SCOTLAND. EXTENT, &c.-280 miles long, and of a variable breadth, from 50 to 150 miles. It is divided into 33 Counties, 877 Parishes, and has 2,093,456 Inhabitants. ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION.--The Church of Scotland is Presbyterian, and its government is vested in Kirk-Sessions, Presbyteries, Provincial Synods, and a General Assembly. The Kirk-Session is constituted by the ministers and elders of each parish, Presbyteries of ministers and elders of several parishes, the Provincial Synods of adjacent Presbyteries, and the General Assembly of a Deputation from the Synods. There are 78 Presbyteries, and 15 Provincial Synods. The General Assembly, whose decisions are final, meets in May, having His Majesty's Lord High Commissioner to preside, a Moderator, Procurator, and Clerks. ENDOWED PUBLIC CHARITIES.-From land, £44,750. 19s. 9d. From dividends, £8,326. 4s. 2d. Total, £53,077. 3s. 11d. SCHOOLS.-Parochial education extensively prevails, but in some districts schools are much needed. Sabbath Schools, 1,575; scholars, 78,409. DENOMINATIONS, &c.-There are several bodies of Presbyterian Dissenters; the Reformed Presbyterian Synod, which includes 9 Presbyteries; the United Associate Synod of the Session Church, 18 Presbyteries. The Associate Synod, 3 Presbyteries. Original Burgher Associate Synod, 4 Presbyteries. The Constitutional Presbytery, or Original Antiburghers. The Relief Synod, 7 Presbyteries. The Scotch Episcopal Communion is governed by 6 Bishops, 74 Inferior Clergy, 100 Congregations, 60,000 Members. Wesleyan Methodists have 21 circuits, 214 chapels, 46 travelling preachers, 286 local preachers, 2, 829 members, or as one to every 740 in the kingdom. Roman Catholics have 1 chapel at Glasgow. Unitarian congregations 5. Baptists no return. Independents, 73. BIBLE SOCIETY AUXILIARIES contributed last year, £382. 5s. 6d. MISSIONS, Contributed to the Scottish Mission, no return. Church, £349. 28. London, £739. 11s. 2d. Baptist, £1,710. 17s. 8d. Wesleyan, £438. 3s. 8d. Home, £16. 10s) Unitarian, £24. 6s. 10d. COLLEGIATE INSTITUTIONS, &c.-Scotland has four Universities, St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh, which are open to all, irrespective of religious opinion. The several bodies of seceders have only Professors of theology for their students, as they obtain their literary education in the Universities. The Congregational body have an academical institution of this kind at Glasgow, under the tuition of the Rev. R. Wardlaw, D. D., and Rev. G. Ewing, M. A. ASSOCIATIONS, &c.-Friendly Society of Dissenting Ministers, &c. The Congregational Union of Scotland associates all the Independent Ministers and Churches in the kingdom, for the purposes of fraternal intercourse and Home Missionary labour. IRELAND. EXTENT, &c.-The greatest length of this island is 235 miles, and its greatest breadth 182 miles. The inhabitants exceed 6,846,949 souls. ECCLESIASTICAL JURISDICTION, &c.-The Church of Ireland has 4 Archbishops, and 18 Bishops, who have not one million of professed adherents to the National Establishment. The HIBERNIAN BIBLE SOCIETY has 52 Anxiliaries, 18 Branches, 21 Associations. SCHOOLS.--Education is rapidly advancing in Ireland. The Sunday School Society has under its care 1,945 schools, 14,404 gratuitous teachers, 163,048 scholars, that is, in the proportion of 1 to 42 of the Irish population. The London Hibernian Society snpports 977 schools, 63,121 Scholars. The Charter Schonls support 1,883 scholars, 900 of whom are said to exceed the age of 21! The Kildare Street School, no return. P. 559, col. 2, line 4 from bottom, for " uselessness," read "usefulness." for "chronicles," read "chroniclers." for "transmitted," read " transmutee." |