The Treasurer has also received the following, viz.

Of Miss Olive Sproat, her donation for the Missionary Fund
Of Rev. Robert Kennedy, M'Connellsburg, for ditto

And for the French Protestant Church in New Orleans, viz.
Of Messrs. Ralston, Henry, Ely, Allen, and Maybin, each $50
Of Charles Chauncey, Esq.

Of Messrs. A. White, M. Newkirk, Jos. Montgomery, and J. Han-
son, each $20

Of Messrs. Dulles, Schott, McClelland, Kerr, and Leaming, each 10

$250 00
30 00

80 00

$5.00
11 50

50 00 410 00

Diew of Publick Affairs.

EUROPE.

An arrival at New York has brought London dates of the 22d of May, Liverpool of the 24th, and Paris of the 20th. Before this arrival, authentic intelligence had been received of the declaration of war by Russia against the Ottoman Porte; and little beside the Russian Manifesto, and the first movements of her armies, is yet known. We shall chronicle, under the proper heads, the occurrences of the most importance which have transpired during the past month.

BRITAIN The Bill for the repeal of the corporation and test act has past both houses of the British Parliament. There was a large majority in favour of it in the house of Lords, as well as in the Commons. It has also received the royal sanction, and of course has become a law. It is accompanied by the form of a declaration, calculated to protect the established church and clergy-We should suppose they ought to be able to protect themselves. It appears that a committee of the Commons had reported in favour of the Catholick claims, and that the report was agreed to by the house. On the motion of Sir Francis Burdett, who had taken the lead in this whole business, a resolution which had been passed in the Commons, in favour of the Catholicks, was intrusted to a committee charged with asking a conference on the subject with a committee to be appointed by the Lords. The conference was held on the 19th of May, and the subject, at the last dates, was before the Lords, with an expectation that something favourable to the Catholicks would be the result-On such a result, it is stated, the Duke of Wellington had intimated to the king, his remaining in office, as prime minister, would depend-A difference among the members of the cabinet in relation to this topic, and another apparently of little moment, was expected to issue in the resignation of Mr. Huskisson and Lord Palmerston.-A modified corn bill was likely to pass.-It appears that Britain and France continue their alliance with Russia for the pacification of Greece, but will take no part in the war declared by the latter power. It seems to us that it will not be easy to contend with the Turks in the Morea, and be at peace with them in all other places.-The house of Commons has sanctioned a proposition for granting a pension of 3000 pounds a year to the son of the late Mr. Canning.

FRANCE. It appears that peace has been concluded between France and Algiers. The treaty is not yet published, nor the exact purport of it known. France is augmenting her armies very considerably-avowedly for the purpose only of being in a respectable military attitude, at a time when the state of Europe calls for such a meaBure: yet the minister of marine, in the chamber of Deputies, on the 13th of May, remarked "that the peace of Europe would not long be interrupted." On the same day, General La Fayette brought forward a motion, the object of which was to request the king to restore, or reorganize the National Guards. The project of a law on the press was before the deputies; and an earnest and long protracted debate was going on, in regard to a loan of eighty millions of francs.

SPAIN-The king of Spain has taken up his residence at Saragossa. The authorities at Madrid, it is said, send petition after petition to his majesty to return to his capital; yet his stay is protracted, although he is dissatisfied with his reception and situation at Saragossa. The French minister, it is stated, is urging him to declare against the proceedings of Don Miguel in Portugal. But if he does this he must disoblige the Apostolicals, and act contrary to his own wishes. The Spanish armies, it appears, are not

1

paid, and very scantily fed. The French garrison has entirely evacuated San Sebastian, and has been replaced by a corps of famished Spanish troops.

PORTUGAL. The faithless Don Miguel appears to be placed in an awkward and embarrassing situation. He wishes to set aside the constitution of Don Pedro, which he has sworn to support, and to proclaim himself absolute king of Portugal, and indeed has done all but formally issue a proclamation for that purpose-having, with this view, issued orders for calling the Cortes "according to the ancient laws of the monarchy." In some parts of the kingdom his partizans have actually proclaimed him agreeably to his wishes: yet in one or two instances where this has been done, the troops have remained faithful to their oath to defend the existing constitution. But he is most alarmed, as well ho may be, by finding that the ministers of all the foreign powers, not excepting even Spain, will leave his court, as soon as he shall have decidedly taken the course which he wishes to pursue; and that the powers that these ministers represent will not recognise him in the character which he wishes to assuine. It is stated in the last accounts, that the foreign ministers, in consequence of the call of the Cortes, had actually declared their functions at an end. We have always wondered that any confidence should be reposed in this profligate, and now perjured man. Where the mischief will end which he is bringing on his country, it is impossible to say. The remainder of the British troops were leaving Portugal, at the date of the last advices.

GREECE. Within the last month, we have heard nothing of much importance from Greece. The ports of the Morea are blockaded by the fleets of the combined powers, and Greek piracies are checked, but not terminated. Ibrahim Pacha, however, is not only still in Greece, but, if we believe reports, is desirous to remain there. We suspect he will remain longer than he would choose, as he can receive no reinforcements from Egypt, since all the ports of Greece are blockaded, and the Sultan will want all his troops to oppose the Russians. It is moreover stated, that the Albanians in his army have revolted, and seized on Coron, and massacred the whole garrison, composed of Arabs; and that they have asked the Mainotes to open them a way to return to their own country. The whole of their country, indeed, appears to be revolting from under the authority of the Turkish Sultan.

TURKEY. We hear nothing new in regard to Turkey, farther than that vigorous warlike preparations are continued, and that it is believed the first decisive stand in opposition to the Russians, will be made at Adrianople, about 130 miles to the north-west of Constantinople. We perceive that the opinion is pretty prevalent, that the Russians will obtain an easy victory over the Turks-It may be so; but the uncertainties of warfare are great; and calculations on this subject are, perhaps, more frequently disappointed than on any other. The God of battles decides-and "the battle is not always to the strong." Humanly speaking, the probability is all in favour of the ultimate triumph of the Russian arms; but we shall be disappointed if the conflict be not a bloody one. On the part of the Turks, it is a religious war, and they will probably fight to desperation. Their inactivity in regard to Greece, furnishes no criterion by which to judge of the pending conflict with Russia. They have never regarded the Greek rebellion, till lately, as a very serious affair. They are now to contend for Islamistu, as they say and believe-and according to their creed, death itself in such warfare, insures an immediate passage to Paradise. For ourselves, we much incline to the opinion, that as Mahomedanism was established by the sword, so it is destined to be destroyed by the sword. Christian missions have made but very few Mahomedan converts, and we fear will never make many. Yet the imposture of Mahomet will come to an end, and we believe the time for its extinction draws nigh. How it will be affected by the existing conflict is not for us to predict. War is a dreadful scourge; but we cannot say that we felt any regret when we heard that this war was commenced. We regard the present Sultan and his myrmidons, as a set of murderers, who have forfeited their lives by the law of nature, and nature's God. He may use any instrumentality for their punishment, which seems meet to his holy sovereignty; and it is one of his ordinary dispensations to use one sinful nation to correct another. As far as we can judge, the Russians, in the present instance, have had what has usually been thought and called "just cause of war."

RUSSIA. The Russian declaration of war against the Ottoman Porte is dated at St. Petersburgh, April 14 (26th our style), 1828. It is ably drawn up, and states with great particularity the efforts and sacrifices which Russia has made for the preservation of peace, the forbearance she has used, and the insults, provocations, and violations of treaties and promises on the part of the Porte, by which she has at length been reluctantly compelled to an open declaration of war. We are fully aware how easy and how common it is, on such occasions, to make a plausible statement. But many of the facts alleged in this declaration have long been matters of publick notoriety; and particularly

the Hatti Scheriff, as it is called, of the 20th of last December, in which Russia was denounced in the most opprobrious terms, and the consequent detention of her vessels, and interruption of her trade on the Black Sea, by closing the Bosphorus-altogether. constituted such outrages, as no nation could be expected peaceably to endure. War is declared, and declared in such terms that peace cannot be made but on the most humiliating terms, to one or other of the belligerent parties. The Russian emperor declares "he will not lay down his arms till he has obtained the results stated in his declaration;" and these results are nothing less than "the inviolable liberty of the commerce of the Black Sea, and the navigation of the Bosphorus," effectual measures to secure "the observance and efficacy" of all existing treaties and engagements, and "the making good of all the expenses caused by the war, and the losses sustained by the subjects of his imperial majesty." From these terms the Russian emperor, after avowing them to the world, cannot recede without a loss of character and influence; and with these terms we doubt if the Sultan could comply, if so disposed, without a loss of his throne and his head; and even if these were safe, the compliance would go far to annihilate the Mahomedan power. We therefore look for a most sanguinary conflict-and if, before it is over, the other powers of Europe do not enter "the bloody arena," it will be something unusual. On the 7th of May, the Russian troops were to cross the Pruth, into the Turkish dominions; on the 27th of the same month the manifesto or declaration of war was read in all the churches of St. Petersburgh, and under the direction of the Metropolitan of St. Petersburgh and Novogorod, mass was celebrated, and a Te Deum chaunted. The emperor and the two empresses-the dowager and the reigning empress-with the prime minister, Count Nesselrode, have set out for Odessa. The emperor, it is said, will proceed immediately to Ismail. About 300,000 Russian troops, of whom 60,000 are cavalry, are marching into Turkey. No information has yet been received of any battle. The Russian troops are to receive supplies and reinforcements by the way of the Black Seathe Northern and much of the Western coasts of which appear to be under the control of Russia.

AUSTRIA AND PRUSSIA.-These great powers are both augmenting their armies, and marching them as near as they conveniently can to the scene of military operations, on the frontiers of the belligerents. But both profess their intention to observe a strict neutrality.

SWEDEN. This kingdom, which we do not often mention, is, we suspect, the happiest at present on the continent of Europe. In the full enjoyment of peace, and all its concerns managed by a truly wise and patriotick king, although not the most favourably situated either for agriculture or commerce, it cannot but be prosperous. We have recently learned, that the young prince Oscar is, in all respects, a youth of the highest promise.

ASIA.

We have heretofore had occasion to notice a formidable rebellion, which had broken out in the North-western part of the Chinese Empire. Recent accounts from the East announce a great victory obtained by the forces of the Emperor over the Rebels, after a very bloody conflict. The rebellion, however, seems not yet to be subdued.

Every new arrival from India brings intelligence of the success of the Protestant missions in that populous region. A very intelligent friend of missions, who went to India on commercial business, and has recently returned, has assured us personally, that the American Missionaries in the Island of Ceylon are now witnessing the success of their pious labours, in a manner heretofore unprecedented in India-A most happy revival of religion has taken place among the youth of their schools, male and female. He also says, that at a place on the continent, nearly opposite to Ceylon, a very great religious excitement has been produced among the natives, by the Missionaries of the English established church.

AFRICA.

We are glad to be able to state, on information that appears to be correct, that a report not long since so current as to be generally accredited, that the English were on the point of abandoning their colony at Sierra Leone, is wholly without foundation. We hope that our colony at Liberia will appear to have met with popular favour, by li beral contributions to the funds of the Colonization Society, on the late celebration of our National Independence.

AMERICA.

BUENOS ATRES AND BRAZIL.-Negotiations for peace between these powers are on foot, but it seems uncertain how they will terminate. That both are tired of the war, and neither able to continue it with vigour, is sufficiently evident; but there seems to be an invincible reluctance on both sides to give up the Banda Oriental, the bone

of contention. The Emperor of Brazil opened what he calls his General Congress, on the 3d of May. We have seen his speech-It is swelling and egotistical-He speaks of having made proposals of peace to the republick of Buenos Ayres, "to be established on just and honourable principles, and such as shall comport with the national honour, and the dignity of my imperial throne. If this republick should not acquiesce in my highly liberal and generous propositions, which I proclaim to the world are made in good faith, however much it may grieve my imperial heart, we must continue the war, and continue it with redoubled energy; such is my immutatable resolution." He tells the congress that he has a good understanding with other powers, and says, we think a little sneeringly at us, and with manifest self-compls. cency-"The government of the United States of America, has just named a charge d'affaires to this court, in the place of the one who has retired." As the consequence, we doubt not, of letting him off too easily, after the insolence by which he compelled Mr. Raguet to leave his court, he is still treating our merchantmen in the most unjust and oppressive manner-A gentleman has recently arrived at Boston, “who was a prisoner of the Brazilians ten months, and in irons, and made his escape in March last."

COLOMBIA.-The National Convention of Colombia is in session, and Bolivar has, it appears, resigned into its hands all his powers and prerogatives-We copy the fol lowing from the United States Gazette

"The President of Colombia has prohibited the use of Jeremy Bentham's Treatises on Civil and Political Legislation, in the universities of that republick.

"In resigning into the hands of the National Convention, the mace of the presi dent and the sword of the general, the Liberator cautions that body against a neglect of duties, signifies to them that the publick credit is at the lowest ebb, and the government itself ill constituted-the right of suffrage being too diffusive, and the le gislative body possessed of too much power; that civil courts should no longer have jurisdiction over military cases; that subordination had been destroyed by the impertinent interference of subalterns, in affairs appertaining to superiors; and that no publick officer, the treasurer excepted, had received half his pay; and that Colombia could not expect to be valued by other nations, until she showed herself capable of regulating her internal affairs-which must be done by a stronger executive and inexorable laws."

From MEXICO and CENTRAL AMERICA, we have nothing to report.

UNITED STATES.-We believe it is commonly happy for a free country when it offers to the historian, or chronicler, none of those striking occurrences with which he seeks and delights to fill his page. Such is eminently the state of our country, at the present time. If there is any thing among us that can be called striking, it is the rapidity and extent of our internal improvements. It would seem as if our whole land was soon to be intersected, in all directions, by canals and rail roads. The harvest of hay and winter grain, is also so extraordinary as to invite special attention We doubt if ever the earth, in this country, yielded so great an abundance of those articles as are now falling before the scythe and the sickle; and the season for ingathering has also been peculiarly favourable. The crop of Indian corn, always an important one in the United States, is also highly promising-And as yet, general health is added to our other blessings. A pretty ardent strife indeed still exists among our politicians, and citizens generally, in relation to the next presidential election; but we are glad to say, that it seems less acrimonious-makes more appeal to reason and fact, and less to passion and party spirit-than it did some time since. It will all be settled-peaceably we trust-in a few months more, and then, after a little fretting on one side, and self gratulation on the other, the whole agitation will be over. The last anniversary of our national independence was, on the whole, celebrated more 13 becomes freemen and Christians, than on many former occasions. There is still much room for improvement, but we rejoice to observe that the day is increasingly appropri ated to some special religious observances, and to the patronizing of benevolent and truly patriotick institutions or enterprises. We must also express our gratification at the success which in some parts of our country attends the efforts made to suppress intemperance, and Sabbath breaking. The entire correction of those destructive and heaven provoking evils, will be one of the best expressions of gratitude that can be made to Him whose distinguished goodness to us as a people is so conspicuous; and all who fear God or love their country, ought to feel themselves loudly called on to take their part in this work of reformation.

THE

CHRISTIAN ADVOCATE.

AUGUST, 1828.

Keligious Communications.

LECTURES ON THE SHORTER CATE- expression of their contempt and