mouth; at Habergham Eaves, in the parish of Whalley, in the county of Lancaster; and in Vincent-square, in the parish of St. John the Evangelist, in the city of Westminster. In these six churches and chapels, accommodation has been provided for 6730 persons, including 3761 free seats for the use of the poor. In the whole, the Commissioners state, 220 churches and chapels have now been completed, and therein provision has been made for 293,057 persons, including 161,284 free seats for the use of the poor. The Commissioners further report, that three churches and chapels are now being built at the following places, viz.-at Loughborough, in the county of Leicester; at Trowbridge, in the county of Wilts; and in Gray's-Inn-lane, in the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, London. Plans for 13 other churches and chapels have been approved of, to be built at the following places, viz.-at Glyn Taff, in the parish of Eglwsilan, in Glamorganshire; at Whitley, in the parish of Melksham, in Wiltshire; at Brymbo, in the parish of Wrexham, in Denbighshire; at Iron Bridge, in the parish of Madeley, in Herefordshire; at Wellington, in Salop; in Montpelierroad, in the parish of Brighton, in Sussex; at Newtown, in the parish of Mottram, in Lancashire; at Portsmouth, in Hampshire; in Pemberton-row, in the parish of St. Bride, in the city of London; at Snenton, in Nottinghamshire; at Cragg, in the parish of Halifax, in Yorkshire; at Tipton, in Staffordshire; and in Berwick-street, in the parish of St. James, in the city of Westminster. The Commissioners state, that they have proposed to make grants in aid of building churches and chapels at 55 other places, and that since their last report, they have afforded, or expressed their willingness to afford, facilities for obtaining additional burying grounds, under the provisions of the Church Buildings Acts, for ten places, and also for obtaining sites for new churches and chapels at 51 places. The Commissioners also report, that under the powers vested in them by the Act of the 1 and 2 Will. IV., c. 38, they have declared that the patronage of a new chapel, built and endowed by Giles Redmayne, Esq., at Brathay, in the parish of Hawkshead, in Lancashire, shall be vested in him, his heirs and assigns, and that they have under their consideration the following applications for the perpetual patronage of five new chapels, which have been, or are proposed to be, built under the above mentioned act; viz. from the Rev. Charles Girdlestone, and others, relative to a new chapel which has been built at Ettingshall, in the parish of Sedgeley, in Staffordshire, the patronage of which is proposed to be vested in the Bishop of Lichfield for the time being; from Lord Calthorpe, for the perpetual patronage to himself and his heirs, of a new chapel which his lordship is building in the parish of Edgbaston, in Warwickshire; from Sir John Kennaway and others, for the perpetual patronage, to be vested in certain trustees, of a new chapel, which is about to be built in the parish of Sidmouth, in Devonshire; from the Rev. W. G. Dymock and others, relative to a new chapel which has lately been built at Burrowbridge, in the parish of Lyng, in Somersetshire, the patronage of which is intended to be vested in the Bishop of Bath and Wells for the time being; and from the Misses Seymour, for the perpetual patronage to them and their heirs, of a new chapel which they have lately erected in the parish of Lambourne, in Berks, on the same being respectively endowed to the satisfaction of the Board, and in conformity with the provisions of the Act.

THE ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES IN CHINA.

(From a Foreign Journal.)

It is now fifteen years since the Roman Catholic priests were banished from Pekin, and sent, with all those who were discovered in the Chinese provinces, to Macao. Yet, the French monks of the order of St. Lazarus, among whom there is no want of money, union, or enthusiasm, have been secretly labouring for the maintenance of the Roman Catholic church in China, and their exertions have succeeded even beyond their own expectations. For some years they have annually sent two or three young priests to China, who quietly proceed to the head-quarters of the missions in the interior of the country, and join in the work of conversion. There are now Roman Catholic communities in all the provinces ; and in many places there are public chapels, where service is performed uninterruptedly, since the mission have had the good sense to train native Chinese as priests. In furtherance of this object, the mission have founded two seminaries. One of these establishments is for the southern provinces, and is situated in Macao, whence the Chinese candidates are sent to Manilla, where they are ordained by the Archbishop. On their return they are sent into the interior of the country, where they live in the midst of their flocks, as peaceably as ecclesiastics in Europe. The other seminary is in Tartary, beyond the wall of China. In this establishment the priests destined for the northern provinces, and for Pekin, are educated; for, incredible as it may appear, there is in Pekin a Catholic community amounting to more than 26,000 members. There are at this moment two French priests in the community at Pekin; for the chief direction of ecclesiastical affairs cannot yet be entrusted to the Chinese priests. The Provincials are, therefore, always Europeans, though the necessity of averting the suspicion of the Government obliges them to travel clandestinely, and often places very great difficulties in the way of the missions. Christian worship is publicly performed, even in many of the principal towns. In Tschingtufu, the capital of the province of Setschuen, Christians are interred in the churchyard, and over their graves are erected crosses and other symbols of Christianity. The Government, when not suspecting the presence of Europeans, observes the most perfect indulgence towards Christians. Christian communities, too, being generally remarkable for moral and peaceable conduct, are liked by the local authorities, who, having once tolerated them, are greatly interested in preventing their detection in higher quarters, because they would then be called to account for their previous want of vigilance. When, therefore, a community is once formed, it incurs very little risk of being molested. An additional guarantee of its security exists in the peculiarity of legal forms in China. The first attempts to establish a community are not very readily suppressed, because the transport of suspected persons to the seat of the higher tribunal must be at the expense of the local authorities, who are, therefore, naturally disposed to wink at such matters, as long as they do not apprehend disturbance or public preachings, which might render them responsible.

The reason why so little is known respecting the Chinese missions is, that formerly the missionaries were chosen from among the most ignorant of the clergy, and on their return they were unable to write intelligible accounts of their proceedings. The Lazarists, however, have seen their error for some time past, and have sent out persons who, in addition to the possession of theological knowledge, have, like the

Jesuits in earlier times, passed through a regular course of scientific education. They now have in China astronomers, botanists, &c., from whom interesting narratives may be looked for. It may reasonably be expected that ere long the Roman Catholic missions will recover the extensive influence which they enjoyed in former times. They have, indeed, already established themselves on a better footing than they have maintained since the expulsion of the Jesuits, and should they hereafter succeed in secretly forming a native Christian clergy, competent to dispense with the direct superintendence of European provincials, Christianity will undoubtedly make rapid and uninterrupted progress; for the Government seeks to suppress it, not on religious grounds, but because it is an instrument of European influence. This observation is sufficiently corroborated by the following curious fact. Some time ago the Protestant missionaries distributed on the coast of Fockimchina 20,000 copies of Bibles, Prayer-books, Catechisms, &c., translated into the Chinese language. These books were sent to the Emperor, who immediately issued a very severe decree on the subject of the distribution of publications. But, singularly enough, this decree made no mention of the religious books, and merely referred to some of the publications of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge, consisting of treatises on geography, history, politics, &c., which had been distributed along with the Bibles.

POOR LAWS.-An account, showing the population of England and Wales, in the years 1801, 1821, and 1831; also the amount of money expended for the relief and maintenance of the poor, during the years ended Easter, 1803, and the 25th March, 1818, and 1837; specifying the amount and rate per cent. of decrease in 1837, as compared with the years 1803 and 1818, the former being the year in which the smallest and the latter the largest sum of money was expended for the relief of the poor, for which authentic returns have been received: Population in 1801....

Expenditure for the relief and maintenance of the poor during the year ending Easter, 1803

8,872,980

£4,077,891

Population in 1821....

11,978,875

Amount of decrease in the year ended the 25th March, 1837, compared with 1803..

£23,840

Amount of decrease in the year ended the 25th March, 1837, compared with 1818

£3,816,750

Decrease per cent. in 1837, compared with 1803
Decrease per cent. in 1837, compared with 1818

Expenditure per head in 1803, with reference to population
of 1801

Expenditure per head in 1818, with reference to population of 1821.....

Expenditure per head in 1837, with reference to population of 1831....

1

48

9.2

13.2

5.10

Decrease per head in 1837, compared with 1803
Decrease per head in 1837, compared with 1818..

3.4

7.4

PERIODICAL MORTALITY OF THE HUMAN RACE.-At the termination of the first twelve years, about one-third of those born are with the departed; the proportion being against males in the ratio of 855 to 732 females (yearly). After this term (twelve years) to the age of forty-four, the middle period of life, and by far the more hazardous to women, the comparative mortality shows a different result; being as forty-six females to forty-one males. At the termination of this period, when the procreation ceases, female life is comparatively the most secure ; the average mortality from the ages of forty-five to sixty-five being about as sixty-three males to sixty females. The comparative security of life subsequent to this is slightly in favour of females. The table shows a great excess of mortality among females; but it should be remarked that the excess of female population, after this period of life, is nearly twelve per cent. over the male, and the ratio of mortality is hence by so much greater, without indicating any comparative insecurity of life. In collating this table from the official documents before us, we cannot but remark the extraordinary mortality it evinces at the termination of each decade of man's life from the age of thirty years. In every instance, from thirty years of age and upwards, the mortality in the year which terminates the decade very greatly exceeds that in the preceding and succeeding years; and, as a matter somewhat curious, we shall show these instances:

This strikes us as something extraordinary; it seems to say, that, at these periods, a man is under the influence of some physical change, when he either surrenders or renews his life lease.-Browning's Domestic and Financial Condition of Great Britain.

HORSES. It is estimated that there are about two million of horses in England, worth about 25,000,000l. sterling. The total number of horses charged with duty is, in round numbers, 340,000; and the amount of duty 430,000l. Of this number, fewer than a thousand are blood or race-horses; and their contribution to the revenue is only 1,500l., or about 1-220th part of the whole. According to a list given in the Times, the entire stud at Hampton Court consists of 77 horses, mares, and colts.

LIST OF BANKRUPTS, &c.
FROM SEPTEMBER 1, TO SEPTEMBER 22, 1837.

Cunningham and Salmon, Printers, Crown-court, Fleet-street.