The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-04-22 00:00:00

VESTRY MEETING AT AMBLECOTE.

On Monday last a vestry meeting was held at
Amblecote, for the purpose of passing the accounts
and electing churchwardens for the ensuing year.
For some time past disunion has occurred be-
tween the churchmen and considerable iuterest
was manifested in the meeting. The chair was
taken by the Rev. J. S. Bolder°. Few persons
being present at that time, and the Vicar at once
proceeded to nominate Mr. Johnson as his church-
warden, when

Mr. Mobberley said he believed the meeting was
not legal as it was usual to pass the accounts
before nominating the wardens. At this time a
number of persons joined the meeting, and
Mr. Corbett the out-going people's -warden
attended and asked the Vicar if he was entitled to
call a meeting to elect churchwardens till the
accounts had been passed ?
The Vicar: Yes.

2ilobberley proposed Mr. Corbett as people's
warden.

Mr. Gething seconded Mr. Corbett, and, in
doing so, asked the parishioners to consider tilt;
possible duties of a churchwarden under the cir-
cumstances in which the parish was placed.
The Vicar : That is not before the meeting.
We are not here to hear about the duties of
churchwardens.

MT. Gething : I submit the duties of church-
wardens are—

The Vicar: I must call you to order. We can
have no speeches about the duties of church-
wardens.
Mr. Gething : But it may have an influence
upon the choice. 'The churchwardens are the
representatives of the parishioners, and wo want
a gentleman of education, of social position, and
one fit to represent us.
The Vicar: Of course I have no objection to
that, but I thought you were going to give a
spe( ch on the duties of the office.
Mr. Archer Clarke proposed Mr. B. Warr as
people's warden, which was seconded by Mr. C.
Andrews.

Mr. W. Cooper .asked if Mr. Clarke was a rate-
payer.
Mr. Clarke: The question wai asked last year,
and had a satisfactory answer.

Alr. Cooper: But we are speaking of the present
time. Are you a ratepayer?

Mr. Clarke: I am tinder that impression.
Some one remarked that Mr. Clarke was not on
the rate-books when the question was raised last
year. _ _ _

- Mr. Clarke atcl if there was any difficulty he
had no doubt some on else would propose Mr.
Warr, and Mr. E. P. Jones did so. ----

On the IItLIIIQS being put to the meeting, Mr.
Corbett was elected by 26 votes to 11 for Mr.
Warr.

The Vicar said although the accounts were not
presented to that meeting, he might say that they
would be published and circulated. They did not
present the accounts then, because they did not
admit the right of the ratepayers to investigate
die amount of moneys gathered by voluntary
contributitms. That was the only reason, but he
begged to inform the meeting that the income of
the last year had met the expendituee, and there
were no debts, as far as he knew.
Mr. Corbett asked the Vicar if he had paid the
debts out of his own pocket or by the offertory.
The Vicar Entirely by the offertory.
Mr. Corbett asked if the Vicar had had an
ntimation from the bishop-that the whole of th
moneys should be kept in his possession and not
disposed of till he and the churchwardens agreed
as to their disposal.

The Vicar &aid the bishop had no voice in the
matter.

Mr. Corbett said that was all he wanted to
elicit.

The Vicar said Mr. Corbett had had an inter-
view with the bishop since the letter referred to
was written, and the bishop had had an interview
with him—(hear, hear)—since eecing Mr. Corbett,
and had sanctioned, so far .as ha could, the course
which he (the speaker) proposed to pursoc. The
bishop could not interfere with the ordinary col-
lections, except at the celebrat.ien of the Holy
Communion, and Mr. Corbett was well aware of it.
Mr. Corbett : I an not aware of it.
The Vicar said since Mr. Corbett made cortain
statements in the public courts—statements which
ware altogether uncalled far—itise letter had been
published and answeeetthan. -
Mr. Corbett: I have sill I want, Mr. Bold, so.
You say the bishop has no voice in the matter.
The Vicar: The bishop has no control in tho
sense you mean.
AiMr. Corbett: I take your word; the bishop has
no voice in the matter. The time has come now,
I think, that all parishioners should move in the
matter, and 1 for one shall be pleased to head

- Harper and Moore v.. Wharton.—This was an
action to recover the sum of 434, the value of the
horse, sold by the defendant to plaintiffs. Mr.
Young (instructed by Mr. Ferry) appeared for
plaintiff, and Mr. Homer defended. Joseph Moore
one of the plaintiffs, said on the 29th October
defendant's son brought a horse to him for sale
and asked £34 for it, and on the ticket was £75.
He purchased it and paid 8.34 for it, and produced
receipt. The horse was taken ill and he called in
Mr. F. Blakeway, veterinary surgeon. The horse
died on the 15th November, and he was warranted
to him as a sound and good worker. It was to
work in the pit and he was to keep it two days.—
Mr. F. Blakeway said, on the 14th November he
was called in to see the horse and he found it
suffering from an attack in the bowels, and it died
the same night. He saw the horse open and there
were tubercles in the bowels, and some of them
leading into abcesses. The cause of death was
inflammation in the bowels and he thought the
tubercles had been in the horse for a month, which.
would cause the horse to be unsound. After hear-
ing the above evidence his Honor gave a non-suit.
Bate v. Casswell.—Thie case was tried by a jury.
The action was brought to recover the sum of £9
Os 3d, being £6 for wrongful dismissal and £3 Os
3d for commission on coal sold. Mr. Corbett
defended. The plaintiff' failed to prove his case
and the jury gave a verdict for the defendant.
The Judge remarked that the verdict was a cor-
rect one.