cursory observer. It should therefore be the object of all interested in the management of these institutions, to increase the number of gratuitous teachers, bý engaging the elder children as soon as they shall have left school. Your committee are not therefore too sanguine in anticipating the full establishment of Sunday-school instruction in every district, and in every parish of those six counties; for not only have the teachers manifested a desire to extend it further, but instances have occurred where the children have employed the hours during which they were disengaged from school on the Sabbath, in assembling and teaching their young neighbours, who were destitute of the advantages which they themselves enjoyed.

Among the remaining counties of Ireland, the county of Wicklow stands preeminent as to Sunday-school instruction. There has been an increase of scholars there of 580 within the last year, and the proportion which the scholars attending the Sunday-schools, in connexion with your Society, bears to the population is as one to twenty-three. Your committee have much pleasure in calling the attention of the public to this county, which must participate in many of the difficulties that impede education in the more southern parts of Ireland: but the zealous and persevering exertions of the resident gentry and clergy have been blessed with success; and similar benevolence elsewhere will doubtless produce similar results."

The Committee next present a list of the remaining counties of Ireland, classified according to the extent of Sundayschool instruction, connected with their society, and with the proportion of Sunday-school scholars to the population annexed to each: upon which they remark:

"On comparing this list with the statement of last year, it will appear that a considerable increase of scholars has taken

:

place in some counties; in Cavan and in Longford, for instance—the former of 354, the latter of 309 scholars in the former also there seems to be a spirit of exertion which is likely to make it soon rank much higher in the above list; and the latter county possesses many advantages, which would give great effect to the labours of the Christian philanthropist. It will also appear that the counties are by no means classed by their local situation, nor by their provinces. One of the counties in Connaught (Leitrim) stands high in the list. Your committee conceive that this fact is most encouraging to those who are disposed to further this cause; for it would

appear that whatever difficulties may exist, persevering exertion and zeal generally produce corresponding success. They must however observe, that as the lists contain only the schools assisted by your society, they do not present a perfect record of Sunday-school instruction: there are institutions, which, having funds of their own, have procured books without requiring grants from your society; and there are others, which are instituted and supported by other societies. The London Hibernian School Society report 100 Sunday Schools under their care. The Baptist Society have also some Sunday Schools in connexion with them. The Sunday Schools on the lists of these societies are chiefly in the province of Connaught.

"It is impossible to advert to the counties which are in the lowest part of the list without the deepest regret the counties of Waterford, Kerry, Limerick, and Clare: these contain a population, rated in the late census, of 849,426; and the proportion of Sunday scholars, in the Schools connected with your Society, amidst such a mass of people, is only as one to 628. Your committee cannot speak in the language of congratulation, while it appears from the documents of the Society, that so large a portion of the inhabitants of Ireland remain thus uncultivated. Ignorant of God and of his holy word, undisciplined by early culture, and than the opinion of others as ignorant and possessing little other law of character lawless as themselves, it is not surprising that they should be the ready tools to execute the projects of the designing and seditious. In this district, and indeed in many other parts of the south of Ireland, it is difficult to find agents, willing and capable of acting as the instructors of others.

"The schools are generally conducted by those who have counted the cost, and are prepared through honour or dishonour, evil report or good report, to further the best interests of their poor neighbours; and they are attended by the children of those who value education too highly to allow any influence or interest to rob their children of its manifold blessings. Your committee are aware, that many difficulties are still in the way of scriptural education; but there is almost in all parts of Ireland a desire for instruction and a spirit of inquiry, which must, with the Divine blessing, sooner or later overcome all obstacles, and bring to the habitations of the Irish poor the inestimable treasure

of the written word of God-the charter of eternal salvation."

MERCHANT SEAMEN'S BIBLE SOCIETY.

The journal of the Merchant Seamen's Bible Society's agent at Gravesend fully bears out the gratifying statements contained in the Society's Report, of which we have already given an abstract. We copy a few cursory extracts.

"No. 1. The boatswain said, 'I revere the Bible. I have been cast away three times, shipwrecked once, and once taken prisoner, yet have never lost my Bible.'

"No. 2. The captain gave me a hearty reception; and informed me that in the last ship which he commanded, the reading of the Scriptures had a wonderful effect on the morals of the crew; and, said he, I beg you will receive a sovereign, merely as a proof of my good wishes for the success of the society; and further informed me, that he had a good stock of Bibles on board for the use of the crew, which he brought from his last ship

"No. 3. I asked the carpenter whether he had a Bible: he replied, I bought one of you, sir, four years ago; and I would rather go to sea without my tools than without my Bible. I have been taught to know something of its value, and where true happiness is to be found.' "No. 4. We had a missionary passenger on board last voyage,' said the captain: and when we started, our crew were like sailors in general, swearing, heedless fellows; but they were invited to assemble aft to worship. Many of them kept back; but every time we had Divine service, the number of attendants increased, until at last all came; and it was surprising to observe the alteration which took place in their manners, the result of their attending to the preaching and prayers in the cabin, and to their attention to the Scriptures. All was oaths and clamour when we sailed; but when we returned, the habits of the crew were changed from bad to good, and the difference in their behaviour was too conspicuous not to attract notice.'"

FOREIGN.

SOUTH AMERICA.-Bolivar is stated to have experienced a considerable check in Peru, which has given a temporary advantage to the enemies of Independence. The accounts from other parts of South America, however, still continue favourable to the patriot cause; and there seems not a shadow of reason to fear in any quarter more than those occasional and momentary reverses, which, we trust, will only end in the firmer consolidation of the general liberty.

SPAIN. The king has seen fit to explain, and apparently to extend, his amnesty, by commanding," that those who think themselves included shall apply to the tribunals, requiring them to declare them pardoned, which shall in consequence give them certificates to enable them to enjoy the favour his majesty has bestowed on them; and that neither justices nor the police shall place any obstacle in the way of these individuals enjoying freely the pardon granted them, or refuse them their passports."

It would seem that the government is not unwilling to lose its troublesome constitutional subjects; but the permission for them to accuse and condemn themselves by anticipation

is not likely to be embraced, except by those whose cases have been strongly marked.

PORTUGAL.-The affairs of Portugal continue in a state of great uncertainty. It has been rumoured that the king has obtained from the British Government a loan of Hanoverian troops to protect him against the ultra-royalists, headed by his queen, and instigated probably by the holy alliance. These rumours, though probably untrue, appear to have had the effect of lowering the funds. At least to them, in part, may, we apprehend, be attributed the fall of our 3 per cents, from about 96 to 92.

ITALY.-The new pope has commenced his pontificate with a fulminating circular to his hierarchy, denouncing Bible Societies. The following passage will exhibit the character of this document, which is more violent even than the injunctions of his predecessor Pius VII.

"What shall I say more? The iniquity of our enemies has so increased, that besides the deluge of pernicious books contrary to the faith, it even goes so far as to convert to the detriment of religion, the holy Scriptures, which have been given us from above for the general edification.

ren, that a society, vulgarly called the Bible Society, audaciously spreads itself over the whole earth; and that, in contempt of the traditions of the holy fathers, and contrary to the celebrated decree of the Council of Trent, it exerts all its efforts and every means to translate, or rather to corrupt, the holy Scriptures into the vulgar tongue of all nations; which gives just cause to fear that it may happen in all the other translations as in those already known-namely, that we may find in them a bad interpretation; instead of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the gospel of man, or rather the gospel of the devil.'"

His holiness observes, that several of his predecessors have exerted themselves to avert this scourge; and he himself, following their example, exhorts his venerable brethren carefully to keep their flocks from those mortal pastures, to make them follow exactly the regulations of the Index, and to persuade them that the translation of the Bible into the vulgar tongue does more harm than good. After quoting St. Augustin, he proceeds thus:

"Behold, venerable brethren, whither this Society tends, which besides omits nothing to accomplish its impious wishes; for it glories not only in printing its translations, but even in going about in the towns and distributing them among the people ; and even to seduce the simple, sometimes it sells them, and sometimes with perfidious liberality gives them away.”

In conclusion, his holiness sees the cause of all the evils that he deplores, in an obstinate contempt of the authority of the church.

This document would furnish abundant matter for comment; but, upon the whole, weare inclined to infer from it a favourable omen, that, entrenched as continental Popery is in its strongest defences, it feels already, even in Italy itself, a shock destined, we trust, to be final, from the circulation of the sacred volume of light and truth. The Papists defend the conduct of their pontiff by denouncing our Scriptures as false and mutilated; false by mistranslation, and mutilated by the abscision of the apocryphal books; but we shall be well pleased if the measures which they reprobate shall stimulate them to circulate even their own translations among the members of their flocks. There is probably no translation of the New Testament extant which does not exhibit the leading doctrines and precepts of the Gospel, if not in the clearest form, at least with an intelligibility

which renders without excuse all who read and yet neglect its injunctions; and let mankind once be permitted to read and to judge for themselves, and we have no doubt that the providence of God will open a way for their further and effectual illumination. It is the Lethæan power of ignorance that we most fear; and the wane of this is indicated in the very measures which are vainly concerted to impede the march of knowledge. It was not a little humiliating, however, to our feelings as Britons, as Protestants, and as Christians, that, about the same time this rescript of the pope made its first appearance, there should issue from the office of our commander-inchief an order forbidding the distribution of Bibles among the soldiers of our army, unless by the hands of the chaplains. This order has since been somewhat relaxed by extending the permission of giving Bibles to the commanding officers of regiments. But, even as it stands, it almost amounts to and to a sanction of the jealousy a justification of his holiness the pope, rara of the Bible and its contents. We entertained by the planters of Demethink it is impossible that such an order, if continued till the next session of Parliament, should then be passed over without observation.

INDIA. We grieve to find that our Indian government have been obliged to proclaim war with the Birman empire. A series of unjust and hostile proceedings towards British subjects by the people of that country, wholly unchecked by their government, has been set forth as imperatively calling for war. We trust that the whole of the transactions which have led to this painful result will be published in detail; as otherwise there cannot fail to exist a strong suspicion, both at home and more especially abroad, that this is a war of ambition and aggression on our parts, intended to enlarge our dominions and to push our frontier nearer to China,

DOMESTIC.

Scarcely any occurrence of much moment has taken place in our domestic history, with the exception of the remarkable order issued by the Duke of York on the subject of Bibles, already alluded to.-Some useful regulations have been issued by the Lords of the Admiralty for improving the arrangements of the navy; and particularly one for allowing the seamen a better scale of provisions, and a por

tion of their pay, if required, whilst employed in foreign service. We would earnestly hope that these are but the commencement of a series of measures for improving the moral as well as physical condition of our seamen, and placing the naval service of the country upon so desirable a footing that the public may be at all times supplied with voluntary crews of high moral character, as well as mere technical proficiency and brute courage. We trust especially that the gross iminoralities to which we had lately occasion to allude, will not any longer pass unnoticed or unchecked. The injurious effects of the wretched system of allowing the sailors large quantities of ardent spirits are but too obvious: the mind and body are habitually inflamed; disease and premature decay are generated; sober thought, moral feeling, and provident habits are banish ed; and an alleged necessity is creat ed for those corporal punishments, and that harsh exertion of authority which degrade our navy from its due rank of a popular and liberal service. There can be no reason why our sailors should not be quite as prompt and brave, as skilful and weli-disciplined, as at present, without that turbulence of mind which the habit of drinking ardent spirits cannot but greatly increase. We are glad therefore to observe that the regulations to which we have alluded substitute an allowance of tea, coffee, malt liquor, and various little comforts, and an addition of two shillings per month to the pay, in lieu of one half of the former allowance of spirits. Meat, vegetables, flour or peas, and tea or coffee,are to be issued daily; and flour, instead of being exchanged for beef, will become a regular article of allowance. We wish that Government would establish savings banks throughout the navy, and allow the sailors, if so inclined, to enter monthly deposits on the credit of their wages; subject perhaps to such restrictions as might be desirable, to protect them against their own improvidence, or the artifices of designing persons.

The White colonists of Trinidad, on the arrival of the regulations prescribed by the king in council, of which we gave an account in our Number for March last, met and passed a string of resolutions expressive of their decided hostility to them, and imploring their suspension. If we may judge from a speech which they have been at pains to circulate, the great gravamen of the case with these

colonists is the abridgment of the power of the whip. Our Government, however, had prudently given orders which admitted of no delay on the part of the colonial authorities; and the new law is now actually in force. We are informed, and we trust the in formation may prove correct, that not a single Black or Coloured proprietor, although half of the slaves in the island belongs to them, has joined in this remonstrance of the Whites.

In Demerara there appears to have been no abatement, but rather an aggravation, of that spirit of resistance to all measures of improvement, which produced the insurrection of their slaves, and the unjust persecution and death of the Missionary Smith. Mr. Austin has now become the object of their vindictive hostility. They have loaded him with the most coutumelious abuse; they have assaulted his domicile; they have joined in a petition to suspend him from his clerical functions; and, though this petition has not been complied with, yet he has found it expedient for the present to abstain from the public performance of his ministerial duties. Some check, we doubt not, will be given to this spirit by the report of what has passed in Parliament respecting the trial of Mr. Smith, and by the arrival of the Order in Council which is intended, henceforward, to regulate the state of slavery in Guiana. The complete return of the population of Demerara for 1824, has dissipated all the delusions which the registrar of that colony had attempted to propagate on the subject. The population, in July 1821, was 77,376. In May 1825, it was found to be 74,418; making a difference of 2,958; which added to 1,293, said to have been imported in that period, makes a decrease of 4,251 in about twenty-two months, being upwards of five and a half per cent. in that time.

The bill for consolidating the laws abolishing the Slave Trade received the royal assent at the close of the session. It comprises a provision for preventing all inter-colonial Slave-trade; all transfer, that is to say, of slaves from one colony to another. It reserves, bowever, to the crown a power for three years of granting licences for such transfers; but the grounds for such licences are to be laid before Parlia

ment.

Among the reports presented to Parliament during the late session, is a very important one, which we have not yet noticed, on the subject of