IN the course of the year ending at the audit, the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge has distributed to its members and the public, 54,896 Bibles, 75,547 Testaments and Psalters, 146,668 Books of Common Prayer, 91,897 bound books, and 1,092,844 tracts. During the same period the receipts of the Society, through the Treasurers to its General Designs, have amounted to £66,552 10s.-and its expenditure to £65,645 18s. 1d. Of the latter sum £54,652 8s. 6d. have been paid for books and tracts issued from the Society's stores; and £7,238 12s. 3d. for grants in aid of the foreign operations of the Society in various parts of the world. In addition to the receipts above mentioned the sums of £1069 15s. 7d. 3 per cent. Consuls, and of £3843 15s. 1d. New 4 per Cents. being part of the legacy of the late Earl of Kerry, have been transferred by the Court of Chancery into the names of the Society's Trustees, making the total receipt during the twelvemonth exceed the sum of £70,000 -nearly the whole of which, with the exception of the Earl of Kerry's stock, has been expended in meeting the current demands of the year.

The members and friends of the Institution will perceive from this statement, that no relaxation has taken place in its endeavours to promote Christian Knowledge; nor has any diminution been experienced in its means of so doing with effect. At the same time it will be equally evident, that even the large income of the Society is not more than sufficient to defray the increasing demands upon its funds; and that no material extension of its designs could be safely undertaken without a still further increase of disposable means. The Society is well aware that such an increase can only be expected from a general conviction of the utility of its services; and in the humble hope that such a conviction may be strengthened by an account of its proceedings during the last year, it submits the following outline of them to the notice and consideration of the public.

The Society has always been anxious to diffuse its benefits in every part of the British Empire; and to answer, according to its means, every call that might be made upon it for the Holy

Scriptures, and the Book of Common Prayer. Ireland, in particular, has participated largely in its bounty; and, during the past year, fresh exertions have been used to meet the demand, which has arisen for the Word of God iu the Irish language.

Above a century ago, the Society turned its attention to the spiritual exigencies of the Irish poor. A considerable impression of the Common Prayer-Book was then prepared, in the English and Irish languages, in parallel columns; and an equal number of copies of the Church Catechism, and of Lewis's Exposition, was also printed on the same plan. Of late years, some measures of the same kind have appeared necessary, not only for the benefit of the Irish poor residing in this metropolis, but also with a view of supplying the demand which might be made by the clergy in particular districts of Ireland. The Society, therefore, in the year 1820, resolved to reprint Bishop Bedell's translation of the Bible, and to republish the Common Prayer-Book, in the Irish language. But great difficulties were experienced in obtaining such security as the Society feels itself bound to require for the accurate execution of the proposed works. The Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin were applied to, in the year 1821; but neither of them was prepared to become responsible for the result of the undertaking. Arrangements were subsequently made with a London printer: a corrector of the press, who produced satisfactory testimonials of his qualifications, was engaged; and the first half of the Old Testament was immediately printed. When the work had reached this stage, the corrector discontinued his services; nor has there been, till very recently, any prospect of supplying his place, although the Society's anxious desire to complete the work, as soon as a properly qualified superintendant of it could be procured, caused repeated applications to be made on the subject to some of the most distinguished members of the Church of Ireland. While the publication of the Holy Scriptures, and of the Book of Common Prayer, has been thus unavoidably delayed, the Society has not failed to demonstrate the lively interest which it takes in the

promotion of Christian knowledge in the Sister Island, by a very considerable grant to the Dublin Association for discountenancing Vice, Bibles and Books of Common Prayer, in English, of the value of £1000 were presented to this Association in the year 1821, for the use of schools, hospitals, workhouses, and gaols: and it having ap peared, in the year 1825, that the necessary supplies had been furnished in these quarters, without exhausting the above mentioned grant, the remainder, viz. Bibles and Common Prayer Books, of the value of £600 were placed at the disposal of the Association for general distribution, and have been circulated throughout Ireland with much advantage.

In the course of the present year the Society has renewed its endeavours to complete the edition of the Irish Bible, as well as to commence the reprinting of the Book of Common Prayer in the same language; and it has had the satisfaction of finding the immediate prosecution of these important undertakings, which it has so long been labouring to accomplish, warmly recommended by many of the Diocesan and District Committees. The portion of the Old Testament already printed has been transmitted to Dublin, to be examined by a competent Irish scholar, who was pointed out to the Society's notice by His Grace the Lord Archbishop of Dublin; and the University of Dublin has kindly consented to allow the Book of Common Prayer to be printed at its press. Under these circumstances, it is hoped that the works will be carried on with success, and that every difficulty will be surmounted. The very limited number of biblical scholars who are critically acquainted with the Irish language, throws an obstacle in the way of translations into that tongue, scarcely less formidable than those which are encountered in the most difficult foreign versions. But time and perseverance will enable the heads of the Church of Ireland to remove impediments which it is useless to underrate, and dangerous to despise; and the Society is distinctly pledged to avail itself of every facility which may be offered for the prosecution of the work, and not to desist until it is able to supply its Members and the public with copies of the Scriptures and of the Liturgy in the Irish language.

Another subject, which has been frequently pressed on the consideration of the Board, and has also required

great attention, is the revision of the Books and Tracts circulated by the So ciety. It was admitted in the Report for the year 1825, that the length of time which had elapsed since many of these works were adopted, and the change which had subsequently taken place among all ranks of society, had shewn the necessity of some alteration, and the extent to which such alteration should be carried; and that it had been determined to suffer such works as appeared, after mature examination, unsuited to the present wants of the people, to remain out of print, while others, partly of a similar description, might be abridged for the especial use of the Society. The progress that has been made since this statement was laid before the public, authorizes à hope that in one or two more years the work may be brought to a successful termination.

The distribution of the Society's publications through different channels has been very extensive and satisfactory during the past year. No symptom can be perceived of diminished activity on the part either of individual Members or of Committees. The issue of Bibles, Testaments, Books of Common Prayer, and religious books, is not materially less than the very large delivery of the preceding year, and there has been a considerably increased circulation of

tracts.

Among the domestic occurrences of the year must be noticed the plans of His Royal Highness the Lord High Admiral for supplying the spiritual wants of His Majesty's Navy; and his determination to avail himself of the instrumentality of the Society in the promotion of that design. Former res ports have adverted to the large number of Bibles and Prayer Books furnished, at the request of the late Duke of York, for the use of the land forces. The Society has consented, in reply to the inquiries of the Lord High Admiral, to supply the crews of the Royal Navy on the same reasonable terms; and it has heard with great satisfaction, through the senior Chaplain of Greenwich Hospital, the Rev. Dr. Cole, that no religious books or tracts will be circulated through the Navy, except such as are on the Catalogue of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.*

This assertion must doubtless be received with some qualification. We doubt whether the Lord High Admiral's power extends so far as to exclude all other books except those on the Society's

The foreign intelligence, which the Society has now to communicate to its members, abounds with interesting and important incidents. In India, the great field of missionary labours which the providence of God appears to have allotted to the British nation, the prospects of this Society have been chequered by an alternation of light and shade. The visit of the late Bishop of Calcutta to the Society's ancient mission in southern India, his lamented death before that visit was completed, his testimony to the paramount importance of those establishments, and his valuable suggestions for their extension and improvement, furnish matter for the most painful, as well as the most encouraging reflections.

"During the short time," says the Rev. Thomas Robinson, chaplain to the deceased Bishop, "which his lordship spent at Madras before he commenced his southern tour, he visited the Society's Missionary Establishment at Vepery,

examined all the schools connected with the institution, and addressed the children and other Christians who were assembled. He was particularly struck with the beautiful Gothic church lately erected by the Society, the most beautiful and almost the only specimen of that order in this country, except the chapel of Bishop's College, near Calcutta."

"From hence his lordship proceeded to Tanjore, where he arrived on the 25th of March, and it was there, in the institutions of the venerable Schwartz, in the labours of the excellent men who have succeeded him in the same field, and in the numerous churches of native

list. We are sure it ought not to extend so far; and we are surprised that so inconsiderate an assertion has found its way into this report.

Christians which they have founded and built up, that his interest was most powerfully excited, and the energies of his powerful mind most earnestly employed. The morning after his arrival, his lordship preached in the mission church in the fort, and administered the Lord's Supper to fifty-three native Christians, using (as was his constant custom in all native congregations) the words of administration in their own language. In the evening he attended the Tamul service in the same church, the Liturgy being read by the missionaries present, and the sermon preached by Dr. Camerer of Tranquebar, and he himself pronouncing the benediction in Tamul. There were present on that occasion more than 1,300 native Christians. It is impossible to forget, I cannot now remember without tears, the delight with which he reviewed the transactions of that day. The devotion of the communicants, the admirable order of their psalmody, the deep and mingled sound of all their voices joining in the repetition of the responses of our Liturgy, and especially of the Lord's Prayer, their breathless attention to the preacher, and the animated and impressive manner in which they responded to his questions, all affected him more powerfully than I can describe: 'gladly,' he exclaimed to me while taking off his robes, 'gladly would I purchase this day with years of existence.' report then goes on to describe the measures adopted by the Society for the revival of the Tanjore Mission-the promotion of native schools, and numerous other important objects in the East Indies, and in other parts of the world, which we have not room at present to enumerate.

The

A COMMITTEE formed at Southampton to obtain information respecting the long neglected, ignorant, and immoral people the Gypsies, have drawn up a circular containing the following queries, which they have requested us to insert.

1. What has been done within your knowledge for the moral, religious, and general instruction and improvement of the Gypsies in this country; and with what success?

2. In the case of a failure in any plan for their benefit, can you account for the same?

3. What do you recommend from your own experience, as the best means to adopt for the religious instruction and general improvement of the Gypsies ? bearing in mind their wandering habits.

4. Could you refer the Committee to any persons who may have it in their power to afford them information on the subject in question?