movement in that great work, from which the attention of the country will not be diverted until it is finally accomplished. It assumes it as a national duty to provide religious instruction for the slaves by an ecclesiastical establishment; and at the same time liberally recognizes the principles of religious liberty, and of uncontrolled exertion with respect to

Missionaries:-it contains a pledge to abolish Sunday-markets ;-regulates punishments on principles of decency as to females, and of protection from arbitrary passions as to the men ;-legalizes the marriages of slaves; guarantees their property and their bequests;-allows them to give evidence under certain restrictions ;-and regulates manumissions so as to bring them more within the reach of the industrious and economical.

These are valuable improvements; and contain a recognition of principles, which do credit to Government, and to

the country. But, in the application of them, they certainly fall short of the pledge of last year; and can only lead to the conclusion, either that MR.CANNING'S Resolutions, passed in the last Session of Parliament, went too far, or that this plan does not go far enough. We speak not now of the provisions themselves, to which, however, we may at some future time advert, but of the restriction of them to an Order in Council for Trinidad only in the first instance, and then for the other conquered Colonies. Thus all those Colonies which have Local Legislatures are left to themselves, under the idea of waiting to see the effect of these measures on the small scule of their present application. Now it unfortunately happens that the islands, on which the plan is first to commence its operation, present the most unfavourable field for the experiment; for an experiment, rather than an example, we fear that it will prove. It is clear that on the moral and religious state of the slaves, the efficacy of this plan, as to the improvement of that class of society, must chiefly depend. But what is the state of society in Trinidad? There Protestant Missions are very partial in their operations; and more than one half of the population are Catholics, instructed in nothing but in the forms and superstitions of their Church. At St. Lucie, the population is almost exclusively Catholic; and in Demerara the hostility to religious instruction is notorious, and has employed itself too successfully in impeding its progress. We own we can expect but a very partial operation of this plan under such circumstances; and we see no reason at all why it might not also have been immediately introduced into those islands, at least, where the Legislatures and the leading persons have, to their great credit, shown themselves friendly to the proposed ameliorations in general. In these cases no warfare could have sprung up be

tween our Government and the Local Legislatures; and, through them, the views of Government would substantially at least have been brought into operation.-In St. Christopher's, Dominica, the Bahamas, Tortola, and other small islands dependant upon them, there are several zealous Ciergymen; and Missionary exertions have been encouraged, and crowned in some instances with very large success. Such are the places in which the benefit of these measures would have most speedily and fully displayed itself; and perhaps only in such circumstances as they present, can the plan be fairly judged of, under the view in which it is exhibited as an experiment and an example. We understand indeed, that it is the intention of Government to continue its recommendations on these subjects to the Colonies which have Legislatures. But we fear that the consequence will now be, that they too will wait to see the effect on others; and that every discouragement which those unfavourable Colonies, in which the measure is to have its first operation, may present, will be pleaded in future discussions against a plan which stands upon principles so sound, and which, if persevered in with sincerity, and in the spirit of kindness to the negro, must produce beneficial and cheering results. From the whole it is too evident, that Government has thought itself obliged to yield, at least for a time, to a clamour, which appears to us to have no foundation in any fact of injury or danger; and that it is chiefly in the right feeling and persevering importunity of the public of this country, watching the progress of these measures, and respectfully but firmly urging the Government to carry them more fully and extensively into effect, that the hope of the negro-popula tion reposes.

March 24th, 1824.

MANY pleasing anticipations have in former years been indulged on the approach of those Public Meetings, which are annually held in the Metropolis, to receive the Reports of the proceedings of Bible and Missionary Societies, &c. &c., and to encourage and stimulate the friends of such Institutions to persevering and enlarged exertions. The expectation has not been disappointed; and year after year has displayed new openings for the efforts of the church, and registered the holy triumphs of her Messengers and Ministers in distant and heathen lands.

With feelings of equal ardour may our friends look forward to the Meetings of the present season. We know of nothing to discourage, but of much to cheer benevolent feeling, to animate christian hope, and to call forth the thanksgivings of all who "wait for the appearing" of our LORD in the full glories of his mediatorial and universal reign. Even that portion of the wrath of man, which has assailed some of the departments and agents of Missionary labour, is already overruled to praise GOD; and the world still presents the Christianity of the Protestant Churches as engaged in energetic offensive operations against the idolatries and superstitions of all nations, dispensing light in every direction, and intent upon no lower aim than that of making the heavenly kingdom of our LORD triumphant throughout all the redeemed tribes of men, and over all that has darkened, deluded, and abased them. The offerings of a generous charity will be found, we doubt not, in every Society to have increased; and the labours of all will exhibit the fruit of the divine blessing.

A List of the Principal Anniversaries to be held in May will be given on the Cover of our next Number. For the details respecting the General Meeting of our

own Missionary Society, and the Religious Services connected with it, we refer to an advertisement inserted on the Cover of this month's Magazine. Our readers will learn from it, that the Three Annual Sermons before the Society are to be preached at the City-Road, Great Queen-Street, and Lambeth Chapels, on Thursday and Friday, April 29th and 30th, by the REV. RICHARD WATSON, the REV. ROBERT NEWTON, and the REY. JOHN ANDERSON; and that the General Meeting will be held at the City-Road Chapel in the forenoon of Monday, May 3d. We trust that not only the Public Meeting, but the Sermons, and other services of direct devotion, will be, as usual, conscientiously attended by our friends, in the spirit of earnest and faithful prayer. The work before us is solemn and delightful;-solemn, as we are led, on these occasions, more immediately to contemplate the wretchedness of a world without GOD;-delightful, because Christians and Missionaries, in almost every country and climate, congregate with us in spirit, join us in our praises, accompany our vocal petitions with their silent but ardent breathings, and catch with us the glow of anticipated success. With a deeper sympathy, in a devoutly serious frame, with humiliation for past unfaithfulness, and in the spirit of an entire consecration to GOD, may we enter his tabernacles, hear his word of prophetic promise, and plead for his blessing upon our labours, and upon those of all our Christian Brethren, throughout the world! And may that SPIRIT whom we publicly acknowledge to be the "LORD and Giver of Life," and the only source of successful enterprise in a work which, in the highest and most exclusive sense, is the WORK OF GOD, be richly poured, in the fulness of his grace, upon Ministers, and Speakers, and Hearers !

THE following Extracts of Letters addressed to the REV. DR. CLARKE, and by him obligingly communicated to us, will show our Readers that the good work begun in the Shetland Isles by the zealous labours of the Preachers lately sent by the Methodist Conference to that portion of the domestic vineyard, of which some pleasing details were given in former Numbers of this Maga

ISLES.

zine, is in a state of prosperity and progress. To those liberal friends, who have kindly contributed to this pious object, by special Donations for the support of the Four Preachers now stationed in Shetland, or for the erection of the Chapel building at Lerwick, these reports will prove that their money has been well and usefully applied; and others may be induced to follow the

example so generously exhibited. We are informed, that after expending, with the greatest frugality, all the sums contributed by individuals, as well as the large Grant voted for this purpose by the Conference out of the Yearly and July Collections, the Shetland Preachers are now deficient, as to the usual Quarterages and other items of their salaries, to the amount of £52;-and that nearly £200 more than has yet been received will be wanted to complete the Lerwick Chapel.

Extract of a Letter from the REV. S. DUNN, to the REV. DR. CLARKE, dated Lerwick, Jan. 12th, 1824.

:

"MR. S.'s supply came in a time of necessity. We shall now, I trust, be able to get a few additional articles for this house, and also to furnish another, Where the second house should be, was a subject which we largely discussed in our last Quarterly Meeting; and it was our unanimous opinion that Walls, (a parish twenty miles west of this,) and not Yell, is the most eligible spot. Its advantages are many it is remarkably central, being bounded by the parishes of Saudness, Arthstring, and Sandstring: every part is passable, even in the winter: GOD has given the people the hearing ear the members of three of our Societies will be able to come to it to the preaching and by far the most suitable house in the parish was offered to us for the sum of £7 per annum. There are five rooms, and a closet sufficiently large to take a bed. The parlour and kitchen on the first-floor may, with a very trifling expense, be converted into a chapel, to contain at least three hundred hearers: the other rooms are large. There is also about an acre of ground belonging to it. I think, on an average, we shall have on every Sabbath-day, when we preach there, four hundred nearers. The Minister of this parish has three other parishes, Sandness, Papa, and Foula. All these things considered, we thought proper to take the house: the rent is to commence from Christmas. We have not yet fixed which of us will reside in it. Neither of us would have any objection to live in the western part of the Circuit. I have recently been through it, for two or three weeks, and never with greater pleasure. The congregations were very large. The LORD'S Supper was administered for the first time to the country Societies; and I gave about thirty notes of admittance. In Sandness there is a blessed work; about forty meet in class. I believe there are scores of persons through the country who would immediately micet in

Class, had we only convenient places for them.

I heard from MR. RABY on Saturday. He is in the large and populous parish of North Maven, about thirty miles from this place, where he says the prospects are far more encouraging than in Yell. He is likely to form societies. We are now able regularly to visit many places which never had a fair trial before. In Lerwick, our congregations are still large. Numbers are frequently obliged to return, not being able to get admittance. Scarcely, however, a day passes without the tongue of slander being employed against us.

Now for the Chapel. As to its appearance, DR. EDMONDSTON, the Historian, lately told me, that there is not one in Shetland that is worthy to be compared to it. As to air,I have not seen many in the kingdom more airy. As to additional windows, two more might not have been amiss, but I was afraid of the expense. It may be well lighted with oil for sixpence per night in the winter. The roof is finished, and the carpenters are now about the inside. The subscriptions here, as yet, only amount to about £20."

Extract of a Letter from the REV. J. LEWIS, to the REV. DR. CLARKE, dated Lerwick, Jan. 12th, 1824.

"I have been but three sabbaths in Lerwick since the 21st of September. Immediately after the date of my last, I went to the island of Unst, the most northernmost of all Shetland: the distance from Lerwick is thirty-six miles : after twelve hours' hard rowing, we reached the island: for twenty-four miles the oar was not out of my hand, but through mercy, we had fine weather. Unst is eleven miles long, and about five wide; it has 2,700 inhabitants, of whom 1,700 are Communicants; it has but one Kirk in the middle of the isle, in which there is a sermon every Sabbath. I was ten days there, and preached twenty-one sermons, and visited every village in it ;-in the northern part the people were deeply attentive. I met seventeen by way of class: good appeared in many of them; but they are forty-six miles from this place, and a wide sea rolls between. From Unst I crossed to Yell; was there more than a fortnight; and after filling the appointments MR. RABY had left me, I crossed over to the Main, preached in the different villages I came through, and, through mercy, reached Lerwick once more, having been away more than five weeks. In three days, I left again for Sandwick parish, about fourteen miles south, and

was mercifully preserved from a watery grave. We had hardly left the harbour before the wind freshened. It soon blew a gale; our boat was only about thirteen feet keel, and five and a half beam; there were eight men on board, and much lumber. We could not return; the sea would have swamped us; we had to keep her head to the sea; we took in much water; but, at last, we reached a creek in which we landed, dripping wet, but this we did not mind since we reached the shore. I never saw death so near before; but, thank GoD, I did not feel alarmed;-I had peace. From the place we landed, we proceeded wet and weary. In walking three or four miles, my clothes got partly dry, but a tremendous storm of rain came on, and the night too overtook us, so that we were in a sad state by the time we reached our journey's end: the kind woman got us a good peat fire, and some change of clothes: the others I dried on my back. I had some tea,-read, and prayed, and went to bed, truly thankful that we were under cover, as the storm continued violent all the night. The middle of the following week I walked to Lerwick, and was kept in town on the Sabbath by bad weather, as I was to have been in the Islands of Brassa and Noss. The weather moderated in the beginning of the week, and I visited them the following Sabbath. I preached three times in Lerwick, and the week following left town again, and visited the parishes of Tingwell, Nesting, Lunasting, Lunna, Delting, Weasdale, and Whiteness: the round included from fifty to sixty miles in eleven days. I preached thirty-one times, besides visiting, talking, and praying with the people: I was four or five of the days without dinner; lived the whole of the time, one day excepted, in the cottages on bere and oatmeal bannaks, fish, and bad potatoes; (my strength was almost gone by the time I got home;) and slept mostly on straw. Sir, I do not mention these things by way of complaints, but merely as facts: I thank GOD I am willing to submit to any inconvenience for the good of souls, and the glory of GOD: and I have had reason to believe that my feeble efforts have not been in vain. To GOD be all the praise!

"We thank you for the Tracts: Monday is our changing day, and from one hundred to one hundred and thirty persons have come to our house since their arrival. On the Monday before last, my

wife counted one hundred and twenty, to whom she gave Tracts; and there was hardly one of them but got for other persons,-some for three, four, or five persons, who cannot come themselves: every day many come for Tracts; and in the country I lend them, and change them when I go again. There can be no fewer than four hundred in weekly reading, between town and country. There were forty persons at our door yesterday when it was opened at half past two, and they continued coming till late."

DUNN to the REV. DR. CLARKE; dated Extract of a Letter from the REV. S. Lerwick, Jan. 29th, 1824.

"As I know that nothing will give you greater joy than to hear of the conversion of sinners from the error of their ways, it is with pleasure that I tell you that GOD is mightily shaking the gates of hell, bowing down the pillars of the throne of Satan, and getting to himself a great victory in the hearts of the people. I received a letter last evening from MR. RABY, who was still in North Maven when he wrote; he says the congregations are very large and attentive, and the prospects very animating. He did not mention his having formed any classes. The Minister is gone to Scotland on a visit for three or four months, during which time his scattered flock, above two thousand two hundred in number, will be without a shepherd. We hope, however, to pay particular attention to them. MR. R. intended to be in Yell on the next Sabbath. MR. Lewis, during the last fortnight, has been in the parish of Aithsting, breaking up some new ground. MR. THOMPSON is arrived from the west, and brings good news. Twenty more have joined the Classes in Walls and Sandness. I have now to inform you of a visit which I last week paid, for the first time, to the southern parishes of Sandwick and Dunrossness. As all the brethren had visited them before, I thought it was time to endeavour to form Classes. Indeed, I am quite satisfied that our 'fruit' will not

remain,' unless we attempt this wherever we preach; and I shall think it my duty in future, to give up, at least for a time, those places where we have often preached, and see no probability of forming Societies. We must go to those who want us most; to those places where we are likely to do the most good."