Rev. Joseph Hughes; and some who were present twenty-two years back, when I had the pleasure to attend with our dear friend Dr. Steinkopff. If here and there we discover that some few have forsaken their first love to the sacred cause of our Society, it is animating to meet again with those whose zeal is unabated, although the charm of novelty has subsided. The attendance and the tone of this Meeting were excellent.

'At Devonport, the weather was unfavourable; yet we had the large Town-hall two-thirds filled.

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'At Saltash . . . . . I recognised some old and steady friends of the Society but some have : not continued, by reason of death." Much feeling was elicited at the loss of the late Admiral Sir James Hillier, and other zealous and decided friends of the Society. . The collection

here exceeded that of last year.

'At Tavistock, the Hall was crowded, though the wet weather still continued. Great attention and lively interest characterised the Meeting the Collection, one-third more than that of last year. This Auxiliary is manifestly reviving. Last year they had not sent any Free Subscription to the Parent Society, but this year they expect to transmit 40l. 'Hatherleigh is one of our healthy

and valuable Branches. It has the countenance of the Rev. S. Field, vicar of the parish, who presided at the Meeting, and advocated the cause of the Society with much acceptance and effect. The Report made honourable mention of a lady who is assiduous in collecting Free Subscriptions; and stated, that the children of the Sunday Schools are in the habit of willingly contributing their weekly pence and half-pence to the Bible Society. Another individual deserves also honourable mention, as fulfilling the common adage, "Where there is a will, there is a way." I refer to their very active and efficient Secretary terms deservedly applied to a person, once a soldier, and who lost both his hands in the service. The Report however-not only superior in its orthography but in its penmanship-was written by this worthy man, who, I discovered, was always on the watch for promoting the cause of the Society by every means in his power. This Branch distributed, during the last year, 480 copies of the Scriptures; being 190 copies more than those of any preceding year. This comparatively small town and its neighbourhood have owed to the Bible Society altogether a distribution of 2110 copies of the Scriptures.'

Register of Events.

THE STATE TRIALS in Ireland constitute the great object of political interest, to which public attention is at present directed. O'Connell and his friends have succeeded in postponing further proceedings, until the 15th of January. This concession has been made by the Attorney General, who has, doubtless, displayed his wisdom in yielding so far to the procrastinating tactics of the conspirators. All pretence of undue haste, or unfairness of any kind, has thus been taken from them; and, if a conviction is obtained, it must be allowed by all to proceed from the administration of the strictest equity, combined with the purest justice. Many things, however, connected with the witnesses, juries, and other parties concerned, render the result extremely doubtful. One of the conspirators has been removed by death, and it has been stated, on private authority, that O'Connell is himself far from well. But whether his ailments are physical or mental, or a combination of both, this deponent sayeth not'! In the mean-time, the condition of that unhappy country is somewhat improved. The leaders being impeached, the followers are naturally intimidated. O'Connell pleading at the bar of a court of justice, and O'Connell figuring in an Irish parliament, in College Green, are spectacles

which cannot but present somewhat of a contrast to his most deluded followers! especially when the former has taken place at exactly the period when the latter was so confidently promised! The lamentation, how fallen, how changed!' can hardly fail to present itself to their minds. The danger of an immediate outbreak seems to have passed over, but isolated attacks upon obnoxious individuals are more than ever dreaded. In many places, the Protestants-laity as well as clergy—are constrained to keep their dwellings in a state of blockade, to ensure any measure of safety to their persons from the infatuated dupes of Popish delusion!

We fear that, among the political dissenters, too much sympathy is to be found, with the audacious instigator of all this system of disturbance and delusion. We hear, with unmingled disgust, of a letter being read in the Conciliation Hall, at Dublin, from Mr. J. E. Giles, baptist minister, forwarding an address from the Leeds National Universal Suffrage Association, declaring the indignation of that body at the government prosecution! and of the thanks of the Association having been moved by O'Connell to Mr. Giles and the Leeds suffragists!

It is stated with confidence, that it is the intention of certain parties, during the next session of parliament, to move for a state provision, for the bishops and priests of the apostate Church of Rome! We are willing to hope such an enormity can scarcely be proposed, much less perpetrated, in Protestant England. On this subject we shall, at present, add no more, than to observe that, supposing the bare possibility of such a measure being carried, Lord Eldon's prophecy, that the Sun of England's glory would be set on the admission of Romanists to political power,' will be receiving an earlier and more shocking fulfilment, than either he or the most gloomy prognosticators of evil could have imagined!

We rejoice to find that vigorous measures are at length taking by the Foreign Secretary, for the liberation of DR. KALLEY, who has been confined in the common prison of Funchal, since July last, for his zealous endeavours to promote the spiritual welfare of the benighted inhabitants of Madeira! This is another eminent instance of the persecuting malice of the Romish Church. Contrary to the express terms of the treaty between England and Portugal, this excellent man has been ensnared into the hands of his Popish adversaries, and, amidst heavy disease and discomfort, been compelled to while away nearly six months in a common prison-bail being refused-for no imaginable crime! LORD ABERDEEN seems at length to be effectually roused to vindicate the rights of England, and of her much abused and long neglected subject. We trust his zealous determination may speedily triumph over the scandalous apathy of false friends, and the infamous treachery of avowed enemies; and that this indefatigable servant of God may forthwith be delivered from the mouth of the lion,' and his feet set in a large place,' that he may once more proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ' to his deluded and perishing fellow-creatures, held in the appalling thraldom of the apostate Church of Rome.

The TRACTARIAN disturbances in the Church of England, still continue in unabated activity. Fresh modes of demonstrating their fatal principles are perpetually resorted to by these deluded men. Mr. Dodsworth proposed to censure a Tract, by the Bishop of Chester, on the doctrine of 'Justification by faith,' which had been placed on the list of the Christian Knowledge Society. The subject was discussed, at the last Monthly Meeting, on the 5th of December. The motion of Mr. D. involved a censure of the five episcopal referees, whose ordeal the tract had passed through before being admitted into the Society's list! Though it is only usual for thirty or forty members to attend this meeting, about three hundred were present on the occasion alluded to. Of these, from twenty-seven to thirty hands were held up for Mr. D's. motion, and the rest against it! trust this ignominious defeat will render Mr. D. rather more careful how he essays to attack so justly esteemed a prelate, as Bishop Sumner, of whom

We

the Premier of England has declared, that he knew no terms in which adequately to express his admiration of the character and conduct of the Bishop of Chester.'

Another clergyman-the Rev. J. Craig, Vicar of All Saints, Leamington, has adopted a still more extraordinary way of evincing his respect for episcopacy. At a meeting of the Church Pastoral Aid Society, lately held in that place, the Bishop of Worcester occupied the chair, and the Dean of Salisbury, the Archdeacon of Coventry, and several other clergymen were on the platform. Mr. Craig several times disturbed the proceedings of the meeting, inquiring the name and diocese of the Secretary who was speaking,-the Rev. J. H. Field; and asserting that the Bishops of Exeter and Salisbury had requested him (Mr. C.) to inform them of any clergy who came from their dioceses to speak at meetings, in Mr. C.'s parish, against his will. Having obtained the requisite information, he proceeded to complain bitterly of the conduct of his diocesan-who was in the chair-and even threatened the Bishop in the following terms :shall certainly complain to a higher power, and sure I am, it will be greatly to your Lordship's disadvantage!' His Lordship, after a becoming rebuke of this extraordinary impertinence, said; with regard to the Church Pastoral Aid Society in particular, I shall always feel å peculiar pleasure in supporting its interests, because I believe it to be conducive to the glory of God, the spiritual welfare of the people, and the interests of the established Church.'

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His Lordship further added, that Mr. C. was very much mistaken, if he thought that he had the power of putting down such meetings, and that he was assuming a great deal more than he had any right to, if he imagined they could not be held without his permission.'

The most amusing part of the whole is, that the Bishop of Exeter has since addressed a letter to the Editor of the Times, stating, that he did not even know that there was such an individual as Mr. Craig: much less did he give him any such commission as he stated himself to have received! This is a more remarkable exemplification of the system of 'economy,' than we should have given credit for, even to Puseyites! The whole transaction is very marvellous, and reminds us of the conduct of the Rev. Josiah Thomas, when insulting the Bishop of Gloucester, at the formation of a Church Missionary Association at Bath in 1817-as detailed in our Religious Intelligencer for January 1818-and of the similar conduct of Dr. Hook to his diocesan-the excellent Bishop Ryder-at Coventry, a few years ago. From these instances we may augur somewhat of the tyranny which would be exercised by the Tractarian school, could they accomplish their much coveted objects in the Church.

The parishioners of GREAT ILFORD, in Essex, have held another meeting. A long letter was read from the Bishop of London, in reply to the memorial presented to him, with respect to the various changes effected, and antics practised by a young Puseyite Curate. The Bishop partly blames, and partly extenuates the Curate's conduct: decidedly reprehending, however, a mischievous sermon preached by him on the Eucharist. The Vicar entirely refuses to give up the obnoxious practice of the renewed weekly offertory. The people remain totally dissatisfied; and thus, for the most trifling matters of obsolete rubrical discipline, injudiciously revived, dissension and dissatisfaction are kept up in this, as in many other parishes, of our distracted country!

The Clerical DECLARATION and PROTEST against Puseyism, has now received nearly 2000 signatures, although it has, as yet, been only circulated in a private manner. The LAY ADDRESS to the University of Oxford is believed to have been signed by upwards of 10,000 persons, among whom are many noblemen and other distinguished individuals. It has been presented to the authorities of Oxford, and, we doubt not, will be very beneficial in its results.