INTELLIGENCE. Massachusetts Peace Society.-The seventh Annual Meeting was held at the Vestry of the Old South Church in Boston, on the twenty-fifth day of December-where the usual business was transacted at a full assembly of the members. An excellent address was delivered in the evening by the Hon. Richard Sullivan. We offer to our readers a few extracts from the Annual Report. Ar the expense of this Society and its Auxiliaries there have been distributed in the last year Of the Numbers of the Friend of Peace, Of smaller Tracts In the same year there have been sold- 6620 7226 3068 229 In all 17,143 In the gratuitous distributions, besides the many copies which have been circulated in the United States, some have been sent to each of the British provinces in America--some to France, Holland and Russia on the continent of Europe--to Calcutta, Ceylon and Serampore in Asia--to New Holland, Otaheite and the Sandwich islands,-and some to South America. A greater number have been sent to Great Britain than to any other foreign country; but these have chiefly been in exchange for the Herald of Peace. Including these, there have been sent to foreign states 771 copies of the Friend of Peace, and nearly the same number of other Tracts. A gentleman by the name of Matthew Simpson, residing at Ballston Spa, in New York, on reading some of the Peace Tracts, became impressed with the importance of their object, and travelled through several counties in that state and a few towns in Vermont, and procured 1950 subscribers for a book to be composed of the Solemn Review and seven Numbers of the Friend of Peace. He then procured the copies to be printed, and distributed them himself. In former years, Tracts were sent into all the neighbouring British provinces. The seeds thus sown have taken root, and pleasing fruits have already appeared. In Nova Scotia, we have an active Agent in Walter Bromley Esq. formerly an officer in the British army. Through his exertions, aided by respectable gentlemen of different denominations, a Society has been organized at Rawdon in that province, as large as ours was at its formation. By a letter from one of its officers, recently received, we are assured that considerable effect has been produced on the minds of many people; that articles have been admitted into newspapers to excite attention to the subject, and that gentlemen high in office and truly respectable, have approved the Peace Tracts, and the exertions to render war the abhorrence of man. The progress of the Society in Great Britain for promoting permanent and universal Peace is truly animating. Their Report for 1822 has not been received; but their Fifth Report contains facts worthy of grateful notice. They had then 300 new subscribers and two new Auxiliary Societies. They had printed 219,250 Tracts; and their sales and distributions in the preceding year had amounted to 22,000 copies. Two Tracts and one Report had then been translated into Spanish; and since that time six Tracts have been translated into French. Their subscriptions and donations in one year had amounted to nearly 1800 dollars-a much larger sum than has ever been received in one year by our Society. Yet how small was this sum when compared with what the same subscribers and donors have had to pay annually in support of the military system. There is scarcely any thing which the people of a warring nation eat, or drink, or wear, for which they do not, in one form or another, pay something of "the price of blood!" With great pleasure the Committee observe that a correspondence has recently been opened with the "Society of Christian Morals" in France, by a letter from Baron Turckheim, one of its Vice Presidents-which letter has been answered. The Society in France has been sanctioned by the government. One of its avowed objects is the promotion of peace. From a Society thus sanctioned, embracing men of high rank, renowned for talents, integrity and benevolence, much good may be expected. A Duke of the kingdom is President of the Society, and several of the Nobility are among its officers and members. A few men near a throne, who are imbued with pacific sentiments, may cause a great change in the policy of a nation, celebrated for its exploits in war. Since the Seventh Annual Report was formed, intelligence has been received both from Warwick and from Philadelphia. The Branch Society in Warwick, of 31 members, has been organized. In Philadelphia a long wished for event has occurred. A society, styled the Pennsylvania Peace Society, of about 100 New Series-vol. IV. 60 members, has been organized, and their constitution has been published in Poulson's American Daily Advertiser. The meetings of the Society are to be held on the 25th of December and the 4th of July annually. Happy it would be for our country if these two days should be observed for the ame benevolent object in every part of the United States. Donations to the Evangelical Missionary Society. Contribution in Rev. Mr. Clarke's Church, Princeton, A Lady in Dedham, A member of the Society, From Concord, Contribution in Federal-Street, Dr. Bancroft's Society, Worcester, Ladies of the West Church, Boston, Contribution at Brookline, on thanksgiving day, $10,00 i6,00 5,00 1,00 50,00 2,00 69,37 48.00 75,75 50,86 $328,48 As mistakes have sometimes been made in publishing the donations from Brookline, we give here the subscriptions and contributions for the last five years. At Harvard, on Wednesday, Jan. 1st, the Rev. Ira Henry Thomas Blanchard, over the Congregational Society in that place. Rev. Mr. Allen, of Bolton, made the Introductory Prayer; Rev. President Kirkland preached the Sermon; Rev. Mr. Foster, of Littleton, made the Ordaining Prayer; Rev. Mr. Norton, of Weymouth, gave the Charge; Rev. Dr. Thayer, of Lancaster, addressed the Society; Rev. Mr Osgood, of Sterling, gave the Right Hand of Fellowship; and the Rev. Mr. Damon, of Lunenburg, made the Concluding Prayer. TO READERS AND SUBSCRIBERS. Our distant Subscribers, from whom we hear complaints of the delay of our work in reaching them, are informed that from various causes it is not usually published in Boston, until ten or fifteen days after the date. The present number is issued on the 20th day of January 1823. They will perceive therefore, that they have no greater cause of complaint than those who live in our immediate neighbourhood. We hope the delay may be prevented in future; but as all past attempts to remove the causes have failed, we dare not promise. 009 |