months under instruction, had made a progress beyond what could have been expected; fair specimens of their writing were handed round the room, and excited much admiration.

Spelling and Scripture lessons are now prepared in French,. Italian, Spanish, Russian and Portuguese. Auxiliary Societies are spreading through different parts of the kingdom-to Bristol, Plymouth, Tavistock, &c. In Ireland also, for which country the system is allowed to be particularly adapted, "The Irish Society for the Education of the Poor," (established there in 1814,) has now 513 schools, and about 40,000 scholars.

The Report now turned to the Foreign connexions and concerns of the Society The Society for Elementary instruction at Paris, (formed in 1815,) in the course of last year opened 157 new schools, making about 1400, equally accessible to Catholics and Protestants. Adult schools have been formed; and in several departments Sunday Schools are also introduced, and 6,000 Testaments have been placed at the disposal of the Directors by the Bible Society at Paris.

The Report then proceeded to make the tour of Europe and the world, dwelling with particular complacency on the immense territories of Russia and India, where education is making the most rapid progress.

The Meeting was then successively addressed by T. S. Rice, Esq.; the Rev, G. Burder; W. Allen, Esq. Treasurer; Mr. Wilberforce, M. P.; the Rev. Rowland Hill; Baron de Stael; Rev. Mark Wilks, from Paris; Mr. Evans, M. P.; Rev. Mr. Cox, of Hackney; J. Randolph, Esq. from the United States; Lord Ebrington; Dr. Schwabe; Dr. Waugh; Rev. N. Bull, rector of Saffron Walden; and the Royal Chairman.

Annual donations of 100l. each were reported from His Majesty, and from His Grace the Duke of Bedford.

National School Society.-The Annual Examination of the children of this Society, educated under the Madras system, took place on Wednesday, May 15, at the Central School, Baldwin's Gardens, Gray's Inn-lane, when there was a numerous and highly respectable attendance.

The company having taken their seats, at about one o'clock the Archbishop of Canterbury, followed by a numerous train of the nobility and gentry, entered the room, and his Grace took the Chair, and was supported by the Archbishop of York, Bishops of London, Llandaff, Lincoln, St. Asaph, Gloucester, and Worcester; Archdeacons Watson, Bloomfield, Prosser; Lords Radford, Kenyon, Gardiner; Sir J. Langham, &c. The children, amounting to 486 boys, and 206 girls were then examined, and gave great satisfaction to the company.

Continental Society.-Two sermons were, during the last month, preached for the benefit of this institution; the one on Tuesday evening, May 7, at Blackfriars Church, by the Rev. Lewis Way, and

the other on Sunday evening, the 12th, at the Rev. Mr. Burder's meeting, by Mr. Sloper of Hitchin.

On Wednesday, May 15, at noon, was held the Anniversary Meeting at Freemason's Hall, when a numerous and respectable company attended, Sir T. Baring, Bart. M. P. in the Chair, supported by several English and foreign gentlemen of distinction; and there was a numerous attendance of ladies. The object of the Society is the distribution of Bibles, Testaments, and religious publications over the Continent of Europe. It appeared from the Report, that during the last three months, 307 New Testaments, 25 Bibles, 355 Gospels and Epistles, and above 3000 Tracts had been circulated on the Continent, and that the various agents employed by the Society had been received on their visits to the Continent with kindness, and the Society was rising in estimation, as were also the Scriptures themselves, which in some places on the Continent fetch prices comparatively high. Several ministers and others addressed the Meeting, and a liberal collection was made for the institution.

Protestant Society for the Protection of Religious Liberty-The eleventh Anniversary Meeting of this Society was held on Saturday, May 11th, at the City of London Tavern, Lord John Russell in the Chair, and was very numerously attended. After reading some extracts from the Minutes by Mr. Pellatt, one of the Secretaries, Mr. John Wilks, the other Secretary, rese, as usual, and, with his accustomed energy and eloquence, took a review of the proceedings of the Committee during the past year. Previous, however, to entering on these, he briefly adverted to two or three cases, which particularly engaged their attention at the last Anniversary:-1. Amos Norroway had obtained a comfortable asylum in a cottage out of the reach of his persecutors. 2. Griffin, who had been con victed of rioting in Hampshire, but the magistrates refused to enforce the penalty, had his sentence enforced by the Court of King's Bench. His imprisonment produced contrition, and the Committee then acquiesced in his discharge. Still, however, Mr. W. suggested some legislative provision would be necessary to prevent so great trouble and expense in attaining justice. 3. Mr. Brougham's Bill had, as Mr. W. hoped, "passed away to that grave where many mistaken projects of the benevolent and worthy happily slumber to awake no more."

Mr. W. then pleasantly complained of the great number of applications made to him and to the Committee, totally foreign to the object of the Society, and some of them not a little ridiculous and absurd.

The cases of the last year, which fell within their limits, were then divided into their usual classes.

First, pecuniary cases included turnpike tolls, assessed taxes, poor's rates, and mortuary fees. Among the cases of Chapels rated to the poor, the most vexatious had been those of Mr. Jay, Mr. Slatterie, Mr. Collison, and Paddington Chapel, which had been successfully resisted; and here Mr. W. repeated his former statement, that "Meeting-houses were rateable to the poor" only "where

there was a beneficial occupier;" but then all necessary expenses must be deducted. As cases partly pecuniary, Mr. W. referred to attempts to obtrude upon Dissenters expensive parochial and corporation offices. The corporation of York had attempted to enforce upon Mr. Allen, a Dissenter, the office of sheriff, notwithstanding the well-known decision of the Judges and the House of Lords in the, case of the city of London against Mr. Evans, in the last reign. They had however been silenced by the Court of King's Bench. Here also Mr. W. very properly adverted to the cruel bigotry of certain clerical magistrates, who refused all charitable assistance to them who attended the Meetings, or suffered their children to attend the Sunday Schools of Dissenters.

The second class included cases of riots and disturbances of worship, of which, we regret to learn, that instances have occurred in the counties of Wilts, Herts, Essex, Middlesex, &c. some of which are still in a course of legal investigation.

Another class of aggressions resting with the clergy only, referred to refusals to marry, or to bury, persons of the Baptist denomination; in remedy of which Mr. W. suggested the necessity of some alteration in the marriage laws, and burying within their own premises. Under miscellaneous matters, Mr. Wilks adverted to the cruel case of Mr. Waller, condemned to three months' imprisonment in the county gaol, and that while suffering from ill health, for the enormous crime of preaching in the King's highway! when, on the same day, a woman was committed for one month only, for selling the most obscene publications!

Mr. Wilks then took a review of the progress of toleration and of religious liberty in this country and throughout the world-stated what he considered as still wanting in the case of Protestant Dissenters, and concluded a speech which lasted three hours and twenty minutes, amidst the loud and continued plaudits of a meeting more numerous than in any former instance. A series of Resolutions were then proposed and seconded with eloquent and impressive (though necessarily short) speeches, by the Rev. Dr. Bogue, Mr. Townsend, Mr. Wilks, sen. and Dr. Styles.

The resolutions being all passed unanimously, the Noble Chairman closed the meeting with expressing his warm attachment to the cause of religious and civil liberty, and his best wishes for the prosperity of the Society.

IRELAND.-EDUCATION SOCIETIES.

Irish Society for Education in the Irish Language.-This Society was formed in Dublin, in 1816. From its Reports, and other publications in furtherance of its views, we shall lay some account of it before our readers.

The object of the Society is thus explained in one of its regulations: "To instruct the native Irish, who still use their vernacular language, how to employ it as a means for obtaining an accurate knowledge of the English."

By the last accounts, it appears that the Society has 47 stationary schools, containing 2,078 scholars, of whom 888 are adults. Besides these, six masters, on the Circulatory System, inspect and control ten schools each; forming a total of 107 schools under the protection of the Society.

Sunday Schools have been established in the neighbourhood of each station where a fixed master is placed, to be under his care, and superintended by his daily scholars by this means, it is expected that between 60 and 100 new schools may be formed in the course of the ensuing year, with the small addition of 21.12s. annual charge to each. Thus a powerful means presents itself, at a small expense, of carrying into effect the objects of the Society.

After stating, that, of the 6,800,000 and upward, ascertained by the late Parliamentary Census, to be the amount of the population of Ireland, the number who speak Irish alone is above 2,000,000, the comparative neglect which the Irish have experienced is thus urged :

"We will now for a moment advert to the heart-appalling contrast of the little which had been done for the people of Ireland, in the year 1815, in providing them the means of instruction in their own language, when compared with what had been provided for others, within the kingdom of Great Britain, under similar circumstances as to language with Ireland. For 20,000 speakers of Manks, 25,000 Bibles and religious books have been provided, besides the Bible stereotyped in their language-for 400,000 Gælic speakers, in the Highlands and the Hebrides, 50,000 Bibles and Testaments-for 600,000 Welsh, 100,000 Bibles and Testaments--for 2,000,000 of Irish, speaking exclusively that language, 3,000 Bibles and Testaments only! What a debt have we to redeem to God and man! And what an ample field for Christian activity!"

SCOTLAND.-PARISH ASSOCIATIONS.

THE following paper, from the pen of Dr. Chalmers,' has just come to hand, and we commend it to the serious attention of all Ministers and Church Officers of our city.

PARISH ASSOCIATION FOR RELIGIOUS PURPOSES.

Is the month of December last, the following circular was distributed to all the families in St. John's parish, Glasgow; and being followed up after by a visit from the elder, or other agents, in their several proportions, the result has been, that almost invariably the people have welcomed the proposal, and come forward with their contributions more liberally than was anticipated. In some single proportions, (which are upon an average about eighty families,) twenty-two shillings were collected the first month.

To the Parishioners of St. John's, Glasgow.

BRETHREN.-We, the Pastor, Elders, Deacons, and Sabbath-School Teachers, being connected with you in spiritual things, approach you with the warmest wishes and prayers for your temporal and eternal wel

fare. Having been much refreshed and edified in our own souls, by the tidings which are brought from a distance, and circulated at home, of the progress of Christ's kingdom upon the earth, we are not a little desirous that you should be partakers of our joy and thanksgiving-therefore, we have resolved, after prayer for the divine blessing, to procure for you a regular supply of religious intelligence from all quarters, and, by your help, to spread it abroad to every corner, and every family of the parish, that no one may be ignorant of the great work which the Lord is working among the nations. And in pursuance of this resolution, we now come forward to explain to you the method we have adopted for carrying this our plan into effect.

The parish is divided into 25 proportions, over each of which one Elder, one Deacon, and generally two Sabbath-School Teachers preside. These will, with your aid and approbation, choose from amongst you, such as are willing and able to take a charge in this matter, and into their hands the whole management within their bounds will be committed. The managers will be supplied each month with the last religious intelligence, which they will hand round amongst your houses, and to which, when thus brought to your door, we crave, in the name of Jesus, your earnest attention. It were truly a heartsome task, and well worthy a Christian father, to gather his family around him once a month, and read in their hearing the good news of the Redeemer's kingdom; and, when they wonder at the ignorance and barbarity of heathen lands, to impress their minds with the blessings which Christians hold of the Gospel; and, when they see the knowledge and improvement which follow the footsteps of the messengers of peace, to unfold to them the order and beauty which will overspread their own lives if they will walk in the ways of God. Thus, brethren, might you minister a monthly feast to the souls of your household, while, at the same time, you made them acquainted with the moral and political conduct of every country under heaven. For we do not hesitate to say (knowing the truth of what we aver) that within the same compass, you shall not find so much accurate and impressive information about foreign parts, as in those journals which we shall submit to your perusal. So that, were we not watching for your souls, but merely ministering to your knowledge and entertainment, we know not a better method. Let us hope then, brethren, that, once a-month at least, the labours of the day being over, before you commit yourselves to the Lord for the night, you will yourselves, or your children for you, give to the ears of all your house, this Christian recreation, of which we shall take care to supply you with the materials.

From such a supply of food for Christian joy, thanksgiving and charity, we fondly anticipate in you the same fellowship of heart and hand, in the Bible and Missionary cause, which, by the same means, we have felt to grow within ourselves; and not only to grow, but likewise to bless and edify us as it grew. We disclaim, and will not have it said, that our object is to press heavily upon the hard earnings of the laborious, or to pinch the poverty of the poor still more. To you, before whom, for two years, we have gone in and out, we appeal, whether it is your silver and gold, or your edification in the Gospel, and your worldly comfort, which we covet. But, shall our own backwardness in a cause which we believe the best---shall our fear of being misinterpreted, hin