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90 districts have been marked out which, when the churches are built, will be formed into separate parishes, each with its own incumbent. The laity have hereby been very much encouraged in the building of churches, parsonages, schools, etc., for the establishment of all the various agencies which gather round a parish church. It will be seen that the original endowment has largely stimulated the progress of Church feeling in the city.”

“What encouragement have you received from the working classes?”

“That I was coming to. It is a significant feature in Church life in Lancashire that the industrial classes are very closely attached especially to the old churches, of which Manchester Cathedral is a type, and wherever there is an industrious and diligent parish priest there is certain to be a considerable and hearty following. Illustration of this is afforded by the fact that since 1870, when School Boards were established, the Church has always held its own in the membership of those bodies, and together with the Roman Catholics has, indeed, formed a substantial majority. In the case of Manchester, the successive chairmen, of whom I have been one for the last ten years, have been members of the Church of England.

“The leading laity also in Manchester have not been slow in showing their profound interest in everything that concerns the social and educational welfare of the people. Where so many churches