The anniversary meeting of the Auxiliary Bible Society of Australia Felix was held in the Scots School, Collins Street, on the evening of the 25th November 1841. The Rev. James Forbes, A.M., Minister of the Scots Church, in the absence of His Honor the Superintendent, the patron of the Society, was called to the chair.

The meeting having been opened with prayer, the chairman read the following report:-

The Committee of the Auxiliary Bible Society of Australia Felix have now, in the good providence of God, arrived at that period, when, by the constitution of the society it becomes them to resign their trust, and give an account of their proceedings.

Before adverting to these, they would in the first place lay before the friends and members of the society a brief outline of the operations of the parent institution, an abstract of whose report for May, 1841, has come into their hands. The London committee open their report with the exulting words of St. Paul, "Rejoice in the Lord alway, and again I say rejoice," from which it may be inferred that the detail of their proceedings is replete with encouragement, and that divine countenance has been bountifully afforded them.

To survey the whole of the extended operations of the British and Foreign Bible Society during the past year, is to survey the whole of our globe, and to mark the diffusion of God's word through its many-tongued population.

In France, and in Switzerland, the society has largely supplied with copies of the Scriptures both the Protestant and Roman Catholic population, and they have been privileged to afford considerable assistance to the Evangelical Societies of France and Geneva - societies which are actively engaged in seeking the revival of the doctrine and spirit of the reformation in those sections of the Protestant Church so deeply interesting from the recollection of their original purity and vigour, their several trials, and their subsequent sad decline.

In Germany, 55,821 copies of the Scriptures, (i.e. copies of the whole Bible, partly of the New testament only) have been circulated, partly in the German language, partly in Italian, Bohemian, Hungarian, Swedish, Wallachian, and Hebrew.

In Belgium, in the face of great opposition from the Romish priesthood, there has been a circulation of upwards of 11,000 copies of the whole Bible, or of parts of it.

Among the Protestant nations of the North of Europe, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Finland, there is an increased demand for the Word of God, and the British and Foreign Bible Society has largely contributed to the supply of this demand, both directly through its own agents, and indirectly by aiding the local institutions in those countries.

The lost sheep of the house of Israel have not been forgotten. Copies of the Hebrew Scriptures have been distributed among this, the most interesting portion of the human race, in Russia, in Germany, and in other places where they are scattered abroad.

Among the Greek inhabitants of the Turkish Empire, as well as of the recently erected kingdom of Greece, the society has circulated to the amount of 15,000 Bibles and Testaments, thus giving ground for the cheering hope that the Word of God shall yet run, have free course, and be glorified, in those lands so interesting from the classic associations they call up, and so endeared to the Christian, as the scene of many of the labours of the Apostle of the Gentiles and his fellow travellers, and as the abode of those primitive believers to whom several of his epistles were in the first instance addressed.

In British India there is still open an encouraging door of usefulness, and the Bible has been circulated in the principal dialects spoken by its multitudinous population.

One of the most interesting operations of the Society, during the past year, is the printing the translation of the New Testament in the language of New Zealand. The aborigines of those isles were, as every one here well knows, about the wildest of the human races, sunk in the lowest idolatry, and practising the most horrid atrocities. There is now among them an eager demand for the Word of God, and many of them are well able to read it. Twenty thousand copies of the New Testament have been printed off for their benefit, and there is reason to believe have already reached their destination; and are now giving hope and peace to many a savage heart panting for the knowledge of the Word of God.

Your committee must pass over, without any further detail, the remainder of the Parent Society's Report. Suffice it to say, that the kind offices the Society have been extended to Southern Africa, the Mauritius, Western Africa, and Abyssinia, British America, and indeed to every portion of the globe except China. The recently emancipated population of the British West Indies are in the course of being fully supplied with the Holy Bible, most of the children at school, and many even aged persons learning to read, that they may peruse for themselves the lively oracles of the Triune God.

The income of the Parent Society during the past year has been £101,322 9s. 2d. Its expenditure £133,934 18s. 9d. which is larger than on any previous year, and exceeds Revenue by the immense sum of £32,612 9s. 7d.

The issues of the Scripture have been 900,912 copies, total issues since the formation of the society 13,223,383 copies.

With reference to their own proceedings, the Committee of this auxiliary have to report that on its formation in July last year, His Honor, Mr. La Trobe, patron of the Institution, handed over to its depository a grant received by him from the Parent Institution in London, consisting of an invoice of 100 Bibles and 300 Testaments, value £50 15s. 2d.

The Rev. Mr. Waterfield has in like manner handed over a similar grant received by him, consisting of 100 Bibles and 100 Testaments, value £29 6s. 6d. Mr. Waterfield further paid to the Treasurer four guineas, being the proceeds of certain sales made by him from a grant received in 1837.

The Rev. James Clow also handed over 12 Gaelic Bibles, 33 Gaelic Testaments, and 43 English Testaments which were entrusted to him by the surgeon of the "David Clarke" to whom a grant, of which these are part, had been made for the use of the Emigrants by the Edinburgh Bible Society. The value of these reckoned at the cost prices of the Society is £10 9s. 1d., of these Edinburgh Scriptures which have been given away, 4 Gaelic Bibles, and 11 English Testaments, sold at reduced price of one shilling, 19 Testaments for the use of schools.

Your Committee have in the course of the year forwarded sixty pounds to the parent Society in London.

The donations and subscriptions received at the date when the accounts were made up, amount to £87 16s. 6d., making the total receipts from all sources (including interest, and the £4 4s. before mentioned,) £112 0s 9d.

There are still due of subscriptions and donations £22, for scriptures sold, £1 14s. 3d.

A detailed statement of income and expenditure is annexed, from which it appears that the balance on hand at the date of making up the accounts was £41 19s. 3d.

The total issues during the year, have been 135 English and Gaelic Bibles, and 190 Testaments.

Depots have been formed at Geelong and Portland. At the former place there has been a small distribution, to the latter a consignment has only just been made.

Of the Scriptures above mentioned, 30 Bibles and 73 Testaments have been sold at reduced prices for the use of schools.

Your Committee have only further to state their opinion, that their business might be satisfactorily conducted without requiring them to meet so often as once every month. They would therefore suggest that the fourth fundamental law be so modified, that their meetings shall be imperative only each alternate month, leaving it optional with them to meet oftener if they shall see cause.

The following resolutions were then unanimously agreed to: -

Moved by the Rev. John Skevington, seconded by L. Foster, Esq.

I. - That the report now read be received, and published under the direction of the Committee.

Moved by the Rev. Joseph Orton, seconded by Major St. Laurence Webb.

II. - That this meeting record their humble thanks to the God of all grace, for the countenance he has been pleased to vouchsafe to the circulation of His own Holy Word, and call on all who love the Lord Jesus Christ to unite in earnest prayer that it may run, have free course, and be glorified over all the earth.

Moved by the Rev. Samuel Wilkinson, seconded by the Rev. William Waterfield.

III. - That, in the opinion of this meeting, the aspect of the present times calls for the most strenuous exertions for the diffusion of the Holy Scriptures, that God's truth in its purity may be presented to the minds of our perishing fellowmen.

Moved by Mr. Abel Thorpe, seconded by Mr. Dredge: -

IV. - That the following be the office-bearers and committee for the ensuing year: - President: Jonathan B. Were, Esq. Vice-Presidents: Rev. James Clow, Dr. John Patterson. Treasurer: Mr. John Dunbar. Secretaries: Rev. William Waterfield, Rev. James Forbes. Committee: Mr. Locke, Mr. Peers, Mr. Robert Reeves, Mr. Drummond, Dr. W. B. Wilmot, Dr. Patrick, Mr. W. M. Bell, Mr. Bertelsen, Mr. Gresley, Mr. Marsden, Mr. A. M. McCrae, Mr. S. Forbes - with all Ministers members of the Society.

The meeting, having sung the Hymn "Praise God, from whom all blessings flow," was dismissed with the Apostolic Benediction.