21 MAY 1831, Page 6

SOCIETY von Beir.nneo CHERCHES.—On Monday last," the Annual General Court

of the Society was held at the house of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, in Lincoln's Inn Fields ; the Arch- bishop of Canterbury presided. From the report, it appeared that, during the last year, grants had been made in ninety-eight cases, amounting to 15,9761., by which 'means additional church-room had been obtained for 24,265 persons, 13,567 of which are free and unappro. priated for ever. Since the first formation of this Society, additional church accommodation has been provided for 207,991 persons, of which 153,003 are free sittings for the use of the poor forever. [The number of free sit hugs scenic to be put forward in these reports as matter of praise. We do not pretend to judge where we have not all the materials of judge ing truly, but it strikes us that all seats purchased with the public money ought, in the nature of things, to be free. Some very good and wise men have doubted the justiCe. of any appropriation of money taken from all &nominations of Christians, to purclmse extraordinary accom- modation for one denomination ; but what is to be said of the lavishing of 36,000/. to purchase sittings for 54,000 individuals,—to put, in other words, sixteen shillings into each of these individuals' pockets ? The thing may be all right, hut it reads strangely.] NATIONAL SCHOOL SO cIETY.—Daring the last year, 328 schools had been received into union with the National Society, carrying up the amount of schools in union to the number of 2,937; and 6,643/. had been voted in aid of building school-rooms in 104 places, the total ex. pence of the buildings being estimated at 20,000/. The Society had re.. cently made a general inquiry into the state of education under the Church in all parts of the kingdom ; and an account had been obtained cone:ermine. 8,050 places, which were found to contain about 11,000 schools, with 678,356 children.