SIR. - In the "Home and Foreign Missionary Record" for July, 1839, a copy of which I herewith forward to you, there is a letter from the Rev. James Forbes, in an article headed "New South Wales," which, as it nearly affects the whole community of Port Phillip, I request you will have the goodness to re-publish in your widely circulating paper, that they may know what is there said of them. The Reverend Gentleman's letter, although my name is not mentioned in it, reflects most severely upon me; and that those who may take the trouble to read it, may, in some measure be able, to perceive how it does so, permit me briefly and simply to state, that, having been here five or six weeks before him, and having no expectation of his coming, or that of any other Presbyterian Minister, I preached regularly to the Presbyterians every Lord's day - that, on his arrival, as he was sent by the constituted authorities in church and state, I immediately gave way to him, and handed over to him the congregation then formed, such as it was - that, besides the more ordinary acts of christian and brotherly friendship which I have rendered him, I have uniformly assisted him in dispensing the Sacrament of the Supper, and, in considerably less than two years, I have preached for him almost fifty times.

I have the honor to be, Sir,

Your must obedient servant,

JAMES CLOW.

Melbourne, 16th December, 1839.

The following extracts from a letter addressed to the Vice Convener by the Rev. James Forbes, minister of the Scots Church at Melbourne, Port Phillip, and dated 20th December, 1838, may serve to illustrate the spiritual wants of that rising Colony, and the necessity of immediate steps being taken to relieve them. The writer makes very judicious and Christian remarks on the state of religious feeling which exists among the settlers, especially as regards the amount of their appetite for the bread of life. We can all of us understand such a condition as he describes, and cannot fail to perceive how critical it is.

"The immediate object of my addressing you on this occasion, is to solicit your attention to the circumstances of a station within my extensive DIOCESE, and, by your kind offices, in order to obtain for it a pious and suitable minister. By reference to the map you will perceive that Port Phillip is in the southern part of the territory of New South Wales. Three years go, its only inhabitants, were the savages of the wild, now it has a population of several thousand white men. Melbourne, the capital, was two and a half years since, mere forest or bush, as we call it. Now it has between three and four hundred houses, and a population not short of one thousand, every day increasing by emigration from Van Diemen's Land. I have been here since the end of January, 1838, and have, by the kind guidance and aid of the Head of the Church, been able to organize a congregation, and get above six hundred pounds subscribed towards the erection of a church. Besides me, there are an Episcopal and Independent minister in the place, and a subscription is also going on for a Methodist chapel; there is, however, no Wesleyan Missionary here at present."

"The locality, however, in behalf of which I would bespeak your services is Geeling, or (Geelong,) about sixty miles by land, thirty-five by water, from Melbourne. It is a station which I have occasionally visited, and as a township has been laid out, and will be thrown open for building and settling, it may soon be expected to rival the older settlement. At present the land belongs to the Crown, but it is closely peopled by squatters, as we term them, for more than one hundred miles in every direction. These squatters are more than one hundred in number, each possessing a large establishment of flocks and herds, with men varying from six or eight to forty, and amounting in all to more than one thousand souls. The settlers referred to are principally Scots. This is a most important point. The place is ripe already for a Presbyterian minister, and it is to be regretted there is none ready to occupy it. Before fifteen months, it is possible an Independent or even Wesleyan may settle there, and though we ought to rejoice when the Lord's work is done, whether those who do it follow us or not, yet I trust you can sympathize with me, when I wish a Presbyterian may have the honor of breaking up the fallow ground. 'I know from experience the importance of being first in the field. Had I been six months later in coming hither, the Church of Scotland would not for years have been able to exhibit the front she now does. Half my people would at this moment, I venture to say, appeared in the ranks of the Congegationalists.'" ( ! ! ! ! - Editor "Port Phillip Gazette.")

"People at home have no idea of the peculiar mode of feeling in religious subjects existing here. There is very little sectarian spirit, except among Roman Catholics! One half the people care nothing about any Church, of any religion! a large portion of the remainder are glad to avail themselves of the services of any one who appears in the character of a minister of Christ."

"I hope, in a month or so, to get the people there to open a subscription, and form a committee, for the purpose of applying to your Committee for a minister; and I wish you to consider the present communication in the light of a premonitory announcement of such application. They can easily guarantee one hundred and fifty pounds per annum, and a free house, worth here, eighty pounds a year, as houses generally bring twenty per cent, on the cost of erection. On this sum, although small, with the house, a man may live very comfortably; and if he were acceptable, there would be the prospect of considerable additions as the congregation increased. You are aware, that a congregation of one hundred, gives one hundred pounds; of two hundred, one hundred and fifty pounds; of five hundred, two hundred pounds, in this colony; and where there is no charge, but where a subscription is raised for the support of an itinerant, the Government double such subscriptions till it amounts to one hundred pounds. By the time a minister can be settled at Geelong, there will, I doubt not, be there two hundred people. At any rate, the settlers are wealthy; and what is more, - liberal; and they would make their minister comfortable, did they once see his face; but you have no conception how unwilling they are to do anything until 'they ken whom they're to have.'"

"Permit me, then, to beg of you to use your influence in the Committee to get an active pious man, (if a good deal a man of the world, so much the better,) for this place. Let him be one more anxious about the work than the wages, - one willing to 'spend and be spent' in the service of his Master. See that he be a good horserman; and it would be well if married."

"I have spoken thus freely, because my heart is anxious for our Church's welfare. Unless our friends at home arouse themselves on our behalf, we shall be verily weak as water. We need men! - good men. Silver and gold we seek not; but, - and I beg your particular attention to this, - until we see the men, it is scarcely possible to get the silver and gold to be forthcoming. Our population have just enough spiritual animation to make them receive the food gladly when offered to them; they have not, however, enough to induce a vigorous effort to obtain it from a distance, - scarcely enough appetite to make them sensible of their want of it. This I am sure you can easily understand; it needs not my feeble pen to elucidate this peculiar condition of the moral and religious feelings of any society; yet see it every where, - even at home. Arduous as is the work of the ministry here, I see no reason to fear, that, like our American brethren, we shall suffer the pressure of poverty. For a time, our domestic accommodations may be indifferent; that, however, is no great privation in a country like this, with a climate so delightful, and even this inconvenience is not being to be of long continuance. You will see by the map, that I am at immense distance from all my brethren. Rev. William Hamilton, at Goulburn, is the nearest; but he is between four hundred and five hundred miles from this."

"We have an overland mail to Sydney (distant six hundred miles) once a fortnight! but of course I stand almost isolated from all. My hands would be greatly strengthened by a Christian brother at Geelong! I should have wished to make a few observations on the state of the aboriginal population. These, however, I must waive at present. Trusting that you will do what you can to promote the object of this communication, and that you will not cease to remember us in your prayers, I remain, &c."