Board. The Committee also watched the proceedings before the Select Committee of the House of Commons on the Poor Laws, and the secretary was examined as a witness. The subject still engages the attention of the Committee.

After the defeat of the Roman Catholic Prisoners Bill, and immediately Parliament was prorogued, Sir G. Grey, the Home Secretary, issued new rules to Convict Prisons, granting nearly everything that the Parliament had refused. The Committee have resolved to oppose the new rules, and to direct the attention of the country and Parliament to this proceeding.

On several occasions, the Alliance has taken legal proceedings to vindicate the personal liberty of the subject against Romish priests. These efforts have often been attended with success: one of the most important was the recovery, by Habeas Corpus, of the girl M'Donnell from a priest of the name of Roberts. The case was several times before the court, and ultimately the child was given up, the priest was imprisoned, and had to pay the costs. A similar case is at this time before the Committee. But it is feared many unhappy victims are kept by the priests in nunneries and other places. With a view to remedy this evil, and if possible to check the increase of convents, the Committee are preparing a statement on nunneries, and propose bringing the subject before the country. In Austria, France, Spain, and other Romish countries, convents are either under stringent regulations enforced by the State, or are not allowed.

The Committee will briefly refer to the last stage in the case of Mr. Turnbull. After his resignation, that gentleman deemed it advisable to commence legal proceedings against the Secretary of the Alliance for alleged libel; but after a trial which lasted three days, in July 1861, a verdict was given for the secretary. The Committee, in defending the action, felt they were performing a public duty, by vindicating the right of Englishmen to criticise public appointments.

The intolerance of Popery is kept somewhat in check in this kingdom, although by the disturbance of public meetings in London, Birkenhead, Newry, Tralee, and Drogheda, it has indicated what it would do here if it had the power. The spirit of persecution still lives, and is still cherished by Papists and Jesuits. In speaking of past times and of the admirers of the middle ages, the Jesuits ask, "Do they fatter themselves that no spark still smoulders in the ashes round the stake to kindle another torch? Fools! all they can do is to hate us.. In calling us Jesuits, they think that they cover us with opprobrium! They little think that these Jesuits have in store for them the censorship, gags, and flames." But abroad it labours under very little restraint in acting against Protestants, so that the Madiai, Cechetti, De Mora, Escalante, Matamoros, and others, are consigned to prison for serving God according to their conscience. At this time Matamoros, Alhama, and others, are condemned in Spain to several years of the galleys for propagating Protestant ideas. The Committee are still prosecuting measures for their release.

The Committee continue to diffuse information, exposing Popery as dangerous to our liberties; and during the last two years upwards of 200,000 papers have been issued and circulated by the Alliance throughout the country. This part of our work becomes the more necessary, as the Jesuits themselves declare that they "carefully avoid entering into an open and serious strife with the Protestants. We the Jesuits] could not but lose ground by it; and it would call too much attention to the subject. People who are greedy of novelty would be enchanted to see such a combat opened. Let us prefer a secret war, which, though less brilliant, is more sure to bring us the advantage. Let us shun too much light. Let us content ourselves with pulling down the stones of the Protestant citadel, one by one, instead of venturing to carry it by storm."†

The Alliance has for years steadily resisted the encroachments of Popery; but to do so more effectually, the Committee earnestly invite the assistance of Christians of all denominations to check the evil which has come in upon the nation, and which will endanger the existence of the Protestant faith, the safety of the throne, and the peace of these realms.

By the Committee,

Protestant Alliance, 7, Serjeant's Inn,

London, January 1863.

* Jesuit Conspiracy, p. 94.

J. MACGREGOR, Hon. Sec.
CHARLES BIRD, Secretary.

+ Ibid. p. 112.

EXTRACTS FROM THE MONTHLY LETTER OF THE
PROTESTANT ALLIANCE.

THE correspondent of the Daily Telegraph at Vienna, says that a Romish priest, attended by several policemen, went to the house of a Jewish lady, to demand her only child, whose nurse had several years ago administered the rite of baptism to the child. The lady had been warned of the danger, and had sent the child away; so the priest was foiled.-January 24, 1863.

In Canada, a young girl was, at the instigation of the priests, abducted from the house of Mr. Ami, at Industry, and for some time her friends were ignorant of her place of concealment; but finally, under the influence of public feeling, it was made known that she could be seen in a neighbouring convent.

Two agents of the Bible Society were assaulted and seriously injured by an angry mob, while prosecuting their work in the village of St. Jerome. By reason of the partiality and hostility of the Romish magistrates, the rioters escaped with impunity. The partiality of Roman Catholic justices of the peace is a ground of constant complaint in cases in which either the priesthood or religion is in any way concerned.-Missionary Herald (Montreal), Nov. 1862.

The News of the Churches for December last, after giving a most interesting account of the wicked deceptions practised by the Abbé Cassiano de Col, a Jesuit, states:-"We have only to add that such cases do not appear to us to be isolated. Last year a young priest, speaking French and Italian, whom we had met several times, and who had publicly gone over to the Evangelical persuasion in a small city in the south of Germany, came to London, with the object, as he gave out, of escaping the Jesuits. Money was collected to convey him to Pastor Chiniquy, in America. On reaching Canada he appears, instead of going to Chiniquy, to have immediately thrown himself into the arms of the Jesuits there."

Similar vile practices were adopted by Jesuits in former days, as will appear from the following extracts from the records in our State Paper Office in the time of Elizabeth ::

"Parsons, the Jesuit, formed a seminary in Spain for priests to be sent from thence to England, pretending they had been soldiers or slaves in Spain."

"Laton was sent over under pretence and suggestion of the Council of Spain to endeavour to burn the English navy, but really to murder the Queen, and to offer his services to the Queen in Spain or Flanders, and thereby better to achieve his devilish purpose."

Sir George Grey, the Governor of New Zealand, concluded a conference with Wi Tako, an able supporter of the Maori King movement, with these words:—“Wherever I go, I find the Roman Catholic natives are at the bottom of all this work and disturbance."-Record, Jan. 19, 1863.

In Ireland, the Romish bishops, Dr. Butler, of Limerick, and Dr. M'Evilly, of Galway, have denounced the National Model Schools as obnoxious to the Popish hierarchy and injurious to the religious and moral training of the pupils, and threatened to excommunicate parents who shall disobey.-Times, Jan. 6 and 22. A priest, named Fahy, has shown his hostility to the system by beating a girl, named Downes, aged twelve years, with his walking-stick, and pierced her ears with his nails, and threatened still further violence.-Clare Freeman. The Romish bishops in

Australia have issued a pastoral letter, forbidding secular education and mixed marriages; and in some districts the priests have denounced candidates at elections opposed to their ideas relative to the Bible being used in schools. These attempts have roused Protestants, and it is hoped they will attach greater value to the cause of true religious liberty.-Record, Jan. 26, 1863.

ROME'S NEW DEMAND AT BIRMINGHAM.

THE Romanists of Birmingham, through a member of the Town-council, have demanded a sum of £1200 to build a Popish Chapel at the Borough Cemetery, Witton. It appears that there are already two Chapels at this Cemetery-one for the use of members of the Church of England, and one fo~ Nonconformists generally. On the mere score of supply, or accommodation, surely two Chapels are enough. But no; the Romanists must have a separate chapel for themselves, and they demand that the town shall pay for it. Even were the Romanists the majority of the population of Birmingham, and the wealthiest inhabitants of that town, the Town-council, by granting such a demand, would be doing an unconstitutional act, and would be rearing up a place for idolatrous worship. We trust the Protestants of Birmingham will continue to resist with vigour any such demand. We rejoice to see the activity of the Birmingham Protestant Association, whose address in this case has been kindly forwarded to us. Such an instance illustrates the importance of having such an Association in every town in the United Kingdom, and of Protestants giving such societies every countenance and support.

NAPLES.

(From a Correspondent.)

I remember

"How wise you are in Scotland to guard against Popery! hearing a speech at the College Missionary Society, on the Pope's non possumus,' and one would have thought that Popery was at its last throes; but I do think the monster is wide awake, and has such a spirit in him, that no emperor or man can ever destroy him. Here, people are getting disgusted, and are actually, some of them, saying, 'We must get rid of the spiritual so as to get also rid of the temporal.' This promises pretty fairly, but I very much question the results of a religious movement when the temporal is the burden of all the song. Still, men may and are led to read their Bibles, and the Truth and the Life are most graciously revealed often to those who sought Him not.”

THE SPANISH INQUISITION.

SPAIN is still the land of persecution, although the palmy days of the inquisition have not yet returned. The spirit, however, which has consigned Matamoros to the galleys for reading and circulating the word of God, is still the same, and only requires an opportunity to develop itself in all its former atrocity. The following facts ought to be carefully pondered by every British subject, especially in connexion with the steady aggressions of Romanism*

"The three prisoners in Granada, Matamoros, Alhama, and Trigo, were condemned to seven years' penal servitude at the galleys, to civil disqualification for life, and in the costs of the prosecution. Against this sentence, by the advice of their friends in England, they immediately appealed.

"Before the appeal cause came on for adjudication, renewed exertions were made for their liberation. Their sufferings had begun to excite an extended interest, not only in Great Britain (where various efforts were made and many meetings held on their behalf), but also in Switzerland, Germany, Holland, and Prussia, and likewise in Paris. The Government of Prussia are understood, in the commencement of the present year, to have made a communication to the British Foreign Office on the subject, tendering their co-operation in any plan that might be agreed upon for effecting the liberation of the Protestant prisoners: but to that communication, it is believed, the British Government have returned, up to the present time, no answer. Major-General Alexander also kindly undertook, in the early part of the present year, to go to Madrid to seek an interview with the head of the Spanish Government, and in the name of the Protestants of Europe to intercede on behalf of their suffering brethren. General Alexander was courteously received by Marshal O'Donnell, and his request listened to. But this and all other efforts were proved to be in vain."-P. 38.

PROTESTANTISM IN ENGLAND.

(To the Editor of the Bulwark.)

SIR,-I have read with deep interest the articles which have appeared in recent Bulwarks on "Protestantism in England." It is gratifying to find that, from some of England's best sons, right responses have been elicited. You have invited practical suggestions, and I beg to submit the following :—

To find out the remedy for any evil, we must discover its cause. Now, there cannot be a doubt that the cause of England's apathy regarding Romanism is ignorance of the real character of that system. I believe ignorance to be the cause of apathy in this matter, because I have never found an individual who understood Popery in its social, political, and religious aspects, and who was aware of the rapid progress it is now making, who was not thoroughly alive to the danger to which this country is exposed. The great want of England, then, is regular systematic instruction in the principles of Protestantism and the nature of Romanism. Let it be well understood throughout the length and breadth of England, that (and in what respects), as a religion, Rome is not only destitute of scriptural authority, but that her dogmas are opposed to the letter and spirit of the Word of God; that, besides being a professed religion, she is a secular corporation aiming at the entire overthrow of those glorious principles of liberty, civil and religious, which it is England's privilege to possess, and the establishment of an authority superior to that of our beloved Queen, of the law, and of the constitution; that in the immense sums of money annually given

Narrative of the Persecution and Sufferings of Manuel Matamoros and other Protestants in Spain. London : Nisbet & Co.