762 PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. 



PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 



XIII. Welsh Calvinistic Methodists. 



The statistical secretary of this denomination 

 presented to the General Assembly a comparative 

 review of the condition of the Church for several 

 years past, partly in answer to assertions that 

 had been made during the debates concerning 

 disestablishment that the nonconformist church- 

 es in Wales were declining. So far as could be 

 ascertained, the census returns showed an in- 

 crease in the population of England and Wales 

 duirig the past ten years of 11-54 per cent. The 

 increase in the number of full members of this 

 denomination was 14-40 per cent. The number 

 of communicants in 1880 was 118,970; in 1890 

 it was 136,051, showing an average annual in- 

 crease of 1,701. The increase for 1890 was 1,812, 

 or 111 above the annual average. The total col- 

 lections for 1890 were 202,707, while in 1880 

 they were 141,174, and in 1870 108,564. 



The General Assembly met at Morriston, near 

 Swansea, June 22. The Rev. William James 

 was chosen moderator. A committee was ap- 

 pointed to prepare a reply in the name of the 

 Assembly to attacks that had been made upon 

 the connection. 



XIV. Australian Federal Assembly. The 

 fourth Federal Assembly of the Presbyterian 

 Churches in Australasia was held in Brisbane, be- 

 ginning July 9. The Rev. Dr. James Scott, of 

 Hobart, was chosen moderator. The statistical 

 report showed that there were 417 ministers in 

 New South Wales, where the proportion of ad- 

 herents to the whole population was 1 to 10, with 

 13,830 children in Sabbath schools ; in Tasmania, 

 19 ministers and 174 teachers in Sabbath schools ; 

 in South Australia, 14 ministers and 250 teach- 

 ers ; in Western Australia, 2 churches ; in 

 Queensland, 42 ordained ministers and 26 mission- 

 aries, with 4,200 adherents; in Victoria, 210 

 ministers, with 3,300 teachers, 32,000 young 

 people attending the schools and classes, and 

 (57,000 adherents. A revision of the Directory 

 for Public Worship was approved. The sub- 

 ject of a revision of the doctrinal standards was 

 discussed, but no action was taken upon it. 

 Action was taken toward the incorporation of 

 the Presbyterian churches of the several Austra- 

 lian colonies into one. Recommendations were 

 adopted with regard to the better oversight and 

 strengthening of the missions in the New Hebri- 

 des. A new mission was provided for to be es- 

 tablished among the aborigines on the Batavia 

 river, in northern Queensland. 



PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. This island, 

 with its area of 2,133 square miles, is the small- 

 est province in Canada. It is, indeed, smaller 

 than the neighboring island siegnory of Anti- 

 costi. which is almost uninhabited. The little 

 island province is nevertheless the most densely 

 peopled of any part of the Dominion. Its popu- 

 lation, by the* census of 1891, was 109,088, being 

 at the rate of 54 per square mile. 



(xOYernment. Upon the acceptance of the 

 chief justiceship by the ex-Premier Hon. W. W. 

 Sullivan late in 1889 a sequence of complica- 

 tions ensued. Hon. Neil McLeod succeeded the 

 Chief Justice as Premier ; but, through the ad- 

 verse voice of the electors, he was compelled to 

 resign in April, 1891. A new ministry was then 

 formed as follows: Hon. Frederick Peters, Attor- 

 ney-General (Premier) ; Hon. Angus McMillan, 



Provincial Secretary, Treasurer, and Commission- 

 er of Public Lands; Hon. James R. McLean, Com- 

 missioner of Public Works; and Hons. Peter 

 Sinclair, Alexander Laird, James Richard. Law- 

 rence Kickham, Donald Farquharson, and George 

 Forbes, without portfolio. Upon the meeting of 

 the House, on April 23, Bernard D. McLellan was 

 elected Speaker, and the Assembly was opened 

 by the Lieutenant-Governor, who said : 



I have much pleasure in meeting you again, and in 

 availing myself of the advice and assistance in such 

 legislation as may tend to promote the interests of the 

 province. Although the lateness of your meeting 

 must be attended with inconvenience to you, I rely 

 with confidence upon your devoting sufficient time to 

 mature such measures as the exigencies of the province 

 and its public service may require. I was pleased to 

 observe last autumn that a decided improvement was 

 manifest in the manner of conducting the provincial 

 exhibition, and trust that the husbandmen of this 

 province may derive benefit corresponding to the ex- 

 ertions of the Charlottetown Driving Pant and Pro- 

 vincial Exhibition Association. It is a matter of re- 

 gret that the comparatively short crop of last year 

 was damaged to a considerable extent by heavy rains 

 during harvest, and as a consequence feed for farm 

 stock has been scarce during the winter. 



The public accounts for trie past year will be laid 

 before you. It is a niatter of regret that the expendi- 

 ture has largely exceeded the revenue, and as a con- 

 sequence the indebtedness of the Government to the 

 banks has been increased to such an extent as to 

 necessitate the adoption of prompt measures for its 

 settlement. The estimates for the current year will 

 be submitted to you. They have been framed with 

 due regard to economy and the efficiency of the pub- 

 lic service. 



Measures will be laid before youhaving for their ob- 

 ject the lessening of the expenditure of the province 

 without impairing the public service. 



Financial. In accordance with this speech 

 the public accounts show that the receipts from 

 all sources during 1890 amounted to $224,881.- 

 69, while the expenditure was $305,799.39. Of 

 this total, $110,536.28 were expended upon pub- 

 lic works, for the most part of a permanent 

 character. The estimates of expenditure for 

 1891 were $270,905. One item in these estimates 

 provides in part for the survey of a tunnel rail- 

 way which is projected between the island and 

 the mainland, a project of incalculable impor- 

 tance to the former. The session of 1891, being 

 the second session of the thirty-first General 

 Assembly, closed on July 15. 



PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH 

 IN THE UNITED STATES. As in previous 

 years, so in the present (1891), this church has 

 moved on in its usual appointed course. In the 

 free use of its liturgy and authorized services it 

 has increased in a steady, healthful manner. 

 There have been no disturbances or excitements 

 over doctrine or discipline, and the position of 

 the Episcopal Church, relatively to other de- 

 nominations of Christians, in matters wherein 

 there is divergence of doctrine and practice, re- 

 mains the same. Christian union of an organic 

 character, though earnestly desired, is still felt 

 to be something in the future. The Prayer Book, 

 as well as the conduct of public services, with 

 more or less of ritual and its accompaniments, 

 have been freely discussed, and there are unani- 

 mous desire and purpose to have doubtful points 

 cleared up and agreement entered into as to 

 matters yet requiring settlement. As the Gen- 



