The Press.
London, England, 1857-05-09 00:00:00

ttropolitan.

THE MAY Mmrixds this week have comprised
the Home and Colonial School Society, the Wes-
leyan Missionary Society, the Protestant RAorma-
tion Society, the Jews Christianity Society, the
Prayer Book and Homily Society, the Condon
City Mission, the English Church Mission Society,
and the Sunday School Union. The annual reports
of these excellent societies exhibited in every case
satisfactory proofs of the advance of each society in
public estimation, of increased resources, and of an
extended sphere of duty.
THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY held
its fifty-third annual general meeting on Wednesday,
at Exeter hall, the Earl of Shaftesbury presiding.
The Rev. Mr. Baird read the report, which detailed
the operations of the society in France, Belgium,
Holland, Germany, Sweden (where the labours of
the society had received a rapid and unanticipated
development during the past year), and Russia.
But in the latter country the circulation was confined
to the Protestant community, the Synod of thu
Greek Church having prohibited any circulation
amongst members in communion with that Church,
and in districts over which they had spiritual con-
trol. A short time since a large quantity of copies
of the Scriptures were sent to St. Petersburg, the
duty on which was 4131. An appeal was made to
the Emperor to forego the duty, to which his
Majesty readily assented, thus becoming a liberal
contributor to Vie funds of the society. In Turkey
a copy of the Scriptures had been eficialy pre-
sented to the Sultan in his great council chamber by
the agent of the society, this important event having
been brought about by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe
on the suggestion of the Earl of Shaftesbury. The
Sultan had not received the Bible in idle curiosity,
for it was weal known that portions of it were by his
desire read to him every day, and that he took a
deep interest in its contents. In India, China, and
other parts of the world the operations of the society
had been eminently successful.

THE Emu. OF CARNARVON presided at the Clerken-
well Ragged School meeting on Monday evening,
and delivered an able address to the ladies and
gentlemen present. These schools have been highly
successful. The noble chairman, after the secretary
had read the report, said that he presumed there
was no one present who would expect that he should
enter into any discussion on the merits of these
schools. On that question they were all agreed and
prepared to lend them their support :

It was very easy to start upon any vast scheme of use-
fulness or labour. They had, on the one hand, when they
undertook anything new, the difficulty which necessitated
it, and which no doubt looked larger to them from its very
nearness; and they had, on the other hand, to stimulate
them to overcome it, all the bright hopes of the future.
But it too frequently happened that, when they found
their work accomplished and the institution flourishing,
they withdrew from it that support and countenance
which they lent it in its early struggles, and thus in course
of time it fell into decay. Ile hoped, however, that each
would not be the case with respect to these schools. The
result of the working of the schools and their auxiliary
agents in this direction was a cheering one, and it was
also satisfactory to find that they were able to reclaim so
many children from poverty and suffering, and to enal•le
them to take their place in the honest part of the com-
munity, and not less satisfactory to learn haw, through
the agency of these children, they influenced their parents
for good. In France they had a claws of persons known
as the dangerous class. and its history was a miserable one.
Fatherless or motherless, it began personal vice as a
system, awl ended in turbulence, sedition, and anarchy.
The vicious seed sown in the neglect of their parents
flowered in their youth, and in their manhood ripened into
crime. As yet we hail no such class in this country, bat
the way to prevent its growth was to take these children
whi!e their temper was het flexible and give it an inclina-
tion in the direction of honesty, good order, and religion.
ARCHDEACON MANNING was duly installed on Tues-
day at the Roman Catholic church of St. Mary,
Moorfields, in the presence of a large congregation.
For some time past the Very Rev. Dr. Manning,
who, before he became a priest of the Church of
Rome a few years since, w•ns a beneficed clergyman
in the Church of En•*laud and Archdeacon of
Chichester, has been at Rome perfecting himself in
all the details of the ecclesiastical system of the
Roman Church, and has now received from the Pope
the appointment of a canon and provost of the church
in Horseferry road, Westminster. On the presenta-
tion of the rev. gentleman for installation he was
received by Cardinal Wiseman in his robes, and by
the priests aod other officers of the establishment.
The service was conducted in Latin. The new pro-
vost promised, according to the forms of the Roman
Catholic Church, canonical obedience to " His
Eminence the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster,"
and was then formally admitted to the possession of
Lis new dignities.
LORD JOHN EttssEr.r. attended the annual Field-
lane Ragged School meeting on Wednesday, and in
moving the adoption of the report observed with
respect to the object of such societies, the question