New Zealand.
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New Zealand.
The B F Bible Society has received 15l. from the Auckland Auxiliary, and has sent 300 copies of the Scriptures in English--The Christian-Knowledge Society has voted 1500l., in addition to 500l. previously granted, toward the completion of St. John's College; Books and Tracts, value 10l., to the Rev. W. Bolland, New Plymouth; and Books for distribution to the Rev. R. Burrows-- The Prayer-Book and Homily Society has received 5l. in lieu of 42l. 15s. 10d., the value of Prayer Books sent out in 1841, and which were burnt by the insurgent Natives--The Religious-Tract Society has sent about 4000 Tracts to different friends.
GOSPEL-PROPAGATION SOCIETY.
The Report states that the sum of 20,400l. has been received for the erection and endowment of the Bishopric and Collegiate Establishment in New Zealand to meet the grants made by the Society--P. 218.
CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
STATIONS AND LABOURERS--The Stations are taken in their order from north to south. Kaitaia lies in the north-west of the Northern Island; the five which follow are connected with the Bay of Islands. At a considerable distance to the southward lie Waikato, at the mouth of the river of that name, on the west coast, and Manukau, 25 miles inland: east of Manukau lies Hauraki: and (May, 1848.) further eastward, on the coast, Tauranga. Rotorua is in the centre of the Island--Poverty Bay, or Turanga, nearly in the same latitude, on the east coast--and Entry Island, or Kapati, off the south-west coast, and is the head-quarters of a district extending along the coast, from Port Nicholson on the south to the River Wanganui on the north. One Missionary resides at Nelson, in the Middle Island.
NORTHERN DISTRICT -- Kaitaia: 1834: Joseph Matthews: W. G. Puckey, Cat. --Tepuna: 1815: John King, Cat. --Kerikeri, with an Out-Station at Wangaroa: 1839: James Kemp, James Shepherd, Cat. --Paihia: 1823: and Waikare: Henry Williams: Marianne Williams, Teacher--Waimate: 1831: Robert Burrows -- Kaikohe: Richard Davis, Edward Williams, Schoolmaster; W. King, As.; Serena Davis, School-mistress; Wm. Davis, Candidate for Holy Orders. Nat. As. 99--Communicants, 1149--Schools, 68: Scholars, 2689. There are 10 Churches built with boards, and between 30 and 40 native-built rush Chapels.
MIDDLE DISTRICT--Bishop's Auckland: Wm. C. Dudley--Waikato: Robert Maunsell: Kaitotehe: 1843: Benj. Yate Ashwell, Cat. --Otawao: 1843: John Morgan, Cat. --Hauraki: James Preece, Cat. --Tauranga: 1835: Alfred N. Brown, Christopher P. Davis: Sophia Baker, As. -- Rotorua: Thomas Chapman. 74 Nat. As., Mr. Telford returned to England on the 3d of January--Communicants, 717--Schools, 93: Scholars, 5418. There are nearly 100 native-built Chapels, and about 10,000 attendants at Public Worship.
EASTERN DISTRICT--Poverty Bay or Turanga: Wm. Williams--Kauakaua: George Adam Kissling -- Uawa: Charles Baker--East Cape: James Stack, Cat. --Opotiki: John A. Wilson, Cat. --Wairoa: James Hamlin -- Ahuriri: Wm. Colenso. 115 Nat. As. Mr. Kissling has
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Church Missionary Society--
been obliged, by his state of health, to remove for a time to Auckland, where he has charge of many Natives. This District contains five Stations, viz. Turanga, in Poverty Bay, at which Archdeacon Williams resides --Uawa, 36 miles north of Turanga, where Mr. C. Baker commenced a new Station--Rangitukia, near Waiapu, where another new Station has been commenced by Mr. J. Stack-- Kauakaua, in Hicks' Bay, where the Rev. G. A. Kissling is stationed -- and Opotiki, under the care of Mr. J. A. Wilson, which has been transferred from the Middle District, in consequence of its more immediate connection with this District--Communicants, 1484--Schools, 78: Scholars, 2867.
WESTERN DISTRICT--Entry Island: Wanganui: Richard Taylor--Waikanae: Octavius Hadfield: --Nelson: Charles Lucas Reay. Nat. As. 75 -- Communicants, 1104 -- Schools, 74--Scholars, 3820--Pp. 219, 220, and p. 64 of our present Volume; see, at pp. 320-327, 351-359, 401- 406, 479-487, and pp. 47-55, 105-108, of our present Volume, Reports of the several Stations, and many particulars of the Proceedings of the Missionaries.
Summary,
{As given in the Forty-seventh Report.)
Labourers in 24 Stations, 395; being 16 Missionaries, 13 European Catechists, 3 European Female Teachers, 314 Male and 49 Female Native Assistants--The number of Attendants on Public Worship and Scholars is not reported.
The attention of the Committee has again been called to the large land-purchases of some of the Missionaries of the Society. The Committee have, on former occasions, explained the peculiar circumstances under which Missionaries first became possessed of land, at a time when it had comparatively little value, and when there was no other way of providing for their large families. So long as no charge of neglect of Missionary Duties, or of speculating in the sale of lands, could be fairly alleged against any member of the Missionary Body, the Committee did not feel themselves called on to interfere. They had hoped, also, that all ground for interference would have been removed, as soon as a Court had been established for the adjudication of Land Claims, and when Government had themselves fixed the maximum of land to be held by any one person. But Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonial Department having lately communicated to the Committee certain Despatches from Governor Grey, from which it appeared that the Missionaries and other parties could not be put in possession by Government of large grants of land legally assigned to them, without the risk of collision with the Natives, bloodshed, and other evils; and that it was of much importance, in Governor Grey's opinion, that the influence of the Society should not appear to be on the side of enforcing claims against the Natives for these large tracts of land, at so fearful a risk; the Committee were led to review the whole question. In the view of the many evils and inconveniences which have arisen, and may yet arise, from the Missionaries of the Society being possessed of large tracts of land, they have adopted a Resolution, that no Missionary or Catechist shall be allowed to continue his connection with the Society who shall retain for his own use and benefit a larger tract of land than shall appear suitable in the judgment of the Bishop and Governor, or of such other parties as they may appoint to determine this question. ----- [Report.
WESLEYAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
STATIONS AND LABOURERS--Auckland: Walter Lawry, General Superintendant of the Society's Missions in New Zealand, and Visitor of those in the Friendly Islands and Feejee, Thos. Buddle --Pehiakura: Henry H. Lawry--Mangungu and Wangaroa: John Hobbs, William Kirk--Waima and Newark: John Warren: George Stannard, As. -- Wairoa and Kaipara: James Buller --Waingaroa and Waipa: James Wallis, George Buttle -- Aotea (Beechamdale), Kawia, and Mokau: John Whiteley, Gideon Smales-- Taranaki, North (New Plymouth): Henry H. Turton--Taranaki, South
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(Waimate): Samuel Ironside--Patea: Wm. Woon -- Middle Island; Port Nicholson and Kapiti, Cloudy Bay and Queen Charlotte Sound: James Watkin--Port Nelson: John Aldred--Waikowaiti, near Otago: Charles Creed--Gratuitous Sunday-School Teachers, 387--Local Preachers, 243--Members, 3700--Scholars, 6212--P. 220; and see, at p. 417, a Notice of the Advance of Christianity among the New Zealanders.
It is cause of thankfulness to the great Head of the Church that so many of the Christian Natives, who have been exposed to the evil influences attendant upon a state of warfare and of incipient civilization, have proved faithful in the hour of temptation and trial; that those of them who have actually engaged in the war have generally been found arrayed in defence of the Government, and of their country, against the evil designs and rebellious movements of lawless men; and that although, in some few instances, the immoralities and irreligion of professedly Christian Europeans, and the efforts of the emissaries of the Romish Superstition, have had an injurious effect upon the Natives, there are encouraging indications of the progressive diffusion of the knowledge and power of Christianity, and of the successful prosecution of measures which may be expected, under the blessing of God, and in His own appointed time, to dispel the moral darkness still covering so large a portion of the land. ----- [Report.
Innumerable are the advantages resulting from the progress of Christianity here, as in other parts. I am not aware that there has been a single case either of infanticide or murder, as the consequence of witchcraft, in the Circuit since the beginning of 1844. These were crimes of everyday occurrence not many years back; and the latter, I am sorry to say, still exists in several places on the island. There is the liberty given to nearly all the slaves, who have returned to their native homes; and there is the peace and good feeling which prevail. ----- [Rev. Gideon Smales.
GOSNER'S MISSIONARY SOCIETY.
NEW ZEALAND--Chatham Island: Schirmeister, Muller, Beyer, Bankes, Engst.
NORTH GERMAN MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN HAMBURGH.
Ruapuki, an island between the Southern Island and Stuart: J. F. H. Wohlers.
From the middle of 1844 to the latter end of September 1846, Mr. Wohlers had reported the baptism of 68 Native Adults and 45 Children, beside 21 marriages. On the 15th Feb. 1846 he held the first Service in the new built Church.
Motukaramu-- 1844--J. F. Riemenschneider: T. H. Trost, As.
Nelson -- J. W. Ch. Heine, Lay Agent, chiefly occupied with the German Colonists
