Star.
London, England, 1823-08-26 00:00:00

NEW CHURCHES.

The Third Annual Report of the Commissioners
for building New Churches was presented to Parlia-
ment, and ordered to be printed, the day before the
close of the Session. The following is an abstract of
its contents :—lt commences by a brief recapitula-
tion of the Report made in the preceding year, from
which it appears, that in the interval between the
two, ten new churches had been completed, capable
of affording accommodation to 4,081 persons in pews,
and to 9,949 poor persons in free seats: that six of
these ten had been already consecrated. The Report
then proceeds to detail what progress had been made
since the preceding yeai. From this and the sche-
dules annexed, we learn that nine churches had been
consecrated: that the number already built can af-
ford accommodation to 7,116 persons in pews, and
to 14,399 it free seats. The number of churches or
chapels, the building of which is now in progress, is
44.. Of these the tar greater part will be of the
Gothic order ; some with tower and pinnacles, some
with tower and spire, and some with tower only,
There are to be a few of the Doric, Corinthian, and
lonic orders. The whole will be capable of afford-
ing accommodation to 34,563 persons in pews, and
to 39,842 in free seats. The contracts for building
them (including incidental expenses and commission)
amount to 498,6811. 18s. 4.d. or, in round numbers,
to half a million sterling. Specific grants have been
made for four of them, amounting to about 30,0001.
Of the 44 thus in progiess, it is stated that 12 will be
finished in the course of the present year, 27 in the
year 1824, and five in the year 1825. In addition to
these, it appears that plans for churches or chapels
in nine parishes have been approved of, but the
works have not yet commenced. These will be ca-
pable of affording accommodation to 5,542 in pews,
and to 5,125 in free seats. The estimated expense is
42,0401. 7s. Bd. Specific grants have been given to-
wards the erection of three of them, to the amount
of 8,5551. 11s. Id. _ _ _

- - -
These, it is said, will, if adopted, affird accom-
modation to 11,321 persons in pews, and to 14,139
in free seats. The estimated expense amounts to
906,200/. 13s. sd. Grants have been made by the
Board for five of them, amounting to 34,5531. There
are besides, twelve places in which it is intended to
build new churches or chapels, of which the plans
had not been received by the Commissioners at the
date of "the report. These, it was thought, would
be able to accommodate 9,900 in pews, and 8,600 in
free seats. The probable expense will be about
90,0001. If the 44 churches now in progress, and
those decided upon and in contemplation, be finished,
they will he capable of affording accommodation to
'68,44'2 persons in pews, and to 82,105 in free seats.
—Total, 150,547. The estimated expense of the
whole is 834,921/. lls. 9d. (The cost of the churches
already completed is not stated in the Report before
us.) The dioceses in which these new buildings will
be situated, and the number in each, are thus given :
In the diocese of London, 24. ; in that of Chester,
19 ; York, 15 : Winchester 9 ; Litchfield and Coven-.
try, 6 ; Worcester, 2 ; Durham, 2; Bristol, Lincoln,
and Rochester, one each. (This does not include the
churches already completed.) In order (we pre-
sume) to shew that the applications for additional
churches were not indiscriminately complied with,
the Commissioners add to their Report a list of
twenty-five parishes or parts of parishes, from which
applications for further church accommodation had
been made, " but which," to use the words of the
Report, owing to the engagements made on the
Parliamentary Fund, his Majesty's Commissioners
have been under the necessity of rejecting ; and a
great many other Parishes have been deterred from
making similar applications, being aware that for the
same reason they must prove unsuccessful." The pre-
sent church accommodation afforded in the twenty-
five places from which these applications have been
received, is enough for 39,986 persons, but the popu-
lation amounts to 311,588. The Exchequer bills
which have been issued by the Commissioners up to
the present time amount to the sum of £257,457.
The advances consist of specific grants in cases which
require it. In other instances, advances are made to
the Parishes by way of loan, to be repaid without in-
Iciest in a given time, varying from two to seven years.