and circulate, by sale or otherwise, works which shall exhibit genuine Christianity to the opening minds of the Spanish Americans which shall set forth the irrefragable proofs of its Divine origin; which shall detail the commanding doctrines of redemption, in all their simplicity and fulness; which shall shew the indissoluble connexion of those doctrines with purity of heart and conduct, and explain and enforce the various obligations resulting from a Christian profession. This the Society proposes to accomplish either by the translation of suitable works of undoubted merit, or by the republication of such works already existing in the Spanish language.

The residence in this country of many expatriated Spaniards of great talents and acquirements, affords at the present moment peculiar facilities for such an undertaking, which it would be ungrateful not to acknowledge, and criminal to neglect. Other circumstances may be mentioned as affording the strongest encouragement to the adoption of the proposed plan, such as the tolerant spirit which has been manifested by the different Governments of Spanish America; the reform already began in the affairs of the church; the rapid extension of education among the people; the eager thirst for knowledge which has been excited among them; and the fact, that wherever either the holy Scriptures or religious books have been accessible, they have been sought for with an eagerness, and received with a gratitude, which afford pledges of the most important and beneficial results.

The Society however, though directing its views chiefly to Spanish America, would by no means overlook the spiritual interests of Old Spain, which it is obvious may be essentially promoted by the same means which are calculated to benefit her former dependencies.

The following extract from a speech of Sir James Mackintosh, in the House of Commons, gives us a striking idea of the general extent and importance of the Spanish American States.

"Spanish America reaches on the western coast from the northern point of New California to the utmost limit of cultivation towards Cape Horn. On the eastern, it extends from the mouth of the Mississippi to that of Orinoco; and, after the immense exception of Guiana and Brazil, from the Rio de la Plata, to the southern footsteps of civilized man. The prodigious varieties of its elevation exhibit, in the same parallel of latitude, all the climates and

products of the globe. It is the only abundant source of the metals justly called precious; the most generally and permanently useful of all commodities, except those which are necessary to the preservation of human life. It is unequally and most scantily peopled by 16 or 18 millions; whose numbers, freedom of industry, and security of property, must quadruple in a century. Its length on the Pacific coast is equal to that of the whole continent of Africa, from the Cape of Good Hope to the Straits of Gibraltar. It is more extensive than the vast possessions of Russia or of Great Britain in Asia. The Spanish language is spoken over a line of nearly 6000 miles. The state of Mexico alone is five times larger than European Spain. A single communication cut through these territories, between the Atlantic and Pacific, would bring China 6000 miles nearer to Europe; and the Republic of Columbia, or that of Mexico, may open and command that new road for the commerce of the world."

Subscriptions and donations are received by the members of the Committee, which consists of Lord Calthorpe; the Hon. F. Calthorpe ; P. Aiken, Esq.; John Green, Esq.; Rev. C. Jerram; Rev. W. Marshall; Z. Macaulay, Esq.; T. Marshall, Esq.; John Mortlock, Esq.; Colonel Rowan; R. P. Staples, Esq.; G. Stokes, Esq.; Rev. Dr. Thorpe; Capt. Vernon ; Rev. D. Wilson; Rev. Basil Woodd;-by the Treasurers, Henry Drum. mond, Esq., Charing Cross; John P. Robertson, Esq., 16, York Place; and by the Secretary, Rev. George Lawrence, 22, Colebrook Row, Islington.

The Society is already engaged in translating and printing Bishop Porteus's Evidences, Doddridge's Rise and Progress, and the first part of Milner's Church History.

Translations from the works of Archbishop Leighton, Bishop Hall, Bishop Hopkins, Bishop Beveridge, Hooker, Baxter, Witherspoon, Scott, &c. will probably follow; together with republications of the Imitation of Christ, Pascal's Thoughts, some of the writings of Nicole, &c., which already exist in the Spanish language.

EPISCOPAL FLOATING CHAPEL SOCIETY.

A society has been formed under the above title, the objects and encouraging prospects of which are described in the following circular. We take the earliest opportunity of bringing before our readers its powerful claims to public patronage. The sanction and liberal assistance pro

mised by Government in aid of the objects for which it is instituted, demand the gratitude of all who have at heart the moral and religious welfare of our seamen; and, by the blessing of God, the benefit will return tenfold to the nation at large, from the improved character and habits of that long-neglected portion of the community. The Society has been formed under the most respectable sanction, and must commend itself to all who value our holy religion, and the best interests of their fellow

creatures.

"It has long been a subject of regret that the variety of benevolent efforts to improve the moral condition of the lower classes in society should have effected so little in behalf of seamen; and this inindifference to the discharge of an important national and Christian duty has of late years been particularly felt by such as were anxious to promote their religious instruction in connexion with the Established Church.

"A very superficial acquaintance with the moral character of seamen will be sufficient to discover that the credit of such qualities as generosity and heroism is not necessarily associated with the possession of Christian virtue. It is the misfortune of these men that they are doomed to early, and in too many instances to ha-. bitual, separation from those opportunities of religious improvement which are common to society at large; and the effect of such privation, combined with the force of depraved example, is too frequently a habit of indifference and moral insensibility, which is not to be corrected by an influence so distant and unconnected with their situation as that which is exerted by the regular parochial churches. But if any thing, in addition to extreme ignorance, were wanting to repress an occasional inclination among seamen to frequent the ordinances of public worship in the Establishment, it would be the conviction that they do not come within the scope of church provisions. A sailor is impressed by the belief that he possesses no claim to accommodation in a church, and he is too frequently the victim of professional vanity to think of intruding himself in any situation where he cannot establish the title of undisputed right. Such feelings in the bosom of seafaring men are powerfully aided by a reluctance to expose themselves to the observation and fancied contempt of a genteel congregation; and the concurrent influence of these and similar causes will be sufficient to account for the fact, that an average of probably not

fewer than ten thousand seamen in the Thames alone will not, in ordinary cases, present two hundred in attendance upon the national forms of worship.

"This apathy and misconception can only be overcome by an arrangement which shall carry the principles and the ritual of the Church of England to our seamen in a shape calculated to awaken attention, and accommodate the ordinances of public worship to their professional condition, their stated habits, and even their prejudices.

"This has been attempted in the case of other denominations; and a number of zealous individuals, acting under the influence of a religious concern for the spiritual improvement of seamen, have succeeded with the establishment of Floating Chapels in several of the principal ports. The result of the experiment has, in most instances, surpassed reasonable expectation, affording satisfactory evidence that there is nothing repellant to the seamen in the sanctities of congregational devotion, and that these interesting but neglected objects may be collected in attendance upon religious worship with probably greater facility than any other class of the community.

"Having ascertained the peculiar adaptation of such institutions to the end in view, it was proposed to constitute an 'Episcopal Floating Chapel Society,' for the object of promoting their establishment in connexion with the Church of England. Lord Melville, upon the part of his Majesty's Government, has most liberally promised the grant of as many vessels as may be required for the principal ports of the empire, including the expense of alteration and outfit necessary to accoinmodate them to purposes of congregational worship. Nor will the bounty of Government be restricted to the donation and equipment of the necessary vessels; it is intended to comprehend the salary of clergymen regularly approved by the bishops, in those particular cases where the want of means, or other circumstances of a local nature, may render it desirable that the Admiralty should undertake the appointment.

"The design has also met with the approbation and concurrence of several distinguished prelates, who have already favoured its application to their respective dioceses; and the Committee have every reason to believe that the same liberal and satisfactory arrangement, as it respects the appointment of the clergymen, will be effected in every port to which it may be

necessary to extend the provision. The chapels will be granted by Government to gentlemen, or societies, appointed on behalf of particular ports to present the application; and it is proposed that they shall severally be placed under the direction of a local committee, which is to charge itself with the responsibility of the superintendance, the provision of the clergyman's salary, and whatever may be essential to the promotion of the general design.

"An object intimately connected with the religious improvement of seamen, is the care and instruction of apprentices; and the same provision which afforded the advantages of a chapel to the one, would supply the accommodation of a school to the other. In seminaries so intimately

connected with the profession, the juvenile part of its members might be collected from those scenes of depravity and vicious example where they are ordinarily scattered during the continuance of their vessels in port, and introduced to such an acquaintance with the principles of the Christian religion, and the elements of practical navigation, as should constitute the foundation of a moral worth and nautical superiority honourable to the individuals and beneficial to the country. A lending library, and depository for the Scriptures, Prayer-books, Homilies, and judiciously selected Tracts, might also be annexed to each chapel, and placed under the direction of the clergyman, who must in every case be appointed with the approbation of the bishop of the diocese."

FOREIGN.

PORTUGAL, &c.-This country may now be added to the list of those which have begun to imitate the enlarged policy of Great Britain with regard to restrictions on commerce. A duty of thirty per cent. has been imposed in place of prohibitory imposts on a multitude of articles; and the export duty on wine is reduced to one half. The edict states, that however beneficial the old laws might be when enacted, they are quite incompatible with the exigencies of modern times. We scarcely know an instance in history, in which sound principle has had a more striking triumph over ignorance, prejudice, and mistaken self-interest, than in the introduction of this new system of commercial policy, which must soon become the settled code of nations. We rejoice at the change on higher grounds also than mere fiscal considerations; for the new system has a tendency to bind together the whole world in the ties of brotherhood, rendering them mutually dependent and obliged, opening new facilities for the promotion of knowledge, civilization, and the arts which contribute to the wellbeing of individuals and nations; giving new currency to the circulation of the sacred Scriptures, and promoting the universal study of those sacred oracles; and cutting off many of the sources of war and disunion, by making it the mutual interest of all parties to live at peace, Great Britain has begun the system (and we hope before long will be able to com

plete it in some important branches yet untouched). In the mean time, let British Christians avail themselves of the advantages which it affords for extending as far as possible to the whole world the blessings which they themselves enjoy. We perceive with great delight that a desire to do so is widely prevalent. We may mention another instance of it in the formation of a society (see our Religious Intelligence, page 455), for translating and circulating valuable religious works in the Spanish language, more immediately with reference to the wants of Spanish America. We however allude to it under the present head, as these new facilities, and others which may be hoped for, are materially connected with those liberal views of international interest which the Portuguese edict shews to be rapidly gaining ground throughout the community of nations. Considering the vast number of foreign vessels which visit, and are likely still more to visit, our own ports in consequence of the new system, it might perhaps be useful if a society or board were formed expressly for devising, and carrying into effect in the most judicious manner, the best plans for the religious welfare of our foreign visitors of all nations, according to their various wants and prejudices which ought of course to be consulted and respected. Individual societies are already laudably and usefully engaged in the object; and all the needful apparatus and machinery, so to speak, might be derived at compa