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5. The concentration of the printing establishment and depository of the Society under the same roof, and the appointment of an agent..

6. An application to Congress, at their late session, to exempt the Society from duty on copies of the Scriptures in foreign languges, and on printing paper imported for its use; and the privilege of franking letters addressed to, or written by, its principal officers on the public business of the Society.

7. A donation to the Rev. Frederick Leo, at Paris.

8. The importation from Great Britain of a quantity of Gaelic, German, and Welsh Bibles.

9. The receipt from England of part of the stereotype plates for the French Bible.

10. The Bibles distributed gratuitously by the Society during the

year.

11. The number of Bibles issued by the Society in the last twelve months, 17,594—making the total number issued by them 24,0004: -the total number printed, 29,500 Bibles.

12. The number of Auxiliaries of which the accession has been officially ascertained during the past year is 71; which make the total number, as far as known at the present time, to be 155.

13. The amount of congregational collections was $791.77. 14. During the year eleven ministers have been made Directors for life by contribution of 150 dollars each, and 174 ministers have been made members for life, by contributions of 30 dollars each. 15. The Report concludes with noticing the exertions of some of the National Societies in Europe.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.

The Treasurer of the American Bible Society has acknowledged the receipt of the following Contributions, in the month of April last:

A donation of 300 Dollars from the Bible Society of Virginia; one of $14 from the Elizabethtown Female Juvenile Bible Society; $100 from the Norfolk B. S. for the purchase of Bibles and New Testaments; $200 from the B. S. of Augusta, Georgia, for ditto; $100 from the Steubenville Female B. S. for ditto; $68 80 from the Female B. S. of Geneva, for ditto; $200 from the Long Island B. S. for ditto:-a congregational collection of $29 78 in the Third Presbyterian church in Albany; one of $66 65 in the Reformed Dutch

church in Kingston, Ulster county, N. Y.; one of $4.25 from the people of Leyden, Lewis county, N. Y.; one of $8 in the churches at Hempstead and Ramapagh, in Bergen county, N. J.; $150 from Col. Benjamin Tallmadge, of Litchfield, Conn. as a Director for life; $150 from the Third Presbyterlan church in Albany, to constitute their pastor, the Rev. Hooper Cumming, a Director for life; Thirty Dollars each, to constitute the following ministers members for life:-viz. Rev. Geo. S. Woodhull, by a few individuals of the congregation of Cranberry, N. J.; Rev. Charles Prentice, by the ladies of the first society in Canaan, Litchfield county, Conn.; Rev. Riah Bailey, of Newcastle, Maine, by -; ; Rev. John De Witt, by the ladies of the Second Reformed Protestant Dutch church in Albany; Rev. Phinehas Cooke, by the ladies of Ackworth, New Hampshire; Rev. T. Charlton Henry, by the ladies of the Market Presbyterian Church in Lexington, Kentucky; Rev. Orin Clark, by the young gentlemen belonging to the Episcopal congregation in Geneva, N. Y.; Rev. Cornelius D. Westbrook, by ladies of the First Reformed Dutch Church in Fishkill, N. Y.; Rev. Daniel Crane, by ladies of the Presbyterian congregation in the same place; Rev. James Beach, by a number of young ladies of Winchester, Conn.; Rev. Stephen Dodd, by the ladies of East Haven, Conn.; Rev. Jonathan Cone, by the Female Cent Society of Bristol, Conn.; Rev. Jeremiah Barnard, by the Amherst Bible and Tract Society, N. H.; Rev. Nathan Lord, by the same; Rev. Chauncey Booth, by the Female Charitable Society in the first parish in Coventry, Conn. Rev. William Montgomery, by the ladies of the Pine Hedge congregation, Mississippi Territory; Rev. Joseph Bullen, of Claiborne county, Mississippi Territory;-also 30 Dollars from each of the following gentlemen, constituting themselves members for life :-viz. Mr. Charles Wright of Queen's county, N. Y.; Deacon Warren Mitchell, of Southbury, Conn.; Mr. Ezra Weeks, of N, Y.; Gen. Chauncey Whittelsey, of Middletown, Conn.; Mr. Joseph Battell, of Norfolk; Mr. David S.'Lyon, of New-York; Mr. Jacob Harsen, of ditto; Mr. Ezra C. Ludlow, of ditto; Mr. Garret Cozine, of ditto; --also 466 Dollars from annual subscribers in the city of New-York, collected by G. Cozine; also 2 Dollars from an unknown lady in Vermont, through Mr. C. Wright of Montpelier.

DONATION TO THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.

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April 2d. Presented by the Long-Island Bible Society, (being a gift to them from the Rev. John Bassett, D. D.) the Bible in Latin, translated by Sebastian Castilion, folio, Basle, 1551; prefaced by an address of the translator in Latin, to King Edward VI, of England; and followed by annotations relating to the several Books,

THE MARINE BIBLE SOCIETY OF NEW-YORK,

Held its Anniversary meeting on the 20th of April last. It appears by its Annual Report, that it has distributed during the past year upwards of eight hundred Bibles; and that many instances are known

of their having produced the happiest effects. We have only room in this Number for the following extracts, which will doubtless be read with much pleasure.

"That the MARINE BIBLE SOCIETY meets with the high approbation of seamen generally, is evident, not only from the reiterated encomiums which they have bestowed upon it, but also from the number, whose names are enrolled on the list of its members.

"We cannot here deny ourselves the pleasure of mentioning a single instance of deep interest in the Society, and of unsolicited liberality for its support, in the crew of the United States' sloop of war Hornet, which has recently sailed from this port. The Chaplain at the Navy Yard, after circulating among them some copies of the Constitution and Addresses, and of the First Report of the Society, and exhibiting to them the importance of possessing the Holy Scriptures, received the following Address, which he enclosed to the Corresponding Secretary in a letter, in which he remarks: "Judge for yourself, (for I have not language to express) what must have been the state of my feelings, when the enclosed paper was put into my hands to-day. I have ascertained that it was written, without any assistance, by a common Seaman :"

"To the Rev. JOHN IRELAnd.

"We the subscribers, fully impressed with the importance of the truths promulgated by you, kind Sir, to the crew of the Hornet this day, are desirous of uniting with our Christian brethren in the dispersion of the Gospel of that JESUS, to whom we all look as our common Saviour; and for that purpose (with our grateful thanks to you for your kind attention) do agree to allow out of our monthly pay the mites affixed to our respective names, to the BIBLE MARINE SOCIETY, in support of so generous, so worthy, and so charitable an Institution.

"New-York, Feb. 1, 1818."

"This was signed by fifty of the crew. The sums affixed to their names were from six cents to one dollar a month; the whole amounting, during the two years for which they subscribed, to about TwO HUNDRED DOLLARS. This being communicated to the Board, they immediately passed a resolution expressive of their high approbation of this truly generous and praiseworthy conduct; and, as a testimony of their regard, presented to each of the men a Bible. The Purser of the Hornet agreeing to deduct from their wages the sums subscribed, they received their certificates of membership. When the resolution was communicated, several of the crew became members for life."

"Bibles were put on board one of our steam-boats for the use of the passengers, crew, and servants. Sometime after, the captain, ex pressing his obligations to the Manager who furnished him with the Bibles, remarked, that they had produced a very happy effect; that he often found one of the men reading the Bible, while the others surrounded him and listened with great attention; that, in conséquence, they had become more sober, industrious, and faithful."

VOL. V.]

Saturday, June 6, 1818.

[No. 5.

In our preceding Number we gave an account of the proceedings which took place at the late Anniversary Meeting of the AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, and mentioned the principal topics treated of in its Second Annual Report. We have now the pleasure to present our readers with an entire copy of what is contained in the body of that document, reserving for a future Number the names of Auxiliary Societies, together with a more particular account of contributions to the funds of the National Society.

SECOND REPORT

OF THE

AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY.

ENCOURAGED by the increasing testimonies of public favour to THE AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, and especially by indications of the Divine blessing upon its efforts, the Managers entered with alacrity upon the labours of their second year, which they have been enabled to complete with unimpaired harmony.

In the infancy of an institution so great in its object, so comprehensive in its plan, and so varied in its relations, difficulties are to be encountered and experiments made, which require much counsel, caution, and zeal, while yet they occupy but a comparatively small space in its visible operations. Many of those which are most essential are least observed, because they are only preparatory, and therefore do not furnish, except to the skilful examiner, a satisfactory test of its real progress.

Such has been the experience of the Managers hitherto. They have been employed in laying foundations on which a fabrick, not unworthy, they trust, of its noble inscription, may rely for its future eminence and stability; and they have had no time to spare.

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One of the first measures which engaged their deliberations after the Anniver→ sary Meeting of the Society, was the proper distribution of their stereotype plates. On this subject there existed an anxiety which demanded prompt attention, accompanied by circumstances involving questions of some delicacy. The Managers were fully convinced of the importance of affording every possible aid to the circulation of the Scriptures in distant parts of the country; of guarding against whatever might excite local embarrassments; and of preserving unimpaired the unity of the National Society, and the freedom of its agency through all its ramifications.

They, therefore, adopted as the basis of their proceedings with regard to the location of their stereotype plates, the principles contained in the following report of a Committee appointed to digest a plan for that purpose, which they feel it to be their duty to give at full length for the satisfaction of the members of the Society.

R.

"The committee appointed to report a plan for the location and management of the stereotype plates belonging to the Society, respectfully report, That they have bestowed upon the subject referred to them that deliberation to which its great importance entitled it. In the opinion of the Committee, the stereotype plates, if judiciously located and placed under proper regulations, cannot fail of being powerful instruments in spreading the knowledge of the Scriptures. But on the other hand, should local jealousies be excited by the distribution of these plates, or should they, by an inconsiderate location, interfere with the issue of Bibles from the Depository at New-York, they would counteract that great principle of unity of efforts on which the American Bible Society is founded, and from which its fairest hopes of success are derived. Hence it becomes important to ascertain the general principle which ought to influence the location of these plates; and this principle the Committee think they find recoguised and explained in the Address of the Convention to the people of the United States. On consulting this Address, we find that it was the intention of the Convention that the Society should “furnish great districts of the American continent with well executed stereotype plates, for the cheap and extensive diffusion of the Scriptures throughout regions which are now scantily supplied at a discouraging expense." If, then, the principles thus recognised by the Convention be adopted by the Board, we are next to inquire how many sets of plates are to be disposed of. It is presumed that the Board will choose to retain for the use of their own Printing Establishment, the plates presented by the New-York Societies, and at least one set of the octavo and duodecimo plates executed for the Society. One duodecimo set has already been promised to the Kentucky Bible Society. Thus the Board have now one duodecimo and two octavo sets to dispose of. An important question here presents itself, which is "Qught the octavo and duodecimo sets to be separated." The Committee believe that the Board acted wisely in procuring the large plates. The smallness of the Bibles hitherto distributed by our Bible Societies has been a subject of constant complaint; and It appears from reports of Bible Associations in England, that the poor, when they subscribe for Bibles, generally prefer those of a large type, although the price is proportionably high. Many of the poor read imperfectly, and find a large type far easier to read than a small one; while to many of the aged, the small type is entirely illegible. At the same time the small type is the cheapest, and answers for a large majority of readers. If we separate the sets, one distriet will be supplied with the small type only, and many of its inhabitants will feel the want of the important advantages enjoyed by the more fortunate district which possesses the Scriptures in a more legible form: at the same time, another district will have an edition large and handsome indeed, but too expensive for gratuitous distribution. If, to remedy this inconvenience, it be proposed to place the two sets at such a distance from each other, as that an exchange of Bibles may constantly take place, the question immediately presents itself, Why incur the expense of two printing establishments, and the risk and trouble of a constant interchange of Bibles, when one establishment could supply each district with Bibles of the size desired? If it be admitted that the -plates ought to be sent only to such districts, as in the language of the Convention," are now scantily supplied at a discouraging expense," and that the large and small plates ought not to be separated, then it only remains to fix on the places in which the plates ought to be located, and the conditions 'on which the Society ought to part with them. The Board have already promised the Kentucky Bible Society the use of a set of the duodecimo plates; and, for the reasons already mentioned, the Committee recommend to the Board to offer to the same Society the use of an octavo set also. Whether Lexington, which is the seat of the Kentucky Bible Society, is the best place which could have been selected for a printing establishment in that part of the state, is a question which the Committee are not called on to decide; but they believe that, with the exception of Pittsburg, it possesses superior advantages to any town west of the mountains; and it may reasonably be doubted whether the Pittsburg

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