Part 5

The Secretary read the Report, from which it appeared that, during the past year, 566 copies of the Holy Scriptures had been circulated, 1662 cases of distress had been relieved, and 2976 children had been induced to attend various schools. At the present time there were 75 Associations, having 1630 visitors, attending 40,666 families, and holding 91 prayer-meetings. To supply the increasing appetite for religious and moral books apparent in the lower classes, the Committee had provided a series of Loan Libraries. There were now fifty such libraries, each containing fifty volumes. Several interesting facts, showing the benefit which had resulted from local prayer-meetings, the loan of tracts, and open-air preaching, were adduced. The mission to resident foreigners, announced at the last meeting, and conducted by Dr. Giustiniani, had been attended with the most salutary benefit. Repeated attempts had recently been made, with considerable encouragement, to visit the jails and poor-houses. Supplies of tracts and other publications had been granted to several country Associations.

Thomas Challis, Esq., then stood forward and presented his accounts as Treasurer, from which it appeared, that the balance due to the Treasurer at the last Anniversary was £126 2s. 9d.; the total receipts during the past year amounted to £1,041 19s. 4d.; the expenditure to £1,024 0s. 1d.; leaving the balance now due to the Treasurer £108 3s. 6d.

The Rev. J. Leifchild, T. Binney, J. Burnet, C. Stovel, J. Williams, T. Morell, J. Blackburn; also C. Lushington, Esq., M.P., and H. Dunn, Esq., in animating and appropriate speeches urged the claims of this Society on the attention of the Meeting.

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ECCLESIASTICAL KNOWLEDGE SOCIETY.

The sixth anniversary of the Society for promoting Ecclesiastical Knowledge was held in Finsbury chapel, Moorfields, on Wednesday evening, the 6th of May. Dr. Brown was in the chair.

After prayer by the Rev. A. Fletcher, and some introductory remarks by the Chairman, the Rev. Dr. Bennett read a report, which consisted chiefly of an exposition and defence of the principles and operations of the Society. It excited deep interest, and drew forth repeated expressions of applause.

The receipts by subscriptions, donations, and collections, amounted to £180 4s. 6d.; and the sale of books, to Dec. 31, 1834, amounted to £128 11s. 8d. The disbursements were, printing, publication, paper, and copy-rights, £254 2s. 7d.; postages, advertisements, books for review, &c., £26 4s. 5d.; commission and advertisements for publications, £28 8s. 8d.; balance in hand, £3 8s. 10d. Their new monthly publication, =The Ecclesiastical Journal=, had more than paid its expenses, and the Society was not in arrears, either to printers, or to other tradesmen. The only arrear was the remuneration which, in honour, was due to those who had furnished important communications.

The Rev. C. Stovel, T. Scales, of Leeds, Mr. Davis, Blackfriars; also Mr. Brown, of Wareham, D. Wire, Esq., H. Thompson, Esq., B. Hanbury, Esq., G. Hadfield, of Manchester, and A. Pellatt, Esq., severally defended the principles of the Society, and showed the necessity for its existence.

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BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY.

The thirty-first Anniversary Meeting of this Society was held on Wednesday, the 6th of May, at the great room of Exeter Hall, and was more numerously attended than any meeting since the formation of the Society. Long before the chair was taken, notwithstanding the unfavourable state of the weather in the morning, every part of the hall, save a few seats reserved on the platform, was so closely occupied, as in many instances to be inconvenient to the parties; but even with that inconvenient pressure, there was not sufficient room for all who claimed admittance. Under these circumstances it was determined that the lower room should be opened for those who could not gain admission into the greater, and that after the Report had been read to the large meeting, it should be taken down and read in the lower room, where the Treasurer of the Society, John Thornton, Esq., had consented to take the chair. Several distinguished supporters of the Society kindly acceded to the suggestions made to them, that they should deliver their addresses to the meeting in the lower room. Amongst these were the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel, Rev. C. Daley, Rev. G. Clayton, and the Rev. Dr. Morison.

At eleven o'clock Lord Bexley, the President of the Society, came on the platform. His Lordship was accompanied on the platform by the Marquis Cholmondeley, the Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, Lord Lorton, Lord Mountsandford, Lord Teignmouth, Rt. Rev. the Bp. of Ohio, the Rev. Archdeacon Corrie, the Rev. J. W. Cunningham, Mr. Plumptre, M.P., Mr. Hardy, M.P., Mr. Lushington, M.P., and many other distinguished supporters of the Society.

The Secretary, the Rev. A. Brandram, read the Report, which gave statements and extracts from the communications of correspondents in various parts of the world, describing the progress of Bible distribution in those places during the year. The distribution by the Paris Bible Society had, in the year just closed, amounted to 62,194 Bibles and Testaments; the distribution of the previous year had not exceeded 55,666. The accounts from Paris contained also most gratifying intelligence of the progress of the Society in Switzerland, in some parts of which a distribution to the amount of 27,000 copies had been effected by two of the Society's colporteurs. It appeared from extracts from Dr. Pinkerton's report of the distribution of Bibles and Testaments in the North of Europe, that 27,935 copies had been distributed last year in the Hebrew, Greek, Latin, German, Polish, and other languages, and that a considerable number of these had found their way into the hands of Roman Catholics. After adverting to the satisfactory progress of Bible distribution in other parts of Germany, in Sweden, and Russia, the principal Bible Society of which latter place had already distributed 717,977 copies of the Sacred Scriptures, the Report adverted to the state of Portugal and Spain. In the former country there was now no persecution for religious opinion, but every man was allowed to choose which religion he pleased, and to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience. In the Islands of the Mediterranean and in Greece, the distribution of the Holy Scriptures had gone on favourably, and the prospect was equally favourable in Moldavia, Wallachia, Bucharest, and part of Persia. In Calcutta, and other parts of the East Indies, there had been a much greater than ordinary distribution of Bibles and Testaments, and larger collections had been made to forward the objects of the Society. The accounts from New South Wales, and the Islands of the Pacific, were also most satisfactory. Two translations of the New Testament into the language of the different Islands of the Pacific had been brought to this country by the Rev. Mr. Yate and the Rev. Mr. Williams, and were now being printed by the Society. After going into some details from the accounts from Africa, which were on the whole favourable, the Report observed that they were the reverse in the States of South America. The attention of the Society had, during the last year, been greatly directed to the West Indies, with the view of an extensive distribution of the Scriptures to such of the newly emancipated negroes as could read. An extra subscription of £15,000 had been raised for the purpose of promoting that object without interfering with the general funds of the Society. The Report proceeded to give extracts from the communications from several islands, showing the earnest desire of the negroes to avail themselves of every opportunity to obtain religious instruction. It added that the first shipment made by the Society to that part of the world consisted of 73,695 copies of the Scriptures, the conveyance of which was given by the owners of the vessels without any expense to the Society. From returns from the Isle of France, it appeared that 60,000 negroes had received civil freedom, not one in ten of whom knew how to read; and the ignorance was, of course, great in proportion. Adverting to the progress made by the North American Bible Society, the Report stated that its receipts in the last year were 88,600 dollars; that its issue of Bibles and Testaments exceeded 110,000 copies, bringing up the whole distribution, since the commencement, to 1,113,000. The receipts of the past year amounted to £107,926. 1s., being the largest amount ever received in one year since the Society's first commencement. In that amount there were two items, which could not be included in the permanent income of the Society. The first was a legacy of £11,695. 12s. 9d. (less by the legacy duty), being a bequest of the late Horatio Cock, Esq.; and the other a sum of £15,000, voted exclusively for the negro fund. But when these were taken into account, the general subscriptions of the Society would be found to be little less than those of the previous year. In these were included a sum of £29,184. 13s. 7d., being the amount of free donations from auxiliaries to the Parent Society. The expenditure within the year was £84,249. 13s. 4d., leaving a balance exceeding £23,000; but the engagements of the Society amount to above £69,000. The distribution by the Society in the past year amounted to 653,604 Bibles and Testaments, and portions of the Holy Scriptures, including those sent to the West Indies, &c.; but even after deducting the latter, it would be found that there had been a considerable increase of the issues in the last year as compared with the previous years. The Report, after again adverting to the exertions made for the West Indies, and the prospect held out that those exertions would, under the Divine blessing, be attended with complete success in the religious instruction of the negro, proceeded to state that the present year, 1835, was the third centenary anniversary of the first printing of an English Bible. It then contrasted the state of society, and of England generally of that day with those of the present, and deduced the moral greatness of England now, compared with what it was then, to its exertions to promote the free circulation of the Holy Scriptures. At that time the number of copies in circulation was very small; the extent of the demand in the present day, as contrasted with that, might be judged of from this fact, that in one day last month orders had been given for 365,000 copies of new editions.

Amongst the speakers were the distinguished individuals whose names have been already mentioned, to which may be added, the Rev. Dr. Spring (representative of the American Bible Society), J. Leifchild, W. Yate, of the Church Missionary Society, Mr. Williams, and Hugh Stowell.

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BRITISH AND FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY.

The thirtieth Anniversary of this Institution was held at Exeter Hall, on Monday, the 11th of May. On no former occasion have we witnessed a more numerous attendance.

At twelve o'clock Lord Brougham appeared on the platform, and was received with long continued cheers.

Edward Dunn, Esq., the Secretary, read the Report, which commenced by noticing the death of the late J. B. Wilson, Esq., who had been a warm supporter of this Institution. By his will he had bequeathed to it the reversion of £2,000 three per cents. It went on to state, that the Society's premises had been altered and completed in a most satisfactory manner, but the expense had exceeded that for which provision was made. The model school carried on under the direction of Mr. Crosswell continued to maintain its high character, and was a source of the greatest satisfaction to the Committee. There had been scattered in the country 103 young persons, who had received assistance from this Society, without which they could not have been introduced to spheres of active usefulness. Persons of various Dissenting denominations, and members of the Established Church, had taken advantage of the Institution, and had manifested in their conduct towards each other that unity which bound all Christians together in the love and service of their divine Master. A number of new schools had been opened with considerable prospects of success. Since the last anniversary, Government had made a second grant of £20,000 towards promoting education, which had been accompanied by a difference in the mode of distribution, so that the schools conducted on this system had obtained only £6,800 of it. The Committee felt that whatever was done should be on broad and general principles. Grants of slates, lesson books, and other materials, had been made during the year. Fifty-nine schools, educating 7,250 children, had been aided during the same period. The report then reverted to the Society's foreign operations, and particularly noticed the desire for instruction manifested by the negroes in the West Indies. It concluded by adverting to the benefits which the Institution had conferred on the country.

William Allen, Esq., presented his accounts, as Treasurer, from which it appeared that the total receipts during the year were £2,645 10s.; the expenditure amounted to £3,482 7s. 1d.; showing a deficiency upon the general statement of the year of £836 17s. 1d. Those reports, he observed, only showed the receipts and expenditure of the current year; perhaps, on a future occasion, it would be advisable to give a statement of the Society's assets, and carry on the balance.

The principal speakers on the occasion were, Mr. Ainsworth, M.P., Mr. Pease, M.P., H. Pownall, Esq., Mr. Hume, M.P., C. Lushington, M.P.; Rev. Messrs. G. Clayton, J. Burnet, Dr. Humphreys, J. Williams, and Professor Vaughan; besides the noble Chairman, whose opening and closing address imparted no ordinary interest to the meeting, and were listened to with marks of the warmest approbation.

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PROTESTANT SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CIVIL AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY.

The twenty-fourth anniversary of this important institution was held at the City of London Tavern on Saturday, the 16th of May. On no former occasion have we ever witnessed greater interest excited. At an early hour every part of the large room was crowded, and hundreds retired, unable to gain admission. On the platform we observed Mr. Brotherton, M.P.; Mr. Alderman Wood, M.P.; Mr. Ewart, M.P.; D. W. Harvey, M.P.; Mr. R. Potter, M.P.; Mr. J. Scholefield, M.P.; Mr. C. Lushington, M.P.; Mr. J. Parrat, M.P.; Dr. Brown, and several dissenting ministers.

At twelve o'clock the arrival of Lord Brougham, who had been appointed to preside on the occasion, was announced, and called forth the repeated acclamations of the assembly. His Lordship immediately took the chair, supported by John Wilks, Esq. on his right, and Mr. Alderman Wood on his left.

And here we cannot help expressing regret that our limits will not allow us to present our readers either with the opening or closing address of the Noble Chairman on this occasion. Without pledging ourselves to the correctness of every sentiment that was uttered, we have no hesitation in affirming,--which is perhaps the highest eulogium in the fewest words,--that these eloquent appeals were every way worthy of the liberal, the enlightened, the energetic =Henry Brougham=; a name which, whatever lustre it may derive from the title appended to it, will ever be indebted for its highest and most gratifying honours, to the heart, the intellect, and the character of the man.

For these speeches, together with those of Mr. O'Connell, Dr. Brown, J. Wilks, C. Lushington, D. W. Harvey, the Rev. Messrs. Stowell, Hoppus, Sibree, Morell, Dr. Morison, &c., &c., we must refer our readers to the Patriot of the 20th ult., whose ample columns will afford them a gratifying report of the meeting.

The following Resolutions were unanimously adopted:--

1. That to the great and benignant principles of Religious Freedom, =this Society=, including many hundred congregations of Protestant Dissenters of different denominations, in England and Wales, continue firmly attached: That they must alway regard every interference with the rights of conscience as offensive and unjust--as detrimental to general happiness--and as calculated to produce those hypocrisies or martyrdoms which wisdom and goodness abhor: And that such interference exists in every age when perfect social equality, irrespective of religious opinions and modes of worship, is not enjoyed; and in every country where any civil advantage is bestowed, or prejudice inflicted, in consequence only of religious opinions entertained, or modes of worship preferred.

2. That such principles should be avowed by =this Society=, if they were but humble and unconnected individuals, or if they constituted a small minority in the State; but may be more confidently cherished, and more boldly proclaimed, when Dissenters from the Established Church are great in numbers, information, independence, activity, influence, and wealth--when experience has demonstrated the wide and deep injuries which other principles and practice produce--when the energies and benefits of the _voluntary_ principle have been felicitously evinced--and when the situation of other countries proclaims that Religion and Religious Freedom best prosper together--and that no secular alliances are needful to promote the happiest influences of piety, or the progress of truth: and that, to disregard, or to insufficient attention, to these principles, =this Meeting= mainly attribute the numerous grievances which yet peculiarly affect Protestant Dissenters, and the inadequate progress made by the Legislature and successive Administrations towards their redress.

3. That among those grievances =this Meeting= include the continuance of =Church Rates=, which they had hoped, ere now, would have ceased;--and to which they object because these Church Rates press specially on peculiar portions of the people--because they might be averted by a just appropriation of property belonging to the Church--because they occasion extensively irritating feuds, and local litigation--and because they are peculiarly obnoxious to those parishioners who, conscientiously dissenting from Church Establishments, erect and maintain their own places of worship--and support their ministers--relieve the necessitous of their communion--educate the young--and defray every congregational expense, without asking or desiring assistance from the State, and at their own spontaneous and voluntary charge. That in connexion with this object, =this Meeting= sincerely express their condolence with =Mr. John Childs=, of Bungay, in the imprisonment he is now enduring in the County gaol at Ipswich, on account of his conscientious objection to the payment of Church Rates--and also its abhorrence of the system which has subjected to such cruel and unmerited sufferings, an individual who has conferred great benefits on the cause of Religion and Morality by means of the press.

4. That =this Meeting= also object to the continuance Of =the Marriage Laws=, which for the solemnization of Marriage, drag Protestant and Catholic Dissenters, in defiance of their conscientious aversion, or doctrinal opinions, to the Altars of the Established Church--and regret that their sound principles have not been regarded in the measures propounded by the last and preceding Government, for their relief. And while they acknowledge the courtesy their claims have received, they express their belief that satisfaction will never ensue till all classes have the option to consider Marriage as a religious solemnity, or as a civil contract--and to have the religious solemnity celebrated by the Ministers of the Congregations or Denomination to which they belong--nor till Marriages may be registered by a civil officer with safety and facility, and on economical terms.

5. That the want of a =National Civil Registration of Births, Marriages, and Deaths=, is also among the wrongs which =this Society= have exposed and deplore. That whilst they know that much-needed and incalculable benefits would result to _the whole Empire_ by the improvement required--that valuable statistical information would be supplied, and all property become more secure--yet that the imperfections of the present system are peculiarly oppressive and vexatious to Dissenters from the Church, and that the evils they suffer must induce them to urge for an efficient and immediate remedy with universal, anxious, and unslumbering zeal.

6. That whilst =this Meeting= acknowledge the efforts made by a former Administration, who have now succeeded to the Government, and by liberal Members of the Legislature to remove the impediments which prevent Dissenters from sharing the benefits and honours of our =National English Universities=--they have yet to complain that the spirit of intolerance, and of selfish and sectarian exclusion, has been triumphant; and that even the Charter to the London University, founded on expansive and wise principles, has been deferred: and especially as on the survey of Europe and America, and even of Scotland, they discover that Colleges and Universities, with powers of conferring degrees, have been numerously and usefully established--and as they believe that the prevalence in England of similar liberality would improve our national destinies, and give cause both for Science and Religious Liberty to rejoice.

7. That many other matters prejudicial to Dissenters require interposition and relief--as, 1. The absurd jurisdictions of the Ecclesiastical Courts, and their powers to enforce by penance and indefensible punishment the decrees they pronounce. 2. The liability of Dissenters to provide substitutes if chosen church-wardens. 3. The heavy charges arising from the want of some summary means of perpetuating the Trusts of their Chapels, without the enormous tax from frequent conveyances at present sustained. 4. The non-extension to them of the remission of duties chargeable on the materials used in the erection of their places for worship, which is allowed in favour of the churches and chapels of the Established Church. 5. The powers of the clergy to prohibit the tolling of the bell on the death or funeral of Dissenting parishioners, and to refuse the admission of their corpses into the church, and to read the Burial Service over those who die unbaptized, though interred in the parish church-yard. 6. The exclusion of Dissenting Ministers from officiating (as is permitted in Ireland) in church-yards at the interment of friends. 7. The difficulty of punishing, summarily, the interruptions of public worship by the persecuting or profligate. And 8. The right of Clergymen, however prejudiced, incompetent, and unpopular, officially to preside at Vestries of parishioners; as well as other matters, diversified and vexatious, which chiefly arise from the peculiar favour manifested to the Established Church, and the withholdment of that perfect equality as to civil rights between religionists of every class, for which =this Society= will ever contend.