ked upon as a party question. The great Duke
of Wellington was no party man, and I cannot forbear from quoting in
connection with this subject an extract from a letter written to my
father, the Bishop of Winchester, in 1836, in response to an application
to him to support a Diocesan Church Building Society, which was then in
course of formation. The Duke writes concerning providing accommodation
in country Churches as follows:--

"It has frequently occurred to me that when Church room is required
the first thing to do is to prevail upon individuals to give up the
pews which they cannot use . . . If more space was required I should
propose that all pews should be given up, that the whole space of the
Church should be laid open for the accommodation of all the
parishioners indiscriminately, separate chairs of a cheap description
being provided for their accommodation. This being done, and space
being still required for the accommodation of the parishioners in
their attendance upon Divine Service, I would propose to consider the
mode of enlarging the Church, or if that could not be effected, of
building another Church or Chapel. It must never be forgotten that
another Church or Chapel would require the attendance of another
Clergyman, who must live and must be remunerated. He can be
remunerated only by the sale or hire of the pews and places in the
new place of Divine worship; and here again would commence the evil
which has in my opinion been the most efficient cause of the
non-attendance at Divine worship of the lower classes of the people
of this country." {48}

Surely these words, which (bearing in mind who was the writer of them)
cannot be supposed to have been the offspring of heated ecclesiastical
partisanship, are well worthy of consideration, even after the lapse of
more than half a century. It does, indeed, seem sad that parochial
difficulties should so often arise in respect of Church sittings. There
is no part of the parochial machinery which more requires the free
application of the oil of common sense--Christian charity and a true
spirit of forbearing courtesy in order to avoid friction. Blessed are
the peacemakers.

Difficulties not unfrequently arise in connection with the conveyance of
buildings or of land to be used not only for public worship, but also for
meetings, classes, etc. The subject was under the consideration of