"Commissions of Inquiry" concerning the state of Education having been appointed by Parliament, their Reports recommended a new system of Education, which should include both Catholics and Protestants, to be carried on under a Board of Directors, of different denominations of Christians. This new system has been formed according to an Act of Parliament passed in 1832. Seven Commissioners have its administration, consisting of two Roman Catholics, two Presbyterians, and three Episcopalians, rendering their services, with one exception, gratuitously. This is regarded by liberal men of all parties, as a wise attempt at conciliation between Protestants and Catholics; as, while the Bible itself is not to be used as a class book, except on Saturdays, when religious instruction is to be imparted according to the principles of the parents, all the instruction given in the schools is based upon the Holy Scriptures, by a series of elementary books, judiciously compiled from the Sacred Volume. This "Board," not being constituted exclusively of the Established Clergy, nor under their direction, the greatest opposition was made to it, chiefly by a political party, joined by many serious persons, who were led to believe that it was 66 a scheme of infidelity," "mutilating the Scriptures," and even "rejecting the Bible." Notwithstanding the clamour of this party, the plan has succeeded; and in little more than a year from its commencement in the spring of 1832, a thousand applications had been made to the new Board, signed by 15,000 requisitionists, 6,000 of whom were Protestants, and 161 Protestant Ministers. Of these applications, 700 were granted; and there were, at the end of two years from the above date, 100,000 children in the schools under the patronage of the Board! Having reviewed the various plans adopted to promote education in Ireland, a sensible writer remarks, "There remain to be stated the voluntary and pay schools throughout the country. Of these we find there were, in 1826, schools wholly maintained by individuals, 322, containing upwards of 13,600 scholars: pay schools, unconnected with societies, 9,362, containing about 400,000 pupils: strictly Roman Catholic female schools, attached to nunneries, 46, educating about 7,500 children; Christian Brotherhood and other religious orders, 24 schools, numbering about 5,500 scholars; and day schools supported by subscriptions, 350, containing nearly 34,000 pupils; giving, of what we may designate by denomination of the teachers and patrons, Roman Catholic charity schools, 420, in which 47,000 pupils were receiving daily education. The inquiry of the Commissioners showed, that, in 1826, there were, independently of Sunday Schools, more than 560,000 scholars in the four provinces of Ireland, attending 11,829 schools. This was nearly treble the number exhibited in 1812. If we have not exceeded our data, we have found, that, at this time, 1834, there may be, deducting some who are connected with more than one society, Hibernian Society for Soldiers' Children Hibernian Marine Society for Sailors' Children 400 140 Total of Children educated in Ireland ......... 857,692 "In round numbers, we are here presented with the scholars in Ireland, as 800,000. These calculations may appear incredible; yet the more important items are taken from accredited Reports, with numerous deductions, and the final surrender of 50,000, to make the sum come into round numbers. This statement gives us one scholar for every ten of the people in Ireland: they ought surely to be a well-conducted nation; and did the Establishment accomplish the work it is so well paid for, this should still be a nation of saints *." CHAPTER VII. BRITISH COLONIES. Providence designs Britain to evangelize her vast Colonies-Government has never sent forth Evangelical Missionaries to the Heathen-Nor the Established Church -Voluntary Societies have provided the Missionaries-BRITISH INDIA-Continental India-Its Statistics-Missionary Stations-EYLON-Its religious Statistics BRITISH AMERICA - Lower Canada-Its Statistics Upper Canada -Its Statistics-Nova Scotia-Its Statistics-New Brunswick-Its Statistics -Newfoundland-WEST INDIES-Their Statistics-Jamaica-Its StatisticsBarbadoes-Its Statistics-SOUTH AFRICA-Its Statistics-Missious in the Colony-AUSTRALIA-New South Wales-Its Statistics-Van Dieman's Land-Its Statistics Statistics of the United States of America. DIVINE PROVIDENCE has favoured Great Britain more than all other nations with the knowledge and ordinances of the Gospel of Christ and that same Almighty Government has brought under her dominion vast and populous regions, not only in Europe, but in Asia, Africa, America, and Australasia. Infinite wisdom has designed these possessions, not merely to enrich her merchants, to aggrandize her nobles, or to elevate her sovereign, but for higher purposes-doubtless for the benefit of the unenlightened nations; and that, while the civil power protects the various colonies, the Christian churches shall arise in all their spiritual might, and by holy missionaries give the treasures of the Holy Scriptures, in the various languages of the heathen, and preach among them, for their saving conversion to Christianity, the doctrines of reconciliation with God, and the unsearchable riches of Christ. * Political Christianity, &c. illustrated in the Political, Ecclesiastical, and Educational Statistics of Ireland, by Medicus Exul., pp. 132, 133. Christian Missionaries to the heathen, however, have never been sent by the British Government! And, what is far more remarkable, notwithstanding the possession of immense revenues by the clergy, such missionaries and translations of the Scriptures have never been provided by the Established Churches of England and Ireland! Chaplains have indeed been sent and supported by the Government, to perform the services of the Church for our countrymen in the distant Colonies, where, within the last few years, ecclesiastical establishments have been formed at great expense: yet neither the rulers of the state nor the dignitaries of the Church have made Christian provision of preachers, or the Scriptures, for the evangelization of the millions of our pagan fellow-subjects; and this has frequently been a subject of astonishment and regret to many intelligent persons. All the wonderful provisions that have been made for the heathen in our colonies, in the preaching of the Gospel, and in giving them the blessed Word of God in their native languages, have at once been undertaken and accomplished, under the Divine blessing, by the voluntary efforts of the different denominations of Christians. Many Churchmen have indeed most worthily co-operated in the work; but the various societies have laboured under many painful restrictions, and even opposition, from the ruling powers; sometimes without even toleration ; as was the case, until the year 1813, in British India. Christianity in the British Colonies cannot fail to be an interesting subject of inquiry, on many accounts; and in this place it seems necessary to make some reference to its progress, as a part of British Church History. SECTION 1. BRITISH INDIA. CONTINENTAL INDIA. This immense territory claims notice in the first place, on account of its vast population; it is reckoned to contain about 90,000,000 besides Allied or subject states......... 40,000,000 ... Total population of India ... 130,000,000 ; A very small proportion of these are natives of Britain though there is a rapidly increasing number of Anglo-Britons, For their interests, chaplains were appointed; India, and all our foreign colonies, being considered in the diocese of the bishop of London! Dr. Buchanan, however, one of these chaplains, in 1804, published a "Memorial," urging upon the prelates and the government of England the necessity of "Ecclesiastical Establishment in British India," especially as there were "three Archbishops and seventeen bishops of the Roman Catholics in the East." On the renewal of the "Charter of the East India Company," in 1813, the Act of Parliament provided for an episcopal prelate, as "bishop of Calcutta." an Mr. C. Grant's (now Lord Glenelg) Bill in 1833, provides for an enlargement of the "Ecclesiastical Establishment in India, by the creation of two new bishops, one for Madras, and the other for Bombay, at a salary of 24,000 sicca rupees, respectively to be paid out of the revenues of those territories." British Church History will be illustrated by the expressions of the "Court of Directors of the East India Company" regarding this measure. In their letter to Mr. Grant, July 10, the Court stated, "that the principle upon which a Christian Church in India, at the expense of the nation, has been instituted, was, that it was the duty of the Government to provide for its civil and military functionaries the means and services of their religion. The Court were desirous that the principle should be maintained; but the Court's conviction, at the same time, was strong and sincere, that both practice and policy demanded, that the expense to the natives of India, of a Church Establishment with which they had no community of feeling, should be limited to what is essentially necessary for the use of the servants of the state. The Court considered there was no necessity for the extension of the Episcopal Establishment in India. If it were extended, it would be impossible to resist the extension of the Scotch Establishment. The Court called attention to the fact, that since the see of Calcutta was established, the expense had been augmented from 48,000l. to 100,0007.; and the clerical part of the pension list from 8007. per annum to 5,000l. a year. The Court contemplated the |