addressed a letter to the Right Rev. Prelate on the subject of this society, and his lordship directed his name to be put down for a donation of 50l., and as an annual subscriber of 51. 5s. The Very Rev. the Dean, in conjunction with Mr. Kitson and the Rev. C. Chapman, acceded to the request of the meeting to act as secretaries; and letters are to be addressed to the different deaneries to appoint a secretary in the separate divisions, in order to facilitate the collection of donations and subscriptions for this important society.-Norfolk Chronicle. OXFORDSHIRE. The office of the High Steward of the University of Oxford, and a governorship of the Charterhouse, have become vacant by the demise of the venerable Earl of Eldon. SHROPSHIRE. The Rev. Richard Scott, who most munificently enlarged five of the churches at Shrewsbury in order to afford greater public accommodation to the inhabitants, bas again laid the town under an obligation to him by fitting up, at his own expense, the altar-piece of St. Giles and St. George, and has presented to the parishes of St. Clad and the Holy Trinity, magnificent silver communion services. The stained glass window in the venerable Abbey Church, has just been restored at Mr. Scott's expense, who is about to crown his liberality by replacing the windows of the other churches with magnificent designs in stained glass, which are now preparing by Mr. D. Evans. The abovenamed rev. gentleman has annually expended thousands on the town of Shrewsbury.-Salopian Journal. SOMERSETSHIRE. The Bath Church of England Lay Association held its meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9. At the dinner, Sir W. Cockburn, Part., was in the chair, (in the absence of the President, Gen. Sir W. Davy,) supported by L. Bruges, Esq., M.P., and Col. Daubeny. Upwards of ninety gentlemen attended, and during the evening many excellent speeches were delivered, expressive of high loyalty and firm attachment to the church. The chairman spoke several times, and was followed by Mr. Bruges, Col. Daubeny, Majors Jolliffe and Grafton, Captain Campbell, Mr. Phillpott, Mr. Jeffs, Mr. Lowder, &c. For an extract from the Report, and the chairman's speech, see "Church Matters." BATH AND WELLS DIOCESAN CHURCH BUILDING ASSOCIATION At the Quarterly Meeting of the General Committee, VOL. XIII.-Feb. 1838. held at the Palace, at Wells, on Tuesday, the 2nd inst., the Lord Bishop of the diocese in the chair; among other business transacted, grants were voted of 100l., in addition to a former sum of 300l., towards building a church at Bridgewater; of 116l. towards building a church in the hamlet of Cleeve, in the parish of Yatton; of 160l. towards enlarging the parish church at Burnham; of 651. towards enlarging the parish church at Chilcompton; of 50l. towards erecting a gallery in the new church at Burrow-bridge, for the building of which a grant of 150l. was given last year; of 150l. towards building a church on Beaconbill, parish of Walcot, Bath; of 50l., in addition to a former grant of 801., towards building a chapel at Downside, in the parish of Midsomer Norton; and of 170l. towards rebuilding the parish church of Paulton. An application was also presented for aid towards building a church for the hamlets of Coxley and Polsham, in the parish of St. Cuthbert, Wells, which will be again taken into consideration at the next quarterly meeting. The sum of 100l., part of a grant towards rebuilding the parish church at Stoke-lane, was ordered to be paid, and an order for payment of the grant of 100, voted towards building the new church in the parish of Weston, near Bath, was also given. The Association was formed on the 11th of August, 1836, and has already contributed towards providing in the diocese 6,417 additional sittings, of which 4,658 are to be free and unappropriated for ever. Of this increase, the number for which grants were voted on Tuesday was 2,029, of which 1,428 are to be free. We cannot conclude this notice of the proceedings, without expressing our sense of the great good which the Association is both originating and accomplishing, and our hope that ample means will be placed in the hands of the Committee to enable them, under God's blessing, to carry on their beneficial labours with continued success. Bristol Mirror. The Committee of the Bath Association for promoting the due observance of the Lord's day, have issued a circular, which, from its tone, temper, and manner, seems well calculated to forward the pious object of the Association. The specific instances of Sabbath desecration which the Committee point out are, Saturday-evening parties; the giving of large Sunday dinners; Sunday evening conversaziones; the resorting to reading-rooms on Sundays for the perusal of newspapers; the impro 2 G 46 priety of "persons professing godliness in any way countenancing newspapers especially intended for circulation on the Lord's day;" Sunday travelling; the opening of the various departments of the Post-office, for the purpose of receiving and delivering letters, not unfrequently at the very moment when the family are setting out for the house of prayer;" and the employment," for the most part perfectly needless, of chairs and carriages for conveyance to the house of God." These are described as the instances in which many of the middle and higher ranks of the community evince a disregard of the sanctity of the Sabbath; and to the influence of this defection the Committee ascribe much of the violation of the Lord'sday which is practised, in various ways, by the lower classes.-Bath Gazette. THE RECTORY OF BATH.-In addition to Mr. East, the officiating clergyman of St. Michael's, we have heard of two other candidates for this preferment, Mr. Brock and Mr. Wilberforce. Each of these gentlemen has a large party of adherents, and it has been suggested as desirable that the living should be divided into three; the duties are more than sufficient to justify such a division; but an Act of Parliament would be requisite for the purpose. -Wilts Standard. The Lord Bishop of Bath and Wells has, under his seal, dated the 27th day of December, 1837, sequestered the Rectory of Bath and Widcombe, annexed, vacant by the death of the Rev. C. Crook, the late incumbent, and has appointed the Rev. William Marshall, Mr. J. Stokes, and Mr. James Boon, the sequestrators to the said Rectory during the vacancy. STAFFORDSHIRE. SIR R. PEEL'S SCHOOL AT TAMWORTH. On Monday last the new school, built at the expense of Sir R. Peel, at Tamworth, was opened. It is built in a chaste Gothic style of architecture. The scholars, to the number of sixty, proceeded in order with their master from the old school to the new one, when they were addressed by the right hon. baronet in a neat appropriate speech; and three of the best scholars received from his band that which he declared to be the best gift they could receive a Bible. After prayer had been offered by the reverend vicar, the children were regaled with roast beef and plumpudding. We were glad to see the right hon. baronet restored to health, taking part with such evident feeling in the opening of the school, which owes its erection and support solely to his bounty, and is one of the many strong proofs given of the interest he takes in the real welfare of the town and neighbourhood.-Staffordshire Advertiser. SURREY. A meeting of the clergy and inhabitants of the parish of Egham took place at the vestry-room, on the 15th ult., for the purpose of agreeing upon an address of thanks to her Majesty the Queen for the liberal grant of 200l. towards building a new chapel in that parish, the manor and a great portion of the land whereof appertains to the crown.-Surrey Standard. SUSSEX. A CHURCH-BUILDING ASSOCIATION. meeting of great interest and importance was held at the school-room in Brighton, on Friday, Jan. 12, for the purpose of forming an association to raise funds for increasing church accommodation, and for assisting the clergy in laborious or illendowed cures within the diocese of Chichester. His Grace the Duke of Richmond, the lord lieutenant of the county, was in the chair. The resolutions and votes of thanks were moved and seconded by the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of the diocese, the Earl of Chichester, the Very Rev. the Dean of Chichester, Lord Gage, Lord George Seymour, Scrace Dickins, Esq., Wm. Seymour, Esq., T. J. Bellamy, Esq., Col. Wyndham, Sir A. Dalrymple. The Bishop of Chichester made a very striking statement of the disproportion between the appropriated and the free sittings in many of the chief towns in the diocese, shewing that the poor are for the most part excluded from the churches; and that in a population which has increased, as stated in his lordship's address to the clergy and laity of the diocese, between the years 1801 and 1851 eighty per The following are some of the cent. cases: Chichester-Until a year and a half ago there were 2,966 sittings for a population of 7,996; only 1,262 were free. Two churches have no free sittings at all. The new church, St. Paul's, has contributed 1,022 sittings, of which 572 are free. This is the most favourable case in the diocese. Lewes Population 9,297; free seats, including sittings for school children, 732. His lordship also stated, that the Incorporated Society for building Churches had granted from time to time, to the diocese of Chichester, the amount of 6,442., by which 11,406 sittings have been obtained, 8,665 being free. The office of patron was accepted by the Duke of Richmond, and that of president by the Lord Bishop of Chichester. Communications may be made to the Rev. H. E. Manning, Lavington, Petworth. To the account for church accommodation, donations, 1,285l. ; annual subscriptions, 641. To the account of additional curates fund,-donations, 651.; annual subscriptions, 2241. The most entire and heartfelt concurrence in the great objects of the meeting was expressed by all the speakers, who, with the exception of the Lord Bishop of the diocese and the Dean of Chichester, were noblemen and gentlemen of the county. Letters and expressions of approbation, with donations and subscriptions, were communicated to the meeting from Lord De La Warr, Lord Burlington, Lord Colchester, Mr. Cavendish, Dr. Wordsworth, and others. Colonel Wyndham gave 300l. to the church-building fund. The Duke of Richmond, the Bishop of Chichester, and Miss Woods, 100l. to each. Lord Chichester, and Mr. W. Borrer, 100l. to the churchbuilding fund, besides annual subscrip tions. WILTSHIRE. were At the recent quarterly meeting of the general committee for transacting the business of the Salisbury Church-building Association, the following grants made-For the church of Broadway, in the archdeaconry of Dorset, 301.; for Charminster church, in the same archdeaconry, 801.; and the grant of 2004., already made, for the enlargement of accommodation in the church of Gillingham, was increased to 2651. This association has already within one year been the means of increasing church accommodation in thirteen parishes in the diocese.-Salisbury Herald. A petition to Parliament from the clergy of the archdeaconry of Sarum, against the projected annexation of the see of Sodor and Man to that of Carlisle, has received the signatures of the respective clergy within the present week. It will be entrusted to the Lord Bishop of the diocese for presentation to the House of Lords.Ibid. YORKSHIRE. SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. -For some months past, it has been the intention of the committee of management to make some efforts to carry this society into more complete operation, so that its benefits may be extended to the dense population of the parish and neighbourhood. With this object a sub-committee was appointed at their meeting on the 6th of July, to divide the town into districts, which sub-committee, in two meetings which followed, namely, August 10th, and September 7th, divided the town into twelve districts, and prepared a plan for branches of the society being established in each district. The friends of the society will be glad to know what are the objects in view, we therefore add them : The Leeds Sub-district Committee of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, Chairman The Clergyman. Two visitors to every 1,000 inhabitants. The visitors to be selected by the chairman, and submitted to the committee in Commercial-street for their approbation. A depository to be established in each district, where specimens of the bibles, testaments, prayer-books, and publica tions of the society, be kept, and where various boards, on which are the church hibited. catechism, hymns, prayers, &c., be ex That notices be placed in the window, directing the attention of the public to the name, nature, and design of the society. That the office of the visitors be to call upon individuals of all classes in their district 1. For the purpose of ascertaining who are in want of the bible or the prayerbook, and of endeavouring to get them supplied with the same through the medium of this society. 2. Of directing attention to the pub. lications of the society, and of inducing people to become purchasers and readers of such works as may profit them. And it is proposed eventually to establish loan libraries in every district. 3. Of soliciting subscriptions and donations for the parent society, and for local purposes, especially from among those (whose circumstances admit of it, or might admit of it,) who are in the humbler ranks of life, thereby interesting them in the society, and through it attaching them to the church. This, it is hoped, may prove a strong bond of union. That once a month the chairman assemble the visitors to ascertain the progress made, and to give them an account of the proceedings of our missionaries, and to encourage them in their work and labour of love. That every meeting be opened and EVENTS OF THE MONTH. closed with the prayers appointed by the That once a quarter the chairman meet In pursuance of the above resolutions, the first branch was formed on Thursday evening, in St. Mary's Bank School, which was crowded to excess by a most attentive audience. The Rev. W. F. Hook, D.D., Vicar, presided, and commenced the business of the evening by reading the prayer of the society. After some preliminary remarks, the rev. gentleman proceeded to say, that it was heart-rending to see how many persons there were in that neighbourhood who were living in a state of drunkenness and vice of every description. If those around him loved God and their fellowcreatures, they would be desirous of promoting the interests of their moral state by pointing out the way of salvation, and thus promoting the glory of God. He and his friends had come there as Christians to co-operate with the clergyman of the district, and they would be glad if they could assist them by their contributions, and those who had neither silver nor gold could assist them by their prayers. Their object was to establish a branch of the Christian Knowledge Society, for the distribution of the Bible amongst those for whose welfare they felt the deepest interest; to circulate the Book of Common Prayer, so that when they went to church they might be able to join more devoutly in its beautiful service. They had come also to distribute tracts, which had been found so useful in teaching men to worship God and live in concord with each other. While they were desirous of promoting these things, they wished it to be understood that they came there as members of the church of England, anxious to carry out the great principles of the church. They had also come under the sanction of the bishop, for forming a branch society, which had been founded by the clergy of the church. to them as Christians, and asked them to He appealed act up to the principles of the church, and further the objects of that most excellent institution. His wish was to point out the right path in which they, as members of the church, ought to walk. He had stated the object of their meeting; his friends would give them the details, which he trusted would meet their cordial approbation and support, so that the glory of God might be promoted in this great The Society was then addressed by the He therefore was sure this class of society called for the assist- The VICAR having left the chair, it The Rev. EDWARD COOKSON then proposed, "That the thanks of the meeting be given to the Vicar for his kindness in taking the chair." He (Mr. Cookson) was not the least proper person to represent the feelings of the inhabitants of that district, for he had been amongst them for the last six years, and felt fully persuaded they were sensible of the obligations they were under to the Vicar; and was sure they could not give him a better proof of it than by doing as he wished. Mr. W. D. SKELTON seconded the EARL FITZWILLIAM'S LIBERALITY TO THE a subscription of 5001. towards the erection of a church at Thorpe ; a liberal sum for a new church at Kimberworth; 5001. in aid of the rebuilding of Rawmarsh church; and the entire cost of enlarging the churches of Tinsley, Wentworth, and Tankersley, for the accommodation of the His poor in their respective parishes. lordship and his reverend and venerable father have also expended many thousands of pounds in the erection of the churches of Swinton, Hoyland, and Greasborough. -Doncaster Gazette. Friday's Gazette contains an order in council, by which her Majesty is pleased to ratify a scheme proposed by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England, for the purchase (with a view to to the erection thereon of a suitable residence for the Bishop of Ripon) of certain lands, called Bramley Grange Farm, situated in the township of North Stainley, in the West Riding, Yorkshire, now held by Elizabeth Sophia Lawrence, spinster, on a lease of lives, under the archbishop of York. On Monday, January 8th, the new church at Dacre, near Pateley Bridge, in the parish of Ripon, was consecrated by the Lord Bishop of Ripon. The sites for the church and parsonage were given by Sir W. A. Ingilby, Bart., Ripley Castle, lord of the manor of Dacre. The church is in the patronage of the dean and chapter of Ripon. A large and respectable congregation attended the opening, many of whom will be regular attendants at this place of worship.-Leeds Intelligencer. A petition is in course of signature from the bair-dressers of Wakefield, to T. Tootal, Esq., the constable, entreating him to put a stop to the practice of keeping open shops on Sunday mornings. Twentytwo signatures have been obtained out of twenty-eight practitioners in the town.Ibid. A petition is in the course of signature from the clergy of York and its vicinity, for the repeal of those clauses in the new register act, which imposes a fine or imprisonment for" one month in the common jail or house of correction," on those who may omit to inform the registrar within seven days of any funeral they may have performed without a certificate from the registrar; the inconvenience of complying with this part of the Act being universally and severely felt, particularly by those clergymen who reside at a distance from the registrar. The petition has already been, as might be expected, very numerously signed.—Ibid. WALES. Higford Burr, Esq.,the new conservative member for Hereford, has given 2001. to the fund for enlarging the parish church of Chepstow. IRELAND. The Irish clergy are about meeting to petition parliament with respect to a great grievance the church labours under, owing to the operation of the 36th section of the act of 1833, diminishing the number of bishops, for the professed object of applying their revenues to the increase of small livings, the advancement of religion, building and repairing churches, &c. Six prelates and other dignitaries died since 1833. But the 36th section nullifies the proposed objects of the act, defeats its expressed intentions, and renders its provisions for the increase of small livings nugatory, so that, situated as the Board of Irish Ecclesiastical Commissioners, in whom a certain portion of the property is vested, now is, they are in danger of altogether losing the property, or of rendering it unavailable to any beneficial ecclesiastical object whatever, while the anomalous principle professed, of abstracting resources from one district, requiring all its own resources to be expended at hometo one as distant as utterly unconnected with it-produces only added hostility to the church property, owing to the unjust application of its revenues, and the departure from the principle set forth in the preamble of the act, and the declaratory enactment of the 124th section of it. The clergy are resolved on bringing the matter before parliament, as the principle of such an application as I have described is one that intimately involves the successful operations of the protestant church in the rural districts of Ireland, more especially in baronies where such a church has been for centuries unknown. Dublin Correspondent of the Herald. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners have granted between 4001. and 5001. for building a new church at Cloupriest, diocese of Cloyne; they have also granted a sum of money for building a church at Inchinabage, same diocese. Christian Eraminer. A Christian lady, residing for a time in the neighbourhood of Bray, has been so impressed with the need of more church accommodation, and more clerical help, for the increasing population of that town and its vicinity, that she has, with Christian generosity, given 1,500l. for building a chapel-of-ease.-Ibid. |