A meeting of the Geelong Auxiliary Bible Society was held in the Presbyterian Church on Wednesday evening last. His Lordship, the Bishop of Melbourne, Charles Perry was called on to preside. On the platform with his Lordship were the Rev. Andrew Love, the Rev. Ebenezer Collins, Rev. William Cox Curry, and Messrs. Charles Sladen, Willis, Myles, Marsden, and G. Wright. It will be quite impossible for us to give any other than a very condensed report of the meeting. The speeches were so numerous, and given at such length, that our columns which are occupied with English news, and other matter of importance and general interest, will not permit our giving a full report.

After prayers had been offered up by the Rev. Mr. Love, his Lordship rose and briefly addressed the meeting on the objects of the British and Foreign Bible Society. As Vice-President of the Parent Society he had ample opportunity of knowing the great amount of good that had been effected in all countries by it. In his position here, as Bishop of the diocese, he was happy and should be ready at all times to co-operate with his Christian brethren to promote and extend the operations of the Society, in any manner it might be deemed expedient. His Lordship, during his short address, expressed a wish that nothing should be said at the meeting with respect to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, on the subject of the Bible. After some further preparatory discourse upon the business about to be entered into, his Lordship called upon the Secretary to read the following report:-

In laying before this meeting a Report of the operations of this Branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society for the past year, your Committee have much cause for congratulation, that some progress, however little, has been made in carrying out the objects for which it was designed, viz.: the circulation of the Scriptures throughout the length and breadth of the land.

Out of 397 Bibles and Testaments, being the whole number hitherto received, 160 copies have been disposed of. This may appear but a small number, but may in some measure be accounted for by reason of the first box of books sent from the Parent Society in London, having arrived here only about four months ago. It must also be borne in mind that this branch is yet in its infancy, and but little known beyond the limits of the town. Your Committee, however, are willing to admit that greater exertions might have been made during that period for the disposal of them, particularly in the country Districts.

The stock of Bibles and Testaments now in hand consists of 237.

The following is the state of the funds of the Society at the present time, viz.:

Balance in hand £48 2s. 10d. This sum consists of a balance remaining in hand at the commencement of the past year of £8 9s. 4d. Of subscriptions received during the past year ending March 1848, £27. Of the proceeds of books sold, £12 13s. 6d. Total - £48 2s. 10d. Expenditure - nil.

Your Committee propose to remit this sum immediately to the Parent Society in London; one half for the purchase of books for the branch, and the other half as a free contribution.

Mr. Love rose to move the first resolution -

"That the report now read be approved of and adopted."

He said - My Lord, I would do violence to my own feelings, as well as injustice to the sentiments of a large and respectable body of Christians, whose representative I am, were I to proceed with that part of the business which has been entrusted to my care, without first expressing my satisfaction, and delight, at seeing your Lordship in the position you now occupy amongst us. Your appointment to the See of Melbourne, your Christian worth, and good name, had reached us many months before you appeared in person, and your approach to these shores was gladly hailed by Christians of every persuasion, and happy am I to say that their hopes have not been disappointed. The present scene is in full accordance with what we had heard of your Lordship's urbanity of manners, and liberality of sentiment. It is one in which men of all classes and all denominations may look with admiration, and which we hail as a token for good, and as an evidence that the time is fast approaching, when all who love the Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity will be of one heart and of one mind in the Lord, loving each other as brethren, with a pure heart fervently.

It might be supposed that I should have little to say on this occasion, from the fact of having so very dry a subject as the moving of the Report to manage. But it would certainly comport but ill with the position I hold in the community, to be silent when the bible is the subject, and the eternal well-being of perishing souls the object of our meeting. My Lord, it cannot be denied that there are many hundreds of our fellow creatures in this country who are entirely destitute of scriptural knowledge, who possess not the pearl of great price - the word of eternal truth. A man in this situation, born to the destiny of an endless existence, cannot fail to be the object of deep commiseration to the Christian. He views him as hurrying carelessly forward on the journey to eternity, and his heart thrills with emotion, when he thinks of him as ignorant of the way that leadeth unto life, and that he is destitute of that blessed word, which alone can direct his steps, amidst the dangers and temptations of the world, and keep his soul in comfort amidst its trials and afflictions.

There is one thing connected with our meeting at this time, which ought to be the subject of thankfulness, viz., that we are not here to seek a plea for the use of the sacred scriptures; but to bear testimony to the blessed effects of the precious word in our own experience, and within our own observation, and to endeavour to excite each other to increased interest, and increased activity in disseminating the blessed word, for the temporal and eternal happiness of perishing men. It is not more true that the Almighty has breathed into our nostrils the breath of life, than that the sin-sick angel of death has infused into our whole system, bodily, mental, and moral, a pestilential element, which has impaired our intellectual energies, withered our moral loveliness, and laid our spirits prostrate in the dust.

But still we can rejoice, because there is a balm in Gilead - there is a physician here. In whatever way we view the bible we find it to be a precious gift, and precious indeed it has been to the people of God in every age. In England, that land of light and liberty, you have many objects which recall the sufferings of your noble reformers, who resisted unto death in defence of the faith once delivered to the saints. In Scotland there is scarcely a hill, a rock, or a stream, which does not possess some monument of the struggles of the persecuted, to whom in their wanderings and sufferings the bible was a precious and a blessed companion. In Ireland the progress of the bible, though publishing peace, has been tracked with blood; but still the joyful radiance of heaven has fallen upon the steps of the faithful, and the word has been found precious.

Now, my Lord, if we have ourselves in any degree experienced the preciousness of the blessed Word, we will see it to be our duty, and feel it to be our desire, to put that Word into the hands of those who hear it, that they may be brought to rejoice in the same experience of hope and peace. To do otherwise would be to oppose one of the strongest impulses of the renewed heart, which longs to bring others to the Saviour, like the first Apostles, when they cried out to their friends, "we have found the Messiah," all the sympathies of our moral being are in harmony with this.

Let us then endeavor by every means to have the Bible put into the hands of those who are destitute of it, that, being ignorant of the way of peace, they may be in the fair way of being filled with the knowledge of the Saviour's will, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding, and of being made wise unto salvation. Let us give them the pure word of life, that where they are polluted there may be the means of cleansing. - For then the gospel in its purity and power reaches the heart, its vileness gradually disappears, and the soul is elevated above the gross and sensual things of the world, and is moved with the desires that pertain to a better state. - Yes, my Lord, let us give the precious and inestimable Word to those who must be wretched and miserable while possess not the gospel.

Conscience is the universal accuser, and more especially are its accusations felt, when men have obtained some knowledge of sin, and of a future state of rewards and punishments, and yet have not the precious volume of inspiration, to teach them clearly the nature of these things. Now, relief may be obtained for the severest bodily pain; an antidote may be administered to prevent the effects of the most deadly poison, but there is no cure - no comfort - no peace, for the wounded concience, save the consolations of the pure and blessed Word of Life.

Let us, therefore, impart to them the means of salvation - this blessed message from the Father of mercies, which proclaims pardon to the chief of sinners, comfort to the most wretched, and the joys of a glorious immortality to every penitent and believing soul.

The resolution was seconded by Dr. Hope without comment or remark.

The Rev. E. Collins rose to propose the second resolution -

"That this meeting, believing the Bible to be the word of God, and the principal means intended for the salvation of a perishing world, humbly desire to express their thankfulness for the increased circulation of the Scriptures in various parts of the world during the past year, and for the little which this Society has been enabled to do in furthering this great and glorious work."

The Rev. Mr. Collins in adverting to the tenor of the resolution which had been placed in his hands, entered into a very lengthy but interesting history of the Bible, from the time it was translated by Luther into the Latin tongue, and then into the English language. At the time of the Reformation, said this gentleman, the Holy Scriptures were scarcely known, the Bibles were then chained in the churches and houses of prayer, and even in the present day, or but a few years back, a relic of the ancient custom remained, for in one or two of the ancient English churches, the Bible might still be seen chained as in the days of its prescribed liberty.

The pious George III was the great promoter of the Scriptures throughout his kingdom; he wished that every child should be able to read, and that every parent should possess them. Wherever the reading of the scriptures most prevailed, wherever they were most circulated and best known, there Christianity reigned paramount; in the same degree wherever the Bible was not known or understood, wherever it was a stranger to the people, there was the sad reverse. It was from this conviction that every Protestant and every true Christian should endeavour with might and main, and with zeal never abating, to promulgate and diffuse throughout the known world, the knowledge of that glorious, holy, and blessed book of truth.

He hoped no school would ever be allowed to exist, where the scriptures did not form part of its discipline. The knowledge of the Bible, and the inculcation of the great truths it contained, to all the world was the sure and certain method to reform it. Every parent should read it, and every pious mother should teach her infant to lisp the words of truth and light. Every family should possess it, peruse it, mark, read, learn, and inwardly digest it; not a soul created by God but should understand its contents, it was the comfort, solace, consolation, and the hope of the pious Christian, it was the sole instrument of conversion to the infidel and the unbeliever.

The reverend gentleman concluded his remarks by an earnest exhortation for every one to exert his influence in promoting the circulation of the Scriptures - to use them and cause them to be used in their own families and among all of their house.

In connexion with the subject of the evening, Mr. Collins read the following exceedingly interesting extract: - "The operations of the Society have been promoted in Europe, Asia, Africa and America, by more than seven thousand kindred Institutions; of these, nearly four thousand have been formed in Great Britain and Ireland. The Society has promoted the distribution, printing, or translation of the Sacred Volume, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, in one hundred and thirty-eight languages or dialects. The number of versions of the Holy Scriptures, in whole or in part, hitherto completed, is one hundred and sixty, of which one hundred and eight are translations never before printed. The Society has already issued above eighteen million copies of the Scriptures, or portions of them; besides assisting Foreign Bible Societies very largely in their separate circulation - so that, from the year 1804 to the present time, more than thirty million copies of the Word of God, or portions of it, have been distributed by Bible Societies alone, in different parts of the world."

Resolution seconded by Mr. Nantes.

Dr. Forster Shaw was then called upon to move the third resolution. He said, that not having been previously apprised of such an arrangement, he was quite unprepared to say anything. On the prima facie glance of the resolution, he was glad to see there was no occasion for it. The following spoke for itself:-

"The renewed efforts be made by the members, and especially by the Committee of this Society, for procuring subscriptions and donations, with the view of extending as widely as possible, the benefits to be derived from a knowledge of the Scriptures."

Mr. Marsden rose to second the resolution, and said, it would ill become him to say anything calculated to disturb the harmony of this meeting, yet he could not help complaining that the party who had to make the arrangements for speakers should not have given in a motion until within the last five minutes; such being the case, he trusted to the candour of the meeting, to excuse the extemporaneous remarks which he addressed to it.

On reading the resolution which refers to increased exertions, &c., he thought of what was to follow, and enquired of the reverend gentleman behind him (Rev. Ebenezer Collins) when the collection was to be made? and to his astonishment that reverend gentleman replied - that it was thought by the Committee the parties present would not be prepared for a collection. Now, my Lord, I beg leave to say, that the reverend gentleman has most grossly libelled the meeting; I should be sorry to say a single word to pain Mr. Collins, whom I highly esteem, but I feel sure that he has made a sad mistake, and undesignedly libelled the community. To suppose that a number of inhabitants of the "commercial capital of Victoria," should by any possibility be present on an occasion where a religious, a benevloent object is advocated, without being prepared to support that object most liberally, is, indeed a strange error.

Look at the churches which adorn the place; think of the bazaar lately held here, and your Lordship must be convinced that you have merely to hint the desirableness of an object to secure its accomplishment. And may I ask, is not the present object worthy of support? Most assuredly. And it is the duty of all classes to unite in its advancement. If the motto of the Trafalgar hero was ever applicable, it is at the present. If, when engaged in fighting his country's battles, Nelson could announce that "England expected every man to do his duty," surely in the bloodless warfare, in which the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God - the church of the Living God - expects and demands that every man, - aye, and every woman too, should do their duty.

Indeed, my Lord, one great recommendation in favor of the Bible Society, is its catholic character, the broad platform on which it rests; here all who love the Bible may meet as on common ground, and without sacrificing principle, unite in one common object; and, here allow me to tell your Lordship a secret, for like many other Yorkshiremen, I sometimes tell a secret in a very public place.

The secret to which I allude is in reference to your Lordship's appointment as Bishop of Melbourne. When the news reached the colony, respecting the appointment of a Bishop for the Province, many Protestants - not Episcopalian - felt considerable anxiety on the subject, fearing lest the office should be given to one who would exalt the traditions of men; but when we learnt that your Lordship had dared to mingle with the "humanity-mongers of Exeter Hall," and to advocate the interests of the Bible Society; when I say, we heard that your Lordship had mingled with the "Saints of Exeter Hall," all our fears vanished - all our doubts were dissipated, and we thanked God, and took courage, and I have no doubt that many prayers were offered to the Almighty for your safe passage, and that in answer to these prayers you have been brought amongst us; but, my Lord, the resolution speaks of increased efforts, and with your permission I will suggest one or two methods of usefulness, and of the most useful of them:

1. The formation of a Ladies' Society; if you can only get them to have the will, they will find the way of working more good, of being more efficient - more serviceable in any cause they undertake, than twice the same number of men. But, my Lord, there is one proviso contained in all this. You must let them have all their own way; they must have their own treasurer, secretary, and committee, all under their own choice and management. This auxiliary would first increase what may be termed, "the benevolent income of the Society."

2. To ascertain the number of persons destitute of the scriptures, and, if possible, induce them to become purchasers. Another means, which in our fatherland has been very successful; for it is the formation of branch associations in the surrounding villages and district - say for instance Ashby, South Geelong, and New Town, extending interior as far as we can manage it.

But to the subject: the resolution refers to present efforts. I trust then that we shall have a good collection. Now, my Lord, in Yorkshire we have a great deal of smoke, and noise, and steam, in order to produce our unrivalled broadcloths - now tonight you have listened to an interesting address, and have had some noise - we look for the results - namely, dollars, sovereigns, and Bank notes for the collection. Let us then have a long pull - a strong pull - and a pull together, and do give us a splendid collection.

Though not previously arranged, the suggestion of Mr. Marsden induced the leading members of the meeting to make a collection on the spot, when a sum amounting to £12 was collected in a few minutes.

It was then moved by the Rev. Mr. Currey, seconded by Mr. G. Wright,

"That the spiritual destitution of the country having long been a subject of lamentation, and the Scriptures indisputably being a great instrument in God's hand for relieving this destitution, it is the opinion of this meeting, that in addition to the depository in Geelong, others be established in the country districts whenever opportunity offers, for the sale of Bibles and Testaments at the Society's price, and that they who are present pledge themselves to use their best efforts to circulate copies in the interior."

Moved by Mr. Sladen, seconded by Mr. Myles,

"That the Right Rev. Dr. Perry, Lord Bishop of Melbourne, be requested to become Patron of this Society, and that the following gentlemen act as office bearers for the ensuing year:- President, the Rev. E. Collins; Secretary, the Rev. A. Love; Treasurer, Mr. Matheson; Depositary, Mr. Myles; Directors - Messrs. Addis, Roadknight, Champion, Woolley, Dr. Shaw, Dr. Clerke, Dr. Thomson, Dr. Hope, Dr. Learmonth, Messrs. Fisher, Lloyd, Timms, Howell, Myles, Drummond, Towle, Forster, Hill, Raven, Sheppard, Willis, Somerville Learmonth, and Marsden."

The Rev. William Cox Currey then moved that his Lordship the Bishop of Melbourne vacate the chair, and that the Rev. Ebenezer Collins take it. Seconded by Mr. Lloyd.

Moved by Mr. Lloyd, seconded by Mr. Willis,

"That the thanks of this meeting be given to the Right Rev. the Bishop of Melbourne, for his kindness in presiding on the present occasion, and the manner in which he has performed the duties devolved upon him."

The meeting soon after broke up. About three hundred persons were present.

In consequence of the absence of our reporter at the meeting of the Geelong Auxiliary Bible Society, during the early part of the evening, we were unable to furnish our readers with a report of his Lordship's opening address. We have since been favored with a copy of his Lordship's speech, and lay it before our readers with much pleasure; as the conciliatory and Christian-like tone which characterises the whole of it cannot fail to produce a favorable impression of his Lordship's behaviour towards the ministers and adherents of the different denominations of Protestants.

MY CHRISTIAN BRETHREN - It affords me sincere pleasure to meet you upon this occasion. - The British and Foreign Bible Society is one, to which I have been for many years warmly and sincerely attached. It is, in my opinion, one of the most, if not the most important religious society, which the Lord has ever disposed and enabled His people to establish. I will not say, "that our age and country have reason to be proud of," but I will say, that they have great reason to be thankful for its institution. I am happy, therefore, to find a branch of this society in so important and rapidly rising a town of my new diocese; it is most gratifying to me, that the first public meeting which I have been called to attend, should be the anniversary of that branch.

The Lord grant that his presence may be with us, that the assembling of ourselves together, may be for our own individual and spiritual benefit, and for the advancement of the kingdom of His dear Son throughout the land. I trust that nothing will be said at this meeting displeasing to Him, or calculated to give pain to any one present. - Whatever differences of opinion may exist amongst any of us, this is not the time to notice those differences. It is our privilege to have now come together on common ground, and to be allowed to contemplate only the great fundamental principles of our religion wherein we are all agreed; and that the Bible is the word of God, which is able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

I rejoice in the opportunity which the British and Foreign Bible Society affords me of co-operating with many respecting whom I am persuaded, that, although, through our mutual errors and infirmities, we are not able to enjoy full communion with each other here on earth, they are substantially of one heart and mind with me in Christ Jesus; and that we shall enjoy perfect communion with one another hereafter in heaven. This is one of the chief grounds of my affection for this society; that it brings together the children of God of every different denomination, and reminds them that notwithstanding their temporary differences, they are brethren in the Lord.

Much, therefore, as I love my own particular church, I would not say a word in disparagement of any other Christian community, I would not on such an occasion as the present express an opinion even against the Church of Rome. It is possible that some members of that church may be present, and I would rather that they should have their hearts warmed with love to that precious volume, which they as well as we acknowledge to be written by inspiration of God, than that they should be told that it plainly convicted their church of apostasy, and threatened all who continued in it with destruction. I have said, that even the Church of Rome acknowledges the Bible to be written by inspiration of God, and I need not remind you, that all Protestant Churches profess to build their faith entirely upon the scriptures.

I and my clerical brethren of the Church of England are solemnly pledged, to instruct the people committed to our charge, out of the scriptures; and to teach nothing as essential to salvation which is not contained in, or may be proved by them. How important then is it that these Scriptures should be in everybody's hand, and that all our hearers should be able, not only to test what we teach by the written word, but also draw for themselves out of that inexhaustible reservoir the water of life for their own souls.

God has given many precious gifts to men: He has given His only begotten Son to be our Redeemer; he has given his Holy Spirit to be our teacher, sanctifier, and comforter; and, next in value to these gifts of his Son, and of his Spirit, He has given us His Word to be a "light unto our feet and a lamp unto our paths." What more noble or more important object, therefore, can a society propose to itself, than the circulation of this blessed book? How shall a greater benefit be conferred upon the human race than by putting this most precious boon into their hands? Hence, besides the advantage of uniting all denominations of Christians in one common work, and so in mutual love and charity with one another, this Society appears to me to possess a superior claim to almost any other, upon our affection and support, because its simple object is to circulate the word of God - that word, which testifies of Jesus - that word, for the daily searching of which, the Bereans were pronopunced the more noble than those of Thessalonica - that word, which is the sword of the Spirit, a weapon of which no Christian should ever be destitute - that word, the whole of which was written by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

Yet, my Christian friends, the object of the British and Foreign Bible Society, is, perhaps, the most noble which the mind of man could have devised, and I hold it to be a very great privilege to be permitted to assist, in however humble a manner, in promoting that object. This Society shall, therefore, God helping me, always command my best services; and I shall hope to see its beneficial influence extending more and more widely throughout this province.

God has eminently prospered the labors of his faithful servants in this cause in other parts of the world. What a change has the Bible Society wrought in Great Britain and Ireland! how many hundreds of thousands of the laboring population in those countries possess copies of the Scriptures, which they never could have procured but by the instrumentality of this Society!

Again, what a benefit has it conferred of the world! How many nations have received from it the gift of the Scriptures in their own language! And who can calculate what shall be the result of this in the carrying out of God's purposes of mercy towards his fallen creatures? But I must not occupy you any longer. It would be to encroach upon the province of those gentlemen who are going to address you if I were to enter upon the particular working of the Society. I shall therefore now request the Secretary to read the Report for the last year.

In his concluding address his Lordship acknowledged the vote of thanks presented by the meeting. He likewise cheerfully accepted the office of Patron of the Society, and assured those present that he would be happy at any time to forward the interests of the Society. He alluded to the kind manner in which the speakers had spoken of himself, and expressed himself as highly gratified by the Christian affection shown by them. He was glad to learn that so many had been employed in offering prayer for his safe arrival. It was doubtless in answer to those prayers that he and his companions had been preserved on the mighty deep and brought in peace and safety to their destined place. He hoped that the prayers of those who had already prayed for his safe arrival, would be continued for his support and guidance in the important station which he occupied.

He expressed his concurrence in the suggestions which had been made in reference to a Ladies' Auxiliary, and hoped that as the gentleman who had made the proposal, was now a member of the Committee, he would endeavour to carry into operation the plans suggested by him.

He then in reference to something which had fallen from one of the speakers, who had called the Presbyterian Church a dissenting place of worship, remarked, that in this colony no denomination of Christians professed any superiority over the others. Here there was no established church, and, therefore as far as the civil power was concerned all bodies of professing Christians stood on equal ground. He, as a Bishop of the United Church of England and Ireland, had no more right to call his brother in the Lord, the Rev. Andrew Love, a dissenter, than the Rev. Andrew Love had to call him a dissenter. He hoped that he never should be found amongst those who exalt the word of man, or the traditions of men, above the Word of God.

In conclusion, he exhorted those present to examine themselves before they retired to rest that night, in order that they might ascertain whether they were personally interested in the blessings which the Word of God was intended to confer upon mankind, so that if during the hours they were laid down for repose, they should be called away from this world, they might be conducted to that blissful abode, prepared for all believers in the Lord Jesus.