The Sun.
London, England, 1835-01-29 00:00:00

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tbey would. have been still greater were it not for one or '
two circumstances. In the first place, only eight days had
elapsed since the abject of that assembly was announced
to the people of Shropshire, so that many of the contribu-
tions were not as yet come in, especially from one portion
of the inhabitants whose modesty held them back until
they saw how that meeting would receive and support the
efforts of their superiors in rank and opulence. The
archdeaconry of Salop was not the whole county—D3 ex-
tent was only the three-eighths of it ; conser,;,:,ently that
circumstance operated against them in more ways than
one, and particularly as they could not call together the
inhabitants so easily as in an archdeaconry which was co-
extensive with its county. Another circumstance that
prevented many contributions from his archdeaconry was
that the inhabitants looked to what support a like so-
ciety would receive in Hereford. He begged to mention
that lie counted on the support of Lord Kenyon, and on
that of his honourable brother.—( Hear.) Another cir-
cumstance that would subtract from the number of their
friend; was, that they would not find on their list the name
of his Grace the Dtike of Sutherland, since his Grace was
pledged to building and endowing a church in the large
mining districts with which he was connected. The same
might.be said of t,ie Countess of Bridgewater, as that ex-
cellent noblewoman was similarly pledged. It was his
belief, from what he saw in Salop, that all those parties
intended to come forward and assist them. Influential
gentlemen said they would take upon themselves, their
neighbours, and their country to aid you in those parts in
the cause of the Church of England ; that they respected
their ministers, and would come forward with their sup-
port. In twelve or fourteen large places there was not
cb:arch accommodation for one-fourth of the population ;
and the general evil was aggravated because large churches
were too far distant from the abodes of the inhabitants ;
and in the next place it was aggravated by a want of sit-
tings for the poor. He had one word to say as to the
general object of the meeting : however anxious the clergy
might be about it, it chiefly concerned the lay inhabitants
of those districts. The clergy did not step forward on be-
half of the clergy—no such thing ; they felt deeply in the
cause, Lint personally it was not theirs. They came for-
ward in behalf of the general Church Establienment, as
the grand and prime minister of God for the salvation of
their souls, and which conferred benefits no zeal of theirs
could repay, as well as in behalf of those artisans who sup-
plied them with the means of competency by their labour : it
was in behalf of those, and of the welfare of their be-
loved country, that the clergy made the present
appeal. It was necessary that church accommodation
should keep pace with the increase of population, and
particularly where dense masses were concentrated, since
there the excitements to sin and crime were the most abun-
dant. For want oi this, accommodation it was that they
saw so much seces3ion from the national faith, and so many
departures from God end honesty. It was said by some
respecting the build.; og of new churches, that the. clergy
themselves might .ouild them by a proper distribution of
their incomes. -c'ublic documents showed the nature 'and
extent of those incomes.. The clergy, on an average, had
2501. per annum, to support themselves and their families.
Could they, out of such an income, afFord to build
churches ?--.(Cheers and laughter.) Notwithstanding the
clergy did their share towards erecting churches ; and he
ventured to predict that on the present occasion the clergy
would contribute their share. He was not one to boast of
what the clergy had done ; lie would not say they had done
more than their share ; but he would put it to the assem-
bly, knowing their circumstances, had they done less than
their share ? For the sake, then, of Christianity—for its
sacred Founder's sake—ha asked them to furnish the clergy
with better means to discharge their sacred functiors
efficiently.

The Earl of BRADFORD proposed the third resolution,
to the effect —" That with a view of rendering the
churches more accommodating to the extending population
of the J.locese, a Society be established for the Diocese of
Lichfield and Coventry, and its operations directed to pro-
vide additional sittings and chapels, and to the building of
new churches ; and that a fund be raised to be applied to
local objects—the building of churches, and the consecrat-
ing of them and burial grounds."
The Archdeacon of STAFFORD (the Rev. Mr. Hodson)
second'A the resolution. He would state that there were
in the kingdom upwards of 2,000 livings under 1001. a year,
and 3,000 livings somewhat less than 150/. per annum.
Though there might be some difficulty in the mode of the
distribution of Church revenues, it was clear that there
would be nothing left for the building of new churches. In
fact, there could not be more than enough for the aug-
mentation of small livings. He observed that the projec-
tors of this Society did net wish to interfere with the
Building Society of London, but they hoped for the aid of
that excellent institution, wherever its laws and regulations
would admit of it. He then adverted to the small sum
that would be required to erect places of worship, and said
he had heard sonic persons assert that the bishops received
for the consecration of a church so much as 500/. Why,
the ancient and customary fee to the bishop for eonseel•a-
tion was 61. 13s. 4d. ; and more than that sum he evi;endezi
in the journeys lie was obliged to perform to the 'places to
be consecrated.

Lord Viscount CLIFFORD proposed the r.ifth resolution.
He should be glad to see more churches, and at the same
time to see the labours of the clergy rnore equally distri-
buted. For his own part, he consio.ered that the increase
of what was commonly called education would do no good,
unless the receivers of it were and morally taught
the way they should go. He ::iad lately read a book written
about France, and. lie (lid "not mean in any way to disparage
the author of it (we s'appose the allusion was to " France,
&c.," by the new I%_":iernher for Mary-le-bonne), and in it he
saw some statist:.cal tables, which went to show that the
amount of cri'ne increased in France according as educa-
tion increased. That was the completest answer that some
further r..nd ulterior instruction should be provided for
the people.—{Loud cheers.) Lord Bacon had said that
" knowledge was power ;" now if knowledge was power,
ought it not to be placed in the hands of those who were
taught to make use of it ? He was not one of those
who had anything to say against education, but he
thought that the parochial clergy ought to have the
power of directing that education, or of following it up, at
least among the lower classes. Proper books and tracts
ought to be disseminated among those classes, and such a
task most naturally devolved on the parochial clergy. If
they wished to prevent the progress of error they must do
it by increasing the number of churches. The progress of
Dissent bad made rapid strides in the following way
Many respectable persons had found a difficulty to find a
sitting in their own parishes in the Established Churches to
which they belonged, but they found the doors of Dissent-
ing Meetings open to them, and found every accommoda-
tion therein. At first they were not indisposed against the
Established Church, but they took their children with
them, and consequently they might be said to be brought
up in the doctrines of the Dissenters, and taught to dislike
what they of the Established Church had been taught to
venerate. If the dem:l,nd for more room in the churches
was not supported: the number of Dissenters would not be
diminished, but on the contrary, it would be daily in-
creased ; and for his own part he contemplated great alarm
at the effects that their increase would produce, under ex-
isting circumstances. But he hoped better things from
what he witnessed that day ; and though the Church was
in a crisis, and in (longer, such as it was in at the time of
the French Revoletion, he hoped that it would be saved, as
it was then, by the interference of Divine Providence.
From the zeal manifested by the large and influential
assembly before him, he bad no doubt but there still re-
mained in the country a large body of respectable persons
desirous of promoting the interests of the Established
Church, and the glory of God throughout the nation. The
Noble Viscount concluded by moving a resolution, which
related to the way of electing a committee of management
for the next year.
Sir J. WROTTESLF.Y, M.P., seconded the resolution of
the Noble Lord, and was glad that it was not one that
required much discussion. He considered that very great
thanks were due to the present committee for calling the
present important meeting : and as they were to form
part of the commTdee for next year, they must be con-
sidered fit and proper persons. Many years ago the
country made rapid strides towards dissent, in conse„
quence of the increase of population ; and he was "sorry
to say, that though the population continw::t to in-
crease, there was nothing like an average increase in re-
ligious instruction. Since the time. of Queen Anne,
little provision bad been made hy the State for the
building of churches or the promotion of religious wor-
ship and knowledge. The poorer classes would have
been worse off had not the divine founder of their re-
ligion instilled it into the minds of some to make some
provision for their religious instruction. He would only
now state, that it was impossible that there would not
be a strong feeling that something on the subject must
be done next session of Parliament, and he hoped, in-
deed he felt perfectly confident, that the right reverend
bench would show their zeal, and that they would pro-
pose such measure,: of Church reform as both Houses
of Parliament would joyfully put into execution.—
(Cheers.) There was a strong feeling of the necessity of
Church Reform, and the country would support anything
that emanated from the right reverend bench, provided, as
he knew they would, whilst aiding, at least not neglecting
particular interests, they gave way in deference to the ge-
neral
interests of the country.--(Cheers.) He trusted that,
to promote the present object, everybody would come for-
ward
with their donations : even the widow's mite would
be most acceptable—since it would be a proof that they
had the co-operafen of those for whose benefit, chiefly,
they were assembled. (The Hon. Baronet sat down amid
loud cheers.)
The resolution rya,: then put and carried.
Mr. S. DUGDALE, M.P., rose amid vehement cheering