Total number of sittings 36,001 Of these there are let
20,995 Free 1,230 Otherwise allocated 3,9132 Unlet 9,794 11,860
The Scotsman affirms that the Commissioners, in bringing out these results, have leaned too much in favour of the Church ; and by another statement, which it represents as more correct, it brings out—
In the Established Churches. Dissenting Marche*.
Total number of seats let 22,595 26,577
Uolet 10,797 11,360
It is obvious, from these returns, that in the metropolis of Scotland the adherents of the Established Church constitute the minority, when compared with the Dissenters. But allowing either statement to be correct, we observe that there is a very large number of unlet seats in both classes of churches. In short, the church accommodation already existing exceeds by 21,154 seats, in Edinburgh alone, the efficient de- mand of the population for it. There is, therefore, a palpable want of church-going people to till the churches ; but, at present, there is no want of church accommodation. The Established Clergy ascribe the emptiness of the churches to two causes; first, the high prices of the seats, obstructing inclination ; :slid, secondly, the want of pastoral su- perintendence, leaving inclination unformed; and they propose to build more churches, and let them at low rents, and to endow more ministers, as the remedies for this evil. The Scotsman triumphantly refutes the first allegation, by showing that the seats are higher-priced in the Dis- senting Churches than in the Established Churches ; and that, never- theless, the former have more seats let, and give more seats to the poor free than the latter.—Courier.
The Report of the Church Commissioners shows the number of church sittings of all denominations, let and unlet, in the city of Edin- burgh and its suburbs, to be as follows.
Established Churches, Dissenting Churches 42.705 23,192 7,247
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