classes. r. JAMES GALI, of Edinburgh, and urged the importance of infant ed the importance of paying more ard to the religious, and less to the lar, education of the young. Ir. JACKSON, of Liverpool, avowed deep and serious emotions awakened is mind by the proceedings of that and recommended the preparation delivery of lectures by teachers on eral topics, as a means of good to senior scholars. he Rev. J. PETERS, of Manchester, le a few observations. Mr. GIBSON, of Liverpool, deprecated the use of corporal punishments in Sunday-schools; and expressed his fears that there was not that prayerful anxiety there ought to be. He also urged simplicity in style in preference to beauty, in imparting religious instruction. EDWARD BAINES, Jun., Esq., had tion he had experienced through the much pleasure in stating the gratificaday's proceedings. He had never attended so important a meeting. He felt the great value of Ragged Schools. He thought the suggestion of separate religious services for children very im HARLES REED, Esq., of London, The Rev. Dr. HAMILTON then retired from the meeting, when the Rev. R. BREWER took the chair, and after a few remarks closed the interesting proceedings with prayer. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION ANNUAL MEETING. After singing, the Rev. J. N. GOULTY, THE CHAIRMAN briefly stated the jects for which the meeting was held, d called upon Mr. GROSER, who remarked that the ar which had elapsed since the last nference, had been one of activity d onward progress with the comttee. During that period, in addition their ordinary monthly meetings, ey had held more than 150 early orning meetings. The subjects which id occupied their attention were the reparation of new works, and revision f such as had already been published, > as to meet the growing intelligence of the times-the management of the library and reading-room, and the lectures and conversational meetings which have been held there-in arranging for the visits of friends to Country Unions, and receiving their reports on returning-in selecting a greater number of works for the lending libraries' catalogue, and in superintending the general business of the Union. He then referred to some other matters of great interest. The Rev. H. C. BATEMAN addressed the meeting on the establishment, position, and prospects of the "Bible-Class Magazine," of which he is the editor. Mr. VARTY; Mr. WRIGHT, of Birmingham; Mr. LOCKE, of the Ragged School Union; Mr. CUTHBERTSON; Mr. HICKES, of Leeds; Mr. UNWIN, of Brighton; Rev. S. GREEN, of Walworth; Mr. ALTHANS; and Mr. CHAS. REED, addressed the meeting. Mr. WATSON stated that the first edition of the Prize Essay was sold, and a new one was in course of preparation, and the price reduced to 4s. After some remarks by Mr. STONEMAN, Rev. J. H. PRICE, and Rev. I. THE PUBLIC DOXSEY, this interesting and imports MEETING tained in their efficiency, in their Ser tural character, we can have no f for home. Let us build up our spi Was held at Exeter-hall. At six o'clock the chair was taken by Sir E. N. BUXTON, Bart., M.P. The Rev. Dr. MORISON Supplicated tual apparatus, and all will be well. the Divine blessing. The CHAIRMAN then rose and said: -Before I call upon your secretary to read the report, allow me to say how sincerely I rejoice that it has fallen to my lot to take the chair on this important occasion, and to preside over this magnificent meeting. I think I never saw Exeter-hall more crowded than on the present occasion. I hail this crowded meeting as a symptom that the Sunday-school teachers of London are not tired of their work-(hear, hear) -and that you feel an earnest desire to go on in the good course in which you have begun, and that you will not leave many hundreds and thousands of children in ignorance and vice if you can raise them to a higher station. I am perfectly satisfied that no work more valuable to himself can be engaged in by a young person who has lately received the advantages of instruction than that of imparting it to others. I do believe that it is a duty incumbent upon us all, to do what we can to raise the character and to improve the morals and the religion of that great mass which surrounds us on all hands. Mr. W. H. WATSON then read the report, which we hope all our readers will see and peruse. The Rev. C. PREST made a long and eloquent speech, in which he said, If any person were to ask me to what I attribute the peacefulness of this country, I should have a very ready answer. I attribute the great peacefulness of this country very much to the widely extended influence of the truth of our Lord Jesus Christ, through the labours of Sunday-schools (cheers.) The Sunday-school system has been, under God, that institution which has bestowed invaluable blessings on this realm. If our Sunday-schools be re The Rev. W. BEVAN said, - Ye grand object is to win souls to Chri (hear)-but, in the prosecution of t object, you must seek to persuade th souls to embrace him. The process which you come to the attainment your end, is a process which, whik elevates the best affections to God, 1 brings the soul into contact with the glories of God's salvation, no } elevates to its proper and highest p of dignity the intellectual nature your charge. Let me urge my you friends to consider the fitness of season in which their energies are voted to this work. You lay hold young immortality when its powers) first budding out; when the affecti are quick; when the mind is inqu tive; and when, to a great extent, t nature has not been pre-occupied principles of evil, or disciplined in bits of vice. You seek to lay hold all that is tender in that budding t all that is susceptible in that nat all that is trainable in that thirsti after increasing knowledge: you l hold of it at the season when you m most fitly, and therefore most prod tively pre-occupy the throne of that a ture for God and for his Christ (cheen If there is one agency connected wi our Christian churches which the should more sedulously watch, m thoroughly invigorate by everythr which sympathy, and counsel, and st port, and prayer can do for the sa tion of the country, no less than the salvation of souls, it is that of Sunday schools (loud cheers.) The Rev. J. NEWBIGGEN, from Afric briefly supported the resolution, whic was put and carried. The Rev. T POTTINGER, said-When I became a Christian I became a Sa day-school teacher, and from that day to this my interest in Sunday-schools school those s never, for one hour, suffered abateent. For twenty years I have mixed with the warm-hearted people in the anufacturing districts; and, though e exterior is rough and repulsive to ose who come from the south, yet ere is a warm-heartedness, an indendence, a manliness, a vigour, and a e of enterprise that must command radmiration (loud cheers.) I could ke you to a chapel that will contain thousand people, the pulpit of which occupied by a young man of fine lents; and I can tell you that he was ken from the coal mines, and by the strumentality of the Sunday-school, came a Sunday-school teacher, a ember of the church, a student in one our colleges, and now occupies a ld of high position with great useful88 (cheers.) Two facts will show the aportance of schools in the manufac- The CHAIRMAN briefly acknowledged ring districts. In a population of the compliment, and the meeting then 0 millions, one-fifth are Sunday- separated. scholars, and among scholars fifty-five per cent. can read the Scriptures (cheers.) These facts are given upon the authority of one of the best of men, to whom Sunday-schools are indebted for works of faith and labours of love. I mean Mr. Baines, of Leeds (hear, hear, and loud cheers.) The Rev. J. WEIR, in seconding the resolution, said,-As a minister, he hailed the Sabbath-school as a nursery for the church, just as he hailed the church as a nursery for heaven. The Rev. C. H. BATEMAN moved the third resolution, which was seconded by the Rev. S. GREEN, and carried. The Rev. J. N. GOULTY moved, and the Rev. I. DOXSEY seconded, the vote of thanks to the chair, which, having been put and carried by acclamation, MANCHESTER SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION. (Abridged from the Manchester Times.) 663 of the teachers were members of churches: 97 scholars had been added to the church, from the schools, in the year. In the schools generally there had been an increase of scholars. Mr. JOHN HEWITT, the treasurer of the Union, moved the adoption of the report. HE annual meeting was held on Tues- | noon 5517. alled upon Mr. ROBERT NEEDHAM, one of the onorary secretaries, who read the eport of the committee for the last ear. It appeared, from that document, hat there were 29 schools in the Union, omprising 9201 scholars, and 984 eachers. The average morning attendnce has been 3927, and in the after Mr. HARDY, a member of the Wesleyan denomination, seconded the motion; and it was supported by Mr. DEAN, president of the Ashton Sunday-school Union, and carried unanimously. Mr. E. W. MAKINSON, B.A., in proposing the first resolution, urged the claims of Sunday-schools upon the meeting. Without such an instrumentality, he contended that the masses of the people would not generally be instructed in religion. He regretted that places of worship were commonly attended only by the middle classes; the people generally did not attend, and hence the labours of the ministers did not reach them. Their children, however, were sent to the schools, and often were instrumental in carrying to their parents the truths they had there been taught. Mr. CHARLES REED referred to the most improved plans of managing schools, and recommended separate religious services for children on the Sabbath, a better system of classification in the schools, a more complete and systematic visitation of absent scholars, and concluded a long and eloquent address by exhorting teachers to increased devotedness in the arduous and important duties in which they we engaged. Mr. SAMUEL Fox proposed a vote thanks to the officers. Mr. BENJAMIN STOCKS seconded th resolution. Mr. ROBERT NEEDHAM proposed vote of thanks to the deputation fro London, and to the chairman, whic was seconded by Mr. RUMNEY, and car ried amidst applause. The thanks having been suitably a knowledged, the proceedings term nated shortly after ten o'clock wi singing and prayer. THE RAGGED SCHOOL UNION. THE fourth anniversary meeting of this laudable institution was held at Exeter Hall on Tuesday the 16th, when the room was crowded to excess. Lord Ashley, M.P., presided, supported by the Marquess of Westminster, Lord Kinnaird, Rev. Dr. Cumming, Rev. Dr. Archer, Rev. Dr. Beaumont, Rev. Mr. Weir, Rev. Mr. Branch, Jos. Pain, Esq., B.A.L., Rev. Mr. Robinson, Rev. Mr. Cadman, &c. Mr. W. LOCKE, the secretary, read the annual report, from which it appeared that, upon the whole, the labours of the Society during the past year, have been attended with much usefulness and success. The schools are now 62 in number: teachers 782 voluntary, and 78 paid; scholars, about 7,000; and the sum collected 6967., making, with a balance in hand at the co mencement of the year, a total of 1156 expenses 7121., grants now promised schools, 312, showing a balance hand of 132l. About 500 Bibles, the reduced price of 6d. each, ha been sold to the scholars for periodi payments of d. and 1d. each duri the past year. Ragged schools also being established throughout t provinces-Aberdeen, Dundee, Gl gow, Edinburgh, York, Liverpool, Ms chester, Nottingham, Bristol, Dumfri Bath, and other places being alrea provided with them. A liberal collection was made in b half of the Society's funds; and unanimous vote of thanks to the nob chairman concluded the business of th evening. Answers to Correspondents. Order.-Next month. A Superintendent.-We will. A Local Preacher.-Any book may now be sent by post, so that the cover is open at both ends, and that it is paid according 10 weight. The Report of the Sundayschool Union may be thus transmitted to any village for 6d. Superintendent, Somerset. - We could not find room for the articles our friend so kindly offers. J. M. S. has our thanks, we hope to hear from him frequently. T. M.-It shall be sent. Inquirer. The six numbers of ou Magazine from the commencement of the year may now be had, if ordered of any bookseller, for 1s. Received with thanks. Thomas C Owing to the press of matter connected with the meetings, we are compelled postpone some very interesting articies together with "The Children's Separat Service," Sermon No. 5, and replies t correspondents, very much in arrear. LLYRICUM was favoured with the light of the Gospel at a very arly period. The apostle Paul informs us that he had preached he Gospel from Jerusalem "round about unto Illyricum," Rom. v. 19; from which passage it is uncertain whether he actually entered Illyricum, or only made it the boundary of his Grecian ravels. That Christianity made rapid progress there, is geneally allowed; and a succession of Christian bishops is traced hrough a period of eight centuries. At the present time the religion of that part of the country which is still Christian, chiefly of he Roman Catholic and Greek persuasion, is in general far removed from the primitive simplicity of the Gospel; while the porion of it belonging to the Ottoman Porte is degraded by the delusions of the false Prophet. A chain of mountains, several of which rise four thousand feet above the level of the sea, runs through the whole length of Illyricum, from which a number of rivers discharge themselves either NEW SERIES.] [JULY, 1848. |