500 licentiates. It may safely be set down, that half a million of persons in this country have already embraced their views, and join in their worship. They are now found in most of the States of the Union.

Tenets. They reject all human creeds, taking the Bible alone. They reject all doctrines which cannot be stated in scriptural language; consequently, they reject the doctrine of the Trinity, believing the Father alone to be God; that God is, therefore, one, and only one person; that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God; that the Holy Ghost is that divine unction with which our Saviour was anointed, "a divine emanation of God, by which he exerts an energy or influence on rational minds." They believe in Christ's pre-existence, in the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, baptizing by immersion; and they reject the whole scheme of Calvinism.

Their churches are strictly congregational or independent. They are giving increased attention to the education of their ministers, availing largely of advantages afforded at the Theological School at Meadville, Pa. the Board of Visitors of which is composed of an equal number of Unitarian and Christian clergymen.

They took the name of Christians in order to avoid all sectarian appear

ances.

ABOLITION OF SLAVERY IN TUNIS. The Mahommedan Bey of Tunis has abolished slavery within his regency. The following letter from his Highness intimates this act of his government to the Consuls of foreign powers resident at his court.

"Praise be to God! The Muschir Achmet Pasha Bey, to our ally Consul-General of resident at Tunis.

"The object of this letter is to let you know, that that kind of property consisting of human beings, to whom God (be he praised for it!) has been so generous, is most unjust, and absolutely repugnant to our feelings.

This matter has occupied us all the year, during which, as you are aware, we have been endeavouring to put an end to it.

"We are happy to be able now to declare to you, that we abolish, in all

our dominions, this property in slaves. Henceforth, every slave in our dominions is to be considered free; and verily we shall no longer consider him as property.

We have given notice of this to all the Governors of our Regency of Tunis.

"We hereby give you notice also, that whatever slave shall enter our dominions, by land or by sea, will immediately be declared free.

"The protection of God be ever upon you!

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"Given at Moharrem, in the Moon Shawal, in the year of Hegira, 1262.” (Jan. 1846.)

This decree was immediately executed without any kind of disturbance. Most of the former slaves voluntarily remain as hired servants with their Arab masters-who, in general, treat their domestics well.

This act of a Mahometan, and, not long since, piratical government, puts to shame the rulers of many Christian and civilized communities-or at least of states which are so called. What a proud day would it have been for America had such a paper been issued by the authority of Congressfrom the office of the Secretary to the United States! How worthy of the "Patriot Nation!" which proclaims to the world as the fundamental maxim of its political system—“ All men are born free and equal."

THE annual general meeting of this Association was held on Wednesday, the 3rd of June-J. B. Estlin, Esq. in the chair.

Mr. Hornby, the treasurer, said he had great pleasure in laying before the Association the state of its funds for the year which had just closed. He would do so very briefly, and without going into any details, inasmuch as the Report, which would be read from the committee, contained full particulars of the expenditure which had taken place, and of the position of their affairs. His statement, by being brief, would, he had no doubt, be more interesting to the meeting on that account, and in matters of pounds, shillings, and pence, would probably be

Estlin, J. Browne, D. Blake, J. Warren, H. E. Howse, J. Terrell, B. P. Pope, W. Blake, S. W. Browne, R. Leigh, E. Bagehot, J. Lawson, J. Hill, &c. &c. Esqs.

The service was introduced by the Rev. F. Bishop, of Exeter; and the Rev. G. Armstrong delivered a powerful and impressive discourse, from Matt. xvi. 13-19, and 2 Cor. iv. 13. The sermon will be published, and we need not, therefore, attempt an analysis. We are glad to find that the committee have determined to print it, in a very cheap form, with a view to a wide circulation.

After divine service had been concluded, the business of the society was transacted the Rev. Jerom Murch in the chair. The Rev. gentleman having expressed his pleasure at seeing so many present, and his firm conviction, that, if conducted with energy and judgment, the new society would be productive of great benefit, in various ways, throughout the district to which its operations would extend, called upon the provisional secretary, the Rev. William James, to read the report of the provisional committee. A few months only having passed since the formation of the association, it could not, of course, be expected that any very great results had been accomplished; but the statements which were made, showed that the committee had not been idle, and that measures had been devised, and steps taken, from which, at no very remote period, important and valuable effects may be reasonably anticipated.

The report stated, that at Torquay, a room, not very commodious in itself, or in a very desirable situation, but the only place that could be procured, had been licensed, and opened for divine worship, on the second Sunday of the present year, under the direction of the Western Union, and that worship had been regularly conducted by different ministers in the district, with a favourable prospect of success. Much opposition had been encountered, and was still manifested; but the Sunday evening services were invariably well attended, chiefly by persons of the working-classes; and seed had been sown which, there could be no doubt, would, by and by, spring up, and, it might be hoped, would produce fruit abundantly. The formation of the

Western Union had been also of much service to the Cheltenham Congregation. About the time when this association was established, the Rev. L. Lewis resigned the pastoral charge in that place; and as his flock were unable to secure a resident minister, it was determined that a course of lectures should be delivered on Sunday and Monday evenings, for three months, by ministers in connexion with "the Union." The result had been in every respect satisfactory.— The services had been well attended. The opponents of Unitarian Christianity had been made to feel that its friends are in earnest-prejudice had been lowered-more accurate views of Unitarianism had been diffused-and some had yielded to conviction, and united themselves in fellowship with those who worship the Father, through Christ the Son. The committee had also visited Weymouth, in Dorsetshire, and Totnes, in Devonshire, with a view to make arrangements for the introduction of the Christianity of the New Testament into those places; and, in the latter town, it is hoped that, at no distant period, this object may be accomplished. The committee had engaged the services of the Rev. William Smith, late of Stockport, who would enter on his labour in May, and be stationed at Torquay for three months. They believed Mr. Smith to be well adapted to the work he was about to undertake there, and trusted that a more convenient place might soon be obtained for his ministrations. The committee had not forgotten the small congregations in the district requiring aid. Grants of tracts had been sent to several ministers for distribution, and a course of lectures had been conducted at Tavistock, which was just concluded. They had been in correspondence, also, with friends at Calne and Yeovil, and at South Petherton, where there are chapels at present without ministers. The committee had been, likewise, at some trouble to ascertain the names of persons holding Unitarian opinions, in places where there are no organised religious societies professing these views. They had discovered many who were glad to be brought into intercourse with their brethren. This had been especially the case in the county of Cornwall. It had been previously known, that at Falmouth and

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Flushing there are several families and individuals who, for many years, had met for the worship of the Father; but the committee had ascertained, that at Redruth, Hayle, Probus, Truro, Fowey, Penzance, Carharrack. Camborne, Helston, St.Just, Lelant, Penryn, Gwennap, and Perran, there are those who understand and rejoice in the Unitarian faith. The friends at Falmouth were especially desirous of having a minister settled with them; and they thought, that if he could unite scholastic duties with the pastoral work, he would have a good prospect of success, both as a minister and a teacher. The committee expressed their gratitude for the ready response which had been made to their appeal for pecuniary aid, and especially to the Cambridge graduate, who had so munificently contributed £100 to their funds; and concluded their report with these words :-"They believe that the cause, in the support and defence of which you are united, is one which is worthy of the energies of every generous mind. It is that of humbly vindicating the ways of God to man, in the revelation of his truth by Jesus Christ, divested of the corruptions which have grown around it, and which, there is but too fearful testimony to prove, have darkened its evidence, and deadened its influence, throughout the whole stream of its past history. God blesses the sincere, the earnest, the endeavouring; and, let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not!'"'

It was then moved by H. E. Howse, Esq. and seconded by R. Leigh, Esq. "That the Report of the committee be received by this meeting."

Moved by John Warren, Esq. seconded by the Rev. R. M. Montgomery, "That the cordial thanks of this meeting be presented to the Rev. G. Armstrong, for his able and powerful sermon in vindication of the objects of the Western Unitarian Christian Union."

Moved by Rev. R. L. Carpenter, seconded by Rev. S. Walker-"That the thanks of this meeting be given to those gentlemen who have formed the Provisional Committee of the Western Unitarian Christian Union, and especially to the Rev. William James, to whose zealous exertions, as Secretary, the Society is greatly indebted

for its present state, and its pleasing prospects."

Moved by R. Leigh, Esq. seconded by the Rev. Henry Solly-"That the Rev. William James be requested to fill the offices of Treasurer and Secretary during the ensuing year."

Moved by the Rev. R. M. Montgomery, seconded by Rev. W. J. Odgers "That the following be the rules of the Society:

"I. The Society shall be called the Western Unitarian Christian Union.

"II. The object of the Society shall be to promote the knowledge and practice of pure Christianity, and the worship of One God, the Father, through his Son, Jesus Christ, in the six western counties.

"III. The qualification of membership shall be the annual payment of an annual subscription of any amount, from one shilling upwards, or an occasional donation of not less than two pounds.

"IV. The Society shall be connected with the British and Foreign Unitarian Association, in accordance with the rule of that Society, requiring the payment of £5 per annum, and allowing two representatives to be sent to the annual meeting of the Association.

"V. There shall be two half-yearly meetings of the Union; one during September or October, in the county of Devon, Cornwall, or Dorset, and another during March or April.

"VI. The minister or some member of the various congregations shall be requested to furnish statements to the half-yearly meetings, as to the number of subscribers in their district, the amount remitted, and any other particulars as to the state of their congregations, or the neighbourhood, which may be interesting to the Union.

"VII. The management of the Society shall be provided for, by a general Committee, consisting of two persons from every Unitarian congregation in the district connected with the Association (one of whom shall be the minister); and, in order to secure the attendance of seven members of the committee, as a quorum, not less than four times in the year, the secretary be requested to ascertain, a fortnight before each meeting, whether he can rely upon such attendance; and in the event of travelling being an obstacle, he shall have power to make satisfac

tory arrangements with four or five distant members, for their journeys to the four meetings before mentioned, making his selection from as wide a sphere of the district as possible.”

Moved by J. B. Estlin, Esq. seconded by J. Browne, Esq.-"That the committee be requested to arrange for the investment of £200 of the sum now in the treasurer's hands; and that while this meeting thankfully acknowledge the generosity with which donations have been thus far given, it would express an earnest desire that efforts be immediately made to secure, by annual subscriptions, small from the poor, large from the affluent, a permanent income, sufficient for the great work which the society has to do."

Moved by the Rev. T. Hincks, seconded by the Rev. J. R. Montgomery "That this meeting, recognising in Mr. Joseph Barker an able and faithful labourer in the diffusion of Christian truth and righteousness, desire to offer him a cordial welcome on this interesting occasion, and to promote in the West of England, as far as the difference of circumstances will allow, the adoption of those plans for the advancement of religion and liberty which he has pursued with such eminent success in the North of Eng

land."

Moved by James Terrell, Esq. seconded by the Rev. F. Bishop-"That a careful review of the present amount of the knowledge and practice of pure Christianity, and the worship of One God the Father, in the six western counties, leads to the conclusion that, while in some places there is much to discourage the friends of those great objects, in others the fields are already white unto harvest; and that in all, there is ample scope for zealous, generous, judicious, unwearied exertion on the part of this society."-The Inquirer.

COURT OF CHANCERY-MONDAY.

STRAND-STREET MEETING- HOUSE.

The Attorney-General v. Drummond. Mr. Moore, Q.C. applied to the court on the part of the defendant to obtain his lordship's opinion upon a point lately raised in the cause. He stated that a notice had been served on the plaintiff's solicitor, dated the 9th May, 1846, calling upon him to consent that the information should be dismissed, pursuant to the 6th and

7th of Victoria: in reply to which a notice had been served on his (Mr. Moore's) client's solicitor, bearing date the 2nd of June, to the effect that the relators had been advisedly counselled that the yearly sum of £100, received by the members of the Strand-street meeting-house, and which was in issue in the cause, did not come within the provisions of the act; and that if the defendant conceded all claim to that sum the plaintiff would give every facility to the application to the court for the benefit of the statute. The only matter in dispute was the sum of £100 yearly; and although the information had also been filed as relating to other matters, the counsel for the plaintiff admitted that the defendant would be entitled to the benefit of the act, except in reference to that item. On a former occasion, the court pronounced a decree without any regard to that annual sum of £100, the parties representing the congregation of the meeting-house not being before the court. The court reserved this matter in the following words :-"And it appearing to the court that an information is now pending in this court, at the suit of the same relators, respecting the meeting-house and premises in Strand-street, and respecting the property belonging to that meeting-house, the court shall pronounce no decree as to that portion of the trust fund for the present, and shall direct the same annual payment to be continued until the determination of such pending suits;" and he (Mr. Moore) believed that the question which the plaintiff sought to raise would be that the defendant was excluded from the benefit of the statute by the last clause in that act, which enacted "That nothing therein contained should affect any order or decree pronounced by any court before its passing." It appeared that the Congregation of the Strandstreet Meeting-house became entitled to the annual sum of £500 in this way. In the year 1698, Lady Loftus granted by deed, £500 to the ministers of Wood-street Meeting-house, and the name of that street was subsequently changed to Strand-street. The deed in question was lost, and no evidence was given of its contents; but it appeared that in a few years after its execution the trustees transferred it to the general fund. In some