The Sun.
London, England, 1838-09-07 00:00:00

SP'IIR,LT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

We publish in another column a remarkably clear and
interesting statement, written by the Rev, Dr. Chalmers,
on the subject of Church Extension in Scotland. The re-
port from which it is extracted exhibits, with the Doctor's
usual precision and power, the obligation that rests upon
Government to provide such an adequate supply and en-
dowment of religious ordinances as may render them ac-
ceptable to the poor, tither gratuitously or at the lowest
possible rate. Since the days of John Knox the popula-
tion of Scotland, it seems, has increased a million and a
half: whereas the few churches that have been added to
the old parochial complement during that long interval
(anterior to the recent erections by local subscription)
" have not furnished one additional place of worship for
each 9.0,000 of the increased population." Now, of the
twofold process necessary to provide an extension of
Church accommodation commensurate with the wants of
Scotland--namely, an increase of edifices, and a partial en-
alowment for the new Clergy—the people themselves have
nobly undertaken the former, and have actually set agoing
two hundred additional churches within the last four
years. Unless, therefore, the Government come forward
with the remaining element of the process, and grant such
an endowment of these Churches as shall partially support
their pastors without imposing the necessity of putting a
high price upon the pews, it is plain that the indigent and
neglected poor, for whose benefit they have been erected,
must remain in all respects as destitute and degenerate as
before. Nor can her Majesty's Ministers defend their hos-
tility to this proposal on the alleged score of resisting a
rapacious clerical ambition ; for, while the trifling endow-
ment of 801. per annum for each pastor is all that is asked
for at the hands of the Treasury, esssry person M 1 2.7,t see
that any supposed passion for ores' Church belling, is, in
this case, sufficiently guarded. against by the circumstance
that the whole expense ttereof comes out of the pockets of
the petitioners. Wit
1.1 this satisfactory security against im-
provident and Ise,-needed erections, the fact of the people
subscribing f.'s) build must surely be an ample warrant
for the (:,,overnment consenting to endow. It appears,
moreover, that the withholding of the endowment in
question is seriously interfering with that rapid multiplica-
of churches which would otherwise take place ; though, it
fewer new erections have been made during the past year
(ending May, 1838) than in the former one, " it is not
from any decay of ieterest in the cause—an interest more
active at this moment than ever"—but because, without the
intervention of a helping hand to endow such edifices as arc
already built, it is felt that the purposes of the beneficent
enterprise; are in a great measure thwarted ; and their use-
fulness among the destitute classes, for whose advantage
they were undertaken, is but very partially realized. No
doubt the additional churches thus erected by spontaneous
liberality have to a certain extent increased the means
of religious worship, and also lessened its price to the
indigent worshipper. But as long as these churches
remain unendowed by Government, the absolute neces-
sity of putting some price upon the pews, in order to
support the Clergyman, must inevitably exclude those
wretched thousands from whom not a single farthing
can be obtained to procure for themselves the blessings of
spiritual instruction. By these new places of worship the
gate of divine ordinances may have been opened somewhat
wider than before to a certain needy class who can contri-
bute a little ; but with regard to the poorest of the poor,
the arrestment of whose growing degeneracy and danger
was the principal thing contemplated, there must still remain
" a mass of irreligion and ignorance which, if abandoned by
Government to the operation of an uncertain benevolence
from without," will ultimately throw the moral interests and
social order of the community into a state of imminent and
inexcusable jeopardy. The conduct of the Whigs upon
this important question is reprehensible in the extreme.
The London subscription in aid of Church Extensionin Scot-
land is, we observe, still going forward, though very languidly.
One reason, perhaps, why less interest is felt in this metropo-
litan effort thanit deserves, is,as we are informed, the circum-
stance that it happens to be mainly in the hands of some of
the principal parties who took a prominent lead in appeal-
ing to public liberality last year on behalf of the destitute
Highlanders. The respectability of these parties is be-
yond all question ; neither would it be fair to suppose that
they gave any countenance to the recent attempt to misap-
propriate the Highland relief fund ; but the fact is, the 1
same frequency of application which operates so unfavour-
ably for private cases, affects to no small extent the success
of more disinterested appeals. When the public are too
long and too often dunned by the same names they grow
weary of it. After all, however, were the matter viewed
in a proper light, it would be seen that the community are
really under a deep obligation to these parties for their use-
ful, active, and gratuitous services. And as to the cause
of Church Extension, in which they are now so beneficially
employed, we can only say that their munificent donations
to it have been such, as we should like to see imitated by
many of our opulent readers.—Times.
On Tuesday last Mr. Wilshere made his appearance at
Yarmouth, and was received in the most flattering manner.
Our readers will find elsewhere an account of the proceed-
ings. In the course of his address Mr. Wilshere alluded
to the agreement which led to his vacating his seat at the
close of the last session, and the imputations which had
been thrown out that he bad not honorably and conscien-
tiously fulfilled his part of the agreement.
" Gentlemen," said Mr. Wilshere, " I fling back with the
scorn and contempt it deserves, that imputation upon my
honour. I will tell you what I did in consequence of that agree-
ment. I undertook not to interfere in the election of Mr.
Baring, and from the moment I gave that pledge I have not
interfered in his election. I abandoned my seat, and almost
before the ink was dry with which I solicited the appointment
to the Chiltern Hundreds, I was on my way out of England
to avoid even the suspicion of taking any part in the proceed-
ings that were to take place consequent thereon. Now, Gen-
tlemen, this conduct of mine has been most grossly and most
unfairly interpreted. It has been said that I was privy to my
name being made use of in opposition to Mr. Barings that I
knew what was going on, and that I had merely gone out of
the way in order to throw a cloak over what would have
been a disgraceful act of hypocrisy and dishonour. Now,
Gentlemen, to you I need not say that that state-
ment is utterly false. But I feel, Gentlemen, that I owe
it to myself as an individual, and as your representa-
tive, to state here, publicly and solemnly, in the face of my
opponents, if any are present, and I trust there are some of
them here, I did not know my name would have been used ; I
was not a party to it ; I did not even know the freemen had
met, and determined to put me in nomination, till the very day
before my nomination took place, and then my attention was
only drawn to it by a friend I accidentally met in the streets of
Paris. I appeal to you whether I have not conscientiously,
even scrupulously, carried into effect all that I was bound to
do by that agreement."
Mr. Wilshere added, however, that an application had
been made to him by Mr. Baring again to vacate his seat,
thereby intimating that he, Mr. Wilshere, could not retain
his seat in consequence of the agreement.
" I have been placed," said Mr. Wilshere, " in the proud
position which I now hold by your independent votes, and as
many honourable gentlemen in this town and neighbourhood
have given it as their opinion that I can hold my seat, I do
say that I must be allowed to hesitate before I answer Mr.
Baring's call. Gentlemen, lam aware that I alone must at
last decide that point ; but in a question of such importance,
involving my honour as well as your own, I should not like to
rely solely on my own unaided judgment. I am, as you know,
but just returned from the Continent; the very flattering haste
which you have shown to welcome me among you has pre-
vented my consulting, as I intended to do, those friends into
whose hands I would willingly leave my honour. I will riot
anticipate their advice ; if it be that by the fair and honourable
construction of the agreement I ought to retire, I shall do so,
though with the deepest grief."—Morning Chronicle.
Yesterday, in alluding to the great moral power about to
be brought to bear on the next Session of Parliament, we
expressed our conviction that the influence of public feeling
would be exercised and acknowledged without the adop-
tion of any violent appliances ; and on this conviction we
stated our approbation of the organization at present in ac-
tion throughout the country, with a warmth of feeling to
which we should not have given utterance had we not felt
confident that great as is the provocation practised to-
wards the people, and mighty as is their power, they yet
possess sufficient intelligence to appreciate the advantages
of peaceful action, and know how to direct that power to
the consummation of their wishes without the interruption
of social order. Meitings of a most decisive and influen-
tial character have &ready been held in Birmingham, Man-
chester, Dublin, and other parts of the United Kingdom.
Similar meetings are preparing to be held, amongst which
WC may particularise that about to take place in the Palace-
yard, Westminster, on the 17th inst., which from its metropo-
litan character may be expected to exercise a paramount in-
fluence throughout the provinces, and serve as a beacon to
appreciating the position which the
their proceedings. Fully
people are about to assume, and intensely sympathising in the
responsibility ''l. '•11 devolves upon them, we are desirous teat
no ineass shoi
omitted which may secure to the coun-
tryllrtill be
the full advantages for which such a vast power is about
to be put in action. On
this account we are not so anxious
that extravagant claims, or
the
claims seemingly extravagant,
as that
should be made,
eameoxuanettedof.
We are not so the claims made,
whatever it may be, should
be
desirous of sudden changes and violent transitions as that
steadily, safely, and
we should find ourselves progressing.
the people lt is true
certainly, in the path of reform..
nor should they ever
de-
mand nothing but what is their right, I ,
but in proportion
rest quiet till they attain their demand
t.•
their forbearance.
to their power, so is the necessity o
The people are now in a position such us
them never previ-
ously occupied, and it is incumbent on
to
themselves with an intelligence and discretion adequate ,
the high position they have assumed. NVe should wish to
14 i'• "'SsVeltiKE hanage their mighty numbers in such mode that
""-..‘ - ' 'briar demonstrations shall not be looked upon
a lif . p
~ --- gi,:\ iipp6 ensioo, but with hope.
zlfil„ .-. Let them take
basstaesstiall 4tisl firmly adhere to it. Let them not urge
I,lS•rr n-vto
sas , . 7s.
•*.- '''"fcg.: „.,,,,....„
ri,
s I krons which, in the complicated interests c f
ic:4,l
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