The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-03-29 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PA PERS.

Crit:RCJI•RATIS.—A suppleniental return to the return
from each parish withiu the several archdeconaries in
England and Waite, showing the gross amount expended
during the last seven years for church purposes, and
stating the amount of any extraordinary expenditure
materially affecting the average during the same
period, Lc., was presented by COMM/Ohl of Iler I
Majesty to the Mouse of Lords. It give. the present I
state of the churches and graveyards, the amount of I
prior-rates, the division of the property of the parishes,
and the religious persuasions of the landowners. In the
diocese of Canterbury (although taken RS a specimen) I
the churches generally (so far as the return before us
extends) are in very gum! order ; at Halstead, East Peck- I
ham, Ityarsh, and Chiselhurst repairs are needed,
although all the landowners at these places are Church- I
wen. The church at Tunbridge, Kent, is returned as
decidedly "bad," although all the landlieldera are Church-
men. There is, however, a new church in the outskirts
of the town, on the road to Tunbridge-wells ; and at
Southborough, • pretty village wine two miles distant,
in the game direction, a lady named Pugh is about to I
build and endow • (second) church at her own expense,
in addition to a row of comfortable almshouses. The
gross amount expended for church purposes in all the
parishes enumerated in this return during the last serr
tennium is E 291.574, and the amount collected by I
church-rates, £104,096—an average of L 14,870 a year.
4:139,086, or £19,869 a year, was expended n the repair
and maintenance of the c:inrches and churchyards; and
or aop a year, for the celebration.' divine
worship. It must be undenstood, as premised, that this is i
merely a supplemental return, referring to a limited I
number of churches in the various diucesses.
THE PROPOSED New lloeourats.—A return, DlOvell
for by Mr. Bing, and issued on Friday morning,. gives
the population and rating in the proposed new boroughs
of the Government Reform population and I
inhabited houses accenting to the census of 1811, and !
the rating for each in 18.13. In \Vest Bromwich and
Wednesbury, the population MU 48,879; the inhabited
houses, 9,253; the number rated to the poor at £lO and
upwards, 1,542 ;at and upwards, 2,709. In Birken-
head, Cloughton-cum-Grange, Osten, and Traninere,
population, 33,525 ; inlisbited houses, 4,883; rated to
the poor, 3,130 and 4,3+47. In Burnley and Ilabergliam
Eaves, population. 27,253 ; inhabited houses, 4,884 ;
rated to the poor, 736 and 1,124. In Staleybridge and
Duckinlield, Population, 32,892 ' liousee,
5,986; no return of rating. Croydon and Penge, popu-
lation, 21,512; inhabited houses, 3,604; rated to the
poor, 1,688 and 1,657. In Gravesend, Milton, and
I4ortlideet, population, 21.671 ; inhabited houses,
3,627; rated to the pour, 2,296 and 2.586. In Hartle.
pool, k.c. population, 16,068; inhabited houses,
2,882; rated to the pour. 877 and 1,414 The object of
the return appears to be to show the disproportion be-
tween the claims of thew propoeed new boroughs and
the parishes of Chelsea, -Kensington, and Rammer-
*with, which are nut elevated to the position of a par-
liamentary borough, but by the Bill are made to form
hart of the Western Division of Middlesex, which
county, it is proposed, iihall return two additional meni•
bers. The population of the three parishes mu 1851 was
118,31(1; the inhabited houses, 16,842; the number of
persons rated to the pour at £lO and upwards, 12,648 ;
and at DS and upwards, 13,021.