Domestic operations increased in importance; and while old friends were called to their rest, others were raised up qualified as their successors. The receipts of the year were £90,146 8s. 4d.; and the issues were 373,893 Bibles and 463,468 Testaments; total 837,361; on the Continent, 51,640 Bibles, and 235,066 Testaments; a grand total of 1,124,067 copies of the Scriptures. The grants of this year amounted to £31,758 17s. 9d., including the value of 9,250 Bibles, 21,000 Testaments for the schools and poor of Ireland.

The Forty-fourth Annual Meeting of the Society was held in Exeter Hall, May 3, 1848, when the great assembly was addressed by the chairman, Lord Bexley, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishop of St. Asaph, Lord Morpeth, the Earl of Chichester, Sir D. Mackworth, Rev. J. Stratten, Rev. Professor La Harpe, of Geneva, Rev. W. Arthur, of Paris, Rev. H. Stowell, and Rev. E. Crisp, of India.

THE FORTY-FIFTH YEAR OF THE SOCIETY,
1848-1849.

IN reporting the proceedings of the Society, the Committee devoutly acknowledge the presence of God during their forty-fifth year. Their work-as crowned with his blessing, held forth his glory to the nations, while it brought themselves the peculiar happiness of the servants of Christ. In this spirit they commence their wonderful details of the year in disseminating the Scriptures.

In France, amid dreadful scenes and difficulties, by the revolution, M. De Pressensé issued 107,849 Bibles and Testaments; 85,800 by colporteurs. The French and Foreign Bible Society also issued 23,244 copies of the Word of God.

Political revolutions convulsed Germany also; yet in Cologne, Mr. Tiddy issued 28,089 Bibles and Testaments; in Holland, 27,558; and in Belgium, 6,268; besides 24,466 by the Netherlands Bible Society.

Dr. Pinkerton, at Frankfort, issued the large number of 93,356 Bibles and Testaments; and Lieut. Graydon, in Switzerland, issued 6,770 copies; of which 1,004 were sold in a few days at Turin.

Thousands, amid these political agitations, were thirsting for the Scriptures in Northern Italy; and Dr. Pinkerton hastened to Switzerland to confer on the best means of satisfying that desire. At Florence, and even in Rome, editions of the Italian New Testament were printed, and thousands of copies were called for by the Roman Catholics. The demand far exceeded the means of supply, and 10,000 copies of Diodati's Italian Bible, and 10,000 Testaments were put to press in England.

In Sweden the Agency issued 42,785 Bibles and Testaments this year. In Norway, at Christiana, Drontheim, and Christiansfeld, 3,253 copies were issued. In Russia, the Agency at St. Petersburgh issued 17,402 copies; and in the last four years, 75,870 copies were issued by the Protestant Bible Society at St. Petersburgh. The Central Prussian Bible Society issued 13,167 Bibles and Testaments.

Dr. Thomson, reporting his Agency for Spain and Portugal, shows the deplorable condition of those countries under the policy of the Romish priests, who are most hostile to the Scriptures.

From Malta, Rev. T. Lowndes issued 4,127 copies of the Scriptures, and from Athens, 3,348. Mr. Barker issued from Smyrna and Constantinople 3,267 in six months; and various issues were made from Jaffa, Jerusalem, and Monsul, of the Scriptures in Italian, French, Modern Greek, Arabic, Syriac, Turkish, Syro-Chaldaic, &c.

In India, the Calcutta Auxiliary Society issued 9,964 copies, in various languages; but it states, "the Auxiliary Baptist Missionary Society has done much more than this Society during several years past. Last year its distributions exceeded 48,000 Scriptures, many of which were for the Upper Provinces."

The Madras Auxiliary issued 11,962, in various languages, besides the issues from the Branches; those of Neyoor being 21,607. The Bombay Auxiliary issued 7 700.

The Colombo Auxiliary reports the printing of the New Testament, and other sacred books in Singalese; and at Jaffna the issue of 4,000 copies.

In China, the controversy regarding the proper term for the word God is yet continued; but some of the sacred Books are printed and issued, for which £300 were granted to Dr. Gutzlaff.

In New South Wales the issues were 4,233 copies; at Adelaide, in three years, 2,446; while various orders were sent from Melbourne, Geelong, and Hobart Town.

In New Zealand the Scriptures were well received; one edition of 20,000 of the Book of Psalms was supplied to the Wesleyan Missionaries, and 5,000 of the Pentateuch to the Church Missionaries. The Tahitian and Rarotongan Scriptures were joyfully received and prized by the Islanders.

The South African Bible Society issued 3,271 copies in English and Dutch; and various grants were made to Sierra Leone, Cape Coast, Danish Acra, and Fernando Po.

In South America little could be done to circulate the Scriptures, except an edition of the Testament and Psalms in the Negro dialect of Surinam. Supplies were sent of about 1,000 Bibles and Testaments to Demarara, and 783 to California.

In the West Indies, Mr. M'Murray continued his agency, promoting the disposal of the Scriptures; among which were 6,594 copies in Jamaica; 485 in St. Kitts; and 940 in Trinidad. To Jamaica were sent 9,664 copies; 3,070 to Barbadoes; and 1,443 to the Bahamas.

The American Bible Society received this year254,377 dollars, and issued 655,066 copies of the Scriptures. Among its grants is one of 10,000 dollars to the French and Foreign Bible Society; and one of 2,000 dollars to the Presbyterian Board of Missions in Northern India.

In British America, the Upper Canada Auxiliary ordered 16,653 Bibles and Testaments; the Montreal Auxiliary 14,809; the Nova Scotia 7,918; while it issued 6,550. St. John's New Brunswick ordered 3,696, and the Newfoundland ordered 656.

The domestic operations of the Society continued extensive, varied, and important; while its receipts for the year were £95,933 6s. 1d.; and the issues were 403,107 Bibles, and 399,026 Testaments, total 802,133. On the Continent 55,124 Bibles, 250,261 Testaments, a grand total of 1,107,518 copies of the Scriptures. The grants in the year amounted to £33,009 10s. 2d., including the value of 13,100 Bibles, and 17,750 Testaments for schools and the poor in Ireland.

The Forty-fifth Annual Meeting was held in Exeter Hall, May 2, 1849; when the great assembly was addressed by the Chairman, the Marquis of Cholmondeley, the Bishop of Norwich, Rev. Dr. Kesson, of Ceylon, Rev. Dr. Boaz, of Calcutta, Rev. Dr. Steinkopff, Ven. Archdeacon Dealtry, Rev. H. Stowell, Rev. J. Kennedy, Rev. E. Bickersteth, Rev. G. Clayton, Rev. J. C. Miller, Rev. G. Browne, and J. P. Plumptre, Esq., M. P.

THE FORTY-SIXTH YEAR OF THE SOCIETY,
1849-1850.

MYSTERIES attend the operations of Divine Providence. And these, on many occasions, lead the servants of God to exclaim, "Clouds and darkness are round about Him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his Throne;" thus, the Committee of the Bible Society, in relation to their labours on the Continent of Europe. Yet their successes led them to cite from the "Psalm of