The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-06-11 00:00:00

LONDON HIBER

iIAN SOCIETY.

The Anniversary meeting of the members and friends of the
Liverpool Auxiliary Branch of the London Hibernian So-
ciety was held in the Music-hall on Tuesday. There was
but a very thin attendance.
The Rev. Dr. TATTIRSHALL having been called to the
chair, opened the proceedings by stating that they were, it
was true, a small company collected together, but neverthe-
less they might expect, if they looked to God for his grace
and blessing, that both would be bestowed upon them. In
fact, they had the promise that where two or three were
gathered together in Christ's name, He would he in the midst
of them. Relying on this promise, it well became the meet-
ing to commence the proceedings by asking for that assistance
which God had promised to bestow.
The Rev. Mr. Krzox having offered up an appropriate
prayer,
The CHAIRMAN proceeded to observe that it was generally
expected that a president of a meeting should, at the com-
mencement of its proceedings, offer a few words in explana-
tion of the nature and object for which it had been called to-
gether. Happily this course would be unnecessary in the
present instance, both because the nature and objects of the
society were well known and also because whatever want of
information on those subjects might exist would he supplied
by the speeches of the day. Be would, therefore, content
himself by calling on the Rev. Mr. Knox to read the report.
The Rev. Mr. KNOX, previous to proceeding with the re-
port, observed that it was matter of regret that so few were
present at the meeting. Morning meetings had been fre-
quently tried in Liverpool, but they were almost always found
to fail. Those interested in such a cause as the present were
so much engaged in business that they found it impossible to
devate their time to meetings of the kind. The reason why
the present meeting had been held in the morning was simply
because the Music-hall could not be obtained in the evening,
and also because the deputation were unable to remain in
town. He trusted, however, that the support of the society
would not be diminished by any want of numbers at the
meeting. The rev. gentleman then read the report, which
is as follows : _ _ .

" The committee of the Liverpool Auxiliary to the London
Hibernian Society cannot feel satisfied to present their annual
statement of accounts without endeavouring to impress upon
their friends and the public the value of this society, and the
importance of liberally supporting it at this eventful crisis,
when the demand for sound scriptural instruction is greater
than it aver has been. Of all the education societies in ope-
ration there is none so peculiarly suited to accomplish this
work, under the blessing of God, in Ireland. Thirty-six
years experience has dearly proved this. Its simple scrip-
tural system has been pursued in that country with the hap-
piest effect ; honouring God in making his Sacred Word the
basis of the education communicated, it has been specially
honoured of Him, as the means of leading many benighted
souls to the knowledge of the Saviour. Notwithstanding
the most determined opposition from the priesthood of the
Roman Catholic Church, since its commencement upwards
of five hundred thousand children and adults have been
taught to read the English or Irish languages ; and, during
the past year, there have been 35,000 children of Roman Ca-
tholic parents receiving instruction in the schools. The
number of schools in operation, day, Sunday, and adult, are
2167, containing, of all denominations, 108,805 scholars.
The number of Bibles and Testaments put into circulation
by the instrumentality of the society, since the commence •
meat of its operations, amounts to 445,499. These are facts
which clearly prove its utility, and loudly call for the cordial
support of all who love the truth. Those who are acquainted
with Ireland must be aware that the first cause of all the
moral'evil which abounds in that country is ignorance of the
Word of God. They do err, not knowing the Scriptures.
It is asserted, by those who love darkness rather than light,
and whose aim and interest it is to keep the poor of Ireland
in ignorance of the Scriptures, that they do not desire, nor
will they accept, the education offered to them ; but expe-
rience has fully proved the assertion to be false; they rejoice
in the establishment of schools, readily send their children,
and nothing but the most violent arid oppressive persecution
will induce theui to withdraw them. The demand for schools
increases every year; there are at present applications from
120 places ; and the funds are so low, being encumbered
with a heavy debt, that, so far from meeting these demands,
it is feared it will be necessary to abandon some of the schools
already in operation. Can the friends of scriptural education
hear this and not bestir themselves ? So far from allowing
the labours of such a valuable society to languish or be im-
peded, shall they not rather do everything to increase its
operations and efficiency ? Let them remember that the
claims of Ireland on this favoured country for religious
instruction are just, and not less urgent than ever ; still
darkness covers a large proportion of that land, and gross
darkness millions of the people; still may it he said in the
language of the prophet, Hosea 4 c., 6 r., My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge.' Never can we hope to see
the evils which now .agitate, demoralise, and desolate that
unhappy country effectually removed until the healing waters
of the gospel of salvation flow abundantly throughout it ! As
we have freely received of God in this country, let us freely
give. And while the demands for scriptural education are
numerous, loud, and increasing every year, let each who calls
himself a christian keep before him this valuable christian
motto—' Stedfast' unmoveable, always abounding in the
work of the Lord !' "
The Rev. Mr. CONNOR moved that the report be received
and printed under the directiin of the committee, in order
that it might be generally circulated. He said that he had
seen the working of the Hibernian School Society in Ireland;
it was going forth with the blessing of God upon its exertions;
it was welcomed by the peasantry ; and thousands of children
were being taught through its instrumentality. It was a
mistaken idea to suppose that the Roman catholics of Ireland
were unwilling to read the scriptures. He (Mr. Connor) had
been recently conversing with two Rornanists. One of them
told him that he would willingly read the Bible, but that he
was afraid he should get some harm by it. Another said,
after he had read to him out of the Roman catholic version of
the New Testament that there was but one Mediator, " I saw
that ; I observed it when at school ' • and I asked my master
what it meant ; whereupon he told me to put it out of my
mind, or else some harm would come upon me." Thus it
was (continued Mr. Connor) that the people were kept from
the feuntaiu of living waters. The II ibernian Society, upon
the other hand, placed the Bible in the hands of the people.
He was sure, therefore, that the meeting would aid such a
society with their prayers, and bid it " God speed."
The Rev. Mr. H OGMES, one of the secretaries of the parent
society, seconded the motion. The London Hibernian Society
had been in existence 36 years, and it was established in
the first instance in order to diffuse scriptural knowledge in
Ireland through the means of establishing schools and circu-
lating the word of God. Its object was not so much to esta-
blish schools as to afford assistance to those who were anxious
to establish them. In places where protestant landlords
assisted, only part of the funds came from the society, its
object being to assist the local patrons of scriptural instruc-
tion in Ireland; supplying the whole of the funds where no
local aid was given, and supplying part of the funds where
local aid rendered assistance. By the adoption of such a
system, great economy was practised. The average cost to
the society of each school amounted to not more than £lO
per annum, while the overage cost of each scholar for the
same length of time did not exceed 2s. 6d. As long as any
friend of scriptural education contributed £lO to the support
of any particular school he was desirous of establishing, so
long would the society aid in keeping up that school. Many
schools existed in Ireland at the present moment which had
been thus established. The fundamental rule of the society
was, that no assistance should be given to any school wherein
the scripturesewere not taught. This rule never had been
and never would be compromised. Various difficulties
had been thrown in the way of the society, and various
applications had been made to forego this rule, but it never
had been compromised. (Hear, hear.) The society also re-
quired that every scholar should submit to a quaeterly exa-
mination by the inspectors of the society. Every scholar
was examined by the district inspector four times each year,
end the remuneration to the master depended entirely on the
eesidtof such examination. The inspector only " passed"
(to use the customary phrase) those children who had made
that progress which the rule of the society required should
have been made, and this rule applied to scriptural informa-
tion ; so that the master could receive no remuneration un-
less the child were instructed in the contents of God's word,
and had committed to memory such portions of sacred scrip-
ture as were required by the society. It became a matter of
impossibility, therefore, that any child could remain at the
schools without obtaining a competent knowledge of the word
of God. With the view of showing that the blessing of God
rested on the society, the rev, gentleman here detailed in-
stances in which whole families had been led to abandon the
idolatrous rites and ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church,
and to embrace the pure doctrines of Protestantism, owing to
the instruction communicated in the soeiety'a. schools. Dur-
past year (he oontineed tO observe) the society had
leg the
irculiteed 21,040 copies of the word of God in Ireland, through
Ole machinery of its schools. The mode was as follows :
very child in the schools, who was capable of reading the
scriptures, had a copy of the Bible presented to him or her,
and premiums of large Testaments and Bibles were offered to
those children who displayed an acquaintance with the sacred
volume. Copies were also presented to the parents of the
children, and others who might be expected to make a proper
use of them • and in this way the number that he had men-
tioned had been distributed. The children were, moreover,
required to commit certain portions of the word of God to
memory, not at school, but at home ; and often, by the light
of the winter's fireside, they conned their little tasks, and
learned the lesson of eternal life. In this way access was
gained to the parents' heart—by degrees prejudice was sub-
dued, and instances were not wanting in which the parents had
read the Bible for themselves, and bad been converted to
God. He ought not to forget to mention that alw,st the en-
tire of the number of copies of the ieoed of God which had
keen circulated had been erathitonsly supplied to the Hiber-
nian Society by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and
that it was to the latter society it looked for aid. The rev.
gent, then proceeded to reply to some of the objections which
had been brought against the Hibernian Society, and in par-
ticular to the one raised on account of its employment of
Roman catholic teachers in the schools. He exhibited a list
to the meeting, containing the names of 339 Roman catholic
teachers, who, from being employed in teaching the Bible in
the schools, were led to renounce the errors of the Roman
catholic church, and to embrace the protestant faith. At
present there were only 42 schools in connexion with the so-
ciety which had Roman catholic masters over them. At one
time there had been 500, but, by God's grace, most of the
masters had become protestants. The rev. gentleman con-
cluded an interesting speech by stating that the society was
about to discontinue no fewer than 100 schools in Ireland,
because of a want of funds, not one of which could be dis,:
continued without prejudicing the cause of proteStantism ;
whilst at the same time thcy had applications for assistance
from no less than 70 others.
The Rev. EDWARD G. Torreeznare, of Bath, prop
m osed
the second resolution as follows :—" That this meet are
anxious to express their decided conviction that no system of
education can he really beneficial to a people that does not
take for its basis a knowledge of the word of God, and direct
its chief attention to the inculcation of its principles." In
moving this resolution, the rev. gentleman delivered an able
speech, in the course of which he dwelt at some length upon
the so-called " national system of education" in Ireland,
and upon a recent examination of the teachers in Dub-
lin before the lord-lieutenant, Dr. Murray, &c, &ea to-
gether with Dr. Murray's speech and present upon that oc-
casion. He also read a copy of the following document,
which he said was extensively circulated in Cork, in order
to show that the people were in a state of deplorable igno-
rance and superstition :-
14 It is necessary that we should give an account of some of
the miracles
performed by the ltev. Father Matthew, who,
bbylintd thheaessistance of
his
Divine Master, is restoring to the
limbs. He
of their sight, and to the lame the use of their
rie Only lays his hand on their eyes, when they re-
ceive a benefit by him—the scales fall off, and the poor per-
son loves God.
coming from all deaf the use
To this pious divine many thousands are
of their hearing, acrd
He has restored to tae
iii;el to the dum the
When he has done' • les leave their barrows
gi) use of their speech.
Iris office, the cripples
and walk home. restored
At one mass seven
to their sight, persons
end many more have found a benefit by him.
were
Thos* creatures who receive comfort from him have nothing
to prT he bestows it for the love hisGod. From thee 4th
re of
of May to the 20th of of 400
rds July, there have been upe a
miracles performed by • • him. Since this reverend gentleman
porgaenced curing these creatures, one city (Cork) is full of
objects from every Part, lie • day, from twelve to
is every _
three o'clock. visiting and
relieving the poor. Pray for his
long life I"
The rev. gentleman concluded by moving
the resolution.
The Rev. Mr. KNOX seconded •
the motion, and it was
carried.
The Rev. CHAIRMAN then ablessing, pronounced and the
meeting
meeting separated.

PAOTLISTANT BIewOP FOR MALTA—It now Appears cer-
tain that in the course of another year a Protestant bishop
will be appointed for Malta.--Malta