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Alabama, with a view to suppress the disgraceful and unchristian practice of duelling. It enjoins, that an oath shall be administered to, and subscribed by, the members of the general assembly, counsellors, and attorneys at law, and all officers and public functionaries, either civil or military, before they enter upon the duties of their stations, that they have neither directly nor indirectly given, accepted, or knowingly carried a challenge, in writing or otherwise, to any person, being a citizen of that State, or aided or abetted in the same, since January 1, 1826; and further, that they will neither directly nor indirectly give, accept, or knowingly carry a challenge to any person during their continuance in the discharge of any public function.

The remains of the ancient structures in the neighbourhood of the Ohio, continue to attract antiquarian research. Some articles have recently been discovered; one was a vessel, apparently composed of pounded shells and clay, holding about two quarts, with four neat handles. Arrow-heads and spear-heads of flint, are found in ploughing the fields; stone hatchets, and stone pestles for pounding corn, are also common. On the beach near the mouth of the Muskin. gum, a curious ornament of white marble was discovered, which must have belonged to some distinguished personage among the ancient race of inhabitants. Ancient mounds are frequent all over the country of Washington; some constructed of stone, and some of earth.

SOUTH AMERICA.

The idea, lately revived, of uniting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans was entertained as early as the year 1513; and five places have been mentioned as the most practicable for the purpose; namely, the isthmus of Darien, the isthmus of Panama, the province of Choco, the isthmus of Tehuantepec, the isthmus of Nicaragua. The province of Choco, in the

kingdom of New Grenada, contains, in the opinion of De Humboldt, a line of country of about eighty leagues, through which a canal could be cut, but which would not be applicable to vessels of burden, as the mouth of the Arato, or river Darien, has only six feet water over it. This seems to be the only part of America in which the chain of the Andes is entirely broken. It is stated, that in the interior of the province of Choco, where the small ravine of Ruebrada de la Raspadura, unites the neighbouring sources of the Rio San Juan, and the small river Quito, which, with the Andageda and the Zitara, form the Rio d'Atrato, which discharges itself into the Atlantic Ocean; while the Rio San Juan flows into the South Sea, a monk of great activity, curé of the village of Novita, employed his parishioners in digging a small canal in the ravine De la Raspadura, by means of which, when the rains are abundant, canoes loaded with cocoa pass from sea to sea. This communication, it is said, has existed since 1788, unknown in Europe. The small canal of Raspadura unites, on the coasts of the two oceans, two points seventy-five leagues distant from one another.

Among the numerous proofs of the rapidity with which knowledge is advancing in South and Central America-where, at the beginning of the present century, there was scarcely any thing upon which the eye of the Christian or philanthropist, could rest with satisfaction-may be mentioned the frequent and heavy demands for printing apparatus, which have of late proceeded from that quarter. The press is already becoming an engine of great and increasing power throughout the new States.

PERU.

Bolivar has directed public provision to be made for the education of the Indians in Peru. Five hundred dollars per month are to be appropriated to the object.

LIST OF NEW PUBLICATIONS.

THEOLOGY.

The Dangers by which the Established Church is menaced; by the Rev. W. M. Hurlock.

The History of the Church of Christ, in Numbers. 6d. each.

Biblical Researches and Travels in Russia, including a Tour in the Crimea and the Passage of the Caucasus, with maps and plates; by the Rev. E. Henderson. 16s.

The Antinomian reclaimed; by W. Giles. 2s.

Parochial Sermons; by the Rev. W. Wilson, D. D.

Address on the Present Fearful Times. Cottage Sermons, in Numbers.

Forcible Reasons for the Divine Authority of the Scriptures.

Prayers of Eminent Persons, adapted to the Purposes of Family and Private Devotion; by the Rev. H. Clissold, A.M. 8vo. 10s. 6d.

Conversations on the Evidences of Christianity; in which the leading Arguments of the best Authors are arranged,

developed, and connected with each other. 12mo. 8s.

The History, Design, and Present State of the Religious, Benevolent and Charita.. ble Institutions founded by the British in Calcutta. By C. Lushington. 8vo. 14s.

Appendix to Mr. Butler's Vindication of the Book of the Roman-Catholic Church," in reply to Dr. Southey's Preface to his "Vindiciae EcclesiæAnglicanæ." 8vo. 1s.

Two Sermons on the State of the Jews; by the Rev. John Stewart. 3s. 6d.

The Expectations formed by the Assyrians, that a Great Deliverer would appear at the End of our Lord's Advent, demonstrated. 8vo.

10s.

Christian Memorials of the Nineteenth Century; by the Rev. A. Bishop. 12mo. 6s.

Paley's Natural Philosophy, illustrated by a Series of Plates and explanatory Notes; by J. Paxton. 24s.

Supplement to Paley's Natural Theology Botanical Theology, or Evidences of the Existence and Attributes of the Deity, collected from the Appearances of Nature; by J. S. Duncan.

The Family Catechist, or Conversations on the Church Catechism; by the Widow of a Clergyman. 3s.

MISCELLANEOUS.

William Douglas, or the Scottish Exiles. 3 vols. 21s.

De Clifford; a Poem.

Two Letters addressed to the Rev. G. C. Gorham, by Professor Leander Van Ess; with a Reply by Mr. Gorham. A Key to Spelling. 4s.

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RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

PROGRESS OF EDUCATION IN

FOREIGN COUNTRIES. WE select from the last printed Report of the British and Foreign School Society the following interesting notices respecting the state of education in various parts of the world.

"Commencing with the North of Europe, Russia first claims attention. Very little direct intelligence from that empire has reached the Committee during the last year. They are able, however, to inform the Society that the central school established at St. Petersburg, under the patronage of his Imperial Majesty, and superintended by Mr. Heard, goes on well. The Second Report of the School for the Children of poor Foreigners states, that since the opening of that institution 630 children have received instruction;

that there are now in the school 201 boys and 112 girls, that 73 destitute children have been clothed, and that 67 have been apprenticed to persons of different trades, who have given very favourable reports of their good conduct and industry. Count Romanzoff mentions the establishment of schools in nine villages in the neighbourhood of Homel, and intimates his intention of opening others in the course of the present year. From the report of a recent traveller in Europe, the Committee learn that the system of Mutual Instruction is pretty generally diffused throughout the empire. One effect of this has been a diminution of the number of private schools; but this is more than counterbalanced by the fact, that in the Lancasterian institu.. tions as many hundreds are educated as in in the private establishments there were

tens.

The British System has even reached the frigid clime of Siberia: the schools at Tobolsk, the capital of that country, contain nearly 1000 children, whose proficiency is said to be very creditable.

"Scriptural education meets with great success in Sweden, and has been introduced into almost every province of that kingdom. A royal edict has been recently issued, addressed to the Consistory Courts, requiring them to select for the offices of churchwarden and parish schoolmaster, such persons only as shall be capable of teaching by the System of Mutual Instruction. The fees of church-livings and some funds now in the hands of the clergy are to be so economized as that a portion of them may be made available for the purposes of public education. A very friendly letter from the Swedish Education Society, accompanied by a copy of their First Report, was received by your Committee last year, and a large supply of slates and pencils for the use of the schools was transmitted to Stockholm at their request.

"The labours of Mr. Abrahamson, in Denmark, have been rendered very efficient by the royal patronage with which he has been favoured. A commission appoint. ed by the king, to ascertain the nature and merits of the British System, after having closely examined the subject, and heard the objections of those who imagined they saw many defects and evils in the new plan, reported favourably. His majesty was then pleased to give his sanction to the system; a model school was opened at Copenhagen; lessons in reading, writing, arithmetic,and geography, were ordered to be printed; and permission was given for the establishment of the system in the cities and villages generally, and for its adoption in the primary schools. In the beginning of the last year 244 schools had been organized, and it was expected that the number would be soon increased to 500. Your Committee trust that future Reports of this Society will shew the beneficial operations of these interesting proceedings.

"The progress of education in the Netherlands is on the whole encouraging. The new buildings for the model schools at Brussels have been completed. These schools will furnish the advantage of training establishments to such persons as may be desirous of introducing the system into other parts of the country.

"In France, notwithstanding the continuance of the discouragements mentioned in our last Report, much good has been effected by the schools for mutual instrucCHRIST. OBSERV. No. 293.

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tion. The zeal of those worthy individuals to whose care the concerns of the Society for elementary education are entrusted, unrepressed by hostility, undiminished by time, still produces good fruit: they are not weary in well doing,' but persevere in their useful labours, through evil report and through good report.' Under their active superintendence, the schools in Paris enjoy a gratifying prosperity: they are forty-five in number, and contain upwards of 8000 children; there are, besides, five evening schools for adults. Two of the schools have been visited by the Archbishop of Paris, who expressed his great satisfaction with the order and discipline of the children, and the improvement they had made. The accounts from the interior of the kingdom are not so encouraging; yet it is believed that the lower classes are becoming increasingly sensible of the advantages of education, and desirous of possessing them. The friendship of the Bible Society of Paris has been again manifested during the last year, by liberal grants of copies of the New Testament for the use of the schools. Information has also reached your Committee, that a Society will be shortly established, for the purpose of publishing books suited to the lower classes, and at a cheap rate. Such a measure will undoubtedly command the cordial good wishes of all the friends of knowledge.

"No intelligence having arrived from Spain since the last annual meeting, the Committee are unable to report the state of the schools in that kingdom; and can only express their fears, that political dissensions and animosities have tended materially to check the progress of Scriptural education.

"With more pleasure they speak of Portugal. By means of M. Lecocq, a corresponding member of the Paris Society, the system of mutual instruction has been introduced into Lisbon, where a model school has been opened immediately under the patronage of the government, at whose expense also the requisite lessons have been printed. The royal decree, of September 1824, recognizes the establishment of this school, exempts it from the existing laws affecting education, and promises that those lads who make most proficiency shall be selected for public teachers. The Scriptural lessons were printed in the Portuguese language by this Society some time ago and the youth of Portugal will now derive from the purest sources those truths which are so well adapted to promote peace on earth and good will 2 S

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amongst men;' and which are alike conducive to the happiness of individuals, societies, and nations; and are equally unfavourable to anarchy and to misrule.

"Interesting information has been received relative to the progress of education in Tuscany, where there are thirty schools, all supported by subscription, and generally prosperous. Three similar institutions exist in Naples, one of which affords instruction to 500 children. The British System has even reached the dominions of the head of the Roman Catholic-Church, four schools being established in the papal territories.

"In Malta, the Schools at Casel Zeitun are represented to be in flourishing state. The Normal School Society at Valetta has experienced much discouragement, arising from the deficiency of pecuniary supplies in fact, its labours could scarcely have been continued, but for the kind and effective patronage of the Marquis and Marchioness of Hastings, who have sustained the drooping cause, advanced the necessary funds, and manifested in various ways an ardent solicitude for the diffusion of Scriptural knowledge by early education.

"The Committee consider themselves also under great obligations to his excellency Lord Guildford, whose liberality has powerfully influenced the higher classes in general, and rendered very efficient aid to Bible education in the Ionian Islands. Since the last annual meeting of this Socie ty, a girls' school has been opened in Cephalonia, in a house granted for that purpose by Government. In all the islands the schools prosper, and are liberally supported.

"The Committee have devoted much attention to the subject of education in Greece. Their first care was to print the third part of the Scripture lessons in Modern Greek. It was then determined that Georgius Constantine, one of the Cypriot youths who have been some time at the Society's central school, after having been qualified for the office of schoolmaster, should be sent to Greece in that capacity, with a view to commence the establishment of schools. He took with him school apparatus sufficient for 200 children, and was accompanied by a gentleman whose sole object in visiting Greece is to promote its moral welfare. Nicholas Cacuratto, a native of Cephalonia, and Stephen Casanova, a native of Scio (who had been rescued from the Turks just as they were about to kill him), by the liberality of a French gentleman, were next

taken under the patronage of the Committee. Cacuratto, it is hoped, will prove an active and useful teacher. Shortly afterwards, nine Greek lads, recently arrived in this country, were placed in the central school by the Greek Committee, who have liberally contributed towards their maintenance. Nicholas Blacas, a young man who accompanied them, will be trained for a schoolmaster. The proficiency these lads have made has been noticed in a former part of this Report: their education in England will probably prove highly advantageous to the interests of their native country. Demetrius Pieridi, the other Cypriot youth, (who was favourably mentioned in last year's Report,) is also still in the Society's house: his good conduct and his progress in learning are highly commendable. Perceiving that great expenses would be necessarily incurred in carrying forward their projected measures, and that the resources of the Society were altogether inadequate to the burden, the Commitee resolved that a separate fund should be opened for this object, and trusted that the liberality of the British public would meet the exigency of the case. Very ample funds will be requisite, in order to defray the charges of training masters and mistresses, paying their passages to and from England, and providing the necessary elementary lessons and other school apparatus.-Donations for this object will be most thankfully received. The Committee have been greatly encouraged in this attempt by the friendly concurrence of the Greek Government, and the favourable opinion expressed by gentlemen who have visited Greece. They have heard with much pleasure, that a school of mutual instruction has been opened at Athens, and that a worthy ecclesiastic at Salamina has given a piece of ground for the same purpose. A flourishing school has been some time established at Argos: it contains 150 children, and is reported to succeed admirably. Demetrius Platanitos, the master, has instructed several young men in the system, who are now engaged in disseminating the knowledge they have acquired. - The Committee report, with much satisfaction, the formation of a Ladies' Society at Edinburgh for the promotion of female education in Greece.

"Your Committee have been informed that an account of the British system, prepared in Arabic by Professor Macbride of Oxford, has been printed at Cairo, under the direction of the Pacha of Egypt, and circulated by him among his friends. It

would much gratify them to be instrumental in conveying the blessings of education to that ancient and once renowned country. They trust the time will yet come, when both Egypt and Syria, where so much has been seen of the works and wonders of the Almighty, will be blessed with the knowledge of the holy Scriptures. "Communications received from the Rev. Dr. Thom, and Mr. Robertson of Graaf Reinet, contain pleasing intelligence respecting the progress of education at the Cape of Good Hope. The schools in that colony, established and supported by Government, are in a thriving state; and the British system succeeds remarkably well. Several public examinations of the children have been held, and gave very general satisfaction.

"No information has been received from the Isle of France: the Committee, however, have reason to believe, that in that island Scriptural education prospers. A similar statement may be made in refer、ence to Madeira: a new school-room has been erected, in which 130 boys were receiving instruction at the date of the last communication. The chief-justice of the island was present at the opening of the school, and became a subscriber.

"The praiseworthy efforts of missionaries, of various denominations, in British India, ought not to be mentioned without high commendation. They have rightly regarded the instruction of the young as a most important department of their labours, and have so far succeeded, that probably upwards of 40,000 children are now receiving a useful education. The effects of such measures on the state of society in India must be in the issue beneficial: indeed, this begins to be evident already, and is admitted by many of the natives themselves, as appears from the numerous applications, received by the missionaries, for the establishment of schools in towns and villages contiguous to their several stations. Your Committee notice this fact with great satisfaction, because they are persuaded that, when the public mind in India becomes generally favourable to education, complete and extensive success must follow.

"The indigenous schools, so well suited to the native population of Bengal, continue to be conducted with energy and effect. They are much encouraged by many wealthy Hindoos, who frequently invite to their houses all the schoolmasters of their several districts, directing them to bring with them some of their best scholars: an examination then takes places, and gra

tuities are awarded, both to the masters and the scholars, in proportion to their respective merits. By this means great emulation is excited, and the zeal of the supporters of these institutions is at once stimulated and encouraged.

"Of the East-India islands, Ceylon and Sumatra appear to be best furnished with the means of early religious instruction. Almost every missionary station has connected with it from six to twelve schools; and many of the children have obtained a good knowledge of the facts and truths of Scripture. The Baptist Missionaries in Sumatra have opened schools in that island, under the patronage of Government. The system of mutual instruction is adopted, as far as practicable, in both these islands.

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NAVAL AND MILITARY BIBLE SOCIETY.

From a circular lately issued by the Society, we extract the following sketch of the Society's history and proceedings.

"It will be in the recollection of some of the generation now passing away, that a considerable body of troops was assembled in Hyde Park, in the year 1779, to preserve the peace of the metropolis, at that time disturbed by faction. An humble individual, who witnessed with pious concern the depraved habits of the soldiery, was led to hope, that advantage might be taken of that eventful period, to attempt a reform amongst the troops by distributing the Bible to them. This suggestion was communicated to that eminent philanthropist Mr. Thornton, who gave life and

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