LAWS AND REGULATIONS

OF THE

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY FOR AFRICA AND THE EAST.

I.

THIS Institution shall be designated "The Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East ;" and shall consist of Patrons, Vice Patrons, a President, Vice Presidents, and a Treasurer; with Life and Annual Governors, and Life Members; together with such Officers as may be deemed necessary for conducting the affairs of the Society.

II.

The office of PATRONS of the Society shall be reserved for such Members of the Royal Family as may honour it with their protection. VICEPATRONS shall be appointed exclusively from among the Peers, Spiritual and Temporal. The PRESIDENT shall be such Peer or Commoner, and the VICE-PRESIDENTS such Commoners, as may be appointed thereto.

OF MEMBERS AND GOVERNORS.

III.

Every person subscribing annually the sum of One Guinea and upward shall be deemed a Member of this Society during the continuance of such Subscription.

IV.

Every person giving a Benefaction of Ten Guineas and upward shall be a Member for Life; and upon any Legacy being paid to the Treasurer, the Executors who have administered shall be made Members for Life, calculating at the rate of Fifty Pounds for each Executor; and in case the Legacy shall not amount to a sufficient sum to extend the privilege to all, preference shall be given to the first-named in the Will.

V.

Every Clergyman subscribing Half a Guinea annually, shall be considered a Member; and every Clergyman, on contributing a Congregational Collection, to the amount of Twenty Guineas, either at once or at several times, shall also be considered a Member.

VI.

Every person who shall collect, in behalf of the Society, 1s. or upward per week, or 5s. or upward per month, shall be a Member of the Society; and shall be entitled to attend and vote at all Meetings; to receive a Copy of each Annual Report and Sermon, and of each number of the Missionary Register and shall have their names printed in the Lists of the Society.

VII.

Every person subscribing Five Guineas annually, shall be a Governor during the Continuance of such Subscription.

VIII.

Every person subscribing Fifty Pounds at one time, or who shall by one additional payment increase his original Subscription to that sum, shall be a Governor for Life.

IX.

The Committee shall have the power of appointing such persons as have rendered essential services to the Society, either Members for Life, or Governors for Life.

OF GENERAL MEETINGS.

X.

An Annual Meeting of the Members of the Society shall be held in London, on the First Tuesday in May; unless that day shall fall on the 7th of May, in which case the Annual Meeting shall be held, for that year, on Tuesday the 30th of April. To such Meeting those Members of the Society shall be summoned by letter who reside within ten miles of the metropolis; when the Proceedings of the foregoing year shall be reported, the Accounts presented, and a Treasurer and Committee chosen.

XI.

A Special General Meeting of the Members of the Society, at which not less than Thirty shall constitute a quorum, shall be called at any time, at the requisition of the General Committee; or by any Thirteen Members, on addressing a letter to the Secretary, specifying the object of the Meeting. Ten days' notice shall be given in three public newspapers, of any such intended Meeting, and of the purpose for which it is called; which shall be deemed sufficient publicity.

XII.

None of the Rules of the Institution shall be repealed or altered, nor any new ones established, but at the Annual Meeting, or at a Special Meeting called for that purpose.

XIII.

An Anniversary Sermon shall be preached at some Church in London by a Clergyman appointed by the General Committee, on the morning of the day on which the Annual Meeting of the Society is held. An Annual Report of the Society shall be printed for the use of its Members.

OF THE COMMITTEE.

XIV.

The Committee shall consist of Twenty-four lay Members of the established Church; and of all such Clergymen as are Members of the Society. Eighteen Members shall be annually appointed from the Old Committee, and Six from the General Body.

XV.

The COMMITTEE shall elect, at their first Meeting in every year, either from among themselves, or from the other Members of the Society, a Committee of Patronage, a Committee of Funds, a Committee of Correspondence, and a Committee of Accounts. Each of the said Committees shall keep Minutes of their Proceedings, and shall report the same to the Ge. neral Committee.

XVI.

The Office of the Committee of Patronage, is, to procure patronage and support to the Society; and to nominate, to the General Committee, proper persons as Patrons, Vice-Patrons, and Vice-Presidents of the Society.

XVII.

The Office of the Committee of Funds, is, to circulate information respecting the Institution; to adopt proper means of augmenting the Subscriptions and Benefactions; to obtain Collections in Churches and Chapels; and to nominate, from time to time, to the General Committee, suitable persons to act as Agents for the Society in the principal towns throughout the Empire,

XVIII.

The Office of the Committee of Correspondence, is, to seek for proper Missionaries, to superintend their instruction, and to correspond with them when sent out.

XIX.

The Office of the Committee of Accounts, is, to see that the Subscriptions are duly received, regulate the Accounts, and undertake the charge of fitting out and conveying the Missionaries to their place of destination.

XX.

The General Committee shall receive the Reports of the other Committees, shall appoint the places where Missions shall be tempted, shall direct the scale upon which they shall be conducted, and shall superintend the affairs of the Society in general.

XXI.

The General Committee shall meet the second Monday in every Month, and oftener if needful: the other Committees as often, and at such places, as shall be by them agreed on their meetings to be always opened with reading a Form of Prayer composed for that purpose, or one or more suitable prayers selected from the Liturgy. Five Members shall be necessary to compose a General Committee, and Three each of the others. In case of equality of votes, the Chairman shall be entitled to a second or casting vote.

XXII.

The Patrons, Vice Patrons, and President, Vice-Presidents, and Treasurer, shall be considered ex officio Members of all Committees.

XXIII.

Governors shall be entitled to attend and vote at all Meetings of the General Committee.

XXIV.

All payments on account of the Society shall be signed by Three of the General Committee, in Committee, and the Secretary or Deputy Secretary.

XXV.

A Secretary, Deputy Secretary, and Collector, shall be chosen by the General Committee; and whenever they shall deem it necessary for the well conducting the affairs of the Institution that any additional Officer bę appointed, they shall have the power of so doing, subject to the approbation of the next Annual Meeting. The Deputy Secretary and Collector shall attend all Meetings of the Society, and transact all such business thereof as the General Committee shall require: he shall collect all the Subscriptions in London and its environs, pay them into the hands of the Treasurer, and never keep in his own possession more than One Hundred Pounds.

XXVI.

Five Auditors shall be appointed by the Committee annually, for the purpose of auditing the Accounts of the Society, of whom Three shall be chosen from the General Body. Three shall be a Quorum.

XXVII.

The Life Subscriptions, or a sufficient part thereof, to be equal to the Subscriptions of the existing Members for Life, shall be placed in the Public Funds, in the names of Four of the General Committee; who, on their acceptance of the trust, shall sign a declaration of the nature of it, and that they will relinquish the same whenever called upon for that purpose by the General Committee.

OF MISSIONARIES.
XXVIII.

In the appointment of Candidates for the Missionary Office, the following course shall be pursued:-The Committee of Correspondence having found a person supposed to be suitable, shall determine by ballot to nominate him to the General Committee. Previous to the day of nomination, each Member of the General Committee shall receive notice of such nomination. On the day of nomination, a report shall be made by some Member of the Committee of Correspondence of his qualifications, and the General Committee shall then proceed to ballot for him, unless any Member should declare that he wishes for further information; in which case the ballot shall be deferred till the next meeting of the General Committee. In the ballot of either Committee, the agreement of at least three-fourths of the Members present shall be necessary to his election.

XXIX.

A Candidate thus chosen shall receive instruction in such parts of knowledge, and be prepared in such a manner for his future employment, as the Committee of Correspondence shall judge expedient.

XXX.

If, during such preparation, any Two Members of the General Com. mittee should see canse to disapprove of his principles or conduct, they may submit the subject to a special meeting of the Committee, and, if deemed proper, the Committee may appoint another ballot to determine whether he shall be continued as a Candidate; of which special notice shall be given to each Member.

XXXI.

Each Candidate shall consider himself as engaged to go to any part of the world, and at any time, which the Committee shall choose, respect however being had to his personal circumstances, or to any previous stipulation made by him with the Society. As soon as he quits England, he shall keep a regular Journal of his studies and proceedings, a copy of which he shall send, as often as opportunity shall serve, to the Secretary. XXXII.

Each Candidate, after due preparation, shall, if not admitted to Holy Orders, be appointed by the Committee to act as a Catechist: if admitted to Holy Orders, he shall be appointed a Missionary.

XXXIII.

The Missionaries who go out under the direction of this Society shall be allowed to visit home, permission having been previously obtained from the General Committee; and, after having laboured in the cause of the Society to the satisfaction of the Committee, at the stations committed to their care, until age or infirmity prevent further exertion, suitable provision shall be made to render their remaining days comfortable. The General Committee shall have the power to assist also, in particular cases, the dependant relatives of those Missionaries, who, by devoting themselves to the service of the Society, are prevented from contributing to their, support.

XXXIV.

A friendly intercourse shall be maintained with other Protestant Societies engaged in the same benevolent design of propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

XXXV.

It is recommended to every Member of the Society to pray to Almighty God for a blessing upon its designs, under the full conviction, that, unless he "prevent us in all our doings with his most gracious favour, and further us with his continual help," we cannot reasonably hope to meet with persons of a proper spirit and qualifications to be Missionaries, or expect their endeavours to be crowned with success.

AT the Fourteenth Annual Meeting of the Church Missionary Society for Africa and the East, held at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, Strand, on Tuesday, the 3d of May, 1814.

The Right Hon. LORD GAMBIER, Vice-Patron and President, in the Chair,

The Report of the Committee having been read, in part by the President, and in part by the Secretary,

On a Motion by Thomas Reade Kemp, Esq. M. P. VICE PRESIDENT, seconded by Lewis Way, Esq. it was RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY,

That the Report now read be received and printed under the direction of the Committee.

On a Motion by the Rev. T. S. Grimshaw, M. A. seconded by the Rev. John Owen, M. A. it was

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY,

That the cordial Thanks of this Society be returned to the Friends at Bristol, in Yorkshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Leicestershire, Southwark, and in other places, who have formed ASSOCIATIONS in support of this Society to the SECRETARY, and the Rev. Messrs. WooDD, GOODE, BURN, HORNE, WILSON, STEWART, and other Clergymen who have assisted in the establishment of those Associations: and to the LADIES, who, in various parts of the Metropolis and the Country, have most beneficially exerted themselves in behalf of the Society.

On a Motion by Henry Thornton, Esq. M.P. Treasurer, seconded by the Rev. Charles Simeon, M. A. of Cambridge, it was

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY,

That the cordial Thanks of the Meeting be returned to the
Hon. and Very Rev. the Dean of Wells, for his impressive
Sermon preached before the Society this day, and that he be
requested to allow it to be printed, with the Report.

On a Motion by John Poynder, Esq. seconded by the
Rev. Basil Woodd, A. M. it was

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY,

That this Meeting does earnestly urge the further establishment of Church Missionary Associations throughout the Empire, and the support of the separate School Fund opened by the Society.

IT WAS FURTHER RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY,

That the respectful and sincere Thanks of the Society be returned to the Right Hon. the President, for his assiduous attention to the interests of the Society; and for his kind and able conduct in the Chair this day.