Intelligence.

YORK ROAD CHAPEL YOUNG WOMEN'S the divine blessing is sought, especially

BIBLE CLASS.

upon the labours of our much-loved president. A similar meeting is held on the third Sabbath of every month at the close of the usual exercises, composed

Report read at the Annual Tea Meeting, held in the School Room, on Wednesday Evening, January 7th, 1863. We have much pleasure in presenting of church members only, on behalf of the Third Annual Report of the YOUNG WOMEN'S BIBLE CLASS, held in connection with the York Road Chapel.

This class has been in existence many years, and God has from time to time been pleased to own and bless the instructions received in leading many to decide for Christ, and to the good of most of those who have attended it.

The class meets every Sabbath afternoon for the purpose of gaining a practical acquaintance with the word of God, and is attended chiefly by young women, although, it is not restricted to age, as it includes at the present time many who are more advanced.

The number of class members on the books in January, 1862, was 41; 37 members have been received during the present year, and 13 have left, making the total of 65 now on the books, showing an increase of 24. Out of the 13 who have left, 9 have received a Bible as a token of affection, presented on behalf of the class by our esteemed pastor, who has kindly presided on these occasions.

During the year 9 have been received into church fellowship, making the number of communicants in the class 42.

Out of these, 8 have left us, either through removals or to become teachers, leaving a total of 34 church members now on the books.

the various members of the class who are in need of special sympathy and help.

Another of these meetings is held on the last Sabbath of the month before the morning service for the purpose of seeking a more abundant outpouring of the Holy Ghost upon the labours of those who are engaged in distributing religious tracts among the poor residing in the vicinity of the chapel.

In addition to these, all of which are held in the class room, the members meet every Tuesday evening, from halfpast seven till half-past eight, at Miss Sherratt's house, No. 8, Lambeth Road, when prayer is offered for the general good and prosperity of the class. This has been attended by an average of 18 throughout the year, and we rejoice to find that God has, in answer to our supplications, poured out the spirit of prayer on many of our number. We feel assured that our prayers have not been in vain; that the Lord has been pleased to manifest his presence at these seasons, and many have been enabled to feel that it is good to meet together in such a way.

Besides these gatherings for prayer,inquirers are met every Saturday evening, from 7 to 8, by Miss Sherratt, at her house, for the purpose of imparting spiritual counsel and guidance to any who may

Prayer meetings in connection with be desirous to decide for Christ. the class are held as follows:

On the afternoon of the first Sabbath of every month, the time which is spent in the usual way on other Sabbaths is employed in devotional exercises, when

It has been already hinted that there is in connection with the Class a Society for the distribution of religious tracts among the poor; and considering the short time we have been engaged in the

work we have met with great encouragement, at least 16 have been induced to attend York Road Chapel, who seldom went to any place of worship, and we have every reason to hope they will become regular attendants, having expressed deep interest in the ministry of our Pastor. We have met with very little opposition, and that only where Roman Catholics have resided. A poor woman, who is a lodger in one of the houses, asked for one of the little books to be left for her, as she had two in the house and thought them very interesting; we are happy to say that we frequently meet with such requests.

We feel it exceedingly desirable that as many of our number as possible should be present at our monthly morning prayer meeting, as those who cannot assist in the work of tract distribution, may greatly help us by uniting their prayers with ours. The few who have met for this object have found the moments "sweet and rich in blessing," which they have spent together at the throne of grace, and God in his mercy has permitted us to see that our hearts' desires have not been expressed in vain.

The following has been collected during the year:

Leaving a Balance in hand of £1 5 10 A donation of 10s., included in the above, was kindly procured for us by our esteemed pastor, and we feel it a duty and privilege to express our gratitude for his kindness in this instance, and for the earnest and loving appeals made by him on occasions like the present, and we trust that we may have for many years to come, the sympathy and co-operation of one whose ministry is so highly appreci ated, and whose name will be ever dear to us all.

The members of the Class cannot close this brief Report without expressing their grateful sense of the continued diligence and kindness of their beloved teacher, Miss Sherratt, and earnest prayers that her valuable life may be long spared for increased usefulness.

Passing Events.

THE event which has absorbed the marriage of the heir apparent of these interest of the whole country during realms, inasmuch as it is possible, and the past month, has been the MARRIAGE even probable, that he will at some of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales with the Princess Alexandra, daughter of Prince Christian of Denmark. We spare our readers a repetition of the many titles of the Royal Bridegroom, or the almost equally numerous names of his Bride.

future period occupy the throne, and that it is of vital concern to the nation that the throne should be shared by one who will maintain the high moral tone by which the British Court has for many years been distinguished. In the Queen of William IV., as well as in Queen While the country takes a lively Victoria, an example has been set, the interest in all that concerns the family influence of which cannot be estimated. of our beloved widowed Queen, there is The present marriage constrains us a special importance attached to the to look backward to the last marriage of

a Prince of Wales, and when we re- to the Prince's income, and have also member the disgraceful circumstances settled £10,000. a year on the Princess, under which that marriage was con- so as to enable them suitably to support tracted the unfavourable omens which their high station. attended it--and its lamentable results, we cannot but feel devoutly thankful that we can look upon the present union with feelings of unmingled satisfaction. We are assured that it is what every marriage should be-an union of affection; and all that has been made public relative to the Princess Alexandra, encourages the hope that that affection will be an enduring one. In answer to an enquiry made in the House of Commons as to whether the Princess was a Protestant, our lively Premier not only gave a satisfactory answer to that question, but amused the House with a little more information. Lord Palmerston said:

The

The seclusion in which her Majesty has remained ever since her great loss, and which she still feels herself unable to leave, has cast much gloom over the the country, and especially over the metropolis-the tradesmen of which feel severely the absence of that stimulus which the presence of the Court occasions. All parties, therefore, seemed desirous to take the opportunity of rendering the arrival of the Princess an occasion for allowing the people a season of relaxation and enjoyment, and most thoroughly did they enjoy it. suffering ribbon weavers of Coventry were set to work to manufacture wedding favours to be generally worn; and "When the question arose as to the the carpenters and decorators of London selection of a Princess to be the wife of were engaged in preparing the means the Prince of Wales, the following con- for enabling its inhabitants to display ditions were held to be requisite. First, their loyalty and affection. It would be that she should be young. Secondly, in vain for us to attempt any detail of that she should be handsome. Thirdly, the pageant which extended from Marthat she should be agreeable. Fourthly, gate to Windsor; and, thanks to the that she should be amiable. Fifthly Penny Press, probably all our readers that she should have been well brought have already been made familiar with up; and lastly, that she should be a it. Protestant. All these conditions, I am happy to say, are united in the Princess Alexandra."

The intimations of unfavourable weather led to the departure of the Princess from Antwerp, on Thursday, March 5th, instead of the following day; In making the pecuniary arrange- on that night her yacht anchored in This afforded the Corments necessary in connection with this Margate Roads. marriage, fresh proofs have been afforded poration of that town an opportunity of how much the Queen and her children, getting up an address, and they were as well as the whole nation, have been thus the first to welcome her Royal indebted to the late lamented Prince Highness on her arrival in England. Consort for his industry and prudence. On Friday, she proceeded to the Nore, It appears that the revenues of the and on Saturday, to Gravesend, where the Duchy of Cornwall, which belong to Prince of Wales met her. There they disthe Prince of Wales, have been so care- embarked and proceeded through the fully managed during his minority, that town, which had been uniformly decorated, they now amount to £60,000. per annum. to the Railway Station, where the carriThere has also been an accumulation of ages were waiting, which speedily conabout £550,000. which has been princi-veyed the Royal party to the South the Kent Road. pally expended in the purchase of the Eastern Station in Sandringham estate in Norfolk. The There lunch was provided, and the Lord legislature have added £40,000. a year Mayor and Sheriffs of London attended

seated in the carriage with her, to witness such a spontaneous effusion of affectionate greeting, and her younger sisters, who were in the preceding carriage, appeared highly amused at the scene.

to receive them. The Corporation of the Royal Pair, and joined heartily in the Metropolitan City, left nothing undone plaudits which greeted their advance. to do honour to the occasion. In addition It must have been intensely gratifying to presenting the Princess with a neck-to the parents of the Princess, who were lace and pair of ear-rings valued at £10,000., they determined that no effort should be wanting on their part to make the procession one of great interest. In this they had much difficulty to encounter from the Government, who feared that the labour thus imposed on the Princess might be too great for her. It was a trying time for a young lady of nineteen, to be thus made the object of special observation and criticism, by hundreds of thousands during a slow progress of seven miles; but yet it was so glorious a sight to witness the enthusiasm of the whole body of the people, from the highest to the lowest, that we are glad she was not hurried through the city, and have no doubt the Princess herself fully concurs in this, now that the trying ordeal has been passed. We considered it our duty on the Saturday morning to pass through the triumphal arch

in Southwark, to inspect the arrangements which had been made to do honour to the occasion, in the decoration of London Bridge, the splendid arch forming the entrance to the City, the gay apparel which the ordinarily dingy Mansion House had put on, and the splendid ranges of seats provided by the Corporation in St. Paul's Churchyard for the accommodation of 10,000 of their friends, and then quietly took up a convenient station in Ludgate Street, provided by the kindness of a friend, and quietly awaited the arrival of the mingled procession of constables, soldiers, banners, footmen, and carriages, which occupied about an hour and ten minutes in passing. We did not of course see the Lady Mayoress descend from her balcony and present the bouquet; nor did we witness the departure of the civic procession at old Temple Bar, which had been cased with scarcely appropriate drawing room decorations, but we had a most satisfactory view of the

We can only mention that the Royal party passed through the lines of 17,000 volunteers in Hyde Park, reached the Great Western Railway Station at Paddington, at five minutes past five, and alighted at the Slough Station at thirteen minutes after six; where they were met by several members of the Royal Family, and entering their carriages proceeded through Eton to Windsor. of evening were now gathering, and somewhat heavy rain had set in; but neither of these were sufficient to prevent the hearty welcome of those assembled to greet them, including the boys belonging to the Eton School.

The shades

We have left ourselves no space to speak of the actual marriage, which took place on Tuesday, March 10th, at St. George's Chapel, Windsor, and at which the Queen was present, but privately. It would be in vain to say more about it, unless we were to copy out the programme, which would not be very edifying. The Archbishop of Canterbury officiated, and our readers will join with us in earnest prayer that the union thus auspiciously formed may be a long and happy one.

The Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society have prepared a magnificently bound copy of the Holy Bible to be presented by their President, the Earl of Shaftesbury, to the Prince of Wales on his marriage. A similar present will be made by the Sunday scholars of Manchester, the subscription from each being limited to one penny. Many meetings of scholars were held in various parts of the country on the wedding-day to celebrate the event. At

PASSING EVENTS.

Mr. TENNYSON, the Poet Laureate, has written a welcome to the Princess, which we have pleasure in preserving in our pages:

Sea-kings' daughter from over the sea,
Alexandra!

Saxon and Norman and Dane are we,
But all of us Danes in our welcome of thee,
Alexandra!

Welcome her, thunders of fort and of fleet!
Welcome her, thundering cheer of the street!
Welcome her, all things youthful and sweet,
Scatter the blossom under her feet!

Break, happy land, into earlier flowers!

Make music, O bird, in the new-budded bowers!
Welcome her, welcome her, all that is ours!
Warble, O bugle, and trumpet, blare!

Flags, flutter out upon turrets and towers!
Flames, on the windy headland flare!
Utter your jubilee, steeple and spire!
Clash, ye bells, in the merry March air!
Flash, ye cities, in rivers of fire!
Welcome her, welcome the land's desire.
Alexandra!

Sea-kings' daughter as happy as fair,
Blissful bride of a blissful heir,
Bride of the heir of the kings of the sea,
Ojoy to the people and joy to the throne!
Come to us, love us and make us your own:
For Saxon or Dane or Norman we,
Teuton or Celt, or whatever we be,

We are each all Dane in our welcome of thee,