special claims on the clergy and laity of that Church. It was a matter of no slight importance to have lesson books prepared for teachers which were in accordance with the Liturgy of their Church; and he would add that no one could examine those books without perceiving that the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ was there presented to children with all simplicity and truthfulness. The resolution was supported by J. G. FLEET, Esq., one of the Honorary Secretaries. the next resolution, viz. :- "That while acknowledging the success which under God's blessing has attended the efforts of the Church of England Sunday School Institute, this meeting desires to record its conviction that increased efforts should be made to place the Society on a firmer basis, in order that its usefulness may be largely extended;" which was seconded by the Rev. E. AURIOL, PAVEMENT CHAPEL SCHOOLS The Rev. J. H. TITCOMB, who also supported the resolution, said he had learnt with great regret that the Society THE anniversary was held at the was suffering seriously in its funds, not Wesleyan School-rooms, kindly lent for only because of the inconvenience of the occasion, and the interest was consuch a state of things as respected its siderably enhanced by the presentation operations and the limitation of its use of two testimonials. About 450 friends fulness which it involved, but also be- and scholars sat down to tea, at the concause it might afford an opportunity for clusion of which the Superintendent, in the revival of a mischievous opinion the name of the teachers, presented to broached two or three years ago, to the the Rev. S. Hershell, a present of one effect that it had done its work, and dozen silver spoons and silver sugar might now fairly be laid on the shelf. tongs. The meeting then commenced, He certainly did not coincide in that and the Chairman, on the behalf of the opinion. The Society was needed very teachers, presented a silver tea service much; they could not, in fact, do with- to Mr. H. Cox, the superintendent. An out it. It was needed as a depository accompanying address was read by the of Sunday school information for all the Secretary. Mr. Cox having returned members of the Church of England; it thanks, the ordinary business of the evenwas needed as a kind of fly-wheel for ing commenced by the reading the rethe regulation of Sunday school move-port, which showed the school to be in a ments throughout the country; and it very prosperous state. The magazine was needed as a referee when doubts and department, established only a few difficulties arose, as they often would, months, had been peculiarly successful, with regard to the administration and there being already a monthly circulamanagement of Sunday schools in every tion of 215 periodicals. The adoption of part of the land; and, lastly, it was the report was moved by the Rev. H. needed to stimulate and kindle them in New, and seconded by the Rev. Ernest the work when their faith and zeal Coulson Jay. Addresses were also derequired some external influence. livered by the Revs. Messrs. Hannay Moreover, it was needed as a kind of and Brake, and also by Deputy-Judge recruiting sergeant to increase the num- Payne, who concluded a very amusing ber of teachers, more especially as re- speech by his 1838th tailpiece, entitled garded boys' schools, where the manhood"The Two Hershells." The proceedof the Christianity of the land was not ings were much enlivened by the singing at present at all adequately represented. of several pieces by the scholars at The Rev. W. SPARROW SIMPSON moved intervals. Passing Events. ana to what it was before America purchased it-a territory of swamps and crocodiles. He told the nations who suggested the possibility of an independent empire at the South-West, that such talk was to talk about what the people of the United States, though it should result in the upheaval of the whole of North America, would never surrender. It was his religious belief that the American Republic was that THE WAR IN AMERICA has not been Mississippi, they would reduce Louisimentioned among the Passing Events of the last two months, but unhappily it still continues with alternate successes and reverses on either side, but without any decided results. The prospects of peace which appeared to be opening in the North, are beclouded, and from some cause which is not intelligble, all parties there seem to be more determined in the prosecution of the war. The Congress have sanctioned the suspension of the Habeas Corpus Act by the President-political power foretold by the prophets, have authorised his borrowing 900 millions of dollars-and have passed a Conscription Act, by which he can, without regard to State rights, call their citizens into the field. This last measure, when adopted by the South, was considered a proof of their great distress, but the example is now followed by the North. The spirit in which the war is being carried on is illustrated by a speech delivered before the adjournment of the Senate, by Mr. Doolittle of Wisconsin. He stated that all events went to show that America would crush out the rebellion, and stand before the world greater, more powerful, more glorious than ever, and beyond what had ever entered into the mind of man to conceive. He wished to show the traitors at home, and the men who talked of intervention, that America had just begun to fight, and would fight it through. America bought Louisiana and Florida in order to have that opening to the ocean; and he would say, in the name of the NorthWest, that before they would allow an independent empire at the mouth of the and for which good men of all ages looked and prayed, and to whose success and duration, Heaven with all its omnipotence was pledged. Speaker Grow, in his valedictory address to the House of Representatives, declared that, no matter what changes were wrought in the social organism of America, its territorial limits would continue the same. The war must be prosecuted until the last armed rebel is subdued. Speaker Grow received an unanimous vote of thanks from the House, a compliment which was never paid to any Speaker but once before. Notwithstanding these statements, we do not forget the hints given in the winter, that unless the North succeeded in their object by May, it would be difficult to resist the amicable interference of the European powers to bring this lamentable strife to termination. We do not know to what extent the following calculations may be depended on, but they appear to be made up with an attempt at accuracy, and are taken from an American publication, in which it is estimated, that from the commence- untouched are almost deserted. We insert some extracts from a letter of an English settler in Tennessee, written without any idea of publication, simply for the information of his relatives. "You can scarcely imagine the unpleasantness of our situation at this time; not that we have suffered equal to some sections of country, yet we have realized the attendants of civil war; and, situated as we are between contending parties, so as alternately to be visited by each, our situation is rendered specially unpleasant. When visited by the Confederates, we are regarded with a degree of jealousy by the Federals; as also, when the Federals pay us a visit, the Confederates complain. Either side, when they visit us, take whatever they want, simply leaving a receipt which promises payment when the war shall close; and very frequently not leaving anything. The Confederates are at this time running about the country conscripting, and at the same time taking all the horses adapted for cavalry service. "I have from its commencement regarded it as an unholy and unrighteous war, waged to gratify the wishes of a comparative few, North and South. Neither party at first contemplated its reaching its present extent, and none but the Almighty can tell when or how it is to cease. Most fervently do I pray that it may not be long before the olive branch shall be extended by one or both parties. It is lamentable to view the change our country has undergone in the short space of two years, in a religious sense. Most of our churches are converted into hospitals, some into barns, and some even into stables; and those few in the interior that as yet are Last Sabbath, where usually there is a large "This state of things has continued already so long as almost to drain the country not only of any surplus, but even of the necessaries of life. To live amidst such uncertainties is, I assure you, anything but pleasant; all to some extent are losing by this sad and unfortunate war, excepting a certain class of speculators, who are hoarding money by the thousands. Compared with some, we have suffered as yet but little. It is true my means of subsistence since last June have been cut off; i. e., I have no school, nor at present is there any prospect of one, consequently I am now making preparations to raise some cotton, which, if the season prove favourable, and it should not meet the fate of much raised this year, and be burned, will necessarily yield me a fine price. "We are living within the Federal lines, and are subject entirely to them and their laws. Military law is the only law recognised. All civil law is for the time being entirely inoperative. The courts are all closed; there is no collection of any debts. When indeed the former state of things will be restored to us we are unable to divine." naval commanders seek to prevent this trade by means which somewhat overstep the limits fixed by international law. This renders remonstrances with the American Government necessary, and increases the irritation. We are, however, glad to read the observations addressed by Mr. Adams, the American Minister to our Court, on the presentation of an address by the Trades' Unions. He said to the deputation:-"I can assure you, that, notwithstanding the speeches of some of my countrymen — notwithstanding the writings in some of the American journals, there is no nation under the sun for which Americans entertain a greater regard than England, and if the real sentiments of the people of each country can be clearly established to each other, I shall have no fear of their coming into collision." We just learn that Gen. Hooker, who has succeeded Gen. Burnside, has crossed the Rappahannock, and a fearful three days' indecisive conflict has ensued. THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES have kindly permitted their bridal presents to be exhibited at the South Kensington Museum. Our Correspondent, In our number for January, our readers will find the following, (p. 62): "The Northern States are making extraordinary efforts. General Burnside is proceeding against Richmond, the Capital of the Confederate States, from the North, while another army is to operate against it from the South. In the West, it is stated that Federal armies are to be put in motion, amounting to 750,000 men; and it would seem impossible for the Southern States to resist. Yet there is no symptom of yielding, and the results of the last campaign were so different from what were anticipated, that it would be rash to predict what may be the issue of the present." The propriety of this hesitancy has been apparent. Our number for February recorded the failure of General Burnside's attempt to advance towards Richmond, and his army has ever since remained in a state of in-" Christian Ken," has visited them, and activity on the northern side of the Rappahannock. The third attempt to reduce Vicksburg, a stronghold of the Confederates on the Mississippi, has not succeeded; while the nine iron-clad vessels, which attempted to enter the harbour of Charleston, in South Carolina, received so rough a reception, that the expedition, which had been preparing Our readers will perceive in the for four months, and from which certain report of the proceedings at the recent was predicted, was compelled anniversary, the testimony borne by to abandon its purpose. The total des- Mr. Rogers on behalf of the Manchestruction of all the vessels must have ter Committee, to the necessity for the been the result of attempting to remain effort, and to the gratitude which this under the fire of the forts. These unexpected relief has called forth. We failures have very much irritated the have great fear that the return of winAmerican public. They want the ter will render necessary a renewal of British Government to undertake the the effort. success we expect will give some account in our next number, of the impressions made on his mind by the inspection. The sums contributed to the SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION COTTON DISTRICTS RELIEF FUND, now amount to £3,510. 4s. 9d. HOW MAY THE INTEREST OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN SUNDAY SCHOOLS BE INCREASED? A Paper read by the Rev. A. REED, B.A., of Preston, at the Lancashire THIS question, like most others, has a double aspect. It may have a querulous, complaining form, or it may be practical and advantageous; the former has been only too frequently a theme of declamation, and even the latter has been subjected to some exhaustive discussions. I would wholly deprecate the fault-finding view of this subject, and seek some of the freshest branches of that which aims at improvement. There has been too great a proneness, first to imagine an estrangement between Christian churches and Sunday schools, and then to propose various hypothetical remedies. The merry monarch (Charles II.) desiring to give his pedantic men of science a lesson, wittily propounded to them a query obscurely stated, in order to conceal his own knowledge of its absurdity, and gravely enquired the reason why so-and-so was the fact? After laborious search for reasons possible and impossible, one of the least foolish of these learned ones quietly suggested a prior question, viz.: Was the king's supposition a fact? Thus guided, they soon discerned the cheat played on them, and have been quoted as beacons ever since; let us avail ourselves of the lesson. Before we admit what may seem implied in the terms of our proposition, a certain want of interest in the Sunday school on the part of Christian churches, let us analyze the fact, and enquire in what sense, and to what extent, it is true; otherwise we may be trying to overtake a will-o'-thewisp, or to catch the rainbow. Well do I remember, in the good old City of Norwich, that the Sunday School Union had become defunct, or at least dormant, as I have occasionally known it elsewhere, from want of some individual with energy and ability to keep its machinery in order. I had always a sense of its value, and set myself to revive it, summoning my honoured brother, Mr. Charles Reed, to my aid, and to a task which ever finds him ready. It was a success-all was again instinct with vital earnestness; periodical meetings of the teachers were fixed for prayer and conference, the first of these was held in our school-room. I thought I would go down and see how the first essay passed off; I stood behind the door awhile not to interrupt the busi |