The subjoined notice, from a useful publication entitled the "Christian Witness, or Churchman's Magazine," the official organ of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, may interest some of our readers: -

'New South Wales is an extensive and important colony - Sydney is one of the most flourishing cities in the Colonial possessions of Great Britain, and Dr. Ross is among the most honoured and successful of the ministers sent forth by the Colonial Missionary Society. It will therefore be cheering to the churches of the fatherland to receive good tidings of progress in that section of the great Colonial field.'

'The following extracts from the correspondence of Dr. Ross, with the aid of a few explanatory remarks, will form an interesting report of our cause in some of the chief Australian settlements. The Doctor writes from Sydney, under date the 10th of December last; the first gives the following account of a visit he had recently paid to the churches in Port Phillip and Van Diemen's Land': -

"About a fortnight ago, I returned from a visit to the churches in Melbourne and Van Diemen's Land, which occupied me two months. The expenses were generously borne by my deacons, assisted by one old and staunch friend, who, on the morning of my departure, presented me with a mark of affection towards myself, desiring also that if my visit should be of any advantage to the churches in the South, it might be without charge to them."

"At Melbourne, I was exceedingly gratified with the state of the church under Mr. Morison. All is peace, and harmony, and united co-operation there. The congregation is good. The church numbers about seventy members. They have two day schools, one near the chapel, and the other at a distance from it, attended by upwards of one hundred and sixty boys and girls, besides their Sunday Schools. Their debt is £300, which they hope soon to pay off. Steps are being taken for enlarging the accommodation and improving the front of the chapel. Mr. Morison is highly respected by many of our denominations, and promises to be a very useful and successful minister of the gospel."

"With regard to the churches in Van Diemen's Land, I need not say much, as you are well acquainted with them. I was pleased with the standing of our ministers there, the influence they possess, the sincere desire they manifest to be useful, their harmony with other religious bodies, and their zeal to promote the gospel of Christ. I am now sending down to them, at their own request, a very talented young man, who was lately invited by my church to give himself up to study for the ministry, that he may occupy for a season some of their missionary stations there, and thus be prepared for a more important and stated pastorate at a future time. His name is Ewing. He kept an academy, is possessed of superior talents, and gives promise of great future usefulness. I should have liked to keep him here, but means were wanting, and perhaps his intended itinerant labours may be, after all, the best preparation in his case for the ministerial office. He is quite a student." *

'This visit of Dr. Ross 'fell out for the furtherance of the gospel' in a way not contemplated when it was undertaken. It led to new efforts and advance in Sydney; and proved the occasion of originating a second church in that city, as the Doctor proceeds to explain:' -

"During my absence the Rev. J. Beazley, of Green Ponds, Van Diemen's Land, who had brought Mrs. Beazley to Sydney for the benefit of her health, supplied my pulpit. His services were exceedingly acceptable - so much so, that many of my people, before he left, determined to make an effort to secure him for Sydney altogether. Upon my return they consulted me. I conversed with Mr. Beazley, and, finding his mind favourable to the proposed movement, called a meeting of the members of the congregation, and other friends of Mr. Beazley, to make arrangements for accomplishing, if possible, the object. Such a meeting was held last night, when resolutions were unanimously adopted."

"The resolutions of the meeting were to the effect - that it was the duty of the Congregationalists of Sydney to originate a second church in some principal suburb of their populous and rapidly extending city - that the Rev. Joseph Beazley should be invited to undertake the ministerial labour and conduct of this enterprise - that upon his consent land should be forthwith purchased on which to erect a suitable chapel - that a subscription should be then and there commenced for this effort - that Mr. Beazley's support for three years should be guaranteed."

"All these resolutions were passed unanimously, after which the subscription list was opened, and in a short time about £700 were promised, chiefly by my own people. The three first names on the list were for £100 each. Is not this generous, considering what they have had to do for their own chapel? To all this I append a petition. Help us. Not to build. That we will do. But help us with Mr. Beazley's salary. Give us fifty pounds a year for three years. You cannot refuse. My people have done nobly. They have relieved you of my support ever since I came among them, except the first quarter of a year. They deserve encouragement. Give it, and we will not stop here."

'To this application the Committee of the Colonial Society sent forth a prompt affirmative - which in due course will be now very soon in the hands of Dr. Ross. The zeal and enterprise of Dr. Ross and his people cheered the Committee, and it is hoped that the ready willingness of the Committee in assisting in their undertaking will cheer them in return. A subsequent letter from Dr. Ross, dated Sydney, 13th February, and 10th March, reports successful progress in this movement to the following effect': -

"Immediately after posting my letter to you, of 10th December, your very welcome epistle of the 22nd August arrived. I have delayed replying to it until now, that I might be able to communicate the result of our movement regarding Mr. Beazley. The resolutions of the public meeting, a copy of which I sent you, were transmitted to him, and in reply he states that, after consultation with his friends in Van Diemen's Land, he had been led to comply with the invitation sent him; and to remove to Sydney as the scene of his future ministerial labours. We immediately purchased an excellent piece of land, in a very suitable and central locality in the southern suburbs for upwards of £200, where there will be large space for the erection of school-rooms. After advertising for tenders we accepted one for a chapel without galleries, capable of containing 500 sittings, but without including the pulpit or pewing, for about £1,100. The building operations will immediately commence, and in seven or eight months we hope the chapel will be ready for occupation, before which time, most probably, Mr. Beazley will have arrived here."

"This is the beginning of aggressive movements to be carried on here. We have sold our old chapel to the Free Church for £1,250; when they have paid this sum there will remain a debt of only about £1,000 upon our new chapel but this will cause us little difficulty. When we have set Mr. Beazley going we shall soon pay it off, and then direct our energies and resources to new quarters."

"The more I know of the colony, the more I am persuaded that our present duty is not to employ itinerating ministers in rural districts, however much itinerants may be needed. We have not, and are not likely soon to have, strength enough for this agency. But, if possible, we ought to have a congregation collected in such of our principal towns - in these to strike our roots, and from each as a centre to spread out into the surrounding districts. I have no doubt that with the right men we might succeed in almost every case. I enclose a letter from Newcastle applying for a minister, which I received the other day. Had there been here a properly qualified minister willing to go, I would have sent him at once, but was in fact obliged to reply, "I am here alone, and cannot leave my post. There is no minister here available, and I can give you no help." Newcastle is a very important place, and in a few years will be surrounded by one of our most populous and flourishing districts."

"Thus the work grows, and might advance far more widely and rapidly, were we but able to seize the opportunities and answer the calls continually presenting themselves."

[ * Mr. Ewing, as our readers are aware, has been obliged to give up his career of usefulness in the ministration of the Gospel. ]