THE WORKHOUSE CHAPEL.
Divine Service is held at the Kensington Workhouse, for the inmates, on Sundays, at 9.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. At present there are no other services; but a new code is now being introduced which will effect a very desirable change in this respect. At a recent meeting of the Guardians, the “Visiting Committee” made the following report and recommendation to the Board: “The Visiting Committee having in consideration the resolutions passed by the Board on the 1st of February inst., and having also considered the letter from the present Chaplain of the 14th inst., in which he states his inability to devote a much larger portion of his time than he has done for the last twenty five years, resolve that it is desirable that the Chaplain of the Workhouse and Infirmary give his whole time to the spiritual care of the inmates in the same way as the clergyman of a parish, and that, considering the numbers of this house and the work to be done, the least salary should be 150l. per annum.” This resolution is adopted by the Board, and will henceforth be acted upon—an urgently necessary improvement, although it may come to involve a further change in the chaplaincy. The Rev. Dr. Frost, formerly of the Kensington Grammar School, has held the appointment for a quarter of a century. When he first began he had the spiritual care of less than 150 inmates. The number gradually rose until two years ago they amounted to 800. At the present time, March, 1872, the house contains 760. It will be seen, therefore, that the religious requirements of this large number are quite beyond the provision made under the old system; and the Guardians have acted under a strong sense of duty in bringing about a thorough reformation. It was not until two years ago, when the inmates were 800, that any increase of salary was asked for on behalf of the Chaplain. Previous to that it stood at 50l. per annum; since then it has reached 65l. Double this sum will enable a chaplain to give a principal part of his working time to the objects of his calling in the house, and to bring a more decisive moral influence to bear upon the inmates. The paucity of religious service in this workhouse up to this time can be looked upon in no other light than a calamity; and may serve in some measure to explain the fact that there are so many refractory and misbehaved paupers taken hence to the magistrate at Hammersmith for correction. We cannot but think there might have been, there ought to have been, at least one week-night service instituted long ago; and if the Guardians were not in a position to pay for this, among the numerous clergy in Kensington some one might have been found who would occasionally have taken duty gratuitously. But we fear that up to the present time it has occurred to few to reflect that the souls of inmates required a fair amount of attention as well as their bodies.