to the Roman-Catholic Population, under the immediate controul of the Parochial Clergy, and the general superintendence of the Ordinary. The plan has been tried, upon a moderate scale, in the Dioceses of Armagh, Down and Connor, and Cork: and the success of the undertaking has been quite as great, as, under the very peculiar circumstances of the times, it was reasonable to expect. The local contributions, collected from the Prelates and Clergy on the spot, have hitherto proved sufficient to defray the charges incurred: and no part of the sum voted by the Society has been demanded. The number of Agents employed in the Diocese of Armagh is 27, of whom 15 are supported by the local funds; while the remainder, for the most part, are supported by different Clergymen at their individual and private expence. Upon a review of what has already been effected by them, it is confidently stated, that, notwithstanding the obstacles opposed to them by political excitement, they have been the instruments of great good. The Agents, in many instances, have been found useful auxiliaries to the Parish Minister; and it seems highly probable, that, by steadiness and prudence, they may gradually gain the confidence of the Roman Catholics, and induce them to study the Word of God. ceived to this communication, both from the President of the Board of Controul and the Chairman of the Court of Directors; and, although the Society was informed that its wishes could not be acceded to, it had the satisfaction, at the same time, of seeing that the subject was deemed worthy of deliberate consideration-that the value of the Ecclesiastical Establishment was fully felt and acknowledged-and that the chief objection appeared to arise from the expence, which must be incurred by the erection of one or more New Bishopricks at a period when the strictest economy was imperiously called for, and had been introduced into the Civil and Military Establishments of the Company. The Society, feeling convinced that its interference would not be misconstrued, did not hesitate to present a Second Memorial on the subject; in the course of which it requested the particular attention of the Court of Directors to the following circumstances: First, that the inconveniences arising from frequent vacancies in the See of Calcutta are neither imaginary nor of a trifling nature. They are real, because the limited power of the Archdeacon, upon whom the charge of the Episcopal Duties devolves during a vacancy of the See, can never remove them. They are most serious, because, before the successor of Bishop James can commence the active duties of his station, nearly four Measures in furtherance of a Division of years will have elapsed from the death the East-India Diocese. The lamented death of Bishop James took place so soon after his arrival in his Diocese, that no opportunity was afforded him of doing more than evincing his earnest desire to co-operate with the Society, by entering into correspondence with its different Committees, and collecting information respecting the various labours in which they are engaged. When the melancholy intelligence of his Lordship's decease reached this country, the Society lost no time in renewing its application to His Majesty's Government, and to the Honourable Court of Directors of the East-India Company, for a division of the Diocese of Calcutta. His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury readily consented to bring the subject under the consideration of the proper Authorities; and enforced the arguments contained in the Society's Memorial, by recommending a compliance with the prayer of its petition. Replies were re of Bishop Heber, during which the whole Diocese of India will have been virtually deprived of Episcopal Superintendence. The Society also stated its firm conviction, that, without a frequent and personal inspection of every Presidency in his Diocese, the superintendence of a Bishop in India must be merely nominal, and the benefits to be derived from the institution of his office be almost entirely lost: for his authority and influence can be little felt, in places from which he is known to be far distant, and where he is seldom seen; nor, without an intimate acquaintance with the different manners, customs, and circumstances of the different Presidencies, which long residence or repeated Visitations alone can give, will the Bishop in Calcutta be capable of forming a proper judgment on the suggestions which he receives, the cases which he has to decide, and the measures which he should pursue in the remote provinces. At the same time, it seems impossible to imagine how any individual, even in the fulness of health and strength, could be able to make repeated Visitations of so large a portion of the world as is contained in the Diocese of Calcutta ; or how, if he did so, he could do it without the neglect of other and equally essential duties of the Episcopal Office. hope and believe, that the steps which have been taken in the business have paved the way for ultimate success. State of the Funds. Received for Second Statement, Sale of the Scriptures...... 0 474 6 8 321 10 0 236 3 0 0 10 0 12 11 7 3407 10 3 314 3 5 8 Total.... 3721 13 3054 2 11 469 19 8 Total.... 3624 2 7 Summary of Proceedings for the Year. Of Scriptures, in various languages, we have issued for distribution in Scotland, England, Ireland, South America, North America, the West Indies, and Germany, Bibles Testaments With reference to the expense of the proposed measure, the Society observed, that every Christian Government, if it looks either for the blessing of Providence, the peace of its empire, or the conscientious obedience of its subjects, ought, above all things, to make an adequate provision for promoting the influence of those principles of holiness in the hearts of men, which Christianity alone can teach. This, indeed, seems to have been unequivocally admitted, by the increased provision made within these few years for the religious instruction of Europeans in the East-a provision, of which the Society is not unmindful, and for which every friend to Christianity and to the permanent prosperity of our Indian Empire must be grateful. But no one ventures to maintain that the Ecclesiastical Establishment of that country is even yet sufficient; and, consequently, the Society conceives that no argument, resting on the general expediency of retrenchment, ought to be allowed to operate against an increase in the Ecclesiastical Department. Unhappily, these arguments failed to We have printed produce the desired effect; and another valuable life is exposed to the dangers, which are evidently inseparable from the administration of the See of Calcutta. The newly-appointed Bishop has sailed for his Diocese, unaccompanied by those colleagues who might enlarge the prospect of his usefulness, by contracting the sphere of his duty: and the Society has only to console itself by recollecting, that the general state of the Ecclesiastical Establishment, the very insufficient number of Chaplains, and the urgent want of due superintendence, must soon be brought, together with all that relates to our Empire in the East, under the immediate consideration of the Government, the Legislature, and the Nation; and that when that time arrives, a division of the Indian Diocese may be confidently expected. In the mean while, the sentiments of this great Institution have been formally declared and recorded; and there is every reason to 13,618 7,833 Gaelic Bibles in 12mo. We have in the press The German Bible in 8vo. . 10,000 We have taken steps for increasing our facilities for circulating Scriptures in Scotland, by the appointment of Agents and the establishment of Depôts in different quarters. We have set up a Bible Depôt in Newcastle, for that town and the populous district around it, and for such other parts of England as may wish for a supply from our stores. We have remodelled our plan of operations in Ireland, so as to hold intercourse with a greater number of indivi duals as distributors of Scriptures than we have ever done before. We have presented 1007, to the Naval and Military Bible Society. We have a revision of the French Scriptures going on in Switzerland. And we have established Bible Depôts and Agencies in Paris and Hamburgh, with every prospect of usefulness. The Agent in Paris is Mr. Francis Oliver; in Hamburgh, Mr. J. G. Oncken. Progress of the New French Version. The Revision of the French Scriptures, to which we adverted at some length in our last Report, as having been undertaken by a great number of individuals in Switzerland eminent for their scholarship and their character, is advancing with all the rapidity that is safe and desirable. From the correspondence which we have maintained with the Revisers, and the discussions which we have had with them on the translation of particular words and phrases, we are fully satisfied that they are more than ordinarily qualified for the task: not only by their classical knowledge of the languages, but also by their sound principles, and their anxious desire to give a Correct and Faithful Version of the Original Record....Their Secretary, Mr. Henry Oliver, mentions that they have received, from various quarters, great encouragement to persevere in their enterprise, that their brethren in France are waiting with impatience for its completion, and that the Work will experience there, he believes, a good and cordial reception. Intended Journey of Agent in Germany. We have engaged Mr. Oncken to make a tour through different parts of Germany, for the purpose of ascertaining the wants of particular districts-of selecting persons who shall be both willing and able to promote the ends of the Society-and of making such arrangements as may be most likely to facilitate the dissemination of the unadulterated Scriptures, among those who are destitute of that invaluable treasure. On this tour he is to enter as soon as his engagements at Hamburgh will permit. There is every prospect of his discovering channels in abundance, by which to convey the pure water of life to such as are languishing and dying for want of it. This he assures us of in the last commu. nication which we have received from him. After alluding to the opposition that will be given by the Lutheran Clergy, in consequence of their dislike to the exclusion of the Apocrypha, and expressing his sanguine hope of overcoming it, as it is to be encountered in supporting the cause of Truth and of God, he says It affords me, however, much pleasure to state, that several extensive doors are already open. I know some excellent men in va rious parts of the kingdom of Prussia, Mecklenbur h, Westphalia, along the Rhine, in this and other Hanseatic Cities, and in Holstein, who will be most happy to receive a number of Bibles of the new edition. And many more suitable persons may be found, whose integrity and piety may be relied on, when my intended tour is accomplished. I am persuaded that a tour through the whole of Germany, with the specific object of finding out suitable Agents for this important work, will more than realize your anticipa tions. BRITISH & FOREIGN SCHOOL SOCIETY. FROM the last Number of the Quar- Account of a Conference of upward of It has long been deemed highly desirable, that a greater degree of union should subsist among the different Masters of British Schools in and near London. In order to facilitate this object, and to solicit information respecting the state of the different Schools, a Meeting of the Masters was held, by invitation, at the Central Establishment, on Wednesday, July 29, 1829: upward of Forty assembled. The The afternoon was devoted to a rigid examination of the Central School; during which Mr. Crossley, the Master, took great pains to explain the variations and improvements recently adopted. extended application of the Interrogatory System was particularly noticed; and the attainments of the children in reading, spelling, and general knowledge of language, as well as their intimate acquaintance with the meaning of all their lessons, excited general admiration, and proved its adaptation to the purposes of Mutual Instruction. The progress of the children in the other branches of learning called forth many expressions of satisfaction. After the dismission of the children, the Masters adjourned to the Committee Room, where tea was provided: they then entered into a friendly discussion on the various methods of imparting instruction, and in turn gave interesting particulars respecting their own Schools. The following subjects were taken up in rotation. I. WRITING-The propriety of placing beginners at the side of better writers, instead of forming them into a separate class, was discussed. It was generally thought best to place them in a distinct class, and to let their writing be inspected by boys taken from the Eighth Class: Mr. Elton (Fitzroy School) remarked, that he frequently had recourse to this expedient, and found it beneficial. It was also thought desirable to have a board, with the writing characters painted upon it, placed in view of the pupils. II. THE RELATIVE USE OF PAPER AND SLATE- Mr. Hodgkinson (Kingsland) advocated the use of paper in every stage of instruction: but this was objected to, not only on the ground of expense, but because it prevented the inspector from making the many corrections which are essential to beginners. Mr. Ross (Tottenham), and some others, were of opinion, that boys who learned to write on slates only would be found incapable of using the pen afterward: to which it was replied, by Mr. Lewis (Crown Street), that although boys who had learned to write on slates were sometimes found incapable at first of writing well on paper, a few days' use removed the difficulty. It was observed, that parents are generally willing and even anxious to pay for writing-books, rather than that their children should be confined to slates. in the Spelling Lessons, in consequence of the alteration. IV. GRAMMAR- Some conversation took place on the best mode of teaching Grammar. Mr. Coward (Pimlico) has a regular classification; but has lately rejected all written or printed lessons, preferring the communication of this part of learning orally with familiar illustrations. It was suggested that the Fifth Class might commence by naming the nouns, adjectives &c. in the Reading Lesson, and that further questions might be put in the succeeding classes. III. SPELLING-The practice of the Central School was detailed, the Interrogative System again briefly explained, and a general feeling expressed decidedly in its favour; many questions being put on the best plan of carrying it into effect. It was remarked by Mr. Crossley, that the present Set of Spelling Lessons embodied most of the grammatical, geographical, and geometrical terms; and the knowledge of them would considerably facilitate the progress of the children: the last edition had been carefully revised; and care taken that no words even of one syllable should be inserted, to which a definite meaning could not be attached: the advantages of this plan were great in promoting the Interrogatory System; and it was found that the children took a much more lively interest ས. READING-The question was asked, whether it is desirable that other reading books besides the Holy Scriptures, or extracts from them, should be introduced. Mr. Elton objected to such a change, on the ground that it might induce a neglect of the Bible and of religious instruction: he remarked, that the object of the supporters of British Schools was to educate children, not only for the World, but for God. Mr. Coward (Pimlico) said that he had daily to regret the shortness of the time which he could give to the reading of the Bible with the children; and he should greatly object to the introduction of any thing calculated to divert attention from this important object. Messrs. Hodgkinson, Bursall, Ross, and some others, advocated the introduction of other books, as likely to invigorate the minds of the children, to afford greater scope for teaching different kinds of reading, and to cause the Bible to be more reverenced than it generally is when used as the only school-book. In answer to this last remark, it was observed, that the reverence in which the Bible was held in schools depended very much on how the Master himself treated it-that a leading object in British Schools, is to teach poor children to read the Bible, and to make them thoroughly acquainted with its contents-that interrogation upon Scripture Reading afforded an opportunity of conveying much general knowledge-and that although a change in reading might in some instances, among the Eighth Class, be adopted with advantage as an occasional lesson, yet that special care should be taken that it did not interfere with the reading of the Holy Scriptures. No case was made out to prove that the use of the Sacred Text as a class book had, in any way, occasioned its being treated with irreverence. VI. HOME TASKS-It appeared, that, in very few instances, Home Tasks were required, owing to the want of books. Mr. Bursall (Newington) stated, that it was his practice, during the summer, to meet some of his pupils at seven in the morning, one day in the week, for the purpose of inspecting and rewarding home productions: this is called the "Voluntary Hour." Mr. Elton stated, that he had adopted the plan of giving a subject on which to seek for proofs; and had found it advantageous, especially to parents, who very frequently assisted in the search. VII. ARITHMETIC-It was generally considered that room for improvement in this branch of education existed, and the attention of the Masters was directed to it. The promotion of habits of mental calculation was recommended, in which it was remarked some teachers had been very successful. Several expressed their satisfaction with the progress of their scholars in this department, but nothing new was elicited. VIII. GOING HOME-The practice of going home in columns was strongly recommended; the reports of those who had tried the plan being decidedly favourable. Mr. Elton has ten monitors, who take their stations at short distances from the school, and attend the boys home. At the Central School, the plan of returning home in drafts has been followed for some time, and it has been found to be a great improvement. Mr. IX. ABSENTEES-The best means for ensuring regular attendance being proposed, Mr. Ross stated, that he had a monitor appointed to superintend the collecting of the children, who marks the class-list, and writes to the parents of each absentee: he requires a halfpenny toward the Reward Fund, for each day's absence without a good reason. Elton observed, that he too had a monitor specially employed in observing absentees-that he closed his school-doors exactly at 9 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, admitting none afterwardthat this system was found to work well; and that he rarely had more than 12 absent each morning, out of nearly 400 children. X. MEETING OF PARENTS-The plan of assembling the parents, to witness an Examination of the School, has been acted upon in a few instances, and was warmly recommended. Such an Examination is likely to be productive of very beneficial results: it tends to raise in the estimation of the parents a higher value for the instruction which their children receive: it interests them in the progress of their learning, and stimulates them to encourage a more regular attendance at school; and is likely to produce in their minds a higher and more grateful estimation of the services of the Master, who, if his conduct be marked by a zeal in their children's welfare, is surely entitled to the gratitude of every considerate parent. XI. RESULTS MORAL AND RELIGIOUS OF THE EDUCATION OF THE LOWER ORDERS-This deeply interesting subject excited considerable discussion. It was greatly lamented that Masters should generally lose sight of their pupils after leaving the school. Mr. Elton stated, that he had been in the habit of meeting once a year those scholars who had been educated by him; and that, at these periods, he had frequently been much delighted to find that the good impressions produced at school had not been obliterated by intercourse with the world: he was now teaching the children of some of his earlier pupils, and found that generally they were well attended to at home. The importance of maintaining an acquaintance with the children after leaving school was much pressed: the consciousness of this friendly supervision, it appeared, tended much to strengthen virtuous habits, at the most critical period of life. Mr. Elton seemed to feel deeply the increasing depravity of the lower orders; while he was encouraged by many instances of good conduct in his own pupils, which had fallen under observation. Mr. Coward had often felt discouraged by the apparent increase of crime: looking round his own neighbourhood, he had frequently feared his labours were in vain, but was encouraged by the knowledge of many cases in which the school had been the means of accomplishing much good: so far as he had been able to ascertain the fact, those children who had left the school were conducting themselves with great satisfaction to their employers, and attending Public Worship: some of them are employed as Sunday-School Teachers; but of the decided piety of many, it was difficult for him to speak. Mr. Hodgkinson thought that the state of morals was not so bad as was represented; and appealed to the experience of each one, whether his own neighbourhood |