THE fry M e i* Library ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF TH E BAPTIST MISSIONARY SOCIETY, FOE THE TEAE ENDING MARCH THE THIRTY-FIRST, M.DCCC.LIX. WITH A LIST OF CONTRIBUTIONS, BEING A roXTINl ATMN OF THE PERIODICAL ACCOUNTS. LONDON: PRINTED BY VATl'.S AND ALV.XANDEK. HORSESHOE COURT, LUDGATE HILL- TO BE EAU AT t h e MISSION HOUSE, 33, MOOR GATE STREET; ALSO OF J. IIEATON AND SON, 21. WARWICK l.ANF: IIOULSTON AND WRIGHT, 65. I'ATERNOSTEIl ROW; A>1> WILLIAM INNES, IIANOVER STREET, EDINBURGH. 1859. — THE ANNUAL ACCOUNTS OF. THE PARENT SOCIETY ARE MADE UP ON THE THIRTY-FIRST OF MARCH, PREVIOUS TO WHICH ALL CON­ TRIBUTIONS MUST BE FORWARDED; IT IS, THEREFORE, DESIRABLE THAT THE CURRENT TEAR OF AUXILIARIES SHOULD BE FROM JANUARY TO DECEMBER, IN ORDER TO ALLOW TIME FOR THE REMITTANCE OF CONTRIBUTIONS. TMcl T 2 0 .-J-. i $ 5 «l CONTENTS, FACE Notice concerning Bequests ........................................................................... «. •... iv Committee and Officers for 18 9-60.................................................................... v Corresponding and Honorary Members .................................................................. vi Corresponding Secretaries ......................................................................................... vii Plan and Regulations of the Society ............................ viii Minutes of General M eeting........................................ x Annual Public Meeting ............................................................................................. xii Kepokt ........................................................ 1 Missionary Stations............................................................................................. 2 France, Morlaix............................................................. 2 West Indies ............... 3 Trinidad............................................................................................................. 3 Bahamas ............................................... 3 Haiti ................................................................................................................. 4 Jam aica............................................................................................................. 5 Western Africa ..................................................... ••••;•!• 6 Ceylon .............................................................................................................••• 8 I ndu ....... ..??:• 9 Australia.., ....................................................................... 12 Finances..................................................................................................................... 13 Eeport in detail of Missionary Stations ...................... ........................... 15 APPENDIX No. I. Resolutions on Deathg of Bers. J. Thomas and W. H. Denham.......................... 68 APPENDIX No. II. Stations, Missionaries, and Native Preachers of the Society in 1858-9.............. 70 APPENDIX No. m . Statistics of Mission Churches in 1858-9 .............................................................. 74 APPENDIX No. IV. Statistics of Schools for 1858-9................................................................................. 76 APPENDIX No. V. Annual Subscriptions ................................................................................................. 79 Donations ................................................................................................................... 80 Legacies for 1858-9 ..................................................................................................... 81 Collections at Annual Services .................................................................................. 81 Contributions from Auxiliaries................................................................................. 82 Summary of Contributions......................................................................................... 153 Abstract of the Cash Account ................................................. 154 Contributions from Stations, not included in the Receipts of the Society 156 Legacies................................................................................................. J57 Life Subscribers ......................................................................................................... 160 Buies and Regulations for Auxiliaries...................................................................... 163 iv SIXT.r-SEVENTH REPORT. [1859. NOTICE IN REFERENCE TO BEQUESTS. As the kind intentions of some of the deceased friends of the Society have been ren­ dered abortive for want of correct knowledge of the law relating to Charitable Bequests, the Committee call special attention to the following directions:— By Statute 2 Geo. II. cap. 36, commonly called the Mortmain Act, it is enacted, Section 1, that after the 24th Jnne, 1736, “ no manors,lands, tenements, rents, adrowsons, or other hereditaments, cor­ poreal or incorporeal, w hatsoever; nor any sum or sums of money, Roods, chattels, stocks in the public funds, securities for money, or any other personal estate whatsoever, to be laid out or disposed of in the purchase of any lands, tenements,* or hereditaments, shall be given, granted, alienated, limited, released, transferred, assigned, or appointed, or anyways conveyed or settled to, or upon, any person or persons, bodies politic or corporate, or otherwise, for any estate or interest whatsoever, or any ways charged or incumbcrcd by any person or persons -whatsoever in trust, or for the benefit of any charitable uses whatsoever, u n l e s s such gift, conveyance, appointment, or settlement of any such land?, tenements, or hereditaments, sum or sums of money, or personal estates (other than stocks in the public funds) be, and be made by d e e d , indented, sealed and delivered, in the presence of two or more credible witnesses, ticelce calendar months at least before the heath c f such donor or grantor (including the days of the execution and death), and be enrolled tn Bis Majesty's High Court of Chancery, within six calendar months next after the executionihereof; and unless such s t o c k s be transferred in the public books usually keptfor the transfer of stock, stx calendar months at least before the death of such donor or grantor (including the days of the transfer and death), and unless the same be made to take effect in i -o s s e s - s i o x for the charitable uses intended immediately from the making thereof; a n d b b w i t h o u t a n y power of revocation, reservation, trust, condition, limitation clause or npeem ent whatsoever, fo r the btnefit of the donor or grantor, or any person or persons claiming under him.” The third section of the statute enact« “ That all gifts, grants, conveyances, appointments, assurances, transfers, and settlements whatsoever, of any lands, tenements, or other hereditaments, or of any estate or interest therein, or of any charge or incumbrance affecting or to affect any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or of any stock, money, goods, chattel;, or other personal estate, or securities for money to be laid oat or disposed of in the purchase of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, or of any estate tor interest tncrein, or of any charge or incumbrance affecting, or to affect, the same to, or in trust for, any charitable uses -whatsoever, whiCli shall at any time from and after the 21th June, 1736, be made in any other form than by this Act is directed and appointed, shall be a b s o l u t e l y , and to all intents and purposes, NULL AND VOID.” Upon these enactments it may be observed:— 1st. That the Baptist Missionary Society is a Charitable Institution, within the meaning of this Act. 2ndly.. That every possible interest in land, or money, goods, or chattels or stock in the funds, to lie laid out in lands, is embraced by the statute; and though it does not absolutely forbid the giving of land, or interest in land or money to be laid out in land for charitable purposes, it positively requires ' that all such gifts and grants shall he made in the maimer, and with the forms prescribed by the statutp, and (amongst other thinzs) shall take immediate and irrevocable effect, for the periods of time named in the statute, before the death of the donor. 3rdly. Tliat all Leases, Mortgages, Rents, Annuities arising ont of. or charged on, Lands,Mines, Quarries and the like. Canal and Railway Shares, are all interests in land within the statute, and cannot be left by will for any charitable purpose. And though a Testator were most positively to direct that tho land, or interest in land, should be sold, and the money only applie'd to the charitable purpose, it would still be void; for, by reason of a well-known rnle of law, when money, to arise from the sale of land, is left to n Legatee, the Legatee may elect not to have the land sold, bnt may take it as it is, instead of the money which the sale would produce. By l Vic. cap. 2G, sec. 9, it is further enacted, “ That no will shall be valid, unless it shall be in vriting, and executed in manner hereinafter mentioned (that is to say): it shall be signed at the foot or end thereof by the Testator, or by some other person in his presence or by his direction: and such signa­ ture shall be made or acknowledged by the Testator in the presence of two or more Witnesses present at the same tim e; and such Witnesses shall attest and shaU subscribe the Kill in the presence of the Testator; bnt no Form of Attestation shall b6