the Society, as to the lamentable want of church room in several parts of the diocese. In the county of Stafford alone, nearly thirty new churches or chapels were reported as wanting to meet the increasing demands of the population, in addition to nearly as many other cases where increase of accommodation is needed in existing places of worship. From the county of Derby, likewise, many very painful cases of destitution were returned. The following are a few of them : 1. CHURCH GRESLEY-Population, 2,545; church-accommodation, 240; free sittings, 58.—836 of the parishioners are between four and five miles from the parish church. 2. CODNOR-In the parish of Heanor, contains 400 inhabitants at a greater distance than two miles from the parish church, and has no churchaccommodation whatever. 3. DENBY-Population, 1,275; church-accommodation, 230; and not a single free sitting in the church. 4. HEANOR-Population, 6,000; church-accommodation, 600; and not a single free sitting in the church. 5. HORSELEY-Population, 2,000; church-accommodation, 300; but without any free sittings. 6. ILKESTONE-Population, 4,500; the church will hold only 500, and has not a single free sitting. 7. ST. PETER'S, DERBY-Population, 7,000; the church-accommodation only 750, including 140 free sittings. Several instances, likewise, were mentioned in the same archdeaconry, as also in that of Stafford, where masses of people, varying in number from 400 to 1,400, live upwards of two miles from their respective parish churches, without any accessible means of grace in connexion with the established church. In this very town in which we are met (Birmingham), after all that has been done, there is, in the churches of the establishment, barely accommodation for one-seventh of the inhabitants, even if we should reckon the population as stationary since the year 1831; and there can be no doubt that it has rapidly increased since that period. In the adjoining parish of Aston, the disproportion between the number of inhabitants and number of sittings in churches is still more mournful, especially in the densely peopled suburb of Ashted and Gosta Green. In an early stage of the proceedings of the committee, a communication was received from a highly respectable body of clergymen resident in and near Coventry, objecting to that part of the Society's constitution which relates to the building of churches and chapels under the provisions of 1 & 2 Wm. IV. -an act designed, as you will remember, to give, under certain specified conditions, the patronage of new churches to the persons at whose expense they are built. The memorialists were desirous of restricting the Society's grants, in cases falling within the statute, to churches built either with the express consent of the incumbents, or with the intention of having a district assigned to them. With this limitation they expressed their cordial desire to co-operate with your committee in carrying the Society's designs into effect. And your committee unanimously resolved to meet, so far as their powers extended, the wishes of so influential a body, by recommending to the first general meeting of subscribers, a modification of the second fundamental law, accordant with their views. And should this recommendation be sanctioned by your suffrages this day, the committee would gladly hope that the Society's cause will be espoused in the southern division of this archdeaconry with an alacrity and zeal which may compensate for the loss of its services hitherto. In confirmation of this hope, they are happy to add, that advice has just been received of a sum of 4411. 5s. Id. remitted within these few days. The following grants have been voted, subject to the performance of certain conditions required by the regulations of the committee : 1. In aid of building new churches or chapels 2. Towards the enlargement, or rebuilding with enlargement, of existing 250 ... 250 ... 520 0 0 £5,633 193 566 870 378 0 0 0 1,000 0 0 3. Towards the purchase of buildings suited for divine worshipCroxton, in Eccleshall ... Total...10,045 6,715 £25,191 12 2 It appears from this statement, that, at the very moderate outlay of 5,6337., your Society has already been instrumental in promoting the erection of twelve new churches, the enlargement of fifteen old ones, and the purchase of one building suitable for a chapel of ease; by means of which an addition of 10,045 sittings (more than two-thirds free) will be gained to the diocese. The increase of accommodation thus obtained may be considered as adequate to the wants of more than 30,000 of the population. The total estimated expense of these 10,045 additional sittings is 25,1917. 12s. 2d., giving somewhat more than 21. 10s. as the cost of each sitting. At the same time, they beg it may be understood, that they have not been inattentive either to stability of structure, or to ecclesiastical propriety of style, in the buildings aided by their grants. Though it forms no part of your Society's object to grant endowments out of its funds, yet the facilities which it has afforded towards the building of churches have called forth a corresponding liberality for endowing them when built. Some instances of this kind they think it right thus publicly to record : Hulland and Biggin { £20 per annum by T. Borough, Esq. 45 per annum by Miss Hinckes, of Tettenhall. Ash, in Whitchurch Mere Green, in Sutton Coldfield Smethwick Croxton, in Eccleshall Draycot, in Hanbury £500 already subscribed towards an endow ment. 40 per annum by the rector, the Rev. W. R. Bedford, and four acres of land adjoining the chapel. 50 per annum by the vicar of Harborne, the Rev. Chancellor Law. 45 per nnum by the bishop to the vicar, 30 per annum by the bishop as patron. Your committee gladly indulge the hope, that the example set in these and similar instances will be followed in many others; and they would respectfully, but urgently, appeal to the impropriators of tithes, both lay and clerical, and to wealthy individuals, whether connected with the agricultural or commercial districts of the country, and ask, whether they can, in any way more satisfactorily to themselves, more beneficially to the community, more advantageously to the church of which they are members, and to the all-important interests of the religion which they profess, expend a portion of the wealth which God has given them, than in providing for the spiritual wants of their destitute neighbours and countrymen? A RETURN OF THE NUMBER OF CHURCHES ENDOWED, AND LIVINGS AUGMENTED, IN THE DIOCESE OF DURHAM, BY THE LATE WILLIAM VAN MILDERT, D.D., LATE BISHOP OF DURHAM, DURING THE PERIOD OF HIS EPISCOPACY. THE Vicarage of Stockton, George Newby, M.A., deed of grant and annexation of six several parcels of land, situate in the parish of Stockton-on-Tees, containing 17a. 1r. 21p.; 12th Sept., 1834. Perpetual curacy of St. John's, Sunderland, Robert Gray, M.A., deed of grant and annexation of several parcels of land, situate in the parish or township of Stockton-on-Tees, containing 60a. 3r. 28p.; 12th Sept., 1834. Rectory of Sunderland, Robert Gray, M.A., deed of grant and annexation of several parcels of land, situate in the parish or township of Stockton-onTees, containing 13a. 3r. 12p.; 12th Sept., 1834. Perpetual curacy of Esh, J. Thompson, jun., deed of grant and annexation of several parcels of land, situate in the township of Byersgreen, in the parish of St. Andrew, Auckland, containing 32a. 2p.; 13th Sept. 1834. Perpetual curacy of Satley, J. Thompson, jun., deed of grant and annexation of several parcels of land, situate in the township of Crossgate and Framwellgate, Durham, containing 41a. 3r. 23p. 13th Sept. 1834. Perpetual curacy of St. Helen's, Auckland, Matthew Chester, deed of granted and annexation of several parcels of land, situate in the township of Bondgate in Auckland, containing 30a. 2r. 12p.; 13th Sept., 1834. Perpetual curacy of Etherley, George Watson, deed of grant and annexation of several parcels of land, within the township or manor of Bondgate in Auckland, or in the township or parochial chapelry of Escomb, in the parish 15 of St. Andrew, Auckland, or the district or chapelry of Etherly, or some or o one of them, containing 55a. 3r. 12p.; 13th Sept., 1834. Perpetual curacy of Medomsley, Robert Clark, deed of grant of an augmenta-a tion of the annual sum of 100l., part of an annual rent of 1177. 15s. 8d., payable to the bishop by the Right Hon. Thomas Henry Lord Ravensworth, for a lease of the manor or lordship, town and borough of Whickham, with the appurtenances; 12th Sept., 1834. Rectory of Gateshead Fell, William Hawks, deed of grant of an augmentation The late Lord Bishop of Durham promised to augment the perpetual curacy of Escomb, and allowed Mr. Thompson, the incumbent thereof, an annual sum until the augmentation could be effected, which, unfortunately, did not take place, on account of his lordship's death. The late Lord Bishop of Durham likewise promised to endow the perpetual curacy of Shildon, and allowed Mr. Manisty, the incumbent thereof, an annual sum until the endowment could be effected, which was not done, for the same reason. The late Lord Bishop also granted and conveyed five acres of ground at Stockton, and upon which a new church hath been built and consecrated, and his lordship promised to endow it out of the demesne lands at Stockton belonging to the see of Durham, but which has not been done, for the same reason. CHURCH MATTERS. THE TITHE BILL. THIS Bill has appeared in several separate shapes since September 1st. Mr. Christopher Hodgson, a gentleman whose former works for the use of the clergy have been so eminently serviceable to them, has printed it, with directions for effecting voluntary commutations, which cannot fail to be most useful to those who resolve on taking that step. Mr. White, the solicitor to the Bill, has published it, with some sensible notes and useful tables, some of which are extracted elsewhere. The commissioners have issued some forms of notices, &c., for the meetings necessary for effecting voluntary commutations; and it need hardly be said that persons who venture on these operations, must be most careful in attending, in the most exact manner, to every form. Mr. Hodgson's prefatory directions will be a most excellent guide to them. Whether clergy will do wisely in being the first movers in such an attempt is another question. It would not, of course, be advisable to decline meeting the wishes of the parish, if those wishes should be expressed in favour of the attempt; and the clergy would, at all events, if the terms offered should turn out to be unreasonable, then have a better case to lay before the commissioners, when the time for compulsory commutation came. Surely the having justice and reason on their side will avail them in that quarter, and, at least, save them from diminution of their incomes, if it does not procure them the increase which equity might demand. 1 The reason for doubting the advisability of the clergyman offering -or, at all events, for his offering at present-to effect a voluntary commutation is, that without very mature consideration, and weighing all parts of the Bill, and its bearings in all ways, it is quite impossible to tell how the landowners' calculations, with respect to the compulsory commutation, may influence them in the terms to which they will submit in a voluntary one. It is not agreeable to make harsh remarks of bodies of men, but it is necessary plainly to say, that, if the clergy expect, because the Bill robs and plunders them enormously, that the landowners will be content with the spoil thus obtained, and are likely therefore to deal liberally on the basis of the Bill, they will, in too many instances, have reason to deplore their error. The Devonshire and Cornwall tithes are the least in the kingdom, and the clamour against tithes in Devonshire was the greatest. It is therefore no libel on the Devonshire landed interest to say that they will act on their own words, and, low as their tithes are, will endeavour to get them lowered by the commissioners. There is no reason to suppose, in theory, that the Devonshire landed interest is worse than it is in any other county. Individuals everywhere act, and will act, in the spirit of generous and gentlemanlike liberality. Too many, however, will, like a great conservative county member, fully resolve to look on the commutation as a matter of business, and get every farthing they can. How, then, can the clergyman be safe in coming to voluntary commutation, till he knows in what way these gentlemen will think they can make the most farthings? Of course, they are aware that the compulsory commutation will expose them, as well as the clergyman, to a certain expense, very often not a small one, and this may propel them a little forward in the direction of equity. Then again they may be driven a little in the same direction, by the fact that the commissioners MAY increase their tithe. But the commissioners MAY lower it, and how far will that take them back in the opposite direction towards open injustice? Of course, they will speculate a good deal on the regulations which are to be drawn up by the commissioners against May 1st, 1838. The tendency of things in the House of Commons latterly, in all matters of business, (from a sense of the total incompetency of 658 persons to come to any sound conclusions, or very often any conclusions at all, except on party subjects,) has been to leave everything to discretion, and, no doubt, the difference of circumstances in tithe cases is such that a very plausible case can be easily made out for the regulations being so vague and general that all shall depend on the discretion of the commissioners in each case. Parliament, therefore, would, in all probability, sanction a very vague set of regulations. Now it would appear from the bill that the course in compulsory commutations would be an actual valuation, when the average money payment of the last seven years, or the sum named by the commissioners, where the tithes have been taken in kind, was not satisfactory to either party; and common equity would seem to demand this, at least, that one regulation should be, that, if the valuation made the real tithes appear to be greater than the average of the last seven VOL. X.-Oct. 1836. 3 s |