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that I have still a painful long list of children and of families—the victims of circumstances—for whose passage I am unable at present to arrange. But the affection of the human heart does not stop here; it braves stormy seas, and traverses 16,000 miles of ocean; I have seen children come home for their parents, or to see them, and return, and parents for their children. I have seen one poor man arrive here for his only boy—sought for him in his native place, Ireland, and could not find him, traced him after a painful inquiry to London,—found him in a hospital, on a sick bed, with his leg amputated, a complaint having been brought on through the want of parental care; after a time this fond father returned to Sydney with his boy. I hope. Gentlemen, the cause will plead my apology for thus laying before you some facts, out of many, and from which I am unable to separate myself.
I trust to witness through your instrumentality and that of a benevolent public the consummation of wishes which both humanity and religion emphatically call upon us to see carried out. Putting natural affection aside, I may be permitted to ask would it be wise or prudent in parishes to do in such cases what parties under a well organized system can do for themselves? for there are hundreds and thousands situated in the colonies as I have just referred to; would it be right? would it be charitable in the benevolent to do this? Is it not the province of religion to encourage the best feelings of the human heart? Is it not our duty in every possible manner to stimulate children to fulfil the laws of God and the dictates of nature by helping their parents and rescuing them from pauperism? We must be careful how we interfere with such sacred duties, lest by an injudicious and ill directed charity we retard
