mittee met again at Mr. Douglas's meeting to arrange the plan for the business of the ensuing day; when, on its being found that the mayor could not conveniently take the chair, Martin Aunesley, Esq. the deputy mayor, was requested to do so, to which he very politely assented.

The next morning a numerous and respectable company, from Reading and the neighbouring towns, assembled at the Town Hall. After the chair had been taken by Mr. Annesley, the business of the morning was introduced by a few appropriate observations from the Rev. Arch. Douglas, after which the resolutions were moved and seconded by the Rev. John Dyer, S. Parrott, J. Watkins, and P. Davies of Reading; J. N. Goulty of Henley, Har rison of Woburn, and Jeffery of Thatcham; Messrs. Cannon, Fenton, Darvall, Letchworth, Williams, and Cooper, of Reading; Hemming of Thatcham; Bicheno and Peck of Newbury; Fletcher and Byles of Henley. After the business of the Society was gone through, thanks were unanimously voted to the mayor of Reading for the use of the Town Hall, and to Mr. Annesley for his polite attention in the chair; and at the close of the meeting several handsome donations and subscriptions were received by the Treasurer.

EXTRACT from the REPORT of the THIRD HALF-YEARLY MEETING of the SOUTH LINCOLNSHIRE and ISLE of ELY SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

THE Secretaries contemplate with pleasure, and are convinced that the same feeling is experienced by all the members of the Society, that the South Lincolnshire and Isle of Ely Sunday School Union is nothing less than the friendly association and cordial co-operation of teachers, committees, and managers of various Sunday Schools, belonging to different denominations of christians, for the purpose of organizing and maintaining Sunday Schools, and opening new ones in the surrounding villages, where the children are generally very numerous, and have no means whatever of becoming acquainted with the useful art of reading, the key to unlock the valuable treasures contained in that blessed gift of God to man, the Bible, and which is able to make him wise unto to salvation.

Your Secretaries have during the last half-year been endeavouring to establish a Sunday School in the populous village of Parson Drove, near Wisbech, feeling convinced that there, there is a greater lack of knowledge than in most other places. Their applications to a gentleman or two in the village have been received with respect and encouragement, but the greatest difficulty that presents itself is the obtaining a proper place to teach in. Your Secretaries feel conscious that the co-operation of the teachers and managers of the two schools in Wisbech may effect this purpose, they therefore respectfully solicit the immediate attention of those two schools to this important object.

With respect to adult schools, your Secretaries have not been unmindful; but think that there is a prospect of one being esta blished in Wisbech within the next six months. They record with pleasure the active exertions of a respectable lady, advanced in years, in that town for this purpose, and who has always been the principal supporter of one or two schools which she established. The Secretaries in commencing their report of the state of the schools, feel exceedingly sorry to state to you that the Boston school, which was the most flourishing in the Union, is discontinued, on account of two large schools being established; one on the plan of the British and Foreign Bible Society, whose object is to instruct all the rising generation, without any particular articles or creeds being included; the other on the principles on which the National Schools (as they are unjustly called) are formed.

From a review of the reports of the schools, the following appears to be the state of the Union :

SECOND ANNUAL REPORT OF THE

FROME SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION,

As read at the Public Meeting of the Society, September 27, 1815.

SINCE the last annual meeting of the Frome Sunday School Union, four more schools have been established or assisted; viz. two established at Gare Hill and Frickle Street, and two assisted at Lullington and West Camel. A set of rules, containing the most approved plans of instruction, for the schools connected with this Union, has been drawn up and printed at the Society's expence; copies of these rules have been distributed to the different teachers, and those remaining in the hands of the comBittee are open for sale to those who may wish to purchase. In consequence of the advantages which have elsewhere been found to arise from the connection of writing with reading, the com

mittee judged it desirable to introduce into the book of rules directions for that branch of instruction, that it might be adopted in any case where the time and inclinations of the scholars and qualifications of the village teachers would permit, and they have procured engraved slates, to form in such case a part of the supply in aid of the school. This supply has however been confined to those instances, (hitherto comparatively few, where circumstances have given reason to believe that writing might be attempted with good effect.

Your committee now proceed to communicate the state of each village school, in the same order in which they were report ed last year.

the

free

ne

The school at the West Woodlands has increased last annual meeting, having now six teachers an scholars. The school in the East Woodlands has be consisting at present of twenty-eight scholars, who has resident teacher, to which circumstance the dimmation of aumber is in a great measure to be ascribed. At Leighton there are at present four teachers and twenty-four scholars; writing has been lately introduced there with a flattering prospect of suc cess; the diminished number of this school arises partly from the establishment of schools unconnected with the Union in some neighbouring villages, and your committee would here remind the friends of this institution, that when particular schools are lessened, or even discontinued from such a cause, it is not to be regarded as matter of discouragement, but on the contrary is among the proofs of beneficial tendency, in a design which has been thus instrumental to awake the general spirit of edu cation through the districts which its influence has reached. The school at Ridge consists of forty-nine scholars, with four teachers; considerable progress has been made by the children, who are very attentive; a small reduction in number has taken place in this school, but here also it may be attributed to the establishment of others. At Brixton Deverill the number of teachers is three, of children nineteen; they have in general made great progress, and many of the scholars, who had scarcely a knowledge of letters at the commencement of the school, have particularly distinguished themselves, by committing to memory various chapters of the Holy Scriptures. Monkton Deverill and Kingston Deverill have together thirty-eight scholars; their number is rather increasing, and they are very desirous of learning; but the interest of these schools suffers from deficiency of resident teachers, and the difficulty of procuring superintendents from Frome to visit schools at so considerable a distance, (upwards of ten miles.) The visits of some friends to the institution, particularly of such as might exercise the most influence, is much desired in these and other schools. The Crockerton school consists of forty-nine scholars and seven teachers, being increased since the last report. The schools at Witham Friary

and Upton Noble have been suspended for want of resident teachers, it is hoped they will ere long be renewed. The committee have great satisfaction in reporting the prosperous state of a new school at Gare Hill, consisting of fifty-seven scholars; viz. thirty-nine children and eighteen adults. The latter are anxious to learn, very attentive, have made considerable progress, and are about to commence writing. The children are also very regular and diligent, and a most remarkable and pleasing difference has been observed since the establishment of the school in the morals and habits of the inhabitants. The new school at Freckle Street consists of eighteen children, and with the last mentioned, is at present wholly conducted by the valuable labours of superintendents from Frome. The school at Cranmore contains forty children and four teachers; the school at Awkridge thirty-eight children and five teachers; the school at Kilmington is at present superintended and conducted by the clergyman of that village. At Lullington a small school is assisted by the Union, consisting of two teachers and fourteen children; their number has been lessened by the establishment of another school in the place. A school at West Camel, near Ilchester, established by the persevering zeal and diligence of the clerk of the parish has received a supply of books from your committee, who have considered that such aid may be essentially useful to schools, situated beyond the bounds of their personal superintendence, and are no way inconsistent with the designs of the society, when the existence and usefulness of such schools are properly attested. The school at West Camel, (which is thirty miles from Frome,) is stated to consist of forty scholars with two teachers.

The following recapitulation will give the society a view of the present extent of village instruction, to which its labours have either given rise or afforded assistance.

Schools.

No. of resident teachers.

Scholars.

The Sunday Schools in the town of Frome, connected with the. Union, but not deriving any assistance from its funds at present, consist of the following numbers,

Rook Lane meeting........

{

151 children,

23 adults.

70

125

30

311

Total....195

The following books have been issued by the Depositary to the village schools since the last annual meeting.

First, Spelling Books...

Second ditto..

First, Watts's Catechisms

Second ditto.....

Tracts as rewards..

....

Watts's Divine Songs...

Testaments

Bibles..

• 280

118

229

50

410

166

70

17

Part of these books have been given and part sold at reduced prices.

STROUD SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION.

Dear Sir,

HAVING had the pleasure of being present at the last quarterly meeting of the Stroud Sunday School Union on Monday the 8th of January, and of witnessing the cheerful acquiescence of its members to carry into effect some proposed arrangements for extending the blessings of sabbath instruction into surrounding villages; I could not deny myself the gratification of sending you the particulars of the success which has since attended their exertions in the Union. After the reports from the different Schools had been presented and read by the chairman, the Rev. Mr. Hawkins, (through whose persevering and disinterested la bours in the formerly unenlightened village of Eastcombs, near 300 children are now taught every Sabbath,) communicated the result of his inquiries, in company with two other friends, into the state of several villages in a circle of about ten miles; from which it appeared that but few of the poor in those villages could read, that as a natural consequence thereof, the Sabbath was generally profaned, and when the churches were open comparatively few attended. Happily the prejudices of the higher circles against the instruction of the poor had prepared the minds of these poor people and made them anxious for instruction. Considering that instruction would not make them less useful as servants, or less