On Wednesday, August 26, the Plymouth District Committee of the above praiseworthy and excellent Institution held their ninth Anniversary Meeting. Shortly before eleven o'clock, a number of friends and subscribers assembled at the Guildhall, and from thence proceeded in due form to St. Andrew's Church. A great number of children from the various Charity Schools in the town and neighbourhood, who are supplied with books by the Society, also walked from the Guildhall to the Church. The prayers were read by the Rev. J. Hatchard, the Vicar, and the sermon a very appropriate onewas preached by the Rev. J. Carne, B. D. Vicar of Charles. The Rev. Gentleman took his text from Psalm lxxii. 17. "His name shall endure for ever: His name shall be continued as long as the sun; and men shall be blessed in Him: all nations shall call Him blessed."

After the sermon, a collection, as usual, was made at the door.

The Members of the Committee shortly after re-assembled at the Royal Hotel, to read the Report, and to transact the concerns of the Society. The Chair was taken by R. Rosdew, Esq. and the Venerable the Archdeacon opened the Meeting with the usual prayers.

The Secretary, the Rev. R. Lampen, who has taken a most active part in this and other Institutions of the Church of England established in this town, read the Report, in which he observed:-that our District Committee of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge has gone on from year to year, producing a greater measure of good, and awakening a more extensive public interest, than could have been anticipated at its first establishment. The sale of books during the past year has amounted to 5,079, of which number 346 were Bibles, 523 Testaments and Psalters, 803 Common Prayers, and 3,407 books and tracts. An increasing desire is

manifested amongst our poorer brethren for the possession of that invaluable manual of devotion, the Prayer Book of our National Church. But it is not Prayer Books alone which have been during the last year more numerously issued from our depository than at any preceding period; the sale of Testaments and Psalters has also increased, and thus supplied more extensively the wants of the numerous schools in this neighbourhood which use the books of the Society. We cannot avoid repeating the earnest invitation of the last Report of our Committee to the parishes yet unprovided with parochial libraries, which are such an effective assistance to all who desire to ameliorate the habits of the poor, and to supply them with sources of rational amusement. One parochial library-that of Plympton Mauricehas been added to the list of those in our district during the last year. A Report has been received from the Parochial Library of Modbury, established in the preceding year, and the result of the experiment there has been encouraging—indeed it has generally been found to excite great interest wherever the trial of a parochial library has been fairly made; and our Committee beg to repeat their readiness to assist with a grant of books from the depository any of the Clergy of the district who may have it in contemplation to establish libraries in their parishes.

In the last Annual Report of the Parent Society, a very powerful appeal was made to the public and the District Committees, by the statement made in order to meet the wants of the Members, and to facilitate the operations of the District Committees. The sacrifice made by the Parent Society on books issued to Members, and furnished gratuitously during the year ending April, 1828, amounted to 20,000l. while the subscriptions and benefactions to the Institution were considerably below

that sum. Such an appeal cannot but produce anxiety in all the friends of the Society to make renewed exertions, both by recommending members to the Parent Society, and so supporting the local funds of each district, as to enable the Committees to make a return to the Institution for its liberality, by an annual benefaction towards the general designs. This our Committee has been happily enabled to do during the past year, and the sum of 201. has been transmitted for that purpose to the Parent Society. It should also be gratefully recorded in our Report, that the parish of Plymstock, in which many of the books of the Society have been sold at reduced prices to the poor, has set the example of obtaining small contributions in aid of our local fundan example which, if generally followed, would enable our District Committee to afford every year its proportion of effectual assistance to the Society, from whence it derives all its means of usefulness. The whole of the Report was listened to with the most marked attention.

The Treasurer's account was then read, and several Resolutions passed; after which the Rev. Mr. Lampen rose in behalf of the Incorporated Society for Building Churches and Chapels. He observed, that the business of the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge having been concluded, he would beg permission to intrude a few minutes longer on their time, wishing to bring to the notice of the Meeting an Institution, a District Committee of which had been formed in this town. He alluded to that most praiseworthy one, the Society for Building Churches and Chapels. Only twelve District Committees had been formed in the country, and six of them had been established in this Diocese. It would therefore be very lamentable, and shew a great want of religious zeal, if any

one of them were suffered to drop. Since the formation of the Plymouth District Committee in 1826, he had annually sent to the Parent Society 80%. but he regretted to say, that recently the amount of subscriptions had fallen off. Last year the sum of 80l. was principally made up from the generous sum given the Society by the late Mr. Joseph Pridham, from funds intrusted to him for distribution,-30%. only being subscribed; and he now found that he should not be enabled to raise even that amount. From the very few persons who attended the last Annual Meeting of the Committee, it had been deemed the best plan not to have any more special meetings for that purpose, but merely to bring the subject forward at the close of this Annual Meeting. The collection, therefore, to be made at the close of the present Meeting would be for the benefit of the funds for the purpose of building Churches and Chapels; and he sincerely trusted that such a Society, whose object was to provide accommodation for the poor, would continue to be supported here. For every pound subscribed, a free seat was provided for a poor person. Of such consequence was this Society held, that a King's letter was granted, and a sum of about 40,000l. was subscribed in consequence; but still it was lamentable to find by the returns, that in so many places nothing had been subscribed. The Society had, since its formation, provided 185,000 seats for poor persons; he deeply regretted that any lukewarmness and want of energy should be experienced, and he trusted no zealous Christian would allow a Society, whose object was to accommodate the poor to hear the words of eternal life, to fail for want of funds.

Thanks were given the Chairman, and the Meeting was concluded by the Archdeacon, with the benediction.

NORWICH.-The three Church of England societies lately held their anniversary meeting in this city. The report of the National Society stated

AND NATIONAL SCHOOLS.

that there were 190 schools in union with the society in Norfolk and Norwich, containing 10,500 children, including 2,310 in Norwich.

The

Committee of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge reported that books to the amount of 609%. had been received at the depôt, on which the loss to the Parent Society was 3577. whilst the contributions remitted were only 3061. The Secretary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel regretted to report that the local

fund was only 871. On Thursday the gratifying spectacle was presented of no fewer than 2272 children assembled in the cathedral; an admirable sermon was preached by the Rev. W. J. Brodrick, rector of Castle Rising, and the collection in behalf of the school society amounted to 957. 12s. 9d.

DOMESTIC.-The weather, during the greater part of the last month, has been equally unpropitious to the harvest, as in the preceding one. The wheat, however, is now mostly carried, and about half of it, on an average, throughout the whole extent of the kingdom may be considered as having been got in, in a good state -the remainder is somewhat grown. Of barley, there are commonly two or more distinct growths in the same field; the crops vary considerably in bulk, being more than usually affected by the nature of the soil. Oats are much broken in the straw, and lodged, and the grain has ripened very unevenly, patches of green being thickly scattered among the brown. There has been some favourable circumstances attending the sowing of turnips, and owing to the wet, a remarkable absence of the destructive turnip fly. Potatoes are very plentiful, but of an indifferent quality, the continually wet state of the soil having caused them to become watery, and unfit for keeping. The second crop of clover is good, and even luxuriant, in soils well adapted to it, and all the latter grass has grown freely and vigorously; but the fickleness of the clover plant is more than ever complained of, and in some soils the trefoil seems to be getting capricious likewise.

THE SOUTH OF IRELAND is one perpetual scene of insubordination and outrage every protestant appears to be proscribed, and his property marked for destruction; and so complete is the system, which may with truth be called the reign of terror, that no protestant can venture to leave his

home, during the day-time, without the dread of assassination; or lie down at night, without the fear of his family and himself becoming, ere morning, victims to the incendiary. The county of Tipperary, more especially, is in such a disturbed state, that the magistrates have forwarded a memorial to the Lord Lieutenant, calling for the insurrection act, and an additional military force. Sir John Byng, who attended the meeting as commander of the forces in Ireland, disapproved of the dispersion of the soldiery throughout the country, under an apprehension that, from the present state of feeling there, they might be tampered with. Immediately after the meeting, he set off for a neighbouring country seat, where the Irish Secretary was then visiting, in order to consult with him on the best mode to be adopted for putting down the atrocious and rebellious spirit prevailing in that part of the country, and enforcing the salutary dominion of the law. The popish clergy have resolved, at least ostensibly, to retire from politics, the laical machine being now set properly in motion; and this, in the present juncture, must be acknowledged to be a very deep and very jesuitical line of policy. The projected plan of establishing protestant colonies in various parts of Ireland, appears to be one likely to produce the most beneficial effects. It is proposed to form villages, peopled entirely by protestant families, in those districts of the country where, from various causes, large tracts of land are lying uncultivated. To each family a small portion of this land will be granted, with the assistance