religion. Though it is nothing new to you, my Lord, to perform this ceremony, so often performed by your Lordship during the twentythree years of your episcopal labours in this country, yet, it is to us most edifying; and it is of considerable spiritual advantage to ourselves and to our families to have a church to which we can go at all seasons. Allow u, my Lord, to tender you our heartfelt thanks for affording us an opportunity of seeing so much of the beauties of our holy religion, and for your own zealous and energetic exertions and those of your priests, in erecting for the service of God, this temple, now so tastefully finished. And we humbly pray that you may live long to perform many similar imposing ceremonies throughout your extensive diocese. Most respectfully requesting your Episcopal Benediction on ourselves and families, We have the honour to be, iny Lord, your Lordship's devoted flock at Parnell.'

'Reply: Beloved sons in God,—I feel grateful to you for this public expression of your filial sentiments of devotedness towards me, your first pastor. It is, indeed, a great consolation to me, as well as to yourselves now, to see in the erection of this temple a proof of the advancement of our holy religion and the increase of my dear flock. This tastefully finished church gives credit to the zeal of the clergy and faithful. I hope and pray that it may last for many years as a monument of your piety, and as a place for the holy worship of God for generations to come. I fervently wish that the blessing of this church to-day, as well as the Episcopal Benediction which I am happy to impart to you, may be salutary to yourselves, your families, and posterity.'

"The Bishop retired to the Sacristy, and when vested in pontificals, his Lordship proceeded in procession to bless the church. After the church and altar had been blessed, the Seminarists quickly ornamented the altar with a religious elegance. The view of the Episcopal throne, so neatly fitted up with its canopy, showed that those who adorned it loved, like holy David, the beauty of God's house.' The Bishop then celebrated a Pontifical High Mass.-Very Rev. Dr. M'Donald, assistant-priest; Rev. Father O'Hara, deacon; Rev. Anthony Pompallier, sub-deacon. The Seminarists, with the Sanctuary children of St. Patrick's Cathedral, assisted at the ceremonies. After the Gospel, the Bishop delivered a very learned and impressive discourse. The sacred music during the holy sacrifice of the Mass was effective, and well executed by the choir of St. Patrick's Cathedral. In the evening, at six o'clock, the Bishop gave Pontifical Vespers, and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament."-Communicated.

It is gratifying to know that Protestants in that interesting colony are not indifferent to the presence and to the nature of Popery, and that many of them are to be found mindful of the country they have left, and willingly subscribing, year after year, to aid the work of the Protestant Association.

The following letter from the Ven. Archdeacon Henry Williams, dated Pachia, Bay of Island, New Zealand, May 21, 1862, and received August 22, contains much interesting

matter, and it would be well for England if all her clergy and laity were actuated by a kindred spirit. The views expressed by the Venerable Archdeacon harmonize entirely with the principles embodied in the fundamental Resolutions of the Protestant Association. The Archdeacon thus writes, touching first on some business matters:

"MY DEAR SIR,-I have much pleasure in forwarding the first of exchange for 251. 7s., with the list of subscribers for this year, and regret the sum is not more extensive; but you will perceive that our list fluctuates.

"The Protestant Magazine' is well read by many. It is full of interest, though short."

He then proceeds :

"We hope that our country will be led to see her error in the toleration given to so baneful a mischief as Popery.

"The support given to Maynooth we regard as a mournful national sin, and must be resented by the Divine displeasure sooner or later.

"That the Papists should have full liberty to carry out their own views amongst themselves is consistent with English liberty, but that Protestant England should be required to contribute to the propagation of such poison is dangerous to the country, and an insult against the Divine Majesty.

"I enclose some slips from the Auckland papers. Their efforts (i.e., the Roman Catholics') are said to be great. I do not perceive them. At the bell is frequently rung, but I believe nothing more. About ten miles in the interior there is a small party of natives, called after their name, living in a most wicked and degraded way. Several years since they came to me as candidates for baptism, but I was obliged to reject them for their great wickedness. "With best wishes for the prosperity of your Association, "Believe me, yours very faithfully, (Signed) "HENRY WILLIAMS.

"J. Lord, Esq."

THE QUEEN AND THE DISTRESS IN THE COTTON DISTRICTS. "Ir gives us great pleasure to announce that Her Majesty has placed in the hands of Lord Derby the munificent sum of 2,000l., to be added to the funds now being raised for the relief of the distressed operatives in the cotton districts. The following letter accompanies the donation" (Standard, July 29):—

"Balmoral, July 24, 1862.

"MY DEAR LORD DERBY,-The Queen has long had her attention and anxious sympathy attracted to the sufferings, so patiently and nobly borne, of that portion of Her Majesty's subjects in the north of England which is connected with cotton manufactures, and which is at present unfortunately thrown out of employment. It would have been long since very pleasing to Her Majesty to have assisted them and mitigated their privations, but it was considered advisable to test the sufficiency of the ordinary means of relief to meet this great

misfortune. Her Majesty has, however, seen with much satisfaction that a Meeting has been held, under your presidency, of those who are connected by property with the great manufacturing districts, for the purpose of tendering their aid to those living in their own neighbourhood who have been plunged into destitution by no disinclination to maintain themselves by honest and independent labour, but by lamentable circumstances entirely beyond their control.

"The Queen gladly associates herself, under her title of Duchess of Lancaster, with these suffering districts, and is pleased to find herself thus entitled to send her aid to those for whom she has long felt deep compassion.

"I have received Her Majesty's commands to forward, through you, the sum of 2,000l., to be added to the fund for the aid of the sufferers in the cotton manufacturing districts.

"Sincerely yours,

"C. B. PHIPPS."

Miscellaneous.

THE LATE PRIMATE OF IRELAND.-Our venerated Primate has been taken from us at a very advanced age. The public press has done ample justice to his many virtues. Even the " Saturday Review" could not withhold a tribute

of praise to his memory.

The Achill Mission is one of the many recipients of his Grace's generous patronage. The writer can never forget the words of paternal kindness wherewith the venerable old man accompanied a munificent donation to the funds of the Mission in a season of deep trial.

In our reminiscence of our venerable Primate, there is one particular on which our mind dwells with much more pleasure than on the more showy virtues on which secular journalists have exhausted their praises. We allude to his deep self-abasement before God as a sinner, wholly dependent on the free grace of God for a comfortable hope of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ. The solemn tone and deep earnestness with which he spoke on this subject, in the last charge which he delivered to the clergy of this diocese in the cathedral of Tuam, produced an impression on the mind of the writer after the lapse of many years. We know from inspired authority that a man, under the influence of natural esteem, may bestow all his goods to feed the poor; and in zeal for religion may give his body to be burned, in defence of orthodoxy, and still be a reprobate; but our fallen nature cannot rise to the dignity of true humility before God, that is the unmistakable evidence of regeneration-the true characteristic of God's children, as will be manifested in that day when the Lord will exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high."

In the long and distinguished career of our noble Primate there is but one act which we regard with regret. We need hardly say that we allude to the counsel given to the clergy to accept aid for the schools from the National Board of Education when they could not obtain it from any other quarter. One wonders how such counsel could have emanated from such a man. Making all due allowances for his advanced age, and his anxiety that the education of the Church should not pass from the clergy to hostile hands, we still wonder how one, so truthful and upright, could have advised a compromise which pleaded the pressure of expediency as a justification of the abandonment of principle. We can only say, Lord, what is man!" and long more earnestly for the time when the germ of grace, which now struggles for existence in the hearts of God's regenerated children, shall have its tendencies fully developed in resurrection; when all the people shall be like their Master in the perfection of knowledge and purity.-Achill Herald, August 19.

PROTESTANT MAGAZINE.

OCTOBER 1, 1862.

THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AND PROTESTANTISM.

A GENERAL Election may not be far distant. Its results will be important, and some preparation should be made beforehand to render the Protestant party more efficient in the House of Commons.

When a dissolution has taken place, or is announced, it is too late to get much done in the way of securing the return of sound Protestants. But by timely preparation great good may be done; much by individual effort, more by cordial and united action.

If, then, a few of the wise-headed and sound-hearted Protestants in each parish, town, church, district, or congregation would do, or try to do, something in the matter, we should not be without hope of a successful result.

The Committee of the Protestant Association have now under their consideration a plan for sending out, very extensively, papers and circulars to a select number of electors in the various borough constituencies who, from their position amongst the various classes constituting such constituencies, are sure, more or less, to come into contact with a great proportion of the electors of such towns.

The importance of commencing with the borough constituencies appears from this consideration, viz., that those for England and Wales return 338 members to the House of Commons, while the counties return only 160: and further, that the borough constituencies will be found to contain many who have votes for the county, and county districts or divisions.

In exercising the elective franchise we do not expect electors to repudiate their party; nor do we ask them to support the Liberal party as such, or the Conservative party as such. We do not ask them to violate their convictions or their predilections; we say if you must vote for a Liberal, let him be a sound Protestant Liberal. If you will vote for a Conservative, let him be a sound Protestant Conservative.

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New Series, No. 264.

A Liberal may, indeed, see occasion to prefer a Conservative, soundly Protestant, to a Liberal unsoundly Protestant; and so, too, a Conservative may prefer voting for a sound Protestant Liberal to voting for an unsound Protestant Conservative.

These are points which must be left for each individual elector's conscience to decide, but we submit that in any case the interests of true Protestantism should be made paramount to those of party.

Liberty is conceded to Roman Catholics. Endowment of their unscriptural system, their constitutional system, must be withheld. We must not pay Romish Chaplains-in the Army -or in the Navy-or in prisons-or in our union houses-nor aid in the idolatrous worship of the Mass!

In this we ask no more of Protestants than seems to be consistent with their principles, their prepossessions, and their duties. We do not ask electors to make the Maynooth question the sole test; no doubt that question is a great and important one, and sooner or later the grant must be withdrawn. But to vote against that grant is not all that is required of a sound Protestant Member of Parliament;-more, much more is required than this.

A sound Protestant should be opposed on all important points to Popery. He should resist all Papal aggressions, all concessions to Popery, all endowment of its institutions or its priesthood. He should be prepared to vote for the due inspection of monasteries and nunneries, so long as they continue to exist.

We do not desire the turning out of the one Ministry to be replaced by another equally subservient to Popery. But this we think the country requires, and in this, electors can help. There should be a body of Protestants in the House of Commons so numerous, so united, and so influential, as to say to any Administration, "While upholding your general policy, we will not allow measures in favour of Popery to pass into a law. We will not allow votes of the public money to be made to Popery. We will not erect Popish altars in our union-houses, and so on of other questions as to Popery and Protestantism."

In dealing with the Romish question we must bear in mind that it is a religious as well as a social and political question, and that questions of religious principle are different from questions of mere political expediency.

Questions resting upon human authority-human speculations are different from those resting on Divine authority, the exigencies of which are at once absolute and conclusive. On ordinary political questions some may be right or some wrong. Some are right, some wrong; but while, however, nothing in opposition to the will of the Almighty is intended, while rulers