manded general respect and admiration, and never failed to produce in public meetings, an harmonious feeling of mutual regard among all who had the privilege of attending them."

The following are extracts from the Society's foreign correspondence.

Letter from Professor Kieffer, dated
Paris, April 14, 1822.

"Our third anniversary was celebrated on Tuesday the 16th inst. The president was surrounded by all his vice-presidents, among whom were Count Boissy d'Anglas, Count Verhuell, admiral of France, Baron Cuvier; by several members of the corps diplomatique among the rest Count Lovenbielm, son of the president of the Ladies' Bible Society of Stockholm; by several Catholics of distinction, among whom were the Dukes de Caze, de la Rochefoucauld, de Broglie, peers of France; Mr. Jordan, head of the division for public worship; Mr. Laget, head of the office for the public worship which is not Ca. tholic, belonging to the department of the minister for the interior; the major of the 10th district, &c. We had never had such a brilliant audience, and the Marquis de Jaucourt never presided with more dignity and firmness. During the reading of the Report, tears of emotion were several times perceived flow. ing, and all present seemed to take the liveliest interest in the different instances of piety, zeal, charity, and success, which were recited. The generous aid of the British and Foreign Bible Society was mentioned with all that gratitude which it deserves."

From the Rev. Dr. Pinkerton, dated
St. Petersburg, 2d May, 1822.
"The Moscow Bible Society solem

nized its ninth anniversary on the 26th of February last. The Archbishop of Moscow, Philaret; the Bishop of Dimitroff, Athanasius; the Governor-Ge-neral of Moscow, Prince Demitreus Galitzin; the Marshal of the Nobility, General Obolianenoff, Vice-Presidents of the Society, with many other gene rals, nobles, and clergy; together with many ladies of the first families, graced this assembly, which was more splendid than any preceding, and consisted of about 1600 individuals. The solemnity commenced with a vocal concert of sacred music; after which his eminence the Archbishop of Moscow, Philaret, delivered an impressive address, of which the following is the conclusion.

"Are you desirous of seeing the springing up of part of the seed sown by the Bible Society? Behold!-In all our seminaries and schools the word of God is now read; people, who formerly never read any thing, or read only what was useless and hurtful, now read the word of God:-in prisous, where the convicts used to teach each other new crimes, they begin to read the word of God, and to recognize their Saviour: nations, that hardly knew the name of Jesus Christ, or were entirely ignorant of him, begin also to read the word of God, and to know their Saviour."

From the Report it appears, that the receipts during the year 1821 amounted to 30,560 rubles; the expenditure 32,537 rubles. The number of copies printed since the foundation of the Society is 57,000, in five languages, including 7000 Polish Bibles for Catholics, and 5000 Russ Testaments, that are nearly printed off. The number of members and benefactors is 1092.

FOREIGN.

CONGRESS AT VERONA.-The Congress has not as yet issued any document explanatory of its views and proceedings, or of the objects of its assembling. One of those objects was probably the settlement of the affairs of Italy and the neighbouring states; to which would naturally be added the still more momentous and perplexing topics arising out of the circumstances of Spain and Turkey. In the absence of official disclosures, we can only conjecture what may have been the subjects of deliberation in the Congress, and what its determinations. On one point indeed we are left in no

doubt. The situation of Spain, and the conduct which it became the members of the holy alliance to pursue with respect to that power, were unquestionably brought under discussion. We learn this from a kind of official statement in the Moniteur of France; in which we are told that the Congress, after mature deliberation, had left the government of France to act, with respect to interference in the affairs of Spain, as it might think expedient; with a pledge, it is added, of concurring to give effect to whatever resolutions the French cabinet may adopt. Such an unqualified engagement as this, however, seems scarcely

probable. Great Britain is alleged not only to have declined sanctioning any invasion of Spain, but to have strongly protested against it on every ground of policy, justice, and humanity. She has even given something like an indirect pledge to resist such an attempt. She has intimated to Portugal that she considers herself bound to fulfil the terms of her defensive alliance, in case the safety of that kingdom should be compromised by foreign aggression; and it is not very obvious how Spain can be attacked without endangering Portugal. Indeed, in such an event, these two countries have determined to make common cause with each other. The French government has evidently been vacillating between the wishes of the ultra-royalist party, in whose hands it is now placed, and their fears of a growing opposition at home, which would be exceedingly strengthened by discomfiture abroad, and of being eventually involved perhaps in hostility with England. The prevailing reports (for mere reports are at present our only sources of information) are, that the Russian and French cabinets were exceedingly eager for interfering by force of arms in the affairs of Spain; but that the reluctance of Austria to concur in such a measure, and above all the firm and strenuous tone adopted by the duke of Wellington in opposing it, prevented a determination to that effect on the part of Congress, and led to that reference of the matter to the decision of the French cabinet which has been already referred to. Since then, the pacific representations of our great commander are said to have made a strong impression on the mind of the king of France, and of the more moderate members of his administration. And certainly there has of late been a visible alteration in the warlike tone that had been assumed by the government writers of that country, with regard to Spain. Prepared as we have been for proceedings of the most imprudent, headstrong, and infatuated character on the part of the present ultra-royalist government of France, we nevertheless have been unable to persuade ourselves that they would carry their infatuation so far as actually to plunge into a war of this description; a war so uncalled for by any assignable interests of their country, and which, while it could not fail again to light up a flame throughout Europe, would give new vigour

and concentration to revolutionary principles, and perhaps render it impossible, without another army of occupation, to keep the Bourbons on the throne. To any new combined effort for this purpose, we feel the strongest moral assurance that Great Britain would be no party. The base and faithless conduct of France, with respect to the Slave Trade, has alienated many a heart in this country from the Bourbons, which once beat high in their favour. The moral interest they once excited is wholly extinguished. We see now in that government, the enemy of humanity and justice, the cruel devastator of innocent Africa, the grand hindrance to her repose and improvement. We cannot hope, nay we cannot even wish for the prolon gation of power thus cruelly and remorselessly employed. Those who compose it have already themselves been made to taste the miseries of exile in a foreign land; but they have not learnt from that impressive dispensation, the lessons of sympathy and benevolence it was so well fitted to teach. What can we expect from retributive justice, but that, having hardened their hearts against such reproof, they should, in the emphatic language of Scripture," suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy?" But, to return to our subject: There certainly seems at present to be no immediate prospect of war; and all the accounts we have from various quarters decidedly speak an opposite language. Still the bare hazard of hostilities continues to agitate the public mind throughout Europe, and no where more than in France, where commerce, and with it agriculture and manufactures, have suffered considerably even from the state of doubt and uncertainty which has existed on that subject. And, in case of actual war, France may lay her account with having her commerce completely destroyed in a very few weeks, by the system of privateering which would infallibly and instantaneously spring up under the Spanish flag, without the possibility of any adequate reprisals.

FRANCE. In consequence of some tumultuous proceedings among the pupils of the Faculty of Medicine in Paris, the government has proceeded to the decided step of suppressing that celebrated school of science, in which were found students from all parts of Europe. The number of students, this year, is stated to have been

about 4000. It is very probable that both revolutionary and anti-Christian principles may have been widely pre valent among the members of that body; but we doubt whether the French government has best consulted its own interests by the above harsh and indiscriminating measure. What might pass with little censure in Austria, will be severely canvassed in France; and, unless the government could by force suppress the popular feeling, which seems impossible, it would surely be much wiser to adopt preventive and remedial measures for conciliating public opinion, and training the rising generation in Christian and constitutional principles, teaching them, without superstition or bigotry; to fear God and to honour the king, than fruitlessly to irritate large masses of the intelligence of the country without any adequate benefit, or to give occasion, however unjustly, to the outcry that the dominant party wish to suppress science as well as liberty, and to establish the reign of despotism and Jesuitism in their place.

SPAIN. Amidst the contradictory statements of the contending parties in Spain respecting the details of the campaign in the north, the general fact seems very clearly ascertained, that the Constitutionalists have scattered their opponents, and driven them not only to the very verge of the Pyrenees, but across the French frontier, without foreign aid. The cause of the latter seems almost desperate. The Spanish regency, as it calls itself, had retreated to Toulouse. On the other hand, the conduct of General Mina and his troops is stated to have been ferocious and sanguinary; and numbers of monks, priests, and others are said to have been massacred by them. This account, though probably exaggerated, seems in some measure corroborated by a proclamation issued in the name of that general, threatening with destruction not only all individuals who are found in arms against the constitution, but even neutral towns and villages, and all magistrates and clergymen within three leagues of the general's headquarters, by whose non-resistance, or by whose failure to furnish information, any disadvantage shall befal the constitutional army." How forcibly do scenes like these call upon every Christian to redouble his supplications to Him who is " the Author of peace and lover of concord," that he would "give to all nations unity,

peace, and concord," and favourably dispose the hearts of those who may have it in their power every where to assuage the tumults of contending parties.

Spain and Portugal have entered into a league of offensive and defensive alliance; and a body of Portuguese troops is said to be already on its way to join the Spanish armies in the north.

TURKEY.-Constantinople has been in a state of almost entire lawlessness. The Janissaries and the populace have vied in open contention with the government, and have succeeded in forcing the Sultan to change his ministers and to accept the popular favourites. It is impossible for a Christian mind not to commiserate the miseries of the inhabitants of this distracted empire, entailed as they certainly are by the crimes of its governors and people, and especially by the barbarous oppression which has marked the conduct of the Turks in all their dealings with their unfortunate Christian subjects. No intelligence of much moment has been received from the immediate scenes of war; but the general complexion of the accounts continues favourable to the Greeks. The Turks seem in no condition, at the present moment, to resume extensive operations either by sea or land; and the accounts before received relative to the reverses which were stated to have overtaken both their fleet and army, derive strong concurrent probability from the otherwise inexplicable supineness which has of late been visible in all their measures. We sincerely rejoice to add, that the conduct of the British authorities in the Ionian isles has begun to wear a more favourable aspect towards the Greeks; a circumstance which is stated to have diffused great consolation and satisfaction among that suffering people.

duction of quarterly assizes. The humanity and moral duty of adopting some such measure have been often and forcibly proved. "There are two points," remarked one of the judges commissioned on this occasion, (Mr. Justice Bayley, in his charge to the grand jury at Maidstone)-" There are two points, in the justice and neces. sity of which all must agree; first, that prisoners against whom the evidence may be deficient may be as speedily as possible removed from the dangerous tendency of prison associations, and restored to that liberty to which they are by right entitled; and secondly, that those whose guilt shall be proved may be removed from prison inactivity to that beneficial industry to which their sentence may consign them. His lordship justly esteemed it "a most grateful sight to witness gentlemen of rank, consideration, and influence coming forward in a full attendance, gratuitously and with great readiness, to discharge the office of grand jurors;" and he strongly recommended that the experiment of a winter's assize should be regarded with the most impartial consideration.-His lordship's learned colleague, Mr. Justice Graham, we lament to state, has expressed himself very differently on this subject. At the Hertford special assizes, his lordship remarked, that though a lengthened imprisonment anterior to trial is a great hardship to the really innocent, yet, that of those declared innocent at the assizes many are in fact guilty, though not convicted; and that the number of innocent sufferers is therefore very limited. But why, we would ask, should even one thus suffer undeservedly, if the injustice can be reasonably avoided? The speech of that learned judge has been read, we feel persuaded, with almost universal surprise and regret. His lordship himself found at these very

assizes no less than 92 prisoners at Chelmsford, (78 of whom were committed for felony, burglary, and highway robbery), and a proportionate number at the other assize towns. These numbers had accumulated in four months: was there then no necessity for a gaol delivery? His lordship alludes to the inconvenience to the judges; but especially dwells on that of the grand jurors, who could not, he thinks, be fairly expected to leave their homes" at a season of the year devoted to domestic comfort and repose.” We trust, however, that there is sufficient public spirit and humanity in our gentry to make this sacrifice, great as it may be; though, after all, it is but for a few days at most; and we are very sure that it would not conduce to their peace of mind, amidst the friendly intercourse of the domestic circle, to reflect that there were languishing, in the wintry inclemencies of a prison, many whom a small sacrifice on their part would rescue, not only from their bodily confinement, but what is far worse, from the moral contamination which too often accompanies imprisonment in crowded and unclassified gaols. We cannot quit the subject without again adverting to Sir J. Bayley's charge, in order to mention, with great satisfaction, a suggestion in it, not only applicable to winter assizes, but to a variety of similar cases; namely, that both policy and humanity require that when persons are liberated from confinement, attention should be given, as far as practicable, to prevent their being reduced to the temptation of falling into dishonest practices, by affording them such temporary relief as their case requires and Christian charity suggests even to the guilty, and, where practicable, procuring them the means of obtaining an honest subsistence in future.

THE

HE following is the substance of the Society's Sixteenth Report, read at the last annual meet ing, of which we presented some account in our Number for September. Some subsequent occurrences might be added; but we give the facts at present as they stood at the date of this Report.

AnAddress to his Majesty,found. ed on authentic parliamentary do cuments, exhibiting a most afflicting view of the extent to which the Slave Trade was still carried on by the subjects of several European powers, and of the enormities which attended its continuance, was moved in the House of Lords by the Marquis of Lansdowne, and in the House of Commons by Mr. Wilberforce, imploring his Majesty to: represent in the most urgent manner, to the different governments whose subjects were engaged in this nefarious commerce, the necessity of their adopting stronger and more effectual measures of repression, in order to discharge their plainest and most incumbent obligations, and to redeem the solemn pledges they had given to this country and to Europe, respecting the entire Abolition of the Slave Trade. These addresses should seem not to have been officially communicated to any of the foreign governments, and therefore can hardly be supposed to have CHRIST. OBSERV. APP.

produced any material effect in diminishing the Slave Trade. On the contrary, the Directors of the African Institution state, that the extent of that trade appeared rather to have increased. The whole line of Western Africa, from the river Senegal to Benguela; that is to say, from latitude 15o north, to latitude 13° south, had swarmed with slave vessels; and an active and increasing Slave Trade has also been carried on upon the eastern shores of that continent, particularly from the island of Zanzebar. From July 1820 to October 1821, 190 slave-ships had entered the river Bonny, and 162 the river Calabar, for the purpose of purchasing slaves.

Portugal." In this work of iniquity and devastation," remark the Directors, "Portugal still takes a prominent part; the only European power that has refused entire ly to prohibit her subjects from trading in slaves. She retains the guilty distinction of still legalizing a traffic which she acknowledges, at the same time, to be a crime of the worst description. She engaged, it is true, at the Congress of Vienna, to limit her Slave Trade to her own possessions south of the Equator; and she held out a qualified expectation, that in the year 1823, it should cease every where, and for ever. Her restrictive sti

5 N