In 1808, a number of persons, connected with the su burbs, obtained an act of Parliament, incorporating them into a company for supplying the city of Glasgow and its suburbs with water, under the name of the Cranston 1E11 Water Company. Accordingly, they purchased lands at Cranston Hill, and on the banks of the river, about a mile below the city, and erected steam-engines, filtering beds, reservoirs, &c. And now send river water in a pure state, in iron pipes, through a number of the streets and lanes of the city and suburbs. The expenditure of the company is 52,0001. The water rates are nearly the same as the Glasgow company. The cast-iron pipes belonging to this company, laid in the streets and lanes within the royalty, exclusive of the main from Cranston Hill, and the pipes in the suburbs of Anderston, Gorbals, Calton, and Bridge town, &c. amount to nine miles, four furlongs, and eleven poles. The total length of pipes within the royalty, be longing to both companies, is 27 miles, and fourteen poles.
The affairs of the river Clyde are placed, by act of par liament, under the management of the magistrates and council. The revenue arising from tonnage, cranage, and harbour dues, collected at the Bromidelaw, amounted, in 1814, to 5,9201. 23. 8d. Those dues are kept distinct from the corporation's funds, and are laid out in deepening and improving the river and harbour, and in discharging the debt of the trust.
Prior to 1800, the police of the city was under the sole management of the magistrates and council, and supported from the corporation funds. In 1800, an act of parliament was obtained, vesting the management in the lord provost, magistrates, dean of guild, convener, and 24 commission ers, to be chosen by the inhabitants. The commissioners are authorised to assess the inhabitants of houses, shops, and warehouses, &c. for the purposes of the act. The ex ecutive power is vested in the magistrates, and the admin istration of all its other affairs in the magistrates and ward commissioners. The commissioners hold stated weekly and quarterly boards, and numerous committees watch over the particular concerns of every department. This act be ing in force for seven years, gave the inhabitants an oppor tunity of observing its beneficial consequences ; according ly, in 1807, a new act was obtained, without requiring any material alteration, other than that the rate of assessment was increased on rents of 41. and under 61. from 4d. to 5d. in the pound ; 61. and under 101. from 6d. to 7Ad.; 101. and under 151. from 9d. to 11 ; 151. and uptvaids, ftom Is. to
s. Sd. The commissioners, under this act, have merited and received the general approbation of the citizens, who have rarely been called on for the maximum rates.
In 1807, a renewal of an act of Parliament was obtained, appointing the magistrates and council trustees of statute la bour conversion within the city, and authorising them to assess the inhabitants of dwelling-houses, whose rents are under 51. in 2a. yearly ; 51. and under 101. 3s. yearly ; 101. and upwards, 58. yearly ; horses, 158. each; and each ploughgatc of land, (60 acres,) at 603.: the following per sons being al ways exempted,—clergymen, parochial school masters, militia men enlisted under the act of 1779 and and 1782, and paupers. The nett proceeds of 1814 are 14451. which is all expended on the streets and common sewers.
This city is the chief seat of the synod of Glasgow and Ayr, and of the presbytery of Glasgow. The members of the latter are, the ministers of the city, of the barony, Gor bals, Rutherglen, Cumbernauld, Carmunnock, Calder, Carnpsie, Govan, Kirkintilloch, Kilsyth, Cathcart, and Eaglesham, and their elders. The synod is composed of seven presbyteries, viz. Glasgow, Ayr, Irvine, Paisley, Hamilton, Lanark, and Dumbarton.
At the Reformation, one minister, who was superintend ant of the western district of Scotland, officiated in Glas gow, and had the pastoral charge of all its inhabitants : in 1583, the session of Glasgow was regularly constituted, of 1 minister, 35 elders, and 26 deacons. In 1590, although the lay members of session were numerous, we find the minister had summoned an inquest from the neighbour hood, to assist him in judging of matters of scandal. Soon after this period, public worship was performed in three churches: during subsequent periods, commencing about the time of the Revolution, the town has been divided into eight separate parishes. The patronage of the original one is vested in the crown, the town-council electing all the other clergymen.
The places of worship within the city are now as follows : —nine parish churches, including the barony, four chapels connected with the establishment ; one covenanted presby n, one antiburgher, three burgher and three relief meeting-houses ; two tabernacles ; one English and one Scotch Episcopalian chapel; one independent, two baptist, and two methodist meeting-houses ; one Roman Catholic and one unitarian chapel. The Glassites, Bereans, uni versalists, Sze. have all places of worship. The number of sittings in the whole arc 35,550.