tution of the Church Missionary Society at Islington, and four from that of the London Missionary Society at Hoxton.

At the period of the last anniversary, there were debts to a considerable amount outstanding against the institution; arising, principally, from the expenses incurred in its first establishment. Urgent appeals, however, having been made to the Christian public, the encumbrances were cleared off; and the Committee are happy to report a balance of fortyfour pounds in favour of the institution. Most of the supplies received, however, have come in the shape of donations : the annual subscriptions are scarcely yet sufficient to cover a half of the current expenditure; and this, too, notwithstanding that all the gentlemen who have attended as teachers at the institution, during the past year, have acted gratuitously. To procure able teachers, by suitable remuneration, or to assist in the publication of elementary works, is quite beyond the present resources of the institution. Even the purchase of such few books as were absolutely necessary for the use of the students, has not been unattended with difficulty. It is earnestly hoped that the friends of religion will not suffer so useful an institution to fall away for want of support.

"My

The Central school at St. John's has received liberal support from the inhabitants. The master writes: boys are becoming more attached, and the spirit of the school is improved; our adult school is increasing; they have brought their portion of candles and promised their share of wood, so that the expense of those articles will continue to decrease." The Governor has granted a piece of ground for a play-ground for the children, and a garden for the master.

Of Quidi Vidi, Mr. Willoughby, the assistant secretary of the society, who has visited all the society's schools,.reports: "I went to see the Quidi Vidi school, which has been opened about a fortnight, for the season. Many of the children are occupied in the fishery; the number present was twenty-five; boys and girls; very interesting: scarcely one of these knew a letter when the school was first opened; several of them can now read the Testament, say the Church Catechism, and repeat many of Watts's Hymns for Children, two of which they sung very prettily."

At Trinity Harbour the schools continue to go on well. The good-will of the people to these institutions is shewn in the following circumstances:" On the 30th January, the inhabitants and others assembled early in the morning, and made forward into the woods, together with the clergyman, magistrates, and schoolmaster, accompanied by the commander of his Majesty's ship Snap, Lieutenant Bullock, and his crew. Went in the distance of seven miles, and returned out in the evening with thirty-two large timbers, requiring eight men to haul each stick, and landed them upon the school-groundgave three cheers, and each one returned home." Similar alacrity was shewn on two successive days, and the building was soon nearly finished.

At Harbour Grace there are two floulishing schools, and both appear to enjoy the confidence of the parents and the affection of their children. A warm friend to this institution presented to the society an eligible piece of land in the best part of the Harbour; and before the close of the year a school was completed, and the children comfortably accommodated. Mr. Willoughby, when he visited the Sunday school, found about eighty very interesting, cleanly, and orderly children assembled. He took charge of a class, who repeated the Collect for the day, gave a simple explanation of it, and read a chapter in the New Testament in

a manner which would have done credit to a school in England.

At Carbonnierre upwards of forty girls have learned to knit, besides spelling, reading, writing, and plain needle-work.

At Petty Harbour Mr. Willoughby found about fifty very clean and interesting children present. He heard them read in the Bible, and questioned them; they answered with great credit to their teachers, and apparently with much feeling; they repeated the Church Catechism, and Marsh's Explanation of it, very well. The girls knit, sew, and mark; the elder boys are many of them engaged in the fishery. The foundation of a school-house has been laid.

At Bonavista the assistant secretary found the inhabitants much pleased with the prospect of a school for their children. In about four hours he obtained fifty pounds towards it, and many promises to haul out timber for the building and for fire-wood.

The society's payments have exceeded their receipts by 2034. The committee regret that the annual subscriptions in London and its vicinity have made little or no advance; and they urge their friends to do their utmost to obtain additional subscribers." Their prospects," say they, "especially in Newfoundland, are most cheering - seven schools attended by nearly 1000 children--the teachers fulfilling their arduous duties-the people thankful and zealous, contributing money and timber according to their ability, and earnestly desiring more schools. At home, suitable teachers offering themselves will ingly to the work; waiting only for pecuniary means to send them forth." We trust that their earnest appeal in so good and interesting a cause will not be in vain.

USEFULNESS OF INFANT
SCHOOLS.

At a recent meeting in New York of persons interested in the welfare of the poor, a committee was appointed to prepare some account of the origin and design of Infant Schools; and a gentleman conversant with the situation of the poor in various districts of the city, was requested to report upon the utility and practicability of establishing such schools. In the pursuit of his inquiries 171 poor families have been visited. The aggregate of children among them is 635, 260 of whom may be considered as proper subjects for infant schools. To ascertain what an influence

CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 309.

such schools would have on other establishments for the care and education of the poor, nine of the public schools were visited. "I was informed by the teachers," remarks the visitor, "that some of the scholars, received at the earnest entreaties of their poor parents, proved very troublesome, and often embarrassed the operations of the school. The strictness of discipline, well suited to the elder children, was not adapted to their tender years. To such, of course, the discipline of infant schools would most happily apply. The children still younger were not unfrequently brought to the schools by their brothers or sisters, at times when their nothers were out at work. These nine schools, at the time of my visiting, registered 3,622. On the 31st of March, the whole of the absentees were, by request, sent after by the teachers, and the cause of their absence ascertained. Out of 730, the number absent, 193 were kept at home (as was stated in their answers) To mind their little brother or sister,' while the mothers were out at work; and there is no doubt, that, taking into consideration the five school days in the week, an average of 250 daily are thus deprived of the privileges of these schools, by the same cause; while hundreds of such as might participate in them, but for this reason, have never yet entered them.

"Many parents, I learned, worked at lower rates, taking one or more of their little children with them; some, I found, left them in charge of their neighbours, under the same roof; others are known to sit at their doors to sell, or in the market, with their little children in their arms, or at their feet; some, I found, locked them in their own apartments, leaving them even a whole day, and this repeatedly; many locked them without, to the annoyance of their neighbours—such often fell into various and sometimes fatal accidents. Some accustomed their children, of five or six years old, to early and baneful habits of indolence, while, to afford them leisure to work uninterruptedly, they allow them to lie in bed till noon. Children thus treated are usually up till the ordinary bedtime of their parents,-a. habit which, as they grow older, induces them to spend their evenings with associates abroad."

"Such are the existing facts: and all these evil habits are so many fruitful sources of ignorance and vice among a needy population. These evils are to be ameliorated or prevented by the salutary influences of Infant Schools."

4 E

NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN

SCHOOLS.

An official statement, communicated to Congress, shewing the number of Indian Schools within the jurisdiction of the United States, the tribes in which they are located, the places where, the number of teachers, including missionaries and labourers of both sexes, the number of scholars, and the appropriations annually allowed and paid to each school by order of the Government, gives the following results; namely, schools 253, and scholars 1306. The expenditure is 12,700 dollars for the year.

RELIGIOUS NECESSITIES OF

THE UNITED STATES. An American journalist, speaking of the religious necessities of the United States, makes the following calculation :-" In the year 1790 an enumeration of all the inhabitants within the limits of the United States was made, under the authority of the General Government, and the whole number was found to be 3,929,328. From that time to the present the enumeration has been repeated after every interval of ten years; and from a comparison of the four censuses it appears, that during this long period the population has uniformly increased at the rate of about three per cent. per annum. The total population at the present time cannot be far from 12,000,000. If we take three per cent. on this number, it gives us, as the increase of the present year (that is, the excess of births over deaths) 360,000, or, in round numbers, one thousand every day! Is it possible that we are increasing at this rate? Newark contains 6,500 souls, New Haven city 7,100, Hartford 6,900, New Brunswick 6,700. Can it be, that the addition to our republic every week is equivalent to the addition of one of these cities! History affords no example of a growth so rapid. But let the population increase at the rate of a thousand souls a day for four centuries to come, the wilds of the West are fertile enough and spacious enough to feed them all, so that we have nothing to fear on this score. There is, however, one view of the subject which does excite alarm. When we think that every day adds to our number one thousand immortal souls, one thousand beings who will be for ever happy or for ever miserable, and then reflect that in the providence of God their destiny is in an important sense placed in the hands of Christians in these Atlantic States, we ask, with fear and trembling, what provision are we making for their spiritual wants? Is the American Education Society adding one to the number of faithful pastors every day? Is the Bible Society printing a thousand Bibles every day? Does the Home Missionary Society add

to its list one more missionary every day? · The American Education Society will send into the field of labour this year probably less than 30 ministers-less than will be wanted for the souls added to our population in the last 30 days!-The American Bible Society issued last year only 71,621 Bibles and Testaments-less than one fifth part of the mere increase of our population during the same period! -The Home Missionary Society have assisted, since their formation, 196 congregations: in one year from this time there will be added to this country 360 congregations of 1000 souls each."

We rejoice to see that our American friends are thus actively alive to the importance of the subject involved in these considerations. In the absence of legislative provisions for the public worship of God, the necessity of private exertion is incalculably urgent.

SOUTH SEA MISSIONS.

The missionaries in Otaheite write, in their most recent letters: "The spiritual concerns of the people are daily attended to, as usual. Many of the people, who made a profession at the first reception of the Gospel, have laid it aside, and now appear in their true light, and do many things inconsistent with it; which grieves us much. Yet, blessed be God, our churches are on the increase, and the body of the people continue to make a creditable profession of "the truth as it is in Jesus;" and, what never ought to be lost sight of is, that the whole of the chiefs and people, of any power or influence, are true friends to that which is good, and promoters of the truth. All the stations are in peace and prosperity. We have great cause to praise the Lord for his goodness to us at this station. The principal chief of the district continues faithful; acts consistently in all his ways; and holds his office of deacon in the church with credit to himself and the Gospel.'

The following are extracts from the Eighth Report of the Auxiliary Missionary Society of Hauhiné and Maiaoiti:- -"The Eighth Report of the Society at Huahiné and Maiaoiti, Auxiliary to the great Society in London, for the Dissemination of the Gospel among the Heathen. must increase.' Hauhiné: printed at the Mission Press. 1826.

'He

"Peace be to you, friends, this new year. Behold, we are permitted to witness the eighth general meeting of this little society, united for the diffusion of the Gospel in all lands. We have learned that this work has been successful, and that many lands have been added to the kingdom of Christ. Hawaii, Rarotonga, Aitutaki, in this division of the ocean. The Gospel is also spreading in other parts of the great sea. Let us not be weary: if the souls of men reach heaven,

our labour is amply rewarded- For what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?' "Wednesday, May 10. A prayer meeting was held in the morning, as on the Sabbath. At noon, all the people of the settlement assembled in the house of prayer. Tiori (one of the deacons) gave out a hymn, read the Scriptures, and prayed; afterwards Mr. Barff preached from the book of the prophecies by Isaiah, xl. 5: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it to gether for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.' In the evening, the people assembled again in the house of prayer, when Moia gave out a hymn, read the Scriptures, and prayed. Mr. Barff preached again from the word of God, written by Paul to the Corinthians-(1 Cor. xv. 58) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.'-Thursday, about noon, the people assembled in the house of prayer, to hear the Report for the past year." After which many of the Natives addressed the meeting, all uniting in the feeling expressed by one of them, who said: "Let us remember the business for which we are assembled here today; namely, that the love of God may abide with us, and that it may be known among all nations; let us be strong and diligent in this delighful work." The secretary having read an account of the property collected, observed, "This is the little property; it has increased, but it ought to be much more in the year now before us. Exert yourselves, you who are chiefs; and you also, the governors, exert yourselves; and every member of the society, be diligent. We said, formerly, exert yourselves; but now let us have new diligence. There is a short passage from God's word, which will suit us well: Peace, peace to him that is nigh, and to him that is afar off, saith the Lord, and I will heal him.' We were formerly afar off, but now we are brought near. Let peace reign among us, among the chiefs and governors, while they do this good work. Let peace reign be tween the governors and the church of God-let us all live in peace." "It is fully agreed," added another," that we form ourselves again into a society. This is my exhortation to you, the people of Huahiné, the whole eight divisions; and the people of Maiaoiti, the whole seven divisions. Do not ook back again at the aito" (the iron-tree, &c. used formerly for implements of war), "the cocoanut-tree, the stones. Let all these customs be done away; but exert yourselves in collecting oil for the society, that the Gospel may reach all lands. The text used the first year of our meeting is a

delightful exhortation-Love thy neighbour as thyself.' Shall we not love our neighbours?

We regret to observe, that the missionaries, in translating the speeches of the natives, have thought it necessary to make them speak a sort of childish “gibberish." Did they speak gibberish in their own language? Why call a short text a "little word?" &c. We wish that all reporters of religious institutions would be more guarded in this respect.

SIBERIAN MISSION.

The Rev. Wm. Swan, missionary at Selenginsk, writes in January last as follows:-

"The various branches of our missionary work have, through the mercy of God, been carried on with little interruption. About a month ago I paid a visit to the Buriats, who inhabit the tract of country which lies along the shores of the Baikal, near the mouths of the Selenga. They are wholly illiterate, not one of them being able to read either their own language or the Russ; but most of them speak the latter fluently. The total number of males is only 1775. The country they inhabit is fit for pasturage; but much of it is under cultivation for corn. There is another branch of productive industry, in which almost the whole of these Hodar Buriats are employed during the summer and autumn; namely, the fishery upon the Baikal and the Selenga. These Buriats are not the sole occupants of this tract. It is thickly sown with Russian villages. So much for the outward condition of these poor heathens.

"As to their religion, they are still obstinately attached to Shamanism, and have resisted all attempts, both of the members of the Greek communion and of the Lamas, to convert them to their respective systems A few, however, have been baptized, at various times.

"One subject to which I endeavoured to direct the attention of the Buriat chiefs was, the importance of education, and the facility afforded by our Selenginsk seminary for instructing some of their youth to read and write, both in the Mongolian and Russian languages; not to speak of higher branches of education, which some of them might be desirous of acquiring. They seemed fully aware of the advantages of being able to read and write, and several of them seemed inclined to send some of their children. But the very circumstance of our exerting ourselves for their good, as they confess this to be, and our doing it all without remuneration, excites suspicion that there must be something behind this professed desire to promote their welfare which they do not understand."

FOREIGN.

FRANCE, SPAIN, and PORTUGAL.-From France there is no intelligence of any moment. In Spain, the insurrection in Catalonia not only continues, but extends; but it is not very clear what is its precise object. Its abettors are not constitutionalists, but ultra-royalists. In Portugal, a spirit of disturbance still prevails. The people at large seem very little interested in favour of their new constitution, and the Princess Regent appears to have been actuated by the most unaccountable caprice in the frequent changes of her ministers. It is expected that Don Miguel will be appointed to the Regency.

GERMANY.-The two greatest states in Germany, Bavaria and Wurtemburg, have mutually abolished all custom duties on their common frontiers. It is hoped that this example will be followed by the other princes of Germany, and that the internal trade of th t country will be set free from the impolitic restrictions which have hitherto repressed it. There are some advances also in religious matters in different parts of Germany. Protestantism is making many converts from Popery; and true piety, we trust, still more from nominal Protestantism, and even from among those who adhere to the Church of Rome. The new King of Saxony has issued a proclamation, assuring to his Protestant subjects his fullest protection. Catholics, Protestants, and even members of the Greek Church residing in his kingdom, are to enjoy the same civil, political, and religious privileges.

GREECE and TURKEY.-The Turkish government continues to decline acceding to the propositions of the allied powers for the termination of the troubles of Greece. The European ambassadors have reduced the month, allowed by the treaty for the final reply of the Porte, to a fortnight; apparently to prevent the mischiefs which might ensue by the arrival in the mean time of the Egyptian fleet, which was about to sail for Greece. The ambassadors are stated to have sent a part of their families on board the European vessels in the harbour, as a precaution in case of hostilities; but it is hoped that the Turkish government will even yet be induced to yield to the humane suggestions of the European powers, which, it is clear, it cannot ultimately resist with effect.

The Greeks seem chiefly to want some able chief to concentrate their energies, and direct them to the common welfare. They have, however, amidst all their dissentions, adopted, by means of their national assembly, a constitution which guarantees the public liberties on an enlightened basis. By this charter the Greek Church is made the religion of the state, but all modes of religion are protected. The sovereign power rests in the people. All persons are to be esteemed Greek citizens, who are either native Greeks believing in Jesus Christ; or Christians oppressed by the Turks, who shall come to reside in Greece; or the children of Greek parents born in foreign countries; or foreigners who shall resort to Greece and become natu→ ralized. All classes of citizens are politically equal. No person may buy or sell a human being in Greece; and all slaves, of whatever nation or religion, become free by touching its shores.

DOMESTIC.

Mr. Herries is appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer,

The great benefit of Mr. Peel's Acts has been universally acknowledged, during the late assizes, throughout the country. The Judges, in particular, have warmly eulogized them. We trust, however, that they are but the beginning of an improved system. The simplification of language which Mr. Peel has introduced in his bills, by which important enactments are made intelligible in few words, is of itself a most useful precedent. An abstruse and unnecessary verbosity pervades all our legal proceedings, from the title to a dukedom, to the humblest scrap of parchment which locates a parish pauper; from the proceedings of the court of Chancery, to the record of a coroner's verdict. Take as an example the following, which just meets our eye as we write, among the notices of the month. It is a coroner's verdict, certifying that the deceased had shot himself.

"That the said Robert Hewitson, not being of sound mind, memory, and understanding, but lunatic and distracted, on the 7th day of this instant month of September, in the parish and in the county aforesaid, a certain gun, charged with gunpowder, and lead or shot, which he the said Robert Hewitson then and there held in his hand, to and against the left