The following account of the second Annual Meeting of the Auxiliary
Baptist Missionary Society, conducted by the Rev. W. Davies and his
friends at Graham's Town, is extracted from the local Newspaper, of the
28th of August last:
On Monday last the second Annual Meeting of the above Society
was held in the Wesleyan chapel, and we are glad to say that
it passed off in the most lively and satisfactory manner. It
is ever a pleasing task to trace the progress of such
associations--to view their first feeble efforts--to see them
gradually acquiring strength and importance, until at length
we behold them spreading themselves out to the farthest
extremities of the habitable globe--like a perennial stream
refreshing the parched desert, and dispensing the purest
blessings on every hand.
A very pleasing circumstance attending these meetings is, the
concord and brotherly feeling which are produced amongst the
different denominations of professing Christians. Here all
minor differences are merged in one united effort to promote a
common cause--and that the holiest and most beneficial that can
employ intelligent beings.
We regret that our limited space will not permit us to give
the several addresses which were made on this occasion, more
especially as some of them were of a high order, and would have
been perused with much interest by many of our readers. The
principal speakers were, the Rev. Mr. Heaviside, clergyman
of the Episcopal church; Rev. Messrs. Monro and Robson
(Independents); Rev. Messrs. Shrewsbury, Young, and Haddy
(Wesleyans); Dr. Minto, on the military staff, who has recently
returned from India, and the Rev. W. Davies and Mr. T. Nelson
(Baptists).
The report gives a general view of the state of the missions
connected with this particular section of the Christian church;
and we are glad to find that the prospect, by the emancipation
of the negroes, and other causes, is particularly cheering. It
was also satisfactory to find that the amount collected by this
infant society--only established rather more than a year ago at
Graham's Town--has received in contributions during the past
year no less a sum than nearly L146. Nothing can be more
creditable than this fact to the inhabitants of this frontier,
and nothing can show more distinctly that they are not entirely
undeserving of that prosperity with which Providence has of
late years favoured their efforts.
We may add, as one symptom of the temporal prosperity thus adverted to,
of this rising colony, that a great demand exists for industrious
mechanics, especially of those classes employed in building. Pious
individuals, especially, we are assured, would be welcomed in the
district, and labour, adequately recompensed, immediately provided for
them.