swampy, and everything looked wet, disorderly, and untidy. On our way up I was amused by what seemed to me a sharp piece of business on the part of the captain of our steamer. We passed several brigs, and schooners, and other craft, in going up the river. When about half-way up we came to a schooner lying aground; the captain of our steamer exchanged a few words with the captain of this vessel as we steamed by her. I heard him say that she could easily be got off. Shortly after we came abreast of a large lighter lying against the river bank; our steamer was then stopped, and as the lighter we had in tow ranged up alongside of us, she was made fast to the others, and orders were issued for the passengers who were on board the steamer to go on the lighter, which was done, until they stood almost as thick as figs in a drum, having barely standing room. The steamer, then, with the few of us who remained on board of her, backed her paddle-wheels, and went down the river, until we reached the stranded schooner, when she was made fast to her, and after a good deal of tugging she was got off. We then steamed up the river, and having reached the two lighters, they also were made fast, and the three vessels where all tugged up the river to Melbourne. Of course this consumed a good deal of time, so that it was nearly dark when we reached the wharf. Here a number of men were set to work, and in a short time the whole of the luggage was turned out upon the wharf. The scene which ensues beggars description. Imagine two hundred or more passengers struggling to secure their own luggage, some of them having many boxes (I had twenty-nice), and darkness rapidly closing in; indeed, by the time the unloading of the lighter was finished it was too dark to read the letters or names on the boxes. Joseph, fortunately, met us at the wharf, and John was with me, or I should have been hope less of securing my boxes. Just outside the wharf were a host of carmen and dray men with their conveyances; and these men, seeking for customers, plunged into the chaos of boxes, bales, and pack. ages of all kinds, among passengers half-frantic with anxiety and fear; and having got their conveyances engaged, seized upon boxes, and walked off with them in numbers which defied observation, while my boxes, scattered here and there, amid the enormous heaps, seemed to defy all our powers to preserve them from being carried off in the terrible confusion. But, at length, by God's good Providence, and by extraordinary exertions, we got our luggage into two heaps, over one of which I and John, and over the other Joseph watched. By this time lanterns had to be brought to enable those who had boxes missing to search after them. The struggling mass now rapidly thinned, as cars and drays drove off piled with boxes and passengers, until I and my sons were at last left alone with (as the Americans would say) our plunder piled up on the wharf. The wharfinger soon told us we must either put our boxes into the stores, or remove them, as they were going to lock up, informing us, at the same time, that in the former case we could not get them until Wednesday morning, as on the morrow was Separation Day (anniversary of the separation of Victoria from New South Wales). We were expecting one of our

friends with a dray, but, from some misunderstanding as to time, he had not arrived; we, therefore, had our boxes removed into the warehouse, and then set off for Mr. Townend's house.

Under the pilotage of my son Joseph, who had slept last night at Mr. Townend's, in about half-an-hour we reached Greaves Street, and were hospitably received by Mr. and Mrs. Townend. Here we found the rest of my family, and also Mrs. Middleton, and Mr. Tranter, our preacher at Richmond. We had tea, which, after the toils of the day, was needed. Mr. Nuttall came in soon after, and I accompanied him to the Quarterly Meeting, which was then sitting (whither Mr. Townend had preceded us), and was introduced to the friends. Here, then, with devout acknowledgement of the goodness of God, who has brought us safely to this land of our adoption, I conclude my Journal of the voyage to Australia.

Connexional Affairs.

THE ITINERANT MINISTRY.

Ar our last Quarterly Meeting, held on the 28th of December last, the practice of several Circuits in looking after, and inviting Ministers, prior to and at the December Quarterly Meeting, was the subject of conversation, and it was resolved,

"That this Meeting deprecates the usage of inviting the Preachers at the Christmas Quarterly Meeting, and pledges itself to support the recommendation of the Annual Assembly, that Preachers should not be invited until the March Quarterly Meeting."

We consider the matter of importance to the Connexion at large, and shall, therefore, be glad if you can find room for this communication in the February Magazine. Possibly its insertion may induce other Circuits to "go and do likewise. Yours truly,

Newcastle-on-Tyne.

JOHN G. YOULL,

Circuit Secretary.

CHAPEL REGISTRATION AND ENROLMENT. THE attention of Trustees, and other friends interested in Chapel and School property connected with the United Methodist Free Churches, is earnestly requested to the importance of seeing that such property is properly registered and enrolled.

The desirability of having our Chapels registered has been acknowledged by several Annual Assemblies, and was felt to be so important by the last Assembly, that it was unanimously resolved,

"That a short article on the Registration of Chapels be inserted in our Magazine; and that a copy of the same be forwarded by the Corresponding Secretary to the Superintendent of each Circuit in the Connexion, to be laid by him before the Circuit Quarterly Meeting."

It is, we suspect, not generally known, that the registration of Chapels is necessary to secure to the ministers and congregations assembling in them the protection of the law against " brawlers," and others who may be disposed to annoy them while engaged in the solemnities of religious worship. In these happy days of exemption from religious persecution, the necessity of registration on this account may not appear to many of our friends to be urgent; but cases, from time to time, do occur, and may be expected to occur, in which the protection of the civil magistrate is, or may be, needed; and it may be well to state, for the information of the religious public, that by a recent statute, the magistrates in Petty Sessions have the power to convict summarily, by fine or imprisonment, any person found guilty of disturbing a congregation, without having to incur the trouble and expense, as heretofore, of taking the case to the Quarter Sessions. But there is another reason to which we trust that those concerned will not be indifferent. It is of great moment to the interests of the United Churches that they should stand before the country, not as small and feeble, and existing in but a few places, but as constituting, as they really do, a powerful and wide-spread community.

The official returns,

however, so far as our Chapels are concerned, present a very inadequate idea of the true facts. Many of our Chapels are unregistered, while others are not registered as connected with the United Methodist Free Churches; the consequences are, that the number of Chapels stated by the Registrar General to belong to our Denomination is much less than the real number, and that some other Denominations appear to have more than they would, were it not for the fact that Chapels used by our Body have been registered in their names. As the result of recent efforts, the United Churches now have many more places of worship registered than they had at any former period; but still there is great room for improvement in this matter. The returns made to the last Assembly show, that out of 1,373 Chapels and other Preaching Rooms, only five hundred and twenty were registered. We hope that we have but to call attention to this evil in order to secure its removal. We respectfully urge our brethren, the Connexional Ministers, to bring the subject, at the earliest opportunity, under the notice of their various Quarterly Meetings, with a view to the adoption of measures for securing the registration of every Chapel within the limits of their respective Circuits. The Superintendent Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, in each Poor Law District, is the proper party to whom application should be made for such registration, who will furnish the Trustees, or Owners of Chapels, with proper forms for this purpose, and give certificates signed by the Chief Clerk, that such Chapels are duly recorded in the General Register Office, pursuant to 18 and 19 Vic. Cap. 81. The fee is only two shillings and sixpence.

Attention to the Enrolment of Chapel Deeds is specially important at the present time. This subject has often been referred to, with good effect, in our pages, but we fear that many of our Chapels are yet not duly enrolled.

In May, 1861, the Legislature passed on Act by which the putting leasehold and copyhold property in trust for charitable and religious purposes was greatly simplified, and which afforded the Trustees of property devoted to such uses, whose Deeds were defective, in consequence of their not having been enrolled in the Court of Chancery, as required by the Mortmain Act, an opportunity of rendering them valid, by securing their Enrolment previous to, or on, the 17th of May, 1862. Before, however, the expiration of the Act of 1861, another Act was passed, extending the time, during which Deeds, defective as above indicated, might be Enrolled, to the 17th of May, 1864.

A copy of this Act appeared in the Magazine for July, 1862, accompanied by explanatory remarks by the late Rev. Robert Eckett. The following sentences from his communication are so lucid and important, that we make no apology for now repeating them:

"1. It may be needful to remind those Trustees who have old Deeds that are not enrolled, that, if they wish to have legal right to retain the property, they should forthwith avail themselves of the facilities now afforded for that purpose.

"2. That if a Deed of Conveyance do not contain any clause for securing the property to religious or charitable uses, such Deed need not be enrolled; but the property will be secured to such uses if the legal holders thereof have executed a separate Deed declaring that they hold the same subject to the Trusts declared by such separate Deed, and the said Deed, if not already enrolled in the Court of Chancery, be so enrolled within six months from the 16th of May, 1862; or, if such Deed of Declaration of Trusts has not been executed, that such Deed be executed within six months from the aforesaid date, and be so enrolled within six months from the date of its execution.

"3. That it should be borne in mind the law requires, as to Deeds putting houses or lands in Trust for religious or charitable uses, that the signature or signatures of the grantor or grantors should be attested by Two witnesses-and be enrolled within six months in the Court of Chancery, from the date thereof. This remains in force as to all Deeds executed within six months from the 17th of May, 1861; except as to the Deeds of declaration of Trusts referred to in the preceding paragraph.

"4. That in reference to all Trust Deeds recently executed, great care should be taken to see that six months, from the date thereof, does not elapse before they are enrolled-otherwise they will become to all intents legally null and void.

"5. That before sending any Deed, recently executed, for enrolment, one of the parties thereto must appear before a Commissioner for taking affidavits in Chancery, and acknowledge his signature to the Deed."

We have been asked whether it be necessary to enrol the Deeds of Chapels held on Leasehold tenure? There can be no doubt whatever on this point, as the Statute of Mortmain applies to the conveyance of all property settled on religious or charitable Trusts; and without a strict compliance with the formalities prescribed by that Statute, the Deeds will be "null and void." For further information on this subject, we refer our readers to the Magazines for November, 1861, and July and November, 1862.

We need only add, that Herbert Cozens-Hardy, Esq., of the Equity Bar (son of our well-known friend, W. H. Cozens-Hardy, Esq., of Letheringsett, Holt), has kindly undertaken to see to the

Enrolment of all Deeds relating to property settled on Trust for the United Churches, without any expense beyond the costs out of pocket. If, therefore, our friends have any Deeds that are not yet enrolled, they will do well to forward them immediately, by book post, to his Chambers, 2, New Square, Lincoln's Inn, London, for this purpose; for if this is neglected beyond the 17th of May, next, the defect cannot be remedied.

Review and Criticism.

The London Quarterly Review. January, 1864. No. XLII. London : HENRY JAMES TRESSIDDER, 17, Ave Maria Lane.

THE London Quarterly begins the year well. We are glad that its conductors are adapting it more fully, than heretofore, to the theolo gical requirements of the age. The present number contains several articles written with great ability, and discussing subjects of surpass ing interest and importance. "Recent Works on Heaven" visits with severe, but not unmerited, censure the carelessness and absur dities of the anonymous author of "Heaven Our Home," &c. "John Howe" reviews, in an admiring and a loving spirit, the character and doings of the great Non-conformist preacher and writer. "Renan's Life of Jesus" is ably dealt with by a critic equal to his task, and who writes in a spirit of candour and earnestness worthy the momentous topics which he discusses; the article deserves separate publication. The other articles are on "Penal Servitude," "The Manchester Church Congress," 'Mexico," "Scientific Nomenclature and Terminology," and "The Latest from New Zealand." The "Brief Literary Notices" are copious, and abound with valuable criticism.

Christian Work for Gentle Hands. Thoughts on Female Agency in the Church of God. By John Dyer. London: H. J. TRESSIDDER. Loving Words of Caution, Counsel, and Consolation, for Such as are Seeking to be Like their Lord. In Poetry and Prose. London: H. J. TRESSIDDER, 17, Ave Maria Lane,

MR. DYER's work is one which ought to be read by every Christian female. Though not prepared to endorse all his views, we unhesitatingly recommend it as a valuable contribution to our religious literature. He indicates an abundance of "Christian Work," adapted to the "Gentle Hands" of our fair sisters; let them ponder well his admonitions, and practise his lessons. "The good time" for which we hope and pray will then not be far off.

"Loving Words" fully answers to its title. Those who are seek. ing to be like Christ are encouraged and admonished in a truly lov ing spirit, and an attractive manner. Anecdotes and poetry give variety to the work, and enforce its lessons.