We avail ourselves of the re-appearance of a Joug-torpid and distasteful question to express certain views which, popular or not, are based, as we believe, apou solid trath. Very many good people are honestly scandalised at the idea of Christian missionaries becoming the proprietors of land, and are more than ever indignant if, by good fortune, the land 0 acquired happens to rise in value. These critics would, we think, find some difficulty in making their objections good. In the first place, whatever wealth may accrue from such so-called speculations, goes to the Society, and not to the missionary him. self. That a missionary society should be self-supporting is an immense advantage to everybody in connection with it. A London paper published an article lately—which, indeed, we reproduced—to the effect that the public interest in missions was declining rapidly at home, and entered into some amusing speculations as to the decreased monetary value of black bishops and similar lions' upon missionary plat. forms. There is we believe so much truth in this, that the word mission. ary' is no longer surrounded in the imagination of English people by that halo of romance and possible mar. tyrdom which was once so valuable an agent in drawing subscriptions from the public. We believe that it is by no means 0 ensy now, as it was then, to collect sufficient funds annually to keep a large and well. educated set of men in heathen conn-tries. It is notorious that after the American War the missionary soviet ion in the Southern states wore 0 impovofished that their missionaries abroad wore absolutely obliged to resort, to otheremployments forasheer livelihood, all superfluous gains being honestly devoted by them to the interesta of the missions Unt they represented. Will any one deliberately say that a mission. ary, thus situated, is wrong to do what can to support himself avd family and to carry on his mission-work Even in ordinary instances, is it nob far better tnt a missionary society should have ils own income from its own property, and be thus independent and self-supporting, instend of relying for the bare necessaries of life upon the bounty of rich pictists and the pennies of Sunday-school children and old women? We will go farther, and say that the charity-aystem has tendencies which are wholly deising and bad. As long as the jon of funds depends upon the worked-up sympathy of religious po sons in the West, there will be a very great temptation on the part of mis. sionaries to 60 colour their reports as to excite those emotions which prompt impulsive generosity. Thus we read, in such publications, for example, as China's Millions, strange details of the experiences of dear old Mrs. Wang, or the sudden conversion of dear A-choy the cook; itineraries are described in the style of the Acts of the Apostles, and the Shining Oross, theory brought out-and re-embellished in a thousand different ways. The Secretary at home is insatiable for "results send us results, is his continual cry; figures, statistics, conversions, baptisms. And the missionary, no doubt, succumbs to the temptation, Therefore, let the missionary societies be self.supporting at all hazards, Let them shake off as much as possible their com. promising and undignified dependence upon the charity of the public, and stand upon their own fect, We believe that the churches have been hampered, and their progress much retarded, by this association; and are always glad to hear of avy missionary society acquiring means of its own. The society to which Dr. Ashmore of Swatow belongs is to be congratulated that the investments of thnt gentleman on its behalf have tarned out ao well,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.