almost immediately after he had returned from a long and arduous mission on behalf of the Society; during which, his decaying health more than once arrested his progress-all tended to add force and sharpness to the stroke which was inflicted upon you; but, the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.'-blessed be the name of the Lord!"

The pocket edition of the Irish Bible, in the vernacular character, is reported to be making as rapid a progsess as the nature and difficulties of the work wiil admit, This edition is to be printed from the large octavo edition, now in course of publication, under the direction, and at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society; and it propo

sed and expected that the former will be concluded nearly at the same time with the latter. In the meanwhile, the Society has printed an edition of 4000 copies of the Book of Psalms, in Irish.

In aid of this important work, of giving to the native Irish, the Holy Scriptures in their own language, the Edinburgh Bible Society have recently voted the sum of £200; for which act of benificence, the Committee express their heartfelt thanks.

The receipts of the Society during the past year, exclusive of the sum of £300 voted by the British and Foreign Bible Society, in 1824, in aid of the printing of the Irish Scriptures, has been as follows, viz.

From Donations, annual Subscriptions, legacies, congregational collections, and free contributions of Auxiliaries, £1668 9s 11. From sales of the Scriptures, £4032 3s 9d. British.

Upon this, the Report remarks as follows:-"It is a somewhat remarkable feature in these receipts, that while your income, that is, the contributions made to the society, during the past year, has been considerably short of what it was during the previous year, your sales have been considerably greater, Last year your income was £2709 3s 9d British, this year it is from the same sources, only £1688 9s 11d. year, the receipts from your sales amounted to £3501 15s 1d.-this year, to £4032 3s 9d. But, it is to be remarked, that the greater the amount of your sales, the greater is the amount of your expences; so that for the year that now closes, your income has been diminished, while your expences have increased."

Last

The Report then adds, " In addition to VOL. II.

your pecuniary income, the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society, observing from statements in your reports, &c, that your operations were in some degree impeded and fettered, through deficiency of the funds at the disposal of your Committee, unsolicited and unexpectedly made to you a grant of 5000 Bibles, and 10,000 Testaments, in value above £3000, to be available to the general purposes of the Society, This spontaneous marked expression of confidence in your Society, and of deep interest in your affairs, earnestly deserves, and will doubtless receive from you a return of gratitude and affection.

The increase in the issues of the society during the year that now closes above the issues reported to you at your last anniversary, has been, as already, stated, 8257 volumes. And when it is remembered, that the issues reported at your last anniversary, exceeded those reported at the preceding anniversary, by 5191 volumes, you find an increase in the issues of your society, in the period of two years, of 13,451 Bibles and Testaments.

The issues of the Scriptures have been, during the past year, as follows, viz. 17,391 Bibles,--17,333 Testaments, -Total, 35,324 copies: making the total lsssues by the society, since its formation in 1806, to be 148,678 Bibles - 257,676 Testaments, or a total of Four Hundred and six thousaud, Three Hundred and fifty-four volumes.

In taking n retrospect of the whole condition and circumstances of the Society, it is impossible not to feel that the blessing of the Lord most signally rests upon it. Its pecuniary affairs unembarrassed-its issue of the Scriptures increasing its operations advancing rapidly over the face of the country-its friends becoming more numerous, and more zealous-its opponents retiring from the field-prosperity without-perfect peace and harmony within. - What has God wrought! Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name give Glory, for thy mercy and thy truth's

sake.

HIBERNIAN CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

The Annual Meeting of this Society was held at the Rotunda, on Friday, 14th April, at which the chair was taken by -John M'Clintock, Esq. in the absence of his Grace the Archbishop of Tuam,

and the Earl of Roden. The several resolutions were proposed and seconded by Rev. W. Hoare, and Rev. Dr. Hamil ton, Rev. Mr. Hincks, and Rev. Doctor Singer, Rev. P. Roe, and Rev. W. B. Matthias. Rev. W. Magee, and Rev. H: Irwin, Very Rev. Dean Mahon, and Rev. Mr. M'Kee, Rev. L. Hepenstal, and Rev. L. Foot.

The Report contained an abstract of the Society's proceedings, both at home and abroad, for the last year. It ap pears that they have now in the NINE MISSIONS, forty-five stations, with which are connected two hundred and ninety-six Schools.-These are occupied by 440 labourers, of whom 119 are Europeans, and 321 natives of the respective countries. The number of scholars under the Society is 14,000; of whom 10,457 are boys, 2,957 girls, and 676 adults. Printing Presses are connected with the principal Missions, and are coming into active practice.

The Report speaks in gratifying terms of the success which the exertions of the Society have met with during the last year, and that the authorities, civil and ecclesiastical, have given it their warmest support and patronage. The exertions of the truly Apostolical Bishop Heber, and his approbation of the Society and its Members, speak volumes in its favor.

The income of the Society during the past year, was £2474: 18: 11- a sum

considerably less than during the preceding year of this sum but £45; 13: 4 were the produce of Charity Sermons. The Committee trust that the only Missionary Society in Ireland connected with the Established Church will not have again to lament a deficiency in its funds—a wish in which we cordially unite.

CONTINENTAL SOCIETY.

The Annual Meeting of this Society was held in the Rotunda, on Tuesday, 18th April, when the chair was taken by J. M'Clintock, Esq. The Report was read by Dr. Robinson, the Secretary; and the Rev. Mr. Saunders, Rector of Blackfriars, London, Secretary to the Parent Society, who had preached on the preceding Sunday in aid of its funds, addressed the meeting at considerable length on the nature and objects of the Society, and the call on Britons as men and Christians to assist in raising the degraded state of religion on the Continent. The picture he drew of both the Protestant and Roman Catholic Churches was indeed awful, and calculated to excite the liveliest emotions of gra titude for our own blessings, and of pity for those who want them.

The several Resolutions were proposed by Very Rev. Dean of Ardagh, Rev. David Stuart, Rev. George Carr, Rev. Mr. Saunders, Rev. Wm. Bushe, Rev. L. Foot, Rev. C. Brighton.

Since our last publication, nothing has cccurred either at home or abroad, likely to disturb the external relations of this country, if we except the deeply-regretted fall of Messolunghi, which seems to have yielded to the efforts of the enemy after a gallantry and devotedness on the part of its defenders, that elevates them to the level of the inhabitants of Gerona or Saragossa. Though the loss will be severely felt by the Greeks, we do not apprehend that the results will be fatal to their cause: the interest which its defence excited, and the patriotic display which it exhibited, will produce effects that will be far more important than the injury sustained by its fall; while the apprehended failure of the Greek insurrection may call out the great powers of

Europe to take a part in the contest; It has been said, that the mission of the Duke of Wellington to Russia has had for its object such an arrangement of these powers, as by offering the Porte its powerful mediation, might secure peace and liberty to the Greeks. Such a line of policy becomes this country, and is indeed called for, if she would wish to avoid seeing Russia and Austria attempt in conjunction a liberation of Greece, which, if successful, might materially injure our commercial prosperity in the Levant.Our reason, no less than our feelings, are enlisted on the side of Greece.

The exertions making on the continent to again elevate the power of the Jesuits, are sufficient to excite considerable alarm. In France there is an active

contest carrying on, not only between the Protestant and Roman Catholic press, but between the adherents to, and opposers of, the Jesuits. The king and royal family evidently seek to prop their throne by the assistance of that wily order; but in their religious propensities they are decidedly opposed to the feelings of the great mass of the people, who treat their processions with indifference or contempt, and proceed against the devotees of Rome with ridicule and contumely. The secu lar clergy have signed some propositions embodying the liberties of the Gallican church, but the Archbishop of Paris, with an ingenuity that would not disgrace prelates nearer home, while he declares his approbation of the articles, refuses to affix bis signature.

In England, the consternation occa sioned by the commercial distresses has much subsided. The session of Parliament has been very tranquil, and the Secretary for the home department, Mr. Peel, bas obtained the warmest approbation of both sides the house, by his projected reform and consolidation of the criminal code, and by the liberal and enlightened manner in which he has announced the final expiration of the Alien act: instead of that bill of pains and penalties which the circumstances of Europe by rendering necessary justified, a simple registry, to be renewed occasionally, is all that he intends to call for from foreigners. We regret to find that the Burmese war has been again renewed, under circumstances of considerable exasperation, and although we have not been defeated, that our troops have suffered considerably. We are likewise embroiled with the native powers on the other side of India.

Petitions on the subject of Roman Catholic Emancipation have been laid upon the tables of both Houses of Parliament, without producing any serious discussion. From the reports of some late debates in Parliament, we cannot but express our regret, that some of the members of that august body have not informed themselves of the real state of education and its wants in Ireland. The

bostility displayed to scriptural education, and the attention with which the Roman Catholic clamour was listened to, afford but a melancholy prospect to the real friends of religion in Ireland. If there

A bare-footed female penitent, in the streets of Paris, was, a short time since, so annoyed by the mob, as to be compelled to seek refuge in a private house,

and to discontinue her exercise.

be no Irishman able and willing to advocate its cause, (and yet, while we see the names of North, and Foster, and Plunket, we cannot believe that such is the case,) let the Irish Education Societies place their documents in the hands of such men as Sir T. Ackland, or Sir R. Inglis, and by giving them all the information necessary, enable them to justify their proceedings before the British parliament and public. These require only to have the real state of the case laid before them, to judge correctly; as yet, from want of information, they have not been enabled to do so.

The religious anniversaries have passed over, marked by all the interest, and pious eloquence which are usually displayed at this period. That some Roman Catholics were present, though no opposition was offered, may be conjectured from the monstrous union of ribaldry and falsehood in which one of the Association orators honored them with his notice ;—an union disgraceful to the individual who used them, but beneath the notice of the objects of his attack.In a similar, but rather more vulgar, strain, Mr. O'Connell has denounced the Resolutions which we introduced to our readers in our last publication; and because the Irish Society, fearful of the persecution to which the individuals who signed it, might be exposed, have declined publishing their names, he pretends to doubt the authenticity of the document;-a sad sample of his mode of characterizing a Society, which reckons among its members peers and commoners, clergy and laity, the first and most respectable names in the country. He asserts, that "the affection of Biblicals (meaning the aforesaid Peers and Commoners) for a lie, is as strong as that of rats for the oil of rhodium" ! ! And this man is looked up to by the Roman Catholic aristocracy of Ireland.

The distresses of the manufacturers in the liberties of Dublin, have been brought before a meeting called by the Lord Mayor, but though a stagnation of trade and a depreciation of wages were proved, no case commensurate with the expectations of the public was made out, and the political aspect which was given to the meeting by the speeches of some persons who addressed it, was not calculated to procure general sympathy, or assistance. Its effects therefore, we deeply regret, as they may render the public indifferent to the calls of real

distress.