Esq., seconded by A. Henry, Esq.; That, with a view to encourage individual and local exertions, this society shall be ready to aid, by its advice, and by recommending properly qualified instructors, all those who may be disposed to improve the education and training of the industrious classes of Manchester and the neighbourhood.-5. Proposed by H. Romilly, Esq., seconded by T. Potter, Esq.; That this society shall endeavour, by petitions and other constitutional means, to obtain from parliament a legislative provision for securing to all classes of the community an improved and a permanent system of education.-6. Proposed by J. Adshead, Esq., seconded by Jos. Crewdson, Esq.; That, with reference to the important question of religious instruction, this meeting is of opinion that the practice of the British and Foreign School Society of prescribing Bible classes for every school, and placing the entire volume of the holy scriptures, without note or comment, in the hands of every child (excepting from this rule only catholics and Jews), is the best system hitherto devised for meeting the difficulties arising out of the varieties of religious sects in this country.-Times. [This meeting is of course an attempt to uphold the system advocated by Lord Brougham and Mr. Wyse. (See Church Matters.) It is hoped that the counter meeting quoted below will receive that support to which it is so justly entitled.] RELIGIOUS EDUCATION-At a meeting of the clergy of the parish of Manchester, and other gentlemen favourable to the cause of religious education, held in the collegiate church-school, on the 31st of November; the Rev. C. D. Wray, M.A., Fellow of Christ's College, and Vice Warden, in the chair; the following resolutions were passed unanimously:-1. That this meeting, maintaining that religion is the only true source of morality, and the best safeguard of happiness, as well national as individual, considers that a sound religious education is the first essential want of a nation.-2. That no system of education deserves, or ought to receive, the support of a professedly Christian nation, which regards religious instruction as a mere adjunct to intellectual, and of which religion does not form a constituent and pervading element. -3. That this meeting strongly protests against any national system of education, proposing to comprehend persons of every variety of opinion, because, while such system must inevitably outrage the consciences and violate the principles of all consistent men, it must, at the same time, have a direct and powerful tendency to VOL. XIII.-Jan. 1838. produce indifference to all religious creeds, and to bring religion itself into disrepute. -4. That this meeting is persuaded that the readiest and most unobjectionable scheme for furthering education would be to open the Sunday-schools for the purpose of daily instruction; a proceeding which this meeting is quite prepared to support, provided it can be satisfactorily made to appear that children have time to attend. 5. That this meeting indignantly repudiates the reflections which have been cast on the national and other schools of sound religious learning,-institutions which have been extensively beneficial in their results; and maintains that their utility is mainly limited by the inability of the children to attend, arising from obvious causes, over which the friends of education can exercise little control.-6. That, while this meeting confidently maintains the right of the national church to the charge of any national plan of education, it is sincerely desirous of vindicating to every religious body the liberty of educating their own youth in their own respective tenets.-7, That a committee be appointed for the purpose of promoting education on the principles embodied in the foregoing resolutions, and of guarding against any attempts which may be made to influence the legislature to adopt any plan of education inconsistent with those principles.-Manchester Courier. CHURCHMEN AND DISSENTERS IN MANCHESTER.-At a late meeting of the Manchester Church Pastoral Aid Society, the Rev. John Hollist, A.M., incumbent of St James's Church, mentioned that Mr. Dobson, Mr. Daltry, and himself, had visited 2000 dwellings in that district, averaging five persons in each family, or 10,000 souls; and had found 659 families professing to belong to the church of England, 263 Roman-catholic families, 242 Wesleyan, 101 Independent, 80 Baptist, 11 Unitarian, 4 of the Society of Friends, 21 of the Scotch Kirk, 4 of the Scotch Secession, 4 Cowardite, 2 New Jerusalem, 1 Irvingite, 2 Owenite, and 43 families professing no religion.-Ib. The attendance at St. Jude's Church, Ancoats, Manchester, is so large, that immediate enlargement is imperative, and upwards of 2501. have already been subscribed towards this object.-Ib. LEICESTERSHIRE. HINCKLEY, In this place, the hitherto cesspool of Radicalism in South Leicestershire, a vigorous, violent, and factious opposition has been instituted and carried on to the last by the Radical clique residing P EVENTS OF THE MONTH. in it. On the show of hands at the church, For the rate 265 105 -160 Thus has the cause of the church triumphed in the place where three years ago a Conservative could scarcely shew his head without danger of annihilation; all seemed determined to do their duty; both men and women came forward, and by a well-arranged and properly conducted support of their religion, their Queen, and their country, have cast the hitherto vaunting heads of the Socinian, Papist, and ultra-Radical, with shame and disgrace, to the earth.Times. MIDDLESEX. The Queen, the 24th November, received the Address from the Convocation of the Clergy, on the Throne, at the New Palace. Shortly before two o'clock the following members of the Convocation, in their robes, arrived:-the Archbishop of Canterbury; the Bishops of London, Norwich, Lincoln, Salisbury, Hereford, and Chichester; the Prolocutor, the Dean of Salisbury; the Archdeacons of Canterbury, London, Middlesex, St. Alban's, Winchester, Bath, Huntingdon, Oxford, Bristol, and Salisbury; Dr. Baines, Hon. Mr. Bouverie; Dr. Nares and Mr. Baylay (Canterbury); Dr. Shepherd and Mr. Randolph (London); Mr. Brymer (Bath and Wells); Dr. Butler (Peterborough); Mr. Lonsdale (Rochester); Dr. Coleridge and Mr. Copleston (Exeter); Mr. Pole (Lichfield); Mr. Manning (Chichester); Mr. Lowther and Mr. Grove (Salisbury). The deputation was ushered into the green drawing-room, and afterwards passed into the throne-room, between the ranks of her Majesty's honourable corps of Gentlemenat-Arms. The Address was read by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and her Majesty returned a most gracious answer. The members of the Convocation were then severally presented to the Queen, to bave the honour of kissing hands.-Morning Post. STAMP DUTY ON MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES.-In answer to some questions put to the Chancellor of the Exchequer by the Rev. Dr. Wilson, Rector of St. Mary, Aldermanbury, upon the subject of parties requiring certificates of marriage being liable to the stamp duty, the Chancellor says, "that certified copies of marriage entries obtained from the registrar under the provisions of the Registration Act, sec. payable on marriage certificates; and the 86, are not liable to the stamp duty of 5s. same exemption applies to certified copies of marriages given by a clergyman under the 35th section.-Herald. TITHE COMMUTATION ACT.-The Tithe sell that the whole number of agreements Commissioners report to Lord John Rusfor the commutation of tithes received up to the 1st of November in this year is 659. Of these agreements 358 have been confirmed, 16 rejected or objected to, and the either waiting for the observations of remainder were, on the first of this month, bishops, or for the reports of assistant.commissioners, or were under the consideration of the board. The total number of notices calling parochial meetings, of which this board is cognizant, was, on the 1st of this month, 2,707. Only 24 appointments have been received, and three confirmed. -Ib. TITHE OF WOOL.-In the Exchequer Equity sittings on Dec. 5, Baron Alderson gave judgment in a case where a farmer, occupying two farms, one of which was tithe free, drove the sheep which were usually kept on the other farm to the tithepayment of tithe on wool. free farm, to be sheared, in order to avoid said that it was evident the sheep had His lordship been driven to the tithe-free farm for the purpose of defrauding the rector (the ing, Lincolnshire) of the tithe-wool, and Rev. Mr. Hall, of Houlton, near Buckerhe must decree that an account be renperly removed.—Ib. dered of the amount of wool thus impro THE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON.-A very stormy discussion took place on Saturday, versity of London, as to whether candiDecember 9th, in the Senate of the Unidates for degrees in Arts should or should not be made to undergo any examination on the subject of religion. The question leaving Messrs. Warburton and Lubbock, was at length decided in the affirmative, together with their followers, in the minority. By this decision the candidate is to be examined on the Gospels, and some The degree in Arts is made a preof the elementary works on theology. requisite to that in Physic; and it is expected that the University will be ready to commence dubbing about May.-Medical Gazette. Tuesday, December 5th, an appeal, on the The ground of opposition was the absence of beneficial occupation. The bench allowed a special case to be argued in the superior Court of Westminster.-Watch man. A spacious new district church is commenced in the densely-populated parish of St. James, Westminister, situated at the bottom of Berwick-street, owing to the indefatigable exertions of the Rev. J. G. Ward, the rector, and the Rev. J. C. Wigram, the curate. A large subscription has been raised through the parish, amounting to about 1,300l.-Morning Post. With LONDON HIBERNIAN SOCIETY. — regard to the number of Roman-catholic children in the schools-amounting on the whole to 31,066, in the day-schools alone -(in many counties nearly equalling, and in some very far exceeding the Protestants in number,) it is submitted that the proportion shewn proves incontestably that the system pursued by the London Hibernian Society is in accordance, not only with the circumstances, but also with the wishes, of the poor in Ireland; and exbibits the cheering fact, that, by the blessing of God, Ireland can be scripturally educated, if only the means shall be supplied necessary to carry out that great and good end to its accomplishment.Brief View of the London Hibernian Society. Col. James Skinner, of the Bengal native Cavalry, has expended a lac of rupees (10,0001.) in the erection of a Christian church (St. James's) in the ancient city of Delhe. PARISH OF ST. GILES-WITHOUT-CRIPPLEGATE. — -A vestry of the above parish was held at the Questhouse, adjoining Cripplegate church, on Wednesday, the 13th December, for the purpose of making a church-rate, including the amount paid to the vicar in lieu of tithes and Easter offerings, at which meeting the churchwardens, overseers, and vestrymen present, pursuant to a local act of parliament for that purpose, proceeded to audit a detailed statement of the receipt and expenditure on account of the church-rate for the last quarter of a-year, when it was proposed and seconded that a rate of 5d. in the pound should be made for the quarter of a year ending at Christmas next, and the same was unanimously agreed to and adopted. The vestrymen present having signed the rate, the vestry adjourned.— Times. It appears from the Roman-catholic Directory of the ensuing year, that there are at this time in England and Scotland 500 catholic chapels, besides 17 stations, where divine service is performed; and that 107 there are nine popish colleges in England NOTICES IN CHURCHES.-From and after KING'S COLLEGE.-On 31st November, at the anniversary meeting of the Royal Society, when the royal medal was awarded to the Rev. W. Whewell, for his researches connected with the theory of the tides, and a Copley medal to M. Becquerel for his memoirs on the subject of electricity, another Copley medal was awarded to Mr. J. F. Daniel, Professor of Chemistry in King's College, for his two papers on voltaic combination, published in the Philosophical Transactions for 1836, in which are described the principles, mode of formation, perfect steadiness of action, and the great power, of his constant battery. Having formerly obtained the Rumford medal, this is the second time that the Professor has been distinguished by the Royal Society; and he has been elected this year into its council, with two of his colleagues, Professors Wheatstone and The students of King's Royle, M.D. College have also been distinguishing themselves, as the gold medal which is yearly given by the Society of Apothe caries, to be contended for by the botanical students of all the schools in London, was this year awarded to Mr. William Davies, a resident of Chelsea, and the prize which is given to be contended for by all those who are apprenticed to the society, and who are not allowed to enter the lists for the general prize, was, on the same day, (the 28th. ult.) awarded to Mr. William Ward. This gentleman is the son of Mr. Ward, the surgeon, of Wellclose-square, celebrated for his mode of growing plants shut up in glass cases, by which means they can be, and have been, brought from the East Indies and New Holland. Both the gentlemen were King's College pupils, and do credit to Mr. Don, the librarian of the Linnæan Society, and Professor of Botany in King's College.-Times. SOMERSETSHIRE. The demise of the Rev. C. Crook, rector of Bath, is an event pregnant with considerations of the most vital importance to the interests of religion generally, and of the established church in particular, as regards the inhabitants of this city. It is well known that, no longer since than the month of May last year, the advowson was sold for 6330l. to the late Rev. Mr. Simeon, of Cambridge. Of this amount, full half was contributed by persons resident in Bath. The sale took place under the provisions of the Municipal Act of the late reign. Mr. Simeon conveyed the right of presentation to five trustees, in whose nomination all the parties concerned in the purchase unanimously concurred. They will, therefore, now have to exercise the right vested in them.-Bath Gaz. At the close of Mr. Addam's lectures on mechanics, before the Bath Instruction Society, lately, the Rev. W. D. Willis, the honorary secretary, made some appropriate observations on the tendency of the demonstrations exhibited by the learned lecturer to draw up the mind in gratitude to the Almighty, from the proofs which science afforded of his constant care for the preservation and happiness of his creatures. The rev. gentleman then announced that a sum of money, amounting to 10007., had been placed at his disposal, and that he had advised it to be applied to the Bath Society for providing a fund for the Maintenance of Additional Curates in Populous Parishes, and the Bath General Instruction Society. He stated that he only regretted that he was not empow ered to mention the donor's name. was one of those acts, and done in that spirit, which he felt persuaded that "He who seeth in secret would one day reward openly."-Bath Chronicle. It The first anniversary of the Bath and Wells Diocesan Church Building Association was recently held in Baththe Lord Bishop of the diocese presiding. From the report read to the meeting, it appears that the total amount granted throughout the diocese by the society, in this the first year of its operations, is 1415.; and the number of additional sittings obtained by this outlay are 4388, of which 3240 are free. The treasurer reported the amount of donations received throughout the diocese to be 46431.3s. 3d., and of annual subscriptions, 3591. 17s. At the close of the meeting, a collection was made, which amounted to upwards of 201.-Ibid. Sermons have been recently preached at several of the churches and episcopal chapels in Bath, in aid of the Diocesan Church Building Association, following which, collections to the amount of 2291. 17s. 8d. were contributed by the congregations.-Ibid. WILTSHIRE. The chancel of St. Martin's church, Salisbury, is undergoing a thorough repair and beautifying. The east window, which has for many years been stopped up, is now being opened, and its heretofore substitute, a painted altar-piece, is removed. The ceiling will, it is said, be a very fine specimen, and the window is to consist of some representations in stained glass. This very great and desirable improvement is being effected by the desire of the Right Rev. the Lord Bishop of Salisbury, who, it is said, objected to a church-rate being made to defray the expenses, which will be paid by subscription, the dean and chapter contributing liberally from their fund.—Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard. WORCESTERSHIRE. A numerous meeting of the clergy of the archdeaconry of Worcester was held in the chapter-house of the cathedral, on the 21st of December, and a petition to the legislature, on the subjects of the marriage act, the registration act, the tithe commutation act, and the ecclesiastical commis sioners, unanimously agreed to. It was afterwards resolved that a clerical association should be formed.-Berrow's Journal. YORKSHIRE. MALTON CHURCH RATES.-The churchwardens of Old Malton lately convened a public meeting of the rate payers to lay a rate for the necessary expenses of the church for the current year. Every exertion was made by the radicals to prevent the wardens from obtaining their just demand; but, in spite of the opposition they experienced, and after the strictest scrutiny of the votes, the rate required of 1d. in the pound was secured by a ma jority of thirty-six. A meeting of the rate payers of the parish of St. Michael, New Malton, was lately held, to lay a rate for the necessary expenses of the current year. At the appointed hour the votes were strictly scrutinized, and at nine o'clock it was declared that the rate was carried by a majority of fourteen. Thus have two parishes in Malton evinced their attachment to the established religion of their country, and fully cleared themselves from the charge of dissent and radicalism. -York Chronicle. CATHOLIC CHAPEL AT GLENLIVAT.The Rev. James Gordon, for twenty-four years missionary in Glenlivat, a retired and mountainous district in Banffshire, is now in this town soliciting subscriptions to enable him decently to furnish his chapel, the outer walls of which have been erected from former donations made in various parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland, and to protect it from dilapidations caused by its exposure in that wild district to the intense inclemency of the weather. Mr. Gordon has had interviews with gen. tlemen of various religious opinions in this and other towns, and received from them the most generous aid, as well as ex. perienced the most liberal feeling. In a note received by us from Mr. Gordon, he "gratefully acknowledges the liberal conduct and generosity which he has experienced from his benefactors, protestant and catholic. He seizes this occasion, not merely to express his gratitude, but to bear testimony to the cordial, liberal, and reciprocal good feeling, and progressing, displayed by that portion of the protestant community which in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Liverpool, Preston, and Manchester, have so disinterestedly contributed towards the completion of his chapel, as well as for the erection of a school wherein catholic and protestant will receive literary instructions without religious distinction."-Manchester Times. [This is no doubt extremely liberal, but do liberal people imagine that it is of no consequence whether they uphold popery or protestantism? If so, the sooner this liberality is reformed, the better. There are desolate places enough in need of protestant aid.-ED. B. M.] IRELAND. The Irish Court of Exchequer has issued a conditional order, at the suit of the Rev. John Whitty, against the high sheriff of Carlow, for a false return to a writ for tithes. The sheriff's return is 11. 18s., and it is sworn that he bad 100%, in value seized.-Limerick Standard. While Divine service was being performed in the church of Newcastle, in this county, on Sunday evening last, a considerable number of Roman Catholics entered, and took up their position in the gallery. Scarcely had they done so, when they commenced groaning, stamping with their feet, thumping the sides of the seats with their clenched hands, and making the most hideous noises. The officiating clergyman continued to proceed with the reading of the service as well as he was able, but the same efforts continued to be made, for the purpose of compelling him to desist. It was not, however, until the preacher on the occasion, the Rev. Fielding Morrison, had ascended the pulpit, that the tumult rose to the highest pitch; for then nothing could be heard but groaning, and whistling, and the kicking and thumping on the pews, to the increased terror, we need scarcely say, of the congregation, and particularly of the female part of it. Still the preacher pro Iceeded with his discourse, and addressed himself mainly to the absurdities of the Church of Rome, and principally to those of "holy wells," holy clay," holy candles," "penance," "confession," and "transubstantiation." A few of the ringleaders are known, and we have every reason to hope that they will be visited with severe and condign punishment. Ibid. The Ecclesiastical Commissioners are about immediately instituting legal proceedings for the recovery of all arrears, glebe-house instalments, and income-tax, due to that branch.-Ibid. The Rev. Elias Thackeray, rector of Dundalk, has declared that the letter purporting to be from him, addressed to one of the Dublin liberal papers, in which the rev. gentleman was made to state his approval of Mr. O'Connell's new plan of settling the tithe question, is a hoax. The fellows of Trinity College, Dublin, have resolved to connect permanently with the education of the University the name of the late provost, Dr. Lloyd, by founding one or more exhibitions in the mathematical sciences, to bear his venerated name. They have also resolved to pen a tablet to his memory in the antechapel, and place a marble bust in the library. IRISH EDUCATION BOARD.-The Go. vernment has appointed Dr. Sandes, Bishop of Killaloe, and Judge Perrin, members of the Education Board, which has the management of the diocesan schools in Ireland. |