nighted regency. There are, however, in the British Consulate of Tunis two office-bearers, who are of the Jewish nation whose creed is—if creed it may be called—atheistical, father and son; the former is Chancellor and the latter Secretary of that consulate, Messrs. Santiliana by name. These two worthies are the sole managers of British affairs in that important regency.

These individuals, though excommunicated from the Jewish synagogue on account of their gross immorality, and avowedly infidel principles, are nevertheless the most virulent and implacable enemies of Christianity and Christians. They became "moved with envy" when they beheld the success the Gospel obtained amongst the Jews of Tunis; and have, therefore, exerted all their influence to banish once more the preacher of "righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come" from that dark region. They made peace with the chief Rabbi of Tunis-the spiritual head of the Jewish community there—and assured him that he might do anything he liked to the Jewish Christians, Her Britannic Majesty's Consul would do nothing towards protecting "those wretches."

The Rabbi, who hitherto did not venture to lay violent hands on Jewish Christians, hailed this declaration with great complacency, knowing that the Messrs. Santiliana were "the powers that be" in the British Consulate there, and could therefore do all their pleasure. Rabbi Shua Bisi then communicated the same intelligence to his son-in-law, Kaid Youseph-the civil head of the Jews of Tunis. This Youseph, is a very rich man, and for a large some of money purchased for himself the Kaidship over the Jews of Tunis from the impoverished Bey. The Bey is under great obligations to him. The Tunisian Pharisees, the Rabbi, and Kaid finding that the British Sadducees-the Chancellor

and Secretary of the British Consulate-were desirous of yielding them a sacrilegeous hand in persecuting, and if possible, in extirpating Jewish Christians from Tunis, repaired to the Bardo-the Bey's palace-and obtained the most cruel edicts against the Jewish followers of the Lamb. Some Jewish Christians were imprisoned and bastinadoed, and others had narrowly escaped being beheaded. The Rev. N. Davis, though a British subject, was in danger of his life, and the schools were broken up; for the most violent and systematic persecution was set on foot against the parents who would dare to send their children to the Scotch school, and thus the missionary, his wife, and Miss Brown, the worthy foundress of the girl's school, were obliged to leave Tunis on the shortest notice; and all this because Jews are "the powers that be" in the Tunisian British Consulate. We do not at present comment on the conduct of Sir Thomas Reade, the British Consul-General; we expect the Church of Scotland will, ere long, lay a succinct account of that functionary's behaviour before the British public. We quote the following passage from an article which appeared in the "Malta Mail," on the 26th of last May. The article refers to a report which was too good to be true, viz., that Sir Thomas Reade had received orders from the Minister of Foreign Affairs to dismiss the Santilianas forthwith from the British Consulate. The article contains the following passage:

"Now the British subjects must sing a Te Deum for having got rid of the Messrs. Santiliana, men the most tyrannical and cruel, who have been the means of all the injustices which Sir Thomas Reade afforded to his British subjects."

We must not omit to notice that the best and most heartfelt thanks of the British Christian public are due to

Mr. Ferriere, the British Vice-Consul of Tunis.

If it were not for his prompt, energetic, philanthropic, and Christian conduct, some Christian Jews would most probably have been beheaded. For our own part, we feel heartily grateful to the Almighty that a man possessed of such Christian principles is to be found in the British Consulate of Tunis, though his power is necessarily limited.

We are pleased with the tone of some Jewish preachers and lecturers in this country, and we believe that some of those gentlemen may be the means of removing the bitter hostility which pervades the Jewish breasts towards Christianity. For instance, we heard with no small degree of satisfaction of Dr. Raphall's liberal sentiments enunciated by that preacher last Saturday week in the Jewish synagogue, Seel Street, as also on the same evening, in the Mechanic's Institution; but we know, to our sorrow, that there are many more Mitchells in England than Raphalls. We cannot help, therefore, proposing to our readers the following problem for their solution: Suppose the Jews become "the powers that be," what treatment will Christianity experience at their hands?

If you are opposed to the admission of the Jews into parliament, you will be glad to read the above article. I own that I do not sympathize with the strong opposition, expressed by many, against Jewish members of parliament. But neither my parents nor my tutors ever intended me for a politician, so I will not attempt to discuss the question. As far as the persecution of bigoted Jews is concerned, I lament and deplore it; but it does not behove us to be vindictive. This disposition on the part of our Jewish persecutors serves only, to my mind, as a strong evidence that Jesus was a true prophet, and spoke as never man spoke.

I send you herewith a sketch of one of our Tunisian brethren whilst under the infliction of the bastinado, for professing his faith in Jesus as the Messiah. I know the sufferer; he is a bold and unflinching fellow, and though severe treatment may for a time tie his tongue, his heart, I firmly believe, is won, and his mouth may one day be permitted to speak according to the abundance of his heart.

I find that I have in my possession a copy of an address which the Church of Scotland forwarded to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs. I send you it, which will give you a full view of the vicissitudes of the Tunis mission. Please to return it to me when you have done with it, as at present I do not possess another copy, and I should not like to lose so interesting a document.

VOL. I.

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MEMORIAL

Unto the RIGHT HONOURABLE VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, Her Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, &c., &c. The Memorial of the Committee appointed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland for the Conversion of the Jews,

SHOWETH:

That the Memorialists feel themselves reluctantly compelled to apply for your Lordship's interference in a matter not only most important as it regards the right performance of the duty imposed on them by the Supreme Ecclesiastical Court in Scotland, but also as it materially affects the cause of religious liberty in general. The Memorialists, as your Lordship is aware, refer to the late events in Tunis, to which your Lordship has alluded in your communication of the 8th instant, and to which the Memorialists had resolved to call your attention, previous to the receipt of that communication. Your Lordship's letter, however, has so far altered the state of matters, as to make it necessary for the Memorialists, before entering upon the subject more immediately connected with the present application, to notice the reflections thrown upon the character of the Rev. Mr. Davis, their missionary at Tunis, in your Lordship's letter, and in the document which it enclosed.

The Memorialists having been appointed by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, for the purpose of promoting the important object of using all proper means for the conversion of the Jews, early fixed upon Tunis as a station suitable for this purpose; and, accordingly, in the year 1844, they appointed the Rev. Mr. Davis