OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOL SOCIETY FOR THE YEAR ENDING THE 9th OF APRIL, 1823. PATRONESS, HER GRACE THE DUCHESS OF DORSET. PRESIDENT, THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF RODEN. ' Subscriptions in aid of the funds of this Society will be received by Messrs. Puget, Bainbridge and Co. Warwick-lane, London; by Messrs. Robert Raikes and Co. Hull; by Samuel Hope, Esq. Liverpool; by C. N. Wawn, Esq. Newcastle-on-Tyne; by Messrs. Tennent, Callwell and Co. Belfast; by Messrs. George La Touche and Co. Dublin; and at the Depository, No. 16, Upper Sackville-street, Dublin. It is earnestly requested that this Report may not be destroyed, as the cause of the Society will be thereby injured, but that it may be circulated as widely a possible. Of the number of SUNDAY SCHOOLS assisted by the SUNDAY SCHOOL SOCIETY FOR IRELAND, in each County, from November, 1809, up to April, 1823; also of the number of Scholars and gratuitous Teachers compared with the Popula tion in each County, as stated in the Census, taken by order of the Legislature, in one thousand eight hundred and twenty-one. REPORT. THE state of Ireland has been the subject of anxious, and in many respects, of painful interest to every class of the community. The miseries which want and disease have from time to time inflicted on her peasantry, have called forth the sympathy and generous assistance of the affluent and the bene volent. The spirit of outrage and insubordination which has been manifested in some of her populous districts, has powerfully excited the feelings, and arrested the attention of all, who are interested in the well-being of the empire; while the hope that means might be found to alleviate these disasters, has been furnished by the success of those Societies, which have laboured to promote the moral and religious improvement of Ireland: and the friends of this country in the Sister island, have been encouraged in their kindly feelings and exertions by the assurance, that the soil is undergoing the needful preparation, even during storm and tempest-that the good seed is in many instances sown, that in some it has sprung up, and that there is every hope that an abundant harvest will reward the labours of those who have toiled in this promising husbandry. In reporting the progress of the Sunday School Society for Ireland, your Committee cannot consider it unsuitable to express the lively pleasure which they feel in the prosperity of those other Institutions, however unconnected with them; and while they attribute the glory and the praise of what has been already effected, to Him who is the author and finisher of every good and perfect work, they would hold out the right hand of fellowship to these their fellow-labourers, and one in heart, in interest and design, would cordially wish them the most entire success. INCOME OF THE SOCIETY. The receipts of the Society during the last year, amounted to 1,883l. 17s. 2d.; of this sum however, 3471. 10s. 2d. were paid in for books and Monthly Extracts sold at the Depository. The total amount therefore contributed by the public, in donations and subscriptions, was 1,536l. 7s.—including a sum of 100%. received from William Disney, Esq. Executor of the late Mrs. D. O'Donnel, for which your Committee return their grateful acknowledgments: The following sums (also included in the above) have been received from collections made in different parts of the United Kingdom : From a Collection in Ballinahinch Church, County of 20 4 5 From the Lurgan Association,........ ENGLAND. From the Bath English and Irish Ladies' Associations, (Balance of Contributions for last year,)... From ditto, for the present year, ............. Collections by a Lady at Clifton, near Bristol, Contributions transmitted by C. N. Wawn, Esq. Newcastle-on-Tyne, Collections by a Lady at Knaresborough, From the Berwick and Tweedmouth Association for Propagating the Knowledge of Christianity at Home and Abroad, Contributions from Shropshire, ..... From the Birmingham Auxiliary Society,* Balance of Contributions from Miss E. Holmes, Derby, SCOTLAND. From the Perthshire Bible Society,† .............. From the Kennoway Bible Society,....... From the Irvine Female Bible Society, From the Fenwick Association for Religious Purposes, From the Paisley and East Renfrewshire Bible Society, 8 6 do. do. 12 8 do. From the Elgin and Morayshire Bible Society,......... From the Montrose Society for Missions and Tracts,... ....... 2280545 In addition to these contributions, but included in the above total of 1,5367. 78., your Committee have to acknowledge the receipt of 647. currency, (391. Irish,) collected in the Island of Jamaica, by the Rev. T. M. Trew, Rector of St. Thomas' in the East. During a visit which he lately made to this country, Mr. Trew witnessed the good effects of some of the Schools assisted by your Society, and had himself materially promoted the extension of Sunday Schools in the neigh The Society feel much gratified by the interest which their cause continues to excite in Birmingham, as evinced by the establishment of this Auxiliary Society in May last. +The Donations from the several Bible Societies have been expended, according to their directions, in the purchase of the Scriptures, bourhood where he sojourned; on his return to the West Indies, he collected and transmitted this donation; and to him and to those other benevolent individuals who have thus contributed to the funds of your Society, your Committee feel sincerely grateful. During the last year the most convincing evidence has been furnished of the warm and lively interest which the well-being of Ireland excites in the Sister island, by the transmission of large sums for the relief of our suffering peasantry in the Western and Southern districts. Your Committee were gratified in perceiving amongst those most active in this good work, some of your Correspondents, whose first feeling of friendship for Ireland had arisen from the successful exertions of your Society: nor has this been a mere transient emotion of benevolence from the circumstances of last year has arisen a great desire for promoting the improvement, particularly of the female peasantry of Ireland. This object cannot be too highly appreciated; no part of the community has been and is more neglected in infancy and youth, in most parts of Ireland, than the female peasantry; no part of the community is more calculated by virtuous and powerful influence to reward early care, or to retaliate on society for early neglect, by the pernicious effects of vicious or ungoverned character. Your Committee rejoice in the conviction, that whilst benevolent persons in England are so generously employed, in relieving the distresses, and in forwarding plans for promoting industry amongst the peasantry of this land; they seem aware, that the accomplishment even of this most desirable result, would not go to the extent of effectual relief. Your Committee are therefore persuaded that these friends, convinced that the only remedy which can meet the evil of the case is the promotion of the knowledge of true religion, will not only continue to further their own immediate object, but will also use their exertions to promote the blessed influence of religion in Ireland, by strengthening the hands of Societies whose objects are directed to that end. Your Committee have to acknowledge the receipt of another very liberal donation from the British and Foreign Bible Society of 10,000 Testaments, which your Society were utterly unable to purchase; and your Committee have to express their gratitude for this additional instance of the kindness of this most valuable Society. They would also observe here, that many more copies of the Holy Scriptures are distributed by means of the Schools, than appear on the face of this Report. The inadequacy of the funds of the Society obliges the Committee frequently to abridge the grants of Testaments, (the gratuitous issue of Bibles having been discontinued for some years,) and the Conductors of Schools are consequently under the necessity of purchasing both Bibles and Testaments from other quarters, |