his opinion of the necessity of improving the education of the young, by giving an efficient training to those who were to instruct them; and stated, that among the more interesting proceedings of the past year, was the holding of two conferences upon the great subject of education, which had had the effect of obtaining for the Association a larger amount of attention than it had hitherto received, and had also called forth a considerable amount of pecuniary help.

The Secretary then read the Report, which, after a general reference to the principles on which the Association was based, proceeded to a statement of the progress made during the past year, both at home and abroad. The Treasurer's account showed that there was a balance in hand of £561 8s. 6d. The Rev. J. B. Brown, B.A., in moving the adoption of the Report, and the appointment of the Committee for the ensuing year, spoke at some length in favour of the Association, insisting strongly upon the importance of connecting religion with education. The Rev. S. Green briefly seconded the resolution. The Rev. J. H. Hinton, M.A., in moving the second resolution, said, that the Association held principles with which he thoroughly accorded, and the progress of which he had watched with the greatest interest. The Rev. W. Brock moved the third resolution, and referred to the extent and influence of education, more especially in connection with Sunday-schools, in the town of Stockport. The Rev. D. Thomas seconded the resolution. A vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was duly acknowledged, closed the meeting.

SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

THE Forty-ninth Anniversary of the Sunday School Union took place on Thursday evening, May 6th, in Exeter Hall, which was, as usual, completely crowded in every part, and presented a most interesting and animating scene. After a hymn had been sung, and the Divine blessing supplicated by the Rev. J. W. Richardson, the Chairman, Alfred Rooker, Esq., Mayor of Plymouth, opened the business of the evening, with expressing the deep interest he had long taken in Sabbath-school instruction. W. H. Watson, Esq., one of the Secretaries, read the Report, which gave a summary of the operations of the Union during the year, in England, France, South Africa, Van Diemen's Land, Australia, New Zealand, the East and West Indies, Central America, &c. Eight grants for buildings, and 209 for libraries, had been made. Deputations from the Parent Society had visited many of the local Unions, and the Committee had taken advantage of many country teachers being in the metropolis, during the last summer, to arrange a

VOL. XXX.

series of weekly conferences, on subjects of great importance, in connexion with their work. The sales at the Depository had amounted to £10,080 78. Id., being £303 188. 3d. more than those of the previous year.

The Report also stated, that there were now 345 schools, 7258 teachers, and 75,657 scholars, connected with the Union.

The Earl of Roden had retired from the Presidency, and W. B. Gurney, Esq., the founder, and first Secretary, had accepted that office. The vacant Treasurership, thus created, had been filled by Mr. Alderman Challis. The meeting was powerfully addressed by the Revs. D. Katterns, L. Wiseman, Dr. Dyer, G. Rose, and W. Brock, and T. Thompson, Esq. After a vote of thanks to the Chairman, a hymn was sung, and the vast assembly retired, evidently much pleased with the proceedings of the evening.

RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

THE above Society held its Fifty-third Anniversary Meeting, at Exeter Hall, on Friday evening, May 7th. The chair was occupied by the Earl of Chichester. The large building was well filled, and the platform crowded with the more prominent friends of the Society. Prayer was offered by the Rev. Dr. Henderson, after which, the Chairman briefly addressed the meeting. He expressed his admiration of the Catholic character of the Institution, of its various estimable publications, and of the very judicious way in which it had ministered to the growing intelligence and wants of the age.

The Report glanced at the Society's operations throughout the world. In reviewing the Home proceedings, especial reference was made to the efforts directed against Popery, and the publication of the "Leisure Hour,"a periodical designed to supplant the cheap, vicious literature which so abounds. During the year, 760 libraries had been granted, exclusive of books to ministers and schoolmasters for their own private use. The new publications had been 174: while the total issues of the Society amounted to 22,546.747. The entire receipts had been £68,126, being an increase on the past year of £5957. resolutions were ably spoken to by the Rev. T. R. Birks, Rev. G. Smith, the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel, Rev. W. W. Champneys, M.A., Dr. Johns, M. De Watteville, Rev. J. Weir, and Rev. C. Prest, who testified to the increasing prosperity and usefulness of this valuable Society. The proceedings terminated with singing the Doxology.

LONDON CITY MISSION.

The

THE Anniversary Meeting of this useful and flourishing Society was held on Thursday, May 6th, at Exeter Hall. The chair was

2 A

taken, at eleven o'clock, by Sir E. N. Buxton, in the absence of J. Plumptre, Esq., M.P., who was prevented, by illness, from attending. The Rev. J. Robinson gave out a hymn, and engaged in prayer, after which, the Chairman expressed his entire concurrence in the principles and operations of the Society. The Annual Report of the Committee was then read, which commenced with taking a glance at the present state of the masses of the London population, and showed that the efforts of the Missions had been vigorously sustained; while the increasing support which had been given, afforded enlarged ground for encouragement and hope. Reference was made to the special exertions of the Society in connexion with the Great Exhibition.

The present number of Missionaries employed was 270; there having been an increase of 25 during the year. The Report also alluded to country Auxiliaries, with marked commendation of one formed in Sunderland.

The receipts of the Society for the year were £23,216 17s. 4d., being an increase on the previous year of £162 18s. An additional sum of £125 4s. had been received for the disabled Missionaries' Fund, and £124 9s. towards the erection of a few almshouses, in one of the suburbs, which would serve as an asylum for incapacitated Missionaries and their families.

The circulation of tracts had been quite unprecedented, owing to the large numbers given away at the Crystal Palace. 5986

children had been sent to school; and 2041 adults induced to attend public worship: 384 drunkards had been reformed; 438 fallen women reclaimed, and lodged in asylums; and 35 restored to their homes; while 300 families had been persuaded to commence private prayer.

The assembly was very effectively addressed by the Rev. W. W. Champneys, M.A., Chevalier Bunsen, Rev. J. C. Harrison, Rev. W. Arthur, the Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel, Rev. J. M. Hussey, Rev. W. Blood, Rev. J. Garwood, and J. Foster, Esq. A vote of thanks to the Chairman concluded the meeting, which was felt to be peculiarly interesting and animating.

BAPTIST HOME MISSION.

THIS useful Society held its Annual Meeting on Monday evening, the 26th of April, under the presidency of S. Leonard, Esq. The Rev. W. Larom having opened the proceedings with prayer, the Chairman made a very suitable introductory speech, in which he expressed his increasing attachment to the Baptist Home Mission, whose object it was more widely to diffuse the gospel of Christ amongst populous and neglected districts of our own beloved country.

The Rev. S. J. Davies, the Secretary, read

BAPTIST IRISH SOCIETY.

THE Annual Meeting of the above Society was held at Finsbury Chapel, on Tuesday evening, the 27th of April, when the chair was taken by J. Tritton, Esq. The proceedings of the evening were commenced with singing and prayer, after which the Chairman expressed the great pleasure it afforded him to preside on that occasion, and the more especially, as it would be seen from the Report, that the past year had been one of the most encouraging in the Society's operations, and the most gratifying in the whole course of the Society's history.

The Rev. W. Groser, the Secretary, was then called upon to read the Report, which was principally of a statistical character, and from which it appeared that the debt of £1828 4s. 1d. remaining against the Society at its last anniversary, had been reduced to £449 10s. 7d.

We were happy to learn that the Society might be regarded as being in a very prosperous condition, and that its labours had not been in vain. The first resolution was ably moved by the Rev. N. B. Bowes, and seconded, in an excellent speech, by the Rev. S. Manning, M.A. A resolution, nominating the officers for the ensuing year, was then moved by the Rev. B. C. Young, and seconded by the Rev. N. Haycroft. A liberal collection was made, and the doxology and benediction closed the interesting engagements of the evening.

AGED PILGRIMS' SOCIETY.

THE Anniversary Meeting of this Society,

his firm opinion that voluntary effort, rightly cherished and duly sustained, was adequate to the great work in which they were engaged. The Rev. A. E. Pearce seconded the resolution, and announced his full belief that the inquiry which was proceeding in the House of Commons would be triumphantly in favour of the principles they had met that evening to advocate. Sir J. B. Williams moved, and the Rev. J. Kelly seconded, a vote of thanks to the Chairman, which was appropriately acknowledged, and the proceedings terminated.

BRITISH MISSIONS.

THE Anniversary Meeting of British Missions, comprising the Home Missionary, the Irish Evangelical, and Colonial Societies, took place in Exeter Hall, on Tuesday evening, May 12th, when the chair was occupied by C. Hindley, Esq., M.P. A hymn having been sung, and prayer offered by the Rev. R. Hamilton, the Chairman, after expressing his undiminished attachment to the important Societies, represented under the appropriate name British Missions, made reference, in most affecting terms, to the fact that Dr. Matheson, and the Rev. Algernon Wells, who on former occasions had given a spirit and a power to their meetings never to be forgotten, were not with them that evening; and concluded his introductory remarks by commending the cause they had met to advance to their notice and affection.

The Rev. Dr. Massie then read the Annual Report of the affiliated Societies. We were glad to learn that the efforts of the Home Missionary Society, in the towns, and especially in the metropolis, had been conducted with most hopeful indications of efficiency. The Society now employed 47 agents, who occupied 122 stations. Their hearers might be computed at nearly 40,000, and the church members at nearly 5000. During the year 6 new stations had been adopted, and 14 new agents or grantees employed. The entire receipts had amounted to £5646 16s. 9d.

The Report stated, in reference to Ireland, that the sum contributed by several of the churches for the support of the Irish Evangelical Society, during the year, had exceeded any local contribution in former years; while it expressed deep regret at the lack of men who appeared fully qualified to go forth, as messengers of the Gospel, to the sister country. Allusion was made to the new arrangements for conducting the future operations of this interesting and important Society. The receipts had been £2217 68. 7d., and the disbursements £1756 4s. 6d. We were gratified to perceive, from the Report, that the churches planted and watered by the Colonial Missionary Society were thriving, and that the Society, in its various departments, was in a

very satisfactory and promising condition. The income for the year had been £3275 14s. 2d., and the expenditure £2966 8s.

The Revs. Dr. Morison, W. Kirkus, B.A., J. G. Miall, A. Reed, B.A., J. Henson, W. Leask, and E. Morley, very effectively addressed the meeting, in favour of the various resolutions of the evening.

N.B.-Notices of all the other important Societies will appear in the July Magazine.

WEST OF ENGLAND DISSENTERS' PROPRIETARY SCHOOL, TAUNTON.

We have much pleasure in referring our readers to an advertisement on our cover, of the West of England Dissenters' Proprietary School, Taunton,- an institution which has acquired for itself a high and honourable distinction. We can commend it with confidence to Christian parents and guardians, for its economy, efficiency, and eminently religious character.

THETFORD.

THE ordination of the Rev. Martin Reed to the pastoral office over the church and congregation assembled in the Independent Chapel, Thetford, took place on Thursday, May 6. The Rev. Browne, of North Walsham, introduced the services with reading and prayer: the Rev. Andrew Reed, B.A., of Norwich, then delivered a very able discourse on the constitution and principles of Congregational Churches. The Rev. J. S. Russell, M.A., of Yarmouth, proposed the usual questions and received the confession of faith: the Rev. Dr. Reed, of London, offered the ordination prayer, with imposition of hands, and the Rev. John Alexander, of Norwich, delivered a most affectionate and impressive charge. The various devotional services were conducted by the Revs. - Howard, of Norwich; Guenett, of Bury; Warren, of Wattesfield; Richardson, of Barton Mills; and Matthews, of Brandon-an excellent sermon being preached in the evening to the people, by the Rev. W. A. Hundall, of Bishop's Stortford. In the afternoon a large party dined together in the Town Hall. dinner, among other interesting occurrences was that of the presentation of a testimonial to the Rev. Martin Reed, from the Church and Congregation assembling in Wycliffe Chapel, by a deputation consisting of two Deacons, Messrs. W. Langford and S. Sargent, of London. Brief speeches upon important topics were delivered by several of the ministers already named, together with C. Fison, Esq., (Mayor of Thetford,) Mr. Charles Reed, of London, and Messrs. Brown and Christopher of Thetford.

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