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This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copy order if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of the copyright law. AUTHOR: SCOTTISH CENTRAL BOARD FOR... TITLE: STATEMENT RELATIVE TO CHURCH... PLACE: EDINBURGH DATE: 1835 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES PRESERVATION DEPARTMENT DIDLIOGRAPHIC MICROFORM TARGET Master Negative # Original Material as Filmed - Existing Bibliographic Record .^"""^ rf* a2iLA. accom Edm. aica + nn(^ 4he ri^hls ofdissenl^ (^hts OtdisseYiters rmo actions ,iT\ bcolland... ' 0. lip. I No.l'iofs^UV.of pampi h I ^\ s. Restrictions on Use; \ FILM SIZE: t;^^^ TECHNICAL MICROFORM DATA REDUCTION RATIO: /Z/K IMA^E PLACEMENT: lA (IIA' IB IID DATE FILMED: WMlZ>_ INITIALS ?^ HLMEDBY: RESEARCH PUBLICATIONS. INC WOODBRIDGH. CT c Association for Information and Image Management 1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1100 Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 301/587-8202 Centimeter 12 3 4 5 lllllllllllillllllllll 1111 iiiiiiinminiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiMiiiiiiii Inches TTT 1 T 6 iiiliiii 8 liiiiliiiiliiiiliiiil 1.0 I.I 1.25 10 11 12 13 lllllllllllillllllllll 14 15 mm iiiiiiii nil nil iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii nil iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii lllllllllllillllllllll TTT 2,5 I2£ 3.2 2,2 ■ 63 *■ 13.6 m Ibhi 2.0 ^ u bUb 1.8 1.4 1.6 TTT T ^ MflNUFflCTURED TO OHM STflNDRRDS BY fiPPLIED IMfiGE, INC. V M' ^. V' 1/ \/ ij~ J^c^TT^ e Ko, 10. STATEMENT RELATIVE TO CHURCH ACCOMMODATION 5n ScotUnti ; IN ANSWER TO THE REPRESENTATIONS IN THE CIRCULAR OF THE MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, *c. li BY THE SCOTTISH CENTRAL BOARD FOR VINDICATING THE RIGHTS OF DISSENTERS. EDINBURGH : JOHN WARDLAW, WEST REGISTER STREET. MDCCCXXXV. I < R^-^r ■ .l^'-^.^ .-^-t^i'ii^'.i-SteiS'. I STATExMENT. &g. ^1 The Scottish Central Board was instituted at a meeting of Gentlemen from the principal towns and districts in the coun- try, assembled in Edinburgh on the 17th December last, "in order to vindicate and secure the civil and religious rights of Dissenters ;" and, viewing the applications now making to Par- liament, for a grant from the public money, towards Erecting and Endowing new Churches, in connexion with the Establish- ment, as an infringement of these rights, and as calculated to in- crease the grievances under which Dissenters labour, the Board has felt itself called upon to draw up and publish the following Statement, which it respectfully submits to the consideration of the public. Duncan McLaren, Chairman. James Peddie, junr. Secreiarj/. Edinburgh, 2Uh March 1835. Ahdrew Jack & Co. Printers. I- T is pretty generally known, that a strong effort is making at present, by the High Church party, to obtain a large grant from the public funds, to be employed in the erection and endow- ment of new churches in connection with the Established Church of Scotland, and in the endowing of those churches, lately called Chapels of Ease, which have hitherto been supported by pri- vate endowment, or on the Voluntary principle. From the re- ference made to the subject in the King's speech at the opening of Parliament, there is cause to apprehend, that the present govern- ment have been induced to lend a favourable ear to the applica- tion. Accordingly, the zeal of the party has been quickened, and petitions, it is understood, have been prepared in many par-« ishes in support of the grant, which have been carried about from door to door in quest of subscriptions ; and these have, in too many instances, it is feared, been attached to them, without the parties being aware of their object, and certainly in total igno- rance of the real merits of the case. These petitions have had their origin in a circulat letter, by the Moderator of the General Assembly, the Convener of the Committee on Church Accommodation, and Convener of the Com- mittee on Endowments, addressed to the different parishes, urg- ently calling for such demonstrations from the friends of the church. This circular, besides containing general allegations of a great deficiency of church accommodation throughout the country, refers to particular parishes and districts as specimens ; and has appended to it tables, to shew the great " destitution" prevailing in these places. The tables, however, are framed on the most de- ceptive and untenable principles. They omit entirely the whole accommodation provided by Dissenters, and conceal many other circumstances of importance ; and if they are believed to contain a fair representation of the want of church accommodation, it is no wonder that the originators of the scheme should have been successful in obtaining signatures to their petitions. ,i The principle on which the petitions are grounded, seems 'to be the supposed duty of the government to provide church accom- modation connected with the Establishment, sufficient for the whole population, without, regard to their religious sentiments, or f \\ \ I # the demand existing for it ; and the effect of its application, either in England or Scotland, would be, not only to augment the hard- ships felt and complained of by Dissenters, and insult their reli- gious feelings, but besides, very considerably to increase the pub- lic burdens. If this principle were acted upon, it is difficult to say how many additional churches would be required throughout the kingdom. In Scotland alone, 800 at least, would, on a moderate calculation, be necessary, there being that number of dissenting churches ; and if each of them were to cost the country half as much as each of the 208 churches built or repaired by the church commissioners in England, within the last fourteen years (on which L.I,500,000 have been expended), a parliamentary grant of nearly of L.3,000,000 would be required for the purpose. Allowing an endowment of L.200 a-year to each of the ministers to be ap- pointed, an additional annual grant of L.160,000 would be nece»^ sary ; equal, at 4 per cent., to a capital of L.4,000,000, — making in whole nearly seven millions. The Board of Scottish Dissenters have therefore considered it their duty to make some investigation into the alleged instances of want of accommodation, brought forward in illustration of the general allegations on the subject, and beg to submit the follow- ing Statement to the consideration of both Churchmen and Dis- senters, as the result of their enquiries. ' '■* - . , -i. In the Circular, two diff*erent tables are given ; the first of which is entitled, " A few specimens of the state of Church Accommoda" tion, in and about Edinburgh." It is as follows : Population. Water of Leith and Dean village ; two adjacent localities, without the royalty A Plebeian District in the Parish of South Leith .... In the Tolbooth parish of Edinburgh, proper ..... A District in the Grassmarket A larger Sectfoh of IRe same 1287 480 3256 417 1348 Seat« taken in all places of worship, of all denominationi 150 Proportion of Seat- holderii tu the p«o. pie. Less than 1 in 8 An Eastern and better part of the Cowgate 420 A Westerly and worse part of ditto . 865 A nother District of the Cowgate . 624 A fourth District of dittc . . 473 A District of the New > orth Parish 620 A District of the Canongate . . 290 A District of Leith Wynd Parish . 134 Total 10,214 52 450 19 89- 74 96 68 76 40 30 10 1154 Less than 1 in 9 Less than 1 1 Less than 1 Less than I 1 Less than 1 Less than 1 Less than 1 Less than 1 Less than 1 n 7 n22 n 13 n 5 n9 n 9 n6 n 15 n 9 n 13 I to between 8 or 9 On this table the following remarks occur : Isl, It has no relation to the question. Supposing its statements toi^e accurate^ (which, in consequence of the districts not being dis- tinctiy pointed out, we have no means of ascertaining,) it merely shews the number of seats taken by persons residing in the districts referred to ; and instead of being called **a statement of Church Seats required for two.thirdi of examinable persons. Seats takea Deficiency 4728. 1154. 3574. Accommodation :" it ought to have been entitled, ** a statement of Church Attendance" These two subjects, it is evident, are totally distinct. The attendance on public worship may be very small, even where ample accommodation for the worshippers is provided ; and no inference can legitimately be drawn that there is a deficiency of the latter, from the circumstance, that a very small number of the population are found to have seats taken. If such an inference were correct, immediately on its being found that in some parishes of Ireland only 10 or 20 attended the parish churches, forthwith others ought to be erected as a cure for the evil. 2dli/, It takes the whole population, man, woman, and child, healthy and infirm, and contrasts the seats taken with the gross number. In this way the proportion who have no sittings is more than doubled. The result of the table, it will be seen, is, that those who have sittings are less than one in eight and a half, whereas had the seats taken been contrasted with that part of the popula- tion who might be expected to have sittings, (viz. two-thirds of the examinable persons,) the results would have stood thus : Population. 10,214. Thus, in place of a deficiency of eighth-ninths, as stated in the table, there is only a deficiency, in the extreme cases selected for the purpose, supposing them to be correctly given, o£ three fourths. Sd. The tables only profess to shew the seats taken ; but it is well known, that many are in the habit of regularly attending church who have no seats taken. This is especially the case in Dissenting churches, in some of which it is not the practice to let sittings ; and in others, considerable free accommodation is set apart. Besides, although only one seat be taken, two or three of a family may attend the church more or less regularly, and all be church members. It will thus be seen, that of the want of church accommodation, for establishing which it is brought forward, this table can afford no evidence, and that it is only calculated, if not intended, to mis- lead. It may shew, when its accuracy is vouched, a great extent of what has been called "practical heathenism," and a great short- coming on the part of the Established clergy, in the discharge of that department of diity, for which it is contended an Establish- ment should principally be maintained ; and it may serve as an ar- gument for the more active co-operation of christians of all deno- minations, in the support of home missions ; but it leaves the ques- tion, whether there is any deficiency of church accommodation, as un- determined as ever. Notwithstanding this, it is most unfairly ad- duced to create a belief, that the want Qf a habit of church-going, arises from a want of accommodation ; and it is broadly stated^ that returns of the same kind, expected from other parts of the country, will shew '* an equal destitution in many of our large towns, and over-peopled parishes." It is also made the ground* work of the petitions which are recommended, whtrein it is «t«ted, that " large portions of the poorer classes are living in a itate oi entire exclusion from all the outward and ordniary means, where- by are communicated the benefits of redemption." That many are livinff in the neglect of these means, we admit ; but that any are ex- cluded, from the want of church accommodation, we positively ^In reference, however, to the question of church accommoda- lion in Edinburgh, it is sufficient simply to state the result ot ac- icurate tables on the subject, laid before the public last year. 1 he population of Edinburgh, by the last census is 136,054. The prc^ portion for which accommodation is required, theretore, is t)J,yoo , There is accommodation in the Established churches ^ and chapels for . * . * * o^'icu And in Dissenting places of worship, for 67,biyk The following is the tecond Table attached to the Circular t i,0 * Total accommodation Surplus 68,294 5,306 It is also important to keep in view, that even if the deficiency in the instances which have been pointed out, were much greater than is alleged, there could be no difficulty in supplying it, with- out the necessity of erecting new churches. The districts included in the above table, are all, with a single exception, in the parishes 'of the City, the West Church, and the Canongate. In the city churches, at 20th February J835, according to an official document published by the Town Council, there were o,009 unlet seats. In fhe parishes of the West Church and Canongate, there are besides, 6,500 unlet seats ; and in the dissenting churches within the same districts, there are 8,426 unlet seats, making in all. 19,9^0, out of which, the 3,574 individuals destitute of accommodation, might be supplied, and a surplus would still exist ot lt),dbJ. The great proportion of these unlet sittings, are those at the lowest prices, and consequently within the reach of the poorer classes. In the city churches there are 1247 of the unlet seats, from 2s. to 5s; 1806, from 6s. to 9s.; and 835 from 10s. to J2s. per annum, subject to a deduction in favour of parishion- ers, of Is. on all seats of 3s. 4s. and 5s., and of 2s. on all those from 6s. to 12s. and in July 1834, the Town Council resolved on tlie recommendation of a committee, that " as it is an object of great importance to encourage church-going habits among the lower classes, if it shall be found that the number of seats set apart for their accommodation, is inadequate to meet the demand, any additional number that max) he required, shall be reduced, and set aside for their accommodationr There can be no doubt, that the same feeling to accommodate the poorer classes, exists throughout the kingdom; and that if the Established clergy could induce them to attend the existing churches, seats might be obtained for them at merely nominal prices. PARISH or BURGH. Par. Burgh of Glasgow Rutherglcn Kirkintulloch Kilsyth OldMachar Par. Burgh of Dundee Dunfermline Abbotshall Hamilton Old Monkland Bothwell Cambusnethan Dalserf. Greenock Abbey parish. Paisley Neilston Kilbarchan Lochwinnoch Eastwood Kilmarnock Ardrossan Loudon Dundonald Jedburgh Presbytery. Popula- tion. Lesmahago Beith Glasgow Ditto Ditto Ditto Aberdeen ... Dundee Dunfermline Kirkaldy Hamilton.... Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Greenock.... Paisley Ditto Ditto Ditto Ditto Irvine Ditto Ditto Ayr Jedburgh Lanark Irvine Proportion for whom I Parish accommo- | Church dation j Accom- ought to jmodation be made. When added up, the Totals are... 195,000 5,888 4,297 25,170 45.000 17,068 4^206 9,513 9,650 5,500 3,8241 2,784 28,500 31,088 8,046 4,806 4,515 6,854 18,093 3,600 3,959 5,500 5,650 6,450 5,118 4b5,582 97,500 2,751 2,944 2,148 12,585 22,500 8,534 2,103 4,756 4,825 2,750 1,912 1,392 14,250 15,544 4,023 2,403 2,257 3,427 9,046 1,800 1,979 2,750 2,825 .3,225 2,559 14,520 900 700 800 1,530 7,200 2,000 700 800 900 1,150 660 500 3,300 1,636 950 700 1,050 750 2,560 800 700 1,200 900 1,600 l,25il Chapel of Ease Ac- commoda. tion. 11,840 3,667 3,100 836 485 2,900 1,000 Deficiency 232,788 ; 49,7601 23,828 71,140 1,851 2,244 1,348 7,388 12,200 5,698 1,403 4,200 3,440 1,600 1,252 892 8,050 12,908 3,073 1,703 1,207 2,677 6,466 1,000 1,279 1,550 1,925 1,625 1,305 159,444 Upon this table the following general observations are submitted. 1^/. It assumes that the proportion of the population for whom accommodation is necessary is one half, whereas, according to the decision of the Court of Session in the case of Tingwall in 1787, and in subsequent cases, church accommodation for two-thirds of the examinable persons, that is, of those above twelve years of age, is sufficient for the whole ; the other third being neces- sarily absent by age, sickness, the care of the young, and other duties. This proportion, Dr Cleland of Glasgow, an authority whose accuracy will not be called in question by the Church party, has ascertained to be as 100 to 216, or nearly 8 per cent. less than that which has been assumed in the table. The effect of this error is, that instead of church accommodation for 232,788 being necessary in the places mentioned, accommodation for 215,547 is the utmost that the ecclesiastical courts demand, or the civij courts award. This apparently unimportant difference, lessens the alleged deficiency by 17,241. It will, besides, be noticed, that this proportion proceeds on the supposition, that the whole population above twelve years of age are imbued with church-going habits. But, it will be admitted. \ / . 8 with deep regret, by every philanthropic mind, that in all our large towns there unhappily existi a very large population, compos- ed of the avowedly irreligious, and of all those classes who fill our jails and bridewells, and infest our streets, for whom, to provide church accommodation as the means of reclaiming them from their evil courses, would betray a lamentable degree of ignorance of human nature. By making proper allowance for these classes, the quantity of church accommodation required in all our large towns will be considerably reduced. Again, although the legal quantity of accommodation may be requisite where the population is composed of the ordinary proportions of the wealthy, the middling, and the poorer classes, in places where there is a very large pro-- portion of the lower orders, the same quantity of church accom- modation never can be requisite, even for the families of the church-going poor. Takini^ the usual average of five to a family, it may fairly be assumed, that in a majority of instances two, at least, of the children are too young either to be taken to church or to be left alone ; and where the parents are unable to keep servants, it is obvious that even when all the family are in per- fect health and disposed to attend, either one of the parents, or the eldest child must always remain at home, to take care of the younger children, and for other necessary duties; and conseouent- ly, that since never more than two out of the five can be at church at the same hour, two sittings are all that is required for the fa- mily, although three members regularly attend part of every Sabbath. Cases of this kind, account for a well known fact, that the number of communicants belonging to one congregation, fre- quently exceeds the number of sittings in the church. Although, therefore, in the following calculations, it is assumed, that accom- modation is necessary for two-thirds of the examinable persons, or for nearly 46 per cent, of the population, it seems apparent, that taking into account the number of openly profane who never at- tend any place of worship, and the number of the poorer classes, who do not require more than two sittings for their families, accom- modation for two-fifths or 40 per cent, of the population, is amply sufficient for all the large towns. To shew, however, the differ- ence which this would produce, we have appended a table,* con- trasting the supply with the accommodation, according to this view. 2;/ Gtenock. — The difference in the accommodation in the Establi^mdht is 400,--afforded by a place of worship, which formerly belonged to the Methodists, and isnow occupied by a congregation in connection with the Establishment, who have ecently called the Rev. John Bonar, as their minister, until they T)uild anothe for themselves;. '• '■^'■i^ •'- k-'--^^- - -' -■' - -- • i - JCUryxruock. — The difference here arises from the omission of a chapel which \ 1 19 n at pye»nl building to coBtaift t^OOO Bwidet, it mu^ bm naentioned, that at least in one of the parish churches, there are a contiderable number of unleat seats, and that the Parish Church of Riccarton, situated on the opposite side of the Ir- vine, is a large church containing more accommodation than is ever filled, and is nearer to many of the inhabitants than the town churches. The THIRD class, are parishes which are so situated, in regard to neighbouring parishes, that in order to give a fair view of the church accommodation, they ought not to be separated. It is well known, that in all populous towns or districts, di- vided into more than one parish, the inhabitants, whether Church- men or Dissenters, do not and will not confine themselves to the churches in the parish in which they reside. It is, therefore, ex- tremely unfair and deceptive, to single out any one of these, with- out regard to the accommodation in the others — as the deficiency in the one, may be, and generally ia provided for, by a surplus ac- commodation in the other. Edinburgh affords a striking instance of the justice of this remark. From official documents published by the Town Council, of date 20th February 1835, it appears that, in the 13 city churches, the number of seats let to inhabitants of the city parishes, is 5506. Besides these, there are let to the in- habitants of other parishes tv'Uhout the city, 3793 seats, as follows : To inhabitants of the West Church parish Ditto ditto Canongate Ditto ditto Leith parishes Ditto ditto Duddingston 3382 139 250 22 3793 Any person who pretended to give an account of the church ac- commodation, or church attendance of the West Church parish, and at the same time kept out of view the i*act, that 3382 seats were let to inhabitants of that parish in the city churches, would be just- ly chargeable with gross inaccuracy ; yet, this is precisely what has been done in the circular referred to. In the table, several parishes have been specified, which are in this manner intimately connected with others, that are not to be found in it, and it is not a little surprising, that it is always the parish that exhibits, when taken by itself, the smallest proportion, which happens to be selected. The parishes to which this remark applies are. Old Machar, Aberdeen; Abbotshall, Kirkaldy ; Old Monkland; Abbey Church, Paisley ; Ardrossan ; and Dundonald. These will require separ- ate notices. I. OLD MACHAR. A great part of this parish lies in New Aberdeen ; and in it, syi the population return, " are contained the principal additims which have of late years been made to the city or burgh o( Abr- deen." From this circumstance, many of the inhabitants in 31d Machar, both Churchmen and Dissenters, attend in place o? worship, situated in the other parishes of the burgh, and hey ought not, therefore, to be disregarded in this enquiry. i \ 13 Popula- tion. Church Accommodation. Legal Accom- moda- tion. Surplus. • Estab- lishment Dissent- ers. Total. Old Machar Remaining pa- ^ rishes of New > Aberdeen. ^ 25,170 32,849 5,197 10783 1,737 11,883 6,934 22,666 1 1,653 15,208 r,' Together 58,019 1 15,980 13,620 29,600 26,861 2,739 U. ABBOTSHALL. It is well known, that this parish lies at the west end of Kir- kaldy, the parish church /being within the Parliamentory bounds of that burgh. The inhabitants attend the churches and chapels of both parishes indiscriminately, without regard to their local re- sidences. The accommodation stands thus : Popula- tion. Church .Accommodation. Legal Accom- iTiodation. Surplus. Establish- ment. Dissent- ers. Total Abbotshall Kirkaldy 4,206 5,034 780 1600 1,150 2,350 1,930 3,950 1,947 2,330 Together 9.240 2380 3,500 5,880 4,277 1,603 This surplus of 1603, might be increased to 2165, by including Dysart, which lies at the east end of Kirkaldy, and where there is a surplus of 562. III. OLD MONKLAND. * The most populous district in this parish, lies contiguous to the town of Airdrie in New Monkland, where, accordingly, a great number of the parishioners attend worship, and in particular, the Dissenters, who have no place of worship in the parish. The accommodation stands thus ; Popula- tion. Church Accommodation. Legal Accom- modation. Defici- ency. Establish- ment. Dissent- ers. Total. Old Monkland Kew Monkland 9650 9867 1385 3350* 3010 1385 6360 4467 4568 •"'.^A, iX Together 19517 4735 3010 7745 9035 1290 And to account for this deficiency, it may be observed, 1st, That • This includes a chapel at present building, to contain 9d0. / R tlie parisTi contains a great many Roman Catholics, who have only a small chapel containing 200 ; and, 2d, That at Bellshill, a very •hort distance to the $outh of Old Monkland, there is a Relief church; and at ToUcross, a little to the west, another Dissenting meeting-house, together containing accommodation for 2200; and that in these churches a considerable number of the parishioners attend. It may also be noticed, that one*third of the sittings in Old Monkland are generally unoccupied, and that in New Monkland there is abundance of unoccupied accommodation. IV. ABBEY PARISH OF PAISLEY. 1.TI ,■"■ It is unnecessary to say any thing of the unfairness of separaV hjg this parish from the other parishes of Paisley. The accommodation stands thus : Popula- tion. Church Accommodation. i ^ i Surplus. ■ - Establish- ment. Dissent- ers. Total. , '^""l"- jmodation. Abbey Parish Other Parishes 26006t 31460 3436J 9800§ 5800 10400 9236 1 12039 20200 14565 1 Total 57466 13236 16200 29436 1 26604 2832 €t should also be kept in view, that the population contains about 10,000 Roman Catholics, who have only one church accom- modating 1000, which is occupied several times snccessively each Sabbath, by different congregations. There are about 8000 unlet sittings in the different churches. V. ARDROSSAN. The town of Saltcoats is divided between this parish and that of Stevenston, 2422 of its population being in the former, and 1378 in the latter. Hence, to give a fair representation of the state of the church accommodation, the two parishes ought to have been taken together, as the churches are occupied indiscriminately by the in- habitants. The accommodation in both parishes stands thus ; f The population is stated in the circular at 31,088 ; but the above is the cor- rect statement by last parliamentary census. Allowing it to have considerably cncreased since 1831, there will still remain a surplus ; and it is believed that the accommodation is fully greater than is stated above. \ This is 800 more than is allowed for in the circular. The addition arises from a chapel at Nitshill, recently built and ready to be opened, which is omited in the table. § This includes two chapels at present building, to contain 1800. I.". > a 15 Popula- tion. Church Accommodation. Legal Accom- modation. Surplus. itstablish- ment. Dissent- ers. Total. Ardrossan Stevenston 3600 3544 1000* 1200 500 1400 1500 2609 1666 1640 Together 7144 2200 1900 4100 3306 794 VI. DUNDONALD. The parish adjoins that of Irvine, from which a considerable part of it, containing 2500 of the population, was disjoined so late as 1821. A very populous district of it, forms a suburb to the town of Irvine, and is within the Parliamentary bounds of that burgh. The inhabitants of this district being within a mile of the Irvine churches, while they are five miles from Dundonald parish church, regularly attend in the former ; and a great many who live further from the town do so likewise, particularly the Dissenters who have no place of worship in the parish. Dundonald and Irvine should therefore be taken together, and the accommodation will stand thus : Popula- tion. Church Accommodation. Legal Accom- modation. Surplus. Establish- ment. Dissent- ers. Total. Dundonald Irvine 5,500 5,200 1,200 2,300 2,650 1,200 4,950 2,546 2,408 <<■■■'■ Together 10,700 3,500 2,650 6,150 4,954 1,196 GLASGOW. This is the only place which is not included in these different divisions, and it requires a separate notice. In it, the accommoda- tion furnished in the parish churches and chapels of ease, is con- siderably under-rated. Instead of 14,520 in the parish churches, and 11,840 in the chapels, there is accommodation in the 12 parish churches, for ...... . . 15,432 And in Chapels of Ease, two or three of which have only recently been opened, for .... 16,003 Making together 31,435 In ten of the parish churches alone, there were at 30th Decem- ber last, 2787 unlet sittings, and in the other two, at least 600. As to the unlet sittings in the chapels of ease, we have no accurate information ; but in one of them, viz. St John's, erected as a church for the poor not many years ago, there have been for many years, • The parish church is entered in the circular, as containing 800, but it will easilv accommodate 1000. 16 from 800 to 900 unlet, out oC 1329; and another chapel, St George's-in-the-Fields, is said to be in similar circumstances. In all the others there are many unlet seats. But, besides the churches in the Establishment, there is accommodation in 52 Dissenting churches for 46,651, which are not mentioned in the table. Tak- ing these into view, and separating the Roman Catholic from the Protestant population, the total accommodation stands thus: Popula- tion. I .^ Protestants Rom. Cath. Total' 160,000 35,000 I95,00a Church AceommodatioD. Dissent- er*. Establish, ment. 31,435 44,301 2,:i50 31,4351 46,651 Total 75,736 2,350 78,086 Legal Accom- modation. 74,073 16,204 90,277 Surplus. 1,663 Defici- ency. 13,854 12,191 The deficiency is thus only 12,191, instead of 71,440, as repre- sented in the circular ; and to account for it, it, is sufficient to ob- serve, that the 35,000 Roman Catholics have only two churches, accommodating 2,350, but which, by being filled several times each Sabbath, by successive congregations, in reality accommodate three times the number they are capable of containing at any one time. It is obvious from the above statement, that the only deficiency of church accommodation in Glasgow, is for the Roman Catholic po- pulation, and to build Protestant churches for them, would be as absurd ,as to build them for the Roman Catholic population of Dub- lin, or any other town in Ireland. It must also be kept in view, that in Glasgow, upwards of L.20,000 have been recently subscribed for the erection and en- dowment of new Chapels of Ease ; and arrangements, it is believed, are already made for erecting several during the present year. As soon as these new Chapels are opened, there will be a very large surplus accommodation. _ The following table brings into one view, the results of the fore- going remarks. 1 » M ^ ,< - *^l i%f If i', ill?" '■■ *"'J ^ '■'"» 17 TABLE OF RESULTS ACCORDING TO THE LEGAL STANDARD OF CHURCH ACCOMMODATION. PLACES. ^, ) Protestants °"^S°''J Rom Cath. Rutherglen. Kirkintullocli. ,. Kilsyth ( OldMachar Aberdeen ( Other parishes ditto .. Dundee , Dunfermline ( Abbotshall (Kirkaldy Hamilton (Old Monkland ( Xew Monkland Bothwell Cambusnetfaan Dalserf ....;....., Greenock ( Abbey par. Paisley.. ( Other parishes, ditto.. Neilston.... Kilbarcban.' Lochwinnoch Eastwood Kilmarnock.. ( Ardrossan. ( Stevenston . , Loudon ( D'jndoaild (Irvine....... Jedburgh ..... Lesmahagow. , Beith 9 m 9 ^ » 9 m • t » m » » t Totals Popula- tion. 160,000 35,000 5,502 5,886 4,297 25,170 32,849 45,000 17,068 4,206 5,034 9,513 9,650 9,867 5,500 3,824 • 2,784 28,500 26,006 31,460 8,046 4,806 4,515 6,854 18,093 3,600 3,544 3,959 5,500 5,200 5,650 6,450 5,118 Church Acco mniodatinn In Es- tabhsh . irent. 31,435| 44,.301 2,350 1,700 900 800 5,197 10,7a3 Among Di« 931 4,130 6,450 50H 2,453 1,242 217 1,870 1,390 70 554 210,3811251,796 49,782 71140 3,727 3,440 2,677 1,851 7,388 12,200 5,698 1,403 4.200 1,600 1,252 8,050 12,908 1,703 6,486 1,000 1,279 1,550 1,925 1,625 1,305 2,2U 1,348 1,207 11,650 1,318 61 576 13,605 cliiefly Protestant 35 118 553 56 159,441 702; Alleged Deficiency _ - - At'tual Surplus _ - - Less Deficiency for Protectants Dirtv) ditt'. lOr Roman Catholics 1.59,414 762 13,367 49,782 14,129 liEAi. .Surplus ot* Church Accommodation '13653