The Home Mission is also yielding encouraging results. In Bolton, a beautiful and spacious chapel has been erected; and the station promises in a very short time to become self-supporting.

A Home Missionary has also been stationed in Bristol; and so successful have been the efforts of the first year, that the Conference has voted the sum of £1000 towards building at once a chapel in that place. The Conference has also resolved on sending a Home Missionary to the town of Wakefield, where a Society has already been organized, and has been supplied with preaching from the adjacent Circuits.

Several of our members and friends having emigrated to Australia, it has been proposed by several of our Sundayschools that the scholars in the Connexion should have the honour of sending the first missionary from our community to that important part of our colonial empire. The Conference having sanctioned the opening of an Australian Mission, our young friends will now have an opportunity of displaying their zeal in the prosecution of their project. It is to be hoped that every school in the Connexion will unite in this noble effort. The Sunday scholars of our community are rendering very important aid by their efforts in the missionary cause.

The Conference has directed the Missionary Committee to consider whether the Home Missionary Society might not be placed upon a still more comprehensive basis, and no doubt but this subject will receive the attention which its importance demands. There is one singular feature in connexion with our Missionary Society. For many years agents could not be employed because the means were wanting; but, at the present time, the money, by the generosity of our people, is forthcoming in greater abundance than the labourers. It is to be hoped that several suitable young men will be found, during the coming year, willing and ready to consecrate themselves to the ministry of the Word both at home and abroad.

The whole of Tuesday was occupied in considering the important matters contained in the reports of the Theological and Annual Committees.

On Wednesday morning an important resolution was submitted to the Conference, proposing to extend the period of a minister's labours in a Circuit from three to five years, where such extension is mutually desired by ministers and people. After considerable discussion, the subject was referred to a future Conference, in order that, in the interim, the opinions

of the whole Connexion might be better known on the subject.

The afternoon of this day was chiefly occupied in considering the certificates of probationers for the ministry, and in receiving the recommendations of Circuits in relation thereto.

The whole of Thursday morning was set apart to the consideration of the statistical state of the Connexion. Several measures were proposed to be adopted, which, under God's blessing, it is expected will infuse more life and vigour into every part of the community.

In the afternoon, the reports of the Missionary Society and the Book-Room were read and received. The profits of the latter were £636 11s. 10d., being much larger than at any previous period. Of this sum £250 were voted to assist the Beneficent Fund, a similar amount to assist the Paternal Fund, and the remaining sum of £136 11s. 10d. was added to the capital of the establishment.

In the evening of Thursday, the Revs. J. Maughan and W. Wilshaw, having honourably completed their term of probation, were publicly ordained to the work of the ministry. Nearly 2000 persons were present to witness the ordination. The ceremony was of the most solemn and impressive kind. The Rev. G. Goodall commenced the service. The Rev. T. Waterhouse, who has done honour to the ministerial office for fifty-one years, offered the introductory prayer. The Rev. S. Woodhouse read suitable portions of Scripture. The Rev. W. Ford conducted the examination of the ministers, who each respectively gave an account of his conversion to God, his reasons for entering upon the work of the ministry, the grounds of his preference for the polity of our Connexion, together with a statement of the doctrines which he believed and taught. The answers of the young men were most lucid and satisfactory.

The President of Conference then offered the ordination prayer, after which he presented each of the ministers with a handsomely-bound Bible, as a token of their public commission to preach the Gospel of Christ. The Rev. P. J. Wright, ex-president, then delivered the charge. His exhortations were founded on 2nd Timothy iv. 1, 2. It was a masterly exposition of a minister's duties, full of suggestion, encouragement, and warning. The Rev. A. Lynn concluded the service by giving out the 592nd hymn, and afterwards engaged in prayer.

On Friday morning, a vote of thanks was passed to the Rev. P. J. Wright for

his able charge to the newly-ordained ministers, and a request presented that he would publish it in the pages of the Magazine. The greatest part of this morning was occupied by hearing and considering the Chapel Report. From this interesting report it appears that within the last ten years upwards of £30,000 of chapel debts have been paid off. Most of the chapels in the Connexion are now considered to be in easy circumstances. The remaining part of the day was occupied in the consideration and discussion of matters of a miscellaneous kind.

In the evening the Conference tea-meeting was held in the large school-rooms connected with the chapel. Nearly 700 persons sat down to tea, the arrangements for which were of the most satisfactory and comfortable kind. After tea the company adjourned to the chapel. John Ridgway, Esq., was called to the chair, and delivered an interesting and powerful address. The Revs. J. Addyman, A. Lynn, T. Ridley, W. Cocker, J. Flather, and W. Willan, together with Messrs. Teal, Fenton, and Love, subsequently addressed the meeting, which was kept up with considerable interest until after ten o'clock.

The principal portion of Saturday was occupied in receiving the Reports of Committees which had been appointed during the Conference to investigate matters of a private and personal kind. A petition was passed, and signed by the President on behalf of the Conference, against the opening of the Crystal Palace on the Lord's-day.

The friends of Temperance Societies will be glad to learn that, after several strong speeches against the drinking-customs, the following resolution was unanimously come to by the Conference :

"That the Conference, deeply deploring the demoralizing influence of the beerhouse system and the sale of intoxicating liquors on the Lord's-day, feels it to be a bounden duty to raise its voice against these prevailing evils, and to petition both Houses of Parliament to repress them by legislative enactment." Petitions were prepared and signed by the President on behalf of the Conference accordingly.

Another resolution was also passed, which cannot fail at once to gratify all who are working for the world's emancipation, indicating, as it does, the liberal and comprehensive spirit by which the Conference was animated :

"That this Conference is rejoiced at the aspect of the times in regard to the

establishment of Peace Societies, Temperance Societies, the Evangelical Alliance, institutes for improving the condition of the working-classes, for extending the freedom of trade, international intercourse, and civilization-for securing the benefits of education, and the progress of useful knowledge-and, most of all, for the circulation of the Word of God, and the blessing of the Gospel amongst the nations of the earth ;" and affectionately exhorts our beloved people to come forward and give to these institutions their hearty assistance and their best exertions.

On the second Monday the Reports of the Jubilee and Educational Committees were received, and various items of private and public business were attended to.

The following resolution was also passed in relation to the present aspects of Methodism :

"That the Conference feels deeply concerned at the unhappy differences which have so long prevailed in the Wesleyan family, and would rejoice to see the brethren who are contending for a more liberal system of Church government directing their attention to some practical course whereby they may attain that object, and thus restore peace and prosperity to the Methodist bodies.

"That the Conference has too much sympathy with all Christians who hold the same doctrines and entertain similar views of Church government with itself to be indifferent to their welfare; and, having taken no part in the present struggle, it would rejoice at some healing measure being adopted whereby friendly relations might be brought about between the parties; and if that cannot be accomplished, the Conference is prepared to give the right hand of fellowship to any who desire to unite with us on the principles and practice of the Connexion."

In the afternoon of this day several Committees were appointed for the ensuing year.

Tuesday morning was set apart to consider whether any modifications should be made in the laws of the Connexion, the more completely to adapt it to the progressive character of the times. The poll deed provides that once in every seven years the Conference shall consider whether any such alteration in the name, the rules, and usages of the Connexion be desirable. That such alterations shall be proposed at the Conference preceding that period, and that the proposed alterations shall be submitted to the members and officers of the respective Circuits for approval or otherwise. Various alterations

of more or less importance were proposed, and a committee was appointed to consider these alterations and submit them in a printed form to the various Quarterly Meetings.

After the transaction of many other items of business, the thanks of the Conference were accorded to the friends of the neighbourhood for their kind and generous hospitality; to the railwaycompany for having kindly run special

trains during the week for the accommodation of the members of Conference; to the respective Secretaries for their efficient labours, and to the President for his urbane and impartial conduct in the chair. The Conference then concluded with singing the Doxology; and at half-past ten on Tuesday evening, with mutual congratulations and feelings of thankfulness to God, the Conference ended.

REVOLUTION IN CHINA.-A most extraordinary revolution is going on in China, which seems to bear the complex character of both a religious and a political movement, and appears directed equally against idolatry and despotism. Whatever may be the motives of the parties, and however imperfect and mistaken their views of Christianity, the movement seems to threaten the Celestial Empire with disruption, and is likely to result in very important consequences to mankind.

We present an extract or two from the proclamation issued by the leaders in this insurrection :--

Yang, entitled the Eastern King, and General-in-Chief, with Seaou, entitled Western King, also General-in-Chief of T'hae-ping, by divine appointment Emperor of Theenkwo, the celestial dynasty, unitedly issue this proclamation, to announce that they have received the commands of Heaven to slaughter the imps and save the people. According to the Old Testament, the great God (Shang-te), our Heavenly Father, in six days created the heavens and the earth, the land and sea, men and things. The great God is a spiritual Father, a ghostly Father, omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent; all nations under heaven are acquainted with his great power. In tracing up the records of bygone ages, we find that since the time of the creation of the world, the great God has frequently manifested his displeasure, and how can it be that you people of the world are still ignorant of it? The great God, in the first instance, displayed his anger and sent down a great rain, during forty days and forty nights, by which means the Flood was produced. On a second occasion, the great God manifested his displeasure, and came down to save Israel out of the land of Egypt. On a third occasion, he displayed his awful majesty, when the Saviour of the world, the Lord Jesus, became incarnate in the land of Judæa, and suffered for the redemption of mankind. In later ages, he has again mani

fested his indignation; and the Tingyew year (A.D. 1837) the great God sent a celestial messenger, who was commissioned by the Lord of Heaven, when he ascended on high, to put to death the fiendish bands. From the Mow

shin to the Sinhae year (A.D. 1848-51) the great God has compassioned the calamities of the people, who have been entangled in the meshes of the devil's net. On the third moon of the latter year the exalted Lord and great emperor appeared; and in the ninth moon, Jesus, the Saviour of the world, manifested himself, exerting innumerable acts of power, and slaughtering a great number of impish fiends in several pitched battles; for how can impish fiends expect to resist the majesty of Heaven? . Why do not you inhabitants of the world awake? Having been born in the present day, when you are permitted to witness the glory of God, how fortunate may you esteem yourselves! Happening upon such a time as this, when you experience the great tranquillity of the days of heaven, it is time for you to awake and arouse. Those who comply with the will of Heaven will be preserved, and those who disobey the celestial dictates will be destroyed. At the present time this Tartar fiend, Hëenfung, originally a Manchow slave, is the perpetual enemy of our Chinese race. Moreover, he has induced men to assume the form of fiends, to worship the corrupt, while they disobey the true Spirit, and thereby rebel against the great God, on which account Heaven will not endure, and men are determined to destroy him. These our views are now communicated to you all. To kill without warning agreeable to our feelings, without saving the people is not what a benevolent person would do. A special proclamation."

would not be and to sit still

As much mystery and uncertainty prevail at present respecting this wide-spread commotion, we reserve a more particular record until we know more of its origin and character.