SCOTLAND.
At the sitting of the Edinburgh Town-Council on the 10th instant, the annual returns respecting the state of the City Churches were laid on the table, with several additional statements order( d by the Council. From these returns it appears beyond the least doubt, that there is no deficiency of seats for the poorer classes in the churches et' the Esta- blishment, and that the attempt now making by the Tories, with the assistance of Dr. Chalmers, to procure a grant of public money for building more churches, ought to be earnestly resisted by evety friend to economy and foe to humbug. It will be recollected that the subject of providing additional church-room for the Scottsh poor was es- pecially mentioned in the King's Speech. His Majesty was made to say- " I feel it incumbent upon me to call your attention to the condition of tie Church 4 Scotland, and to the means by which it may be enabled to increcte tie opporturAties of religious worship for the poorer classes of society, in that part of the United Kingdom." That the King was grossly imposed upon by those who assured hint that there was not sufficient room for the poor in the Scotch churchor •
at least as far as the capital is ecncsrued, will appear from the sub- joined calculation.
" There are nine Established Churches in the 014 Town of Edinburgh, which exhibit the following results—Total seats let, 4,696; total seats unkt, 3,861 ; giving 45 unlet seats out of every 100 seats, taking the nine churches altogether. It appears that the lowest pried seats are those which find perst occupants. Of the sittings at the rent of :Is. yearly, there are let 21, uulet 192, or 8S per cent. inlet; at :33., 4s., and 5s., yearly, let 609, unlet 1,055, or 6:1 pet cent. toilet; while of the three high.:st-rented classes of seats, the propor- tions unlet are only 16, 6, and 2 per cent. Further,
The nunther of sittings in the nine Old Town churches, exela • sive of seats dedicated to hospitals, and given free, is 8,557 Of which there are let to the inhabitants of the Old Town only 683
Leaving a surplus accommodation for the Old Town inhabitants of 7,872 And yet it is proposed to build fire new churches in the Old Town, in which the poorer inhabitants for the most part reside. The general results embracing both the Old and the New Town, are thus stated— Number of sittings in the City Churches, exclusive of Hos- pitals and free seats (population 51-.4232) 14,f308
Let to Old 'nova, (population 27,036) 715
Let to New Town (population 28,106) 4,791
5,5(16
Surplus accommodation 8,sses Let to parishioners without the city 8,7%3
Utile 5,009-
From this it appears, that in the City Churches there is room already for five thousand more persons than attend i thm, although parishioners residing without the city have taken nearly four thousand sittings. There are therefore about nine thousand more seats for the inhabitants of the New and Old Town than they require. These facts will go far towards settling the question of voting more of the public funds for the building of new churches connected with the Establishment. It is quite impossible that the House of Com- mons will lend itself to so disgraceful a proceeding, though the Tory Ministers have not scrupled to put a recommendation of it into the mouth of the King.
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