except in cases of necessity and mercy; and should you be favourable to this object, I shall feel much gratified by your attendance and support at the meeting on that day. But should you be unable to attend, I would request you to favour me, previous to the meeting, with a line empowering me to protest in your name against the desecration of the Lord's Day by the running of trains. While I venture to assert that this question is a most important one as regards the responsibility of the shareholders, and as affecting the religious and moral interests of the country, and the protection of the railway servants and labourers from unceasing toil and in their enjoyment of the day of rest, I would beg to add one striking fact for your consideration. A return

made to Parliament of the accidents on the Scottish railways from January to June, 1848, shows the comparative security of Sabbath-observing and Sabbath-breaking lines.

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The lines running Sabbath trains embraced 280 miles, the lines having no Sabbath trains embraced 240 miles, shewing a difference of 40 miles, which in railway travelling is not very material. The number of passengers conveyed along the Sabbath-breaking lines was 1,623,617-the number along the Sabbath-observing lines was 1,572,637, making a difference of about 50,000, out of more than a million and a half. Upon the lines which run Sabbath trains within the period mentioned, 16 accidents occurred; 14 persons were killed, and 2 wounded; on the lines that observed the Sabbath there were only 2 accidents, 1 person was killed and 1 wounded. Without asserting that these facts show a miraculous Divine interposition, I would confidently affirm that the Providence of God concurs with the law of God, and that when men have not the rest of the holy Sabbath, they become jaded and over-fatigued, and less equal both bodily and mentally for the discharge of their duties upon the other six days of the week-and that both they, and in the long run the companies who employ them, must suffer by this breach of Divine Law.

"I have the honour to remain, Ladies and Gentlemen, your very faithful and obedient servant,

"THOMAS H. GRAHAM."

IRELAND

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EDUCATION. (Extract from Charge of Bishop of Ossory.)—What was the number of Roman Catholic children who were excluded from the benefits of education, by their objections to the reading of the Bible in the schools supported by the State, we have no direct means of determining, but we have conclusive evidence that it could not have been considerable, until violent efforts were for a short time used to drive them from all Scriptural schools -efforts which could not have been kept up, and which would never have been made, but with the prospect of effecting the overthrow of the existing system. In 1831, it would appear that not fewer than 300,000 Roman Catholicchildren were receiving Scriptural education in Ireland.* teen years after, there are found in the schools of the National Board less than 400,000 children;† though the public money has been so liberally voted in its support, and all the influence of government, and all the ecclesiastical power of the Romish clergy are employed, to make those schools the exclusive channels of education to the poor. While at the same time, the Church Education Society, deprived of all aid from the public funds, is educating above 104,000 children. This answer, therefore, even if it were unimpeachable in principle, is altogether erroneous in matter of fact. And so the question recurs-When Roman Catholic prejudices against the Bible are treated with such tender consideration, why are the prejudices-if they be prejudices-of Protestants in favour of the Bible treated with disregard and

scorn?

*This is the calculation of the Rev. Dr. Martin, in his "Defence of the Irish Clergy," p. 5.

† 395,550. "Eleventh Report of the Commissioners of National Education i Ireland."

PETITION FOR THE GRADUAL REPEAL OF THE BEER BILL.

To the Right Honourable the Lords Spiritual and Temporal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, in Parliament assembled,

The humble petition of the inhabitants or the congregation of SHEWETH,

That the establishment of beershops, so far from answering the end proposed of benefitting the poor, has proved decidedly and increasingly injurious to the working classes.

That even the strongest affection our nature is capable of, the love of wife and children, is, in too many instances, completely overpowered by the temptations these houses afford.

That vast numbers are thereby reduced to utter poverty, who, by throwing themselves on parochial relief, inflict a grievous wrong on the industrious and sober portion of the nation.

Your petitioners, therefore, earnestly entreat your right honourable house to prohibit the granting of any new licenses to beer-shops, and to enact that those already granted shall be in force only during the tenure of the present holders.

And your petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, &c.

The form of address to the House of Commons is as follows:

To the Honourable the Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in Parliament assembled,

The humble petition, &c. &c.

Observe. This petition must be copied in writing, and there must be at least three signatures on the same

sheet on which the petition is written. Petitions have greater weight when the address and occupation of the petitioners are inserted; and congregational petitions are especially desirable, as they are considered to be

DISINTERESTED AND GENUINE.

The Earl of Harrowby has promised to bring in a bill for the gradual repeal of the Beer Bill, early in the session of 1849; it is therefore hoped that the friends of sobriety will exert themselves to obtain numerous and well-signed petitions. They should not be sent for presentation until the bill is before the House, and then it is desirable that they should be posted on a Monday, so as to be presented on a Tuesday. In order to pass post free it is requisite they should be open at both ends, with the word Petition written outside, and that the address be simply the name of the member, and not his address, as for example, Right Hon. the Earl of Harrowby, House of Lords. Petitions to the Commons should be sent to the representative of the place from whence they come, and in some instances a letter accompanying the Petition (prepaid) will be of service.

THOMAS RICHARDSON, B.A., Hon. Secretary. Anti-Beer-shop Association, Mill Street, Liverpool.

P.S.--In all communications please to write the word "Anti-Beer-shop" outside the letter.

Prizes of £20, £10, and £5 are offered for the three best Essays on "The Evil Effects of Beer-shops." The day for receiving them was the 2nd of March, 1849. They are to consist of 16 pages of 600 words each.

FRANCE.-LETTER FROM PARIS. The sad position of the Pope at Gaeta continues to be a source of keen disquietude to the Ultramontane party. The circumstances in which he is placed are very critical, and events

have taken an unfavourable turn. There were prophets in the Ultramontane camp, who proclaimed with perfect assurance that Pius IX. would triumphantly re-enter his states at the end of a few days.

"The Romans will speedily repent of their ingratitude. It is an act of madness, which cannot last; they cannot do without their Sovereign Pontiff. You will see that they will fall upon their knees, strike upon their breasts, before the Most Holy Father, and that with many tears they will beseech him to return to the Vatican. Pius IX. is as necessary to the Romans as the air they breathe; and they will renounce all their vain political liberties rather than consent to part with their spiritual and temporal head!"

Such was the language, in pastoral letters, sermons, and journals-the organs of the clerical faction. But, alas! alas! they were false prophets, and it is not the first time that they have fallen into this fault. The Romans are far more obdurate than they ever supposed. Threats and promises, abuse and flattery, excommunications and tender exhortations -all was useless, and the world perceived that the Pope's subjects were very bad Papists. How disgraceful! How lamentable! The abbés veil their heads; the Jesuits, known and unknown, are in consternation, and the nuns sigh in their cells, and shed floods of tears, as if the end of the world were come.

The Ultramontane press has recourse to abusive language; its writers call the inhabitants of Rome infernal beings, vile radicals, disgusting wretches, infamous creatures, and other amenities of the same kind. But, invective not being sufficient to conquer the resistance of these rebellious subjects, the Popish journals have employed, by turns, miracles and an appeal to bayonets of the European powers.

First, miracles. You must know that public prayers were offered, by order of the Holy Father, in all the churches in the Pontificial States, accompanied with an exhibition of relics. The wood of the true cross was shewn to the faithful in the cathedral church of Rome, as was also the veil of St. Veronica. Now, observe what has happened: I copy this narrative textually from the Romish journal, entitled La Vérité, (a

paper which bears this title cannot publish a falsehood :) "The third day of the exhibition, the veil coloured of itself, and the countenance of our Lord appeared, quite animated, amidst a mild radiance. The canons who were watching over the sacred relic immediately informed the clergy of the cathedral. The great bells were pealed; the people came together; the most inexpressible emotion was depicted upon every face; many wept, and all were struck with this astonishing event. An apostolic notary was called; a document was drawn up to authenticate the fact to posterity, and a copy of this document was sent to the Holy Father at Gaeta."- Evangelical Christendom.

TAHITIANS IN PARIS. You know, from one of my former letters, that there is at Paris a small colony of young Tahitians. This mode of favouring the progress of civilization in the South Seas was the work of M. Guizot's Ministry. The sons of a number of chiefs were brought to France in order to receive sound education in our schools, and afterwards to carry to their native land the fruits of the tuition which they have received. But it appears that our climate does not agree with the health of the Tahitians. Already one of them had died in the flower of his age. Another, who was but thirteen years of age, has just expired. This youth, named Ninhi, manifested a simple and unaffected piety. He persisted in professing the Reformed faith. He prayed constantly, and with great fervour. In the last days of his life, he turned his eyes, suffused with tears, towards the land of his birth, and eagerly requested some fruit from his native country. All by whom he was surrounded were most tenderly attached to him, and were greatly edified by his firm hope in Jesus Christ. lbid.

ITALY-THE POPE.-It is not an easy matter to predict the future movements of the Pope. It is evident that he is becoming increasingly impatient of his continued degradation, and more and more importunate

We

see that orders have been given for the melting down for cannon all the bells of the churches throughout Italy which are not absolutely needed for the purposes of public worship.

It is lamentable to think that money should be extracted from the poor Irish for the maintenance of the Pope in his exile. It is stated that above £1000 has been raised and sent over from the county of Meath alone. Such a movement is not well calculated to advance English sympathies towards Irish distress, any more than the fact which has been lately stated, that above £8000 was sent, during the last year, through the York Postoffice, to Ireland from Irish paupers.

PROGRESS OF OPINION IN ITALY. "A great change is taking place in the Church of this country. Papacy has received a shock from which it is not expected to recover. It is said there are sixty thousand people in all Italy, ready to renounce the errors of Popery, and that they are only waiting till they can number one hundred thousand, to make open profession. We often hear sentiments from our Italian acquaintances that make us start: instead of look

ing upon us as lost heretics, they can not only converse in a friendly and rational manner on the subject, but it is become a common thing for them to say, 'You are right and we are wrong!' These poor creatures are not free to change their religion; their church is one of bondage, and they must give up rank and fortune, when they give up their false creed.

TYROL.-The Diet of Inspruck has requested that all persons who are not Roman Catholics shall be forbidden

to enter the Tyrol. "Like its atmosphere and its springs," says the Diet of that country, "its belief ought to remain pure!"

MALTA PROTESTANT COLLEGE. -(Extracts from Special Appeal.)— There are, at present, four ex-priests in the college, Dr. De Sanctis, from Rome, mentioned in our last year's report; Sig. Cerioni, formerly a Romish missionary in Egypt, and afterwards secretary to the Bishop at Cairo; Sig. Fiumara, lately a Romish missionary in the Greek Islands, and Sig. Moscardi, a missionary in Egypt. A few days ago a Syrian youth, Abdo Debbas, arrived in London, sent by Assaad-y-Kayat, British Consul at Jaffa, to enter, as a gratuitous pupil the school department, which has re-opened with twenty-five scholars, and with every prospect of farther success.

Never perhaps was there a period when such agents as the Malta Protestant College is preparing as teachers of the Gospel were so much needed. An irrepressible spirit of inquiry has been everywhere awakened along with the downfall of empires and the revolutions of nations. We have lately received deeply interesting intelligence, which goes to show that numbers in the east, and belonging to the western churches, are in the sad condition of fully seeing the deadly errors of their own systems, without having any guides to instruct them in the knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A letter recently received from Palestine states, that a great movement has taken place amongst a community of Arabs belonging to the Greek Church. "You will rejoice," says the writer, to learn the great effect which has been produced by the circulation of the Scriptures, and conversations, among the Arabs about Nablous. The people became so interested that all the Christian inhabitants at Nablous have thrown off the yoke of their priesthood, and have separated from the Greek Church. They now ask for a Protestant clergyman and a schoolmaster, but neither can be procured. They are

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resolved to form themselves into a Protestant community that they may follow the religion of the Gospel." This is a sad state of things. Here are men thirsting for the waters of life, and no one can be found to minister to their wants. Why was the great German movement lost? Just we are convinced, because they had no spiritual guides to teach and direct them. Had our college, as it is now constituted, been longer in operation, we should most likely have been able to meet the wants of these

interesting Arabs.

The religious movements in Italy are also progressing. Some of the ex-priests who were in the college during the past year regularly conducted Divine service in the new reformed Italian Church at Malta. Another reformed Italian Church has been opened at Florence, and they are looking to us to supply them with a permanent pastor. It is also a striking fact that the late political convulsions, and the sufferings through which most of the European nations have passed, have had the effect of increasing their demand for the Scriptures. The dawning of the Sun of Righteousness is already gilding with his heavenly light the lowering troubled atmosphere of the political world, so that spiritual good begins to arise out of these awful commotions. Orders have been received at the depôt at Malta for several thousand Italian Bibles, chiefly from booksellers in Italy and Sicily. Their stock has been exhausted, and a large number of copies are to be sent from London. The same desire for the Scriptures has also been manifested in Paris, and in different parts of France. Were the great objects contemplated by the Malta college now fully carried out, and had it adequate funds at its disposal, it seems in every way suited, from its peculiarly commanding position, the advantages of steam communication to all parts of the world which it possesses, and from the countries by which it is surrounded, to sway the spiritual des

tinies of multitudes of the inhabitants of the eastern and western world, now anxiously seeking the light or Divine truth.

It is quite evident that the great objects contemplated by this institution, placed as a central beacon of Gospel light to the surrounding countries of Southern Europe, Asia, and Africa, cannot be carried on without large supplies of pecuniary means. A reduction of £10 has lately been made upon the rate of payment in all the departments, and a staff of efficient teachers must be maintained to ensure the success of the institution, and to secure for it public confidence. The cost of maintaining each priest is between £40 and £50 a year; and that of each native student, between £30 and £40. A considerably larger number of ex-priests and native students than are at present in the institution could be accommodated and educated, had we sufficient funds at command. It is quite obvious that before we can provide an agency at all commensurate with the spiritual wants of the vast countries for whose benefit the college was originally founded, its resources would require to be increased at least fourfold.

The committee, therefore, would most urgently appeal to persons possessed of wealth, and ask them whether this be not a cause worthy of their liberal support, either by giving large contributions, or by pledging themselves to subscribe or collect annually £10 for the next few years. They would earnestly solicit all who read this statement, not to lay it aside without resolving to subscribe some sum, however small, to assist them in carrying out their plans; these, in the face of many difficulties, are now happily matured, and, under the Divine blessing, seem eminently fitted for preparing messengers of the Gospel to meet the present singular crisis of the world's history, when the fields are becoming so rapidly "white to the harvest," and labourers cannot be found to go and gather their fruits.