therefore,been forced to employ secrecy, as our best and safest policy. But, though this shields us from the pressure of the crowd, it does not save us from the most urgent, and, sometimes, clamorous demands, made alike by the noble and the peasant; and when all other arguments fail, they not unfrequently threaten to complain of us to the Emperor, justly alleging that it is his gracious will that we should furnish them with copies of the Scriptures, and falsely imagining, that it is from unwillingness, not inability, that we fail to execute his wishes. It is not less gratifying to witness their joy on obtaining the pearl of great price,' than it is painful to observe their grief on meeting with a disappointment. If funds are wanted, the people offer willingly. Russian peasants have, of their own accord, come forward, and contributed in full proportion to their circumstances and means. Bible Societies are forming in every part of the empire; and they are literally doing prodigies. The Society at Cronstadt goes on from strength to strength;' and this Society, which is chiefly composed of naval men, has engaged two other naval stations to co-operate with it in the execution of its work. Nor is the Russian army less zealous than the navy, in this labour of love. The Society at Moghiley, the head-quarters of the Russian army, and which is patronized by Prince Barclay de Tolly, has, in the course of a few months, sent to the parent Society no less a sum than 17,000 rubles.

The brave Don Cossacks, who are always foremost in the ranks, when allowed to follow the bias of their own minds, are occupied in organizing a Society for their district, and have, in the mean time, contributed not less than 10,000 rubles to the common fund.

"But, my lord, it is impossible, in alluding to this part of my subject, not to mention the liberality of that most benevolent monarch, the Emperor of Russia, and what he has done for the advancement of the Russian Bible Society. In addition to his annual subscription of 10,000 rubles, he has, during the last year, given the Society 30,000 rubles, besides a magnificent house, and a portion of land taken from the imperial gardens; and he has declared, that if money or hands are wanting to carry on the great objects of the Society, he will furnish both. The exertions which are making in every country of the North, in order to meet the vast and increasing demands for copies of the Scriptures, are in proportion to the means they pos

sess.

Your time will not permit me to expatiate on this interesting part of the

subject: allow me, therefore, merely to state, that the Russian Bible Society will, in the next month, have finished editions of the Scriptures in sixteen languages; they are preparing them in two more: and when these are completed, they will have copies of the word of God to distribute in twentynine different tongues. The measures at present taking to carry on this part of the work at St. Petersburgh, are such as will enable the Society to print more than 100,000 copies of the sacred volume annually. These copies will be distributed over an immense tract of country, to men of almost every nation and religious denomination. Christians and Jews, Mahometans and Pagans, friends and foes, are alike the objects of this godlike charity: and it is interesting to know, that the Greeks, inhabiting the shores of the Black Sea and the Grecian Islands, have received from the Russian Society this heavenly boon. The inba bitants of Mount Ararat have been blessed with the ark of the new covenant, the sacred deposit of the perfect law of liberty, and which teaches them, instead of paying a superstitious veneration to the supposed relics of Noah's ark, to adore him of whom that ark was only a figure. The word of the Lord, which has gone out from St. Petersburgh, has entered Persia: it has reached to Ispahan and Shiraz; and, by means of its exertions, the immortal Martyn, though now dead, yet continues to preach the truths of the Gospel in that interesting country. The light of Divine Revelation is rising on Bucharest ;. and the New Testament is now read in that city in which the faithful Abdallah suffered martyrdom for his adherence to the truth it contains. Means are also using to effect an introduction of the word of eternal life into the populous empire of China; and it is hoped, that in a few years a highway will be opened through Siberia into Chinese Tartary; and the Scriptures have free course from. Irkutsk to Pekin."

The Right Honourable the President having left the chair, a resolution of thanks to his lordship was moved by the Right Hon. Admiral Lord Gambier, and seconded by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, late vice-principal of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford, who wished to be allowed to say, at the close of the meeting, what he was sure all present felt, that it had yielded to no preceding one in the interesting information afforded from so many parts of the world, and in the deep emotions which that information had excited. Except in the affecting_circumstance of the illness of the Rev.

John Owen, [whose absence, however, the Rev. Speaker had most ably supplied,] the day had been one of unmingled delight and triumph. In seconding the vote of thanks to the noble President, he was persuaded he might safely say, that every person in the assembly would consider himself pledged by it to new and redoubled efforts in this great cause in proportion as the demands for the holy Scriptures from every quarter of the earth were more and more importunate, and as the opportunities afforded by the Divine goodness for meeting them become more numerous and inviting.*

TRANSLATIONS AND EDITIONS

OF POLISH SCRIPTURES. Mr. Pinkerton has recently communicated from Warsaw the following authentic intelligence respecting the lamentable dearth of the Scriptures in Poland. The extract is highly interesting and important, both in a literary and religious point of view.

"There have appeared, at different times, five translations of the Bible in the Polish language. The first is called the Old Cracow Bible, and was printed in this city in 1561. Many passages of this translation being taken from the Bohemian Protestant Bible, it never received the sanction of the Pope. However, it went through two other editions, in 1575 and 1577, both printed in CraCOW. A copy of this version is now very rarely to be met with, even in the best libraries of the nation. The second version, which appeared in 1563, is called the Radzivil Bible. It has never gone through more than one edition. Prince Radzivil, at whose expense this translation was made and printed, was a Protestant; but he dying soon after its publication, his son, a Catholic, carefully bought up the edition, and burnt it! The third version, by Simeon Budney, is called the Socinian Bible. This translation went through two editions; the first in 1570, and the last in 1572, both printed at Nieswiez, in Lithuania. Of this ver

* We deem it necessary to state, that new and extensive fields for the operations of this Society are continually opening in various parts of the world, which will require unremitted exertions, on the part of the auxiliaries and friends of the institution, to provide the necessary funds; the expenditure having. during the last year, exceeded the receipts by several thousand pounds.

sion, it is said that only three copies exist, in distinguished libraries. The fourth translation into Polish is the Danzig Bible. This version was made and printed by the reformed church in Danzig, and has passed through seven editions; viz. Danzig, 1632; Amsterdam, 1666; Halle, 1726; Koenigsberg, 1737; Brieg, 1768; Koenigsberg, 1799; and Berlin, 1810; The first edition was, for the most part, burnt by Wonzek, Archbishop of Gnezn; and the Jesuits have always exerted themselves to buy up and destroy such copies of the other five editions as come in their way; so that it is concluded that of the six editions of the Protestant Bible, printed between 1632 and 1779, at least 3,000 copies have been thus wilfully destroyed. The whole six editions, probably, did not amount to more than 7,000 copies; so that if the copies which have been worn out by length of time were added to those which have been destroyed, it would be found, that (with the exception of the seventh edition, printed in Berlin, at the expense of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and consisting of 8,000 copies,) the existing number of Bibles, among the 250,000 Protestants who speak the Polish language, must be very small. But, alas! how much smaller still is the number of copies which exist among the Catholics of Poland will appear from the following facts. The only authorized version of the holy Scriptures, in Polish, is that which was translated by Jacob Wuiek, approved by Pope Clement VIII. and first published in this city in 1599. The translation is considered, by competent judges, to be among the best European versions made from the Vulgate; and the language, though in some degree antiquated, is yet pure and classical.

"Such care, however, has been taken to keep even this authorized version of the holy Scriptures from coming inte the hands of the people, that it never was reprinted in Poland, and has undergone only two other editions out of the country-viz. at Breslau, in 1740, and 1771. Now, the whole amount of copies in these three editions of the authorized Polish Bible is supposed not to have exceeded 3,000. Thus there have been printed only about 3,000 Bibles in the space of 217 years, for upwards of 10,000,000 of Catholics, who speak the Polish language. Hence it is, that a copy is not to be obtained for money; and that you may search a hundred thousand families in Galicia and Poland, and scarcely find one Bible."

PENITENTIARY AT MILLBANK. This excellent national establishment has been enlarged, and is intended to accommodate four hundred male, and as many female convicts, selected from all parts of England and Wales. It is under the regulation and control of a committee appointed by the Privy Council with a governor, chaplain, surgeon, master-manufacturer, and other officers. The prisoners are to be divided into two classes-the first more strict, the second more moderate. The convicts are, during the former part of their imprisonment, to take their station in the former class; but, by good conduct, will be advanced to the latter. Those of the second may be degraded by bad conduct to the first, or by extraordinary merit may deserve being recommended to the royal mercy. Strict attention is to be paid to their religious and moral improvement, and to their acquirement of regular habits of

labour, in order that they may leave the Penitentiary reformed and useful members of society. At the expiration of his term, the convict is to be furnished with decent clothing, and a sum of money not exceeding 31. for immediate subsistence; and in case of his serving one year with a respectable master after leaving the house, he will be rewarded with such further gratuity, not exceeding the above-mentioned sum, as the Committee may see fit. The chaplain_reads prayers, and preaches twice on Sundays and the principal holidays, when all the convicts and resident officers attend; he also baptizes, visits, and instructs, both publicly and privately, as may appear needful. Such an institution, if conducted in a manner suitable to the importance of its object, especially in the article of religious instruction, cannot fail of being a most valuable blessing to the nation.

THE most important article of foreign intelligence, and one that demands our unfeigned acknowledgments to God for his mercy, is the favourable prospect throughout Europe of an early and abundant harvest. The crops upon the continent are unusually healthy and luxuriant; and the same remark applies also to our own highly-favoured country. The late intensely hot weather, which followed gentle and long-continued showers, produced an almost unprecedented effect upon the growing crops. In consequence of this cheering prospect, grain has fallen rapidly both in England and abroad; which circumstance, with the usual demand for harvest labour, cannot fail, under the Divine blessing, to produce public effects of the most important and beneficial kind.

On Saturday, the 12th July, the prince regent closed the session of parliament in the usual manner. The speaker of the house of commons adverted to the principal subjects which had occupied the house during the session-particularly noticing the public finances; the poor laws, and best means of employing the poor; the laws affecting the clergy; presentments by grand juries in Ireland; and the measures that have been taken for preserving public tranquillity. The prince regent, in his speech to both houses, expressed his high sense of the plans adopted by parliament for the benefit of the country, and to which he imputed the present auspi

cious change in our internal situation. His royal highness then proceeded to mention the unfavourable nature of the last season as a cause of the defalcation in the revenue, and to state the measures that had been taken for improving the currency of the realm, concluding his speech as follows:

"I continue to receive from foreign powers the strongest assurances of their friendly disposition towards this country, and of their desire to preserve the general tranquillity. The prospect of an abundant harvest throughout a considerable part of the continent is in the highest degree satisfactory. This happy dispensation of Providence cannot fail to mitigate, if not wholly to remove, that pressure under which so many of the nations of Europe have been suffering in the course of the last year; and I trust that we may look forward, in consequence, to an improvement in the commercial relations of this and of all other countries. I cannot allow you to separate without recommending to you, that upon your return to your several counties, you should use your utmost endeavours to defeat all attempts to corrupt and mislead the lower classes of the community: and that you should. lose no opportunity of inculcating amongst them that spirit of concord and obedience to the laws which is not less essential to their happiness as individuals, than it is indispensable to the general welfare and prosperity of the kingdom."

Total.......22,137,808 The means of meeting this expenditure, as stated by the chancellor of the exchequer, are three millions from the land and malt taxes, several sums remaining at the disposal of parliament, a million and a half of arrears of property tax, a quarter of a million from the lottery, and a sum from old stores, making about nine millions and a half. The deficiency is to be supplied by an issue of Irish treasury bills to the amount of 3,600,000l. and of English exchequer bills to 9,000,000l. The charge created by the money thus raised is not more than 400,000l. and this will be in a great measure covered by the reduction of the interest on exchequer bi.ls which has taken place.

The Habeas Corpus Suspension Act, limited in its duration to the first of March, 1817, passed both houses of parliament by large majorities, and has received the royal assent.

The house of commons' committee, appointed to examine into the present state of the poor laws, have refrained from suggesting any partial alteration or amelioration of the system. They express a decided conviction, formed upon the most careful examination of evidence, that nothing short of a total change can effect any real good. They intend, therefore, as soon as practicable, to lay before the house the character, tendency, and effect of the whole system; but in the mean time they express a hope that their present report will, in some measure, prepare the country for the ultimate discussion of this most important question. We need scarcely say, that upon every system of morality, and religion, and national welfare-upon every principle of humanity as well as policy-of feeling for the poor, as well as justice towards their neighbours-we cordially concur with the suggestions of the honourable committee. The poor's rates, as at present administered and received,

partake of no one quality that characterizes true charity. Far from being "twice blessed," they neither bless him that gives, nor him that takes to the one they are a source of continual vexation, expense, and imposition; to the other too often a bounty upon idleness, indigence, and vice. If the poor are to be either virtuous or happy, they must be independent; and, in order to render them independent, the first great object is to abolish the present system of indiscriminate relief, and to prepare them by religious, and, in a subordinate degree, intellectual culture, for a better state of things. We are fully aware of the formidable difficulties, both moral and political, that environ this great question, and are far from attempting, on the present occasion, to discuss its merits. We can only sincerely pray that our legislature may be endued with wisdom and firmness to prosecute their design in such a manner as to relieve, far more effectually and humanely than is the case at present, every species of real distress, yet without encouraging, either directly or indirectly, the evils which they deplore. Whether the solution of this problem lies within the bounds of human sagacity and experience, remains yet to be discovered; but in any case a serious examination into the question, cannot but be productive of much ultimate benefit to the nation.

Upon the motion of Lord Grenville, in the upper house, and Mr. Wilberforce, in the lower, addresses from each have been presented to the throne, on the subject of the Slave Trade; the occasion and nature of which may be inferred from the following abstract of Mr. Wilberforce's speech:-In rising to bring forward the motion, of which he had given notice, he trusted all would be of one mind upon the subject. When he considered how long the question of the Slave Trade had been in discussion, how many years had rolled away since it was first introduced, how many illustrious individuals who had given it their support were now no longer in existence, he would confess it was not without strong feelings that he could again bring it under the notice of the house. But it was important that the trade should be abolished: it was also important that the subject should, from time to time,be discussed, until it was brought to a happy and final termination. Unfortunately it was again revived in various countries, some of which had at least nominally abolished it; and it became necessary again to address the crown, as well with a view to a prac

tical abolition as to express a speculative condemnation of the trade. It was now carried on under various flags, even under that of America itself; and he feared much that American ships, American property, and American subjects were embarked in it. Since their settlements had been restored to France, the trade was carried on in them also. There was no doubt of its existence on the western coast of Africa, in Goree, and Senegal. He was not aware that it was carried on by any of the other powers who had agreed to its unconditional abolition. With respect to Holland, he had not heard of more than one instance, which occurred upon the Gold Coast. Nothing took place on the part of Denmark or Sweden. The evil arose chiefly from Portugal and Spain. Great sacrifices had been made by this country, to induce them to abolish the traffic in slaves along all the African coast north of the line, but it was still carried on by them. In former times, Spain was, in a great measure, supplied with slaves by this country; but now that the trade was put a stop to here, the Spaniards, it seems, carried it on with increased exertion.

Mr. Wilberforce continued to state, that in a letter from Sir James Yeo, mention was made of one vessel of only 120 tons, which carried 600 slaves. This was without example in the former history of the trade. A gentleman engaged in this traffic, with whom he once held a conversation, told him, that in a vessel of 250 tons, 400 slaves might be somewhat comfortable in the night, though they could not lie on their backs. He would mention a case that lately occurred. It was stated on oath by the lieutenant of his Majesty's ship the Humber. On the 15th of February last he went on board a slave ship as prize-master; he remained there from the 15th to the 19th of the same month, and assisted in landing them. He was told they had been all in good health when they first went on board, but 30 perished from inhuman treatment. landing there were a hundred of them who were reduced to mere skeletons, and wore a most wretched appearance. All this happened in the short space of three weeks or a month, and must necessarily happen to any vessel so crowded. He knew an instance, where, out of 540 slaves, 340 died on the voyage. Most of them were now carried to the Havanna or to Cuba. In the latter place 25,000 were nually imported for some years back. This was a greater number than had ever before been imported there. Spain not only carried on the trade for her own benefit; but her flag furnished a

On

an

plea under which every other power might carry it on. They were sometimes stopped by our cruisers, but in most instances their seizure was decided to be contrary to law, as not being prize of war. If such was the law at present among nations, that it afforded no means of checking the progress of so great an evil, a system better and more conformable to common sense should be introduced.

Mr. Wilberforce then read the Address, which was very long, and nearly the same in substance as the speech. The principal point in it was, a desire that his royal highness the prince regent, in concurrence with the other powers of Europe, would adopt such further measures as might be effectual for the suppression of the Slave Trade; and to this end, that they would refuse to receive the colonial produce of any country which still persisted in its continuance.

Lord Grenville, in the upper house, remarked" that it had been maintained from the first, that if we abolished the trade, other nations would carry it on. To that argument he for one had always answered, that if not one human being less were to be torn from his home and his country, and exposed to all the horrors of the middle passage; if not one drop of blood less were to be shed in this commerce of cruelty, it was still the duty of Great Britain to abolish it, as far as this country was concerned; that it was the duty of Great Britain to wash from itself the stain of this execrable trade, and to provide, that in future, at least, this guilt should not rest with the British nation, and that this blood should not be required at our hands. But it was also our duty, not merely to cease to commit evil, but to endeavour to atone for that which we had committed. This was due from us as men and Christians, who are enjoined to exercise every act of mercy and humanity in our power; but it was, above all, due to the injured from the oppressor-to those who suffer from those who have been the cause of that suffering-to those who have been the victims of a crime from those who have perpetrated it. He entreated their lordships to bear in mind, that there never was, there never could be, a stronger claim than that which Africa had on this country. We had been among the foremost to commit wrong; it became us to be the foremost to redress it; and there were in the present state of the times, and the situation of this country, with respect to other powers, circumstances which afforded reason to hope that our representations, if firmly made, would prove effectual. If, in the government of any country,