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THE CHARTERED fund.

THE Trustees have heretofore made it a part of their duties, to render to the Bishops and Ministers of the Church in the United States at their General Conferences, statements of their trust: together with addresses to the Bishops, Ministers and Members of the Church, informing them of its condition, operations, and soliciting their attention to it, to promote its increase and thereby its utility; but those endeavours to increase it, and make it more useful have generally failed, and for several years no apparent effect has followed, and the increase has been very small which is in part attributed to the want of exertions in the travelling ministers, who while in the enjoyment of youth and health, are not sufficiently alive to the necessity of present attention to a provision very desirable when old age may come on, or widows and orphans to want a necessary support.

The Trustees have viewed with interest the publication of our Magazine from the Book-Establishment, as a publication belonging to the church generally, as this fund does also; and as the circulation of it is now extending into every part of our country where our members are, it seems to be the most proper and legitimate means, through which the Trustees hope hereafter to lay before the members annually, a view of this important fund; not doubting, but active members of the church, as well as dying persons, will improve the information of its existence and utility, by adding to its means in donations and legacies.

Some indirect attempts were made to introduce it into the Magazine, which had they been successful, would have been followed by others. The necessity of this measure has appeared very strikingly in some legacies which have been left, which were manifestly intended for the objects this fund has in view; but the testators, for want of the knowledge of its existence, have made their legacies in such manner, that considerable difficulty exists to bring them to the fund.

It is moreover deemed proper to observe that the Book-Establishment belonging to our church, commenced a little preceding the establishment of this fund, under the charge of the Rev. John Dickens, in Philadelphia; but being nearly destitute of a capital to conduct its concerns, loans of money were made by this fund which enabled that establishment to conduct its operations, with a success which has issued in its present useful operations and dignified standing.

The Trustees therefore lay before the Connexion at large, the following history and statement of the Charter Fund.

Some time prior to the year 1797, there existed in the Methodist Church a fund, denominated the Preachers' Fund, which had amounted to a few hundred dollars, but being unincorporated was necessarily deficient for usefulness in future, which might have been contemplated, and in the concurrent opinion of some

leading members of the church in Philadelphia, having at their head that amiable man of God and minister of Christ, John Dickens, it was determined to make an attempt to raise a fund, which met their most sanguine expectations, and application was made to the Legislature of Pennsylvania for a charter, which was accordingly granted on the 13th day of January, 1797, under the style and title of "The Trustees of the fund for the relief and support of the itinerant, superannuated and worn out ministers and preachers of the Methodist Episcopal Church (in the United States of America) their wives and children, widows and orphans." The first organization of which, was January 30, 1797.

Cornelius Comegys,

Josiah Lusby,

CALEB NORTH, President.

THOMAS HASKINS, Secretary.
JOHN DICKENS, Treasurer.

MANAGERS.

Hugh Smith,

Burton Wallace,

Henry Manly,
Jacob Baker.

The following therefore exhibits the sources of its origin, its progess, usefulness and present state, viz.

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*Asbury Mite Societies were formed on the recommendation of the trustees, in Philadelphia, Harrisburgh, Mount-Hope, Bristol circuit in Penn. Smyrna in Delaware, Charleston in South-Carolina, Norfolk in Virginia, and Knoxville in Tennessee. Each subscriber to pay one cent per week-the amount so subscribed was remitted to our treasurer, who applied a moiety to the stock of the chartered fund, and a moiety to the interest to be immediately divided. But the members of the church not generally going into the plan, it was considered unequal to continue them-they are now dissolved. Yet it seems advisable that some general plan might be fallen upon; and if each minister would endeavour to obtain the consent of the members in his charge to subscribe ten cents annually, it would soon establish a fund, that no superannuated minister, or widow, or or phans of deceased preachers, (which are the objects of this fund) would be suffering, as many now are for the necessaries of life.

+Some other legacies are left manifestly for the objects of this fund, not yet received.

The increase of the fund within the thodist Episcopal Church, (in the United

last six years has been by

Donations,
Legacies,

15 896 28

Asbury Mite Societies, 1699 54

$2610 82

The interest to be divided this present year, ending 1st of July, 1823, is, $1440 or $120 for each of the Twelve Conferences.

Legacies should be left in the following terms, viz.

"I give and bequeath to the trustees of the fund for the relief and support of the itinerant, superannuated and wornout ministers and preachers of the Me

States of America,) their wives and children, widows and orphans, and their successors for ever."

Donations may be remitted to the treasurer for the time.

The present board of trustees consist of
THOMAS SARGENT, President.

JOSEPH L. INGLIS,
Caleb North,
Lemuel Green,
Samuel Harvey,
Alexander Cook,
James Donley,
William Lowber,

Treasurer &
Secretary.

Philadelphia.

Henry Foxall, City of Washington.

* This amount of dividend commenced in the Baltimore Conference this year. Heretofore it has been only $100, to each of the twelve conferences.-EDITOR.

Religious and Missionary Intelligence.

UPPER CANADA MISSION.

Letter from the Rev. W. Case.

REV. AND DEAR BROTHER,

For the information of the Missionary Society, we send you an account of the Missions in Upper-Canada, to which their Missionaries were appointed at the last Genesee Annual Conference. As new fields for Missionary labours and expences had lately been presented, particularly that of the Grand-river, the Bishop thought proper to appoint but one for " York and the New Settlements;" But it was found impracticable for one labourer to attend to the numerous calls for preaching in these increasing settlements; it was therefore deemed expedient to supply the former place by the services of the preachers labouring in the Ancaster and Yonge-street circuits; as also, to employ a pious young man to assist brother K. Mc K. Smith in his labours in the Woods, and they have travelled their route as a four weeks circuit thus far through the year. This additional supply of service has been given to the New Settlements, without any increase of expense to the Missionary Society, the people in the Bush having brought in their offerings of such things as they had to spare for the support of the additional labourer; so that the expences of the Mission for this year will be but about one hundred dollars. An extract from brother Smith's letter to me, will present to view the religious state of those New Settlements to which his labours have been directed.

"I should have written," says he, "to the Secretary of the Society as you suggested, but ill health and various calls of duty have been impediments; nor do I at present feel capable of writing, having been again afflicted with the fever and ague, I wish you therefore to communicate such of the following statement as you may think worthy of notice. This year has been a season of some affliction, but of much profit and peace to my soul. I left the Conference in much peace of mind, a divine sweetness seemed to overspread my soul during most of my journey to my station, which I reached, poor in health, the 13th August. Here I was received and welcomed by the kind friends in their usual hospitality. By those manifestations of divine goodness, the Lord seems to have been preparing me for the affliction which followed. I had laboured but about a week, when I was attacked by an intermittent fever, which brought me quite low, and I was not able to resume my labours again for about eight weeks. In the commencement of my sickness my fever was violent and the pain extreme, yet I was never more happy in mind than in

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