designed by its founders as an infirmary for sick members of the Church, and an asylum for the poor and destitute. The expenses for the first year were $1,529; receipts, $1,855; the number of inmates, fifty. It is under the rectorship of the Rev. Mr. Sargeant, is supported by the ladies of several parishes in the city, and has now a hired matron. It has also a board of Trustees, who appoint the Rector, and manage the permanent fund, which now amounts to about $5,700, invested at six per cent. The Bishop is Visitor of the institution.

THE CHURCH House of Industry in Baltimore has made its first Annual Report. The nature and working of the institution may be gathered from the following:

The house was opened on the 4th day of February, 1856, and the receipts for the year were $1,068, of which sum $589 were received for work. The whole expenses exclusive of h. use rent, fuel, and furniture, were $1,065. During the year there were made 1,111 coats, 208 pairs of pants, 317 overalls. 202 pairs drawers, 28 vests, 75 jackets, 198 shirts, 448 cravats, 20 pieces of family sewing, 200 garments for distribution, and 1,027 gross of buttons carded.

The objects of the House of Industry are to find work for such as are out of employment; to bestow charity in the form of living prices for labour; to render such assistance to poor sewing women as will enable them to do better and more profitable work; to provide for those who suffer from hunger and cold one substantial meal daily and the comfort of a warm room to work in, and to improve the temporal and spiritual condition of a wretched and neglected class of fellow-beings. Upwards of two hundred persons were provided with work, some permanently and others occasionally. The house, in Pratt street, near Green, contains fourteen rooms, ten of which are occupied by worthy families. Homes were provided for many women and children, and when necessary a temporary home given in the house until a permanent one could be obtained.

THE CHURCH Home, in Philadelphia, held its first anniversary on the 3d of February, having been in operation one year. The Report furnishes the following particulars: Since the Home opened, 50 children have been received into the institution; 24 have been removed by the consent of the Committee, for various reasons; 3 have been dismissed; 2 with consent of friends have been provided with places in good families; and one child transferred to the Burd Orphan Asylum. Since April there have been as many as 24 children in the Home. The present number is 26; of these 2 are orphans; 15 are half orphans; 9 have both parents, but have been deserted by fathers; and the mothers of 7 of these are inebriates. Of 27 children at present in the Home, 15 are not 7 years of age; and in only seven instances are the parents able to pay board.

The Treasurer's Report shows an income, for the year, of $2,747, and an outlay of $1,862; leaving a balance of $884. Contributions to the Building Fund, $2,260.

THE NOBLE City of Boston now rejoices in a Church Home for orphans and destitute children; the First Report of which shows a good beginning:

Of the twenty children now in the Home, fifteen are boys; three children are orphans; twelve have but one parent living, either too depraved to have the care of young, or left with large families to provide for; the father of two children is incapacitated for work by an accident, and the mother unable to support a large family; four are children whose mothers have been deser:ed by their husbands.

The Treasurer's account shows the receipts from all sources to have been $2,838, and the expenses $2,684, leaving a balance of $154. This sum, we think, cannot be deemed extravagant when we consider the amount needed for the outfit and furnishing of the house, which will not of course, be again required.

THE CITY of New York also has a Church Home for orphans. The Directors, headed by the Provisional Bishop, have made their fifth Annual Report,

the main points of which we condense as follows: Number of children at the beginning of 1855, fifty-eight; of 1856, fifty-two: of applicants during 1855, sixty; during 1856, one hundred: admitted during 1855, twenty-two; during 1856, fourteen: dismissed in 1855, twenty-four; in 1856, nine: greatest number at one time in 1855, seventy-one; in 1856, fifty-seven: number at the close of 1855, fifty three; of 1856, fifty-seven. So that the present year shows no material difference from the preceding, save the great increase in the number of those applying for admission, and also of those reluctantly denied for want of room; the number of the latter being 86. The Board of Directors hold regular meetings once a quarter, and the Ladies' Committee once a month. The expenses of the year have reached the sum of about $4,500, which the Treasurer has generally been able to pay as occasions required. Surely one of the first cares of New York Churchpeople should be, to enlarge the accommodation and the means of this excellent Institution.

THE YOUNG Diocese of Wisconsin furnishes something note-worthy done for Diocesan Missions the past year. The Rev. Mr. Ingraham was appointed to canvass the parishes of the Diocese, for yearly subscriptions, to be paid quarterly in advance; each clergyman to collect and remit for his parish, and to be visited by a "reminder," if dilatory. The result is thus stated by Mr. Ingraham to the Editors of the Church Journal:

We have on our subscription papers now $2,800, from 24 parishes, the remaining 10 out of our 34 not having yet been visited. And as some of these unvisited parishes are pretty important, as that at Madison, we can safely calculate upon the remaining $200 from them, in order to make $3,000, for this year's Missions in the Diocese. My mission was every where kindly received, the only complaint being that this was not done before. Many of the parishes I visited without previous notice at all, and all without a knowledge of the object of my visit. And as I was compelled to visit many during the week, and therefore to meet a small congregation, the sum total we look upon as a fair average of the ability and spirit of the Diocese. And what is better than all, nearly one half of this $2,800 is paid in! I confess I am astonished at the way in which the money comes in every day.

Then, after giving the figures in detail, the writer adds the following:

There are the figures; and yet there are 10 parishes still unvisited, which I hope to visit this month. Four of the above parishes had no pastor at the time of my visit. Four had no Church building at all. And nine others were

straining every nerve to rebuild, repair, or pay their debts on the church or parsonage. And yet they rallied like Christians around this work, believing in GOD that it will not impoverish them to water others also.

ORDINATIONS. March 8th, by Bishop Kemper, the Rev. Henry M. Thompson to the Priesthood.-March 15th, in the chapel of the Theological Seminary, Virginia, Mr. Henderson Suter and Mr. J. T. Points to the Deaconate. The latter belongs to the China Mission.

THE DEATH of President Humphrey, of St. John's College, Annapolis, draws from the Calendar the following information respecting him :

Hector Humphrey was born at Canton, Conn., ofCongregational parents, June 8th, 1797 -was graduated at Yale, 1818. He was ordained Deacon by Bishop Brownell in 1824, and Priest in 1825. Soon after his ordination to the Deaconate, he was appointed Professor of Ancient Languages in Washington (now Trinity) college, where he remained until 1831, when he was appointed President of St. John's college, Annapolis, Md., over which he presided with good success until his death, Jan. 24th, 1857.

THE CHURCH ABROAD.

The cause of Synodal action still appears to be making some progress in England. Unfortunately, the time seems not to be ripe yet for introducing the Laity into Convocation; and we should hope, by all means, that the revival may not be established till the lay element is properly included. We have the clearest and firmest persuasion that Convocation cannot live to any good purpose, and ought not to live at all, till the Laity have a strong voice in its proceedings. The English Clergy, we suspect, have some things to unlearn; one is, their subserviency to the State; another, their jealousy of the People. Our way would be to trust and respect the People, and let the State lean to do likewise.

The Convocation of Canterbury Province met on the 4th of February, and remained in session three days. In the Upper House, the Bishop of Chichester presented a petition touching the legal obligation of the Clergy to read the burial service over persons who had died in notorious sin. The Bishop of Oxford was the chief speaker. He denied that the words of the burial service expressed more than a charitable hope of the salvation of the deceased; such a hope as "might fairly include in it all degrees from trembling on the verge of possibility, up to assured confidence as to the character of the departed." "Whenever," he added, he had been consulted by any of the clergy on this subject, his advice had been that they should not read the burial service over the corpse of a person who had been living in deadly sin, and he entertained a strong opinion himself that it was in the power of the Bishop to shelter a person who so acted; that if the circumstances were such as to warrant that course being taken, he had the power, at all events a strong moral power, to prevent the infliction of punishment." The Archbishop and several other Bishops are said to have concurred in these views; but the Bishop of Exeter intimated that he had some doubt how far the Bishop could undertake to shelter the clergyman from the legal consequences."

The Bishop of Exeter presented a petition in reference to the Denison case; but did not press the matter. Some discussion was had thereupon, but the unanimous opinion of the House seemed to be against any present moving of the subject in that place.

The most fruitful discussion was elicited by an address from the Lower House, "on the expediency of making fresh cxertions for sustaining and extending the missionary efforts of the Church, both at home and in foreign parts." The result was the following declaration :

That this House has received with the greatest satisfaction the address of the Lower House, praying them to consider the most desirable mode of making fresh exertions for sustaining and extending the Missionary efforts of the Church, both at home and in foreign parts; that it appears to this House that the subject thus brought before them is one for deliberating on which they are specially assembled here, and to aid them in duly considering which, they daily seek for the direction of their counsels by the guidance of God the Holy Ghost; that in the judgment of this House, the spiritual necessities of the people of this land, especially in its present great centres of population, as well as the urgent need of still greater exertion in evangelizing the distant parts of the earth, enforce upon us the urgent duty of carefully and deliberately considering the means both of increasing the present machinery of the Church, and also of employing new modes and instruments of service, as well as increasing that unity of action without which the most vigourous separate efforts are dissipated and wasted; that, as the best mode of action in the address presented by the Lower House, this House has appointed a Committee to meet from time to time and consider the great subject to which their attention has been drawn, and to report upon it hereafter; and that the Lower House is desired to appoint a Committee of their own body to consider separately the same matter, and to attend when desired upon the Committee of this House and communicate with it.

A joint committee was appointed accordingly, and order taken for communicating the fact to the Archbishop of York, with a view to obtain, if possible, the cooperation of the Bishops and Clergy of that Province. The English Churchman thinks this "a most intelligible and decided hint to his Grace, that the circumstances of the Church, and of his Province, require him to do something more than to summon his clergy to meet him in convocation, and then to shut the door in their faces."

In the Lower House several subjects were started, but none finally disposed of. The Rev. Mr. Fendall gave notice of a motion for a petition to the Crown for a license to make a canon regulating the ornaments of churches. It is very unlikely that the motion will prevail, and very certain that the license will not be granted. Canon Selwyn brought up the question of a revision of the translation of the Scriptures. Canon Wordsworth gave notice of a motion that "it is not desirable to countenance any efforts to make changes in the text; but that any alterations or additions which it may be deemed expedient by competent authority to make, should be confined to the margin, and not to be introduced into the text." Archdeacon Denison announced the following amendment: "That it is not expedient that this House give any encouragement to a revision of the authorized version, whether by way of insertion in the text, marginal notes, or otherwise."

Several other subjects were mentioned, but nothing decided in any case. The most important, is the mode of proceeding against clergymen accused of offences. The chief difficulty seems to be in the constitution of the final court of appeal in doctrinal matters. One party agree that the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council shall be the formal Court, but wish that it should be obliged to decide doctrinal questions agreeably to the opinion of a majority of the English Bishops, convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Another party is for substituting the Convocation of the Province for the collected Bishops. But this involves the difficult anomaly of a Court in two Houses. Archdeacon Denison insists on the restoration of the old law, made at the Reformation, which made Convocation the ultimate Court of Appeal in such cases. He has more truth on his side than either of the other partics.

There was a very full attendance in the Lower House, and considerable discussion was had touching the introduction of the Laity. Mr. Caswall urged it strongly, and appealed, with much force, to the working of our General Convention in support of his cause. Much the larger number of speakers were on the same side; but saw great practical difficulties in making the thing work. Perhaps these difficulties would seem less, if they had less exaggerated notions touching the rights and prerogatives of the Clergy. Our belief is, that if they will but take due care of their influence, they may safely leave their rights and prerogatives to take care of themselves. The surest way to lose the latter is by thinking and making too much of them: at least, so it is with us. However, perhaps it is not so easy in England, as here, to distinguish between the lay element and the political element.

On the whole, it is very evident that the proposed reformation in this particular is gaining ground, and there may be more danger of its going too fast than too slow. The Convocation was prorogued to the 26th of July.

THE STANDING Committee of the Christian Knowledge Society have reported unanimously against the proposal for an edition of the Bible with improved marginal readings.

PALMERSTON has nominated the Rev. Samuel Waldegrave to a vacant canonry at Salisbury. The nominee is the son of an Earl; took high honours at the University, and has been a faithful and laborious clergyman.

THE SYNOD Of Melbourne, Australia, has had a session of fifteen days; working capitally, and giving general satisfaction.

THE relation of marriage is that which lies at the root of all society, and erroneous notions or practices connected with it are therefore very dangerous. It is much to be feared such notions and such practices are not uncommon among us. It is assumed that the true Christian idea of marriage is that of the indissoluble union of one man to one woman. This is assumed, for the present; but will probably be proved in the course of this paper. In the meantime, the reader will perceive, that supposing the assumed definition of marriage to be true, it has two essential qualities; indissolubility and exclusiveness. One of these is violated by polygamy, the other by divorce. These are both great evils, and strike at the very idea of Christian marriage. The rise of the Mormon delusion has called public attention to polygamy, which is not, however, by any means the more pressing of the two evils. The readers of the AMERICAN CHURCH MONTHLY have been already edified by a learned discussion of this subject; which is of very considerable value.

It is not intended to add any thing of importance on the subject; but a remark or two may possibly not be out of place. It is not likely that the Mormon or Mahomedan form of polyg amy will spread among us. The very causes which have rendered marriages so easily dissoluble, as well as the dissolubility itself, will operate to prevent the growth of a system which is