The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-11-26 00:00:00

EIHERBORNIL

CHOICHMsnis AND }imamate. —A vestry meeting
was held in the Townhall, in the afternoon of Wednes-
day, to makes church-rate. Venally this objed creates
interest, cad sometimes egeitentent ; but this meeting
was one of the larret we have seen for mow years, over
100 persons being jortent. The steroid ciroomstanes
that caused unusual interest were the docking of the
rate to 10 on • former °manioc, and the bringing in of
the fanners to support the application for a new rats.
The mar took the choir. Mr. Chorebwarden
Hoddinog woe galled on to ezplain. which he dd by
saying that after the vestry held Joly 10, wheel only a
five-farthing rats was allowed, the wardens wombed
Mr. Hoke% and Dr. dpinks, whose opinion was that
they oittld not colorise de rats, ea some of the Manatee
were illegaL The payment of i'll6 to the Exchequer
Loan Consusimioners could not be pa • In the rate, but
loud be eolleeted separately. Earl Bretons gift could
not be brought into the ehorabwerdeus' socounts,
neither could any legel charge be glade for tolling the
bell beyond the customary fee to the sexton. He
read the it-me of the proposed rate, and said
that irrespective of the loon they should went
whir& be moved for, thia the co-church-
warden, Mr. Dodge, seconded. The Vestry Clerk
coked to ore the eases mad opinioo, and the
churehwerden hesitated, and mid it was their private
property.—lir. Ruegg put it to him if it wee respectful
to withhold it from such a meeting. and the Rae. IL D.
Harper said perhaps he would oblige them. The church.
warden then read • Krim of short questions submitted
to Dr. Spinks, and his opinion that the rate was led,
and bin admits that they should begin de wove. After a
good deal of legal debate between Mr. W. Ffooka and
the Veotry Clerk, who held that with ell reepect to
Dr. Spinks, ostler the 3rd sec 5 George IV., cap. 36,
the loan mosey might be collected as on ordinary
choroberate, and therefore could properly be in.
trodueed, Mr. rooks asked the Vestry to consider the
proposition In no amicable and friendly spirit. nes
had hitherto worked well end kindly together; they did
not want any wrangling there, and it would be better
to pasa the rote without &emission, ea in the best of it
they might say that which they would afterwirds wish
unsaid. If r. Welrford thought they could be settled
,Irat that the other rate was boi.—The Vestry Clerk
I thus appeded to said he thought it would have been
better tc have celled a Vestry to have rescinded their,
former proceeding", and he warned the perish that he
had nothing to do with the present course—Mr.
Roddinott said they were sorry they could not go to the
Velltrl Clerk se their legal adviser, for he bed taken
sods • party die at the late vestry —The Vestry
Clerk celled oo him to support that statement.
He was in the chair at that vestry, and put the
proposition, when Ey Falwasser come In and My
Roddinott asked him to 'put the question again,
which he refused to do—(m.r. beer). No bands were
bald up for the other dd., and he deolared the rote
wed. d Mr. Hoddioott declared be never beard the
amendment, nether did Mr. Dodge.—Mr. W. Chapman,
Oh. yes you did I—(laughtier). Wilitnott said, ..so
fault had been found with the estimate now produced,
and no objection, except • little bow that them might
be two rotes, it would be well to adopt Kr. Ffook's
m n, and pees it with unanimity—Mr. Chandler
laafrty were only bating about the bush. A. a
dissenter, he had tried to prevent disunion in the parish.
He never sg tided the question of church-rates in the
perish, and Vben the *burgh mu motored be was not
only • party to the borrowing of that £2,000, but he
will • member of tbe rest y.tion committee. But he
reit this wee not a question of churl:Agate. It was a
question of Ritualism, or otherwise. Was the parish
prepared to WHAMS all l'.oBll practices which ha
classed such discord though the lend ?—(Mr. W. Hooks
.ot-rposed, butthe Visor said it vas his province, &-
Aoki/man to mit them to give Mr. Chandler • fair
hearing] -(general sheering).- Mr. Chanel, r continued :
—Tb• &errata" in his chords w-s roon.rob of all he
o veyi d. The Qoesit alone Goal I m.ke war, hut
ths Holum of Comm ms awed the suo.liee, and thi
...try, if they deeppromd those ritn atria prairboe
• all stop the rate. Re 11-tight it right that th
°pintos of th town eb mid be token on this point, an •
be liaised "That usenet& es the services in the chore
•re cerriel on in • emy tout I. ohjeet,oo.bh. to t:,
great beds of the pariiii.moro, it is retiolvel that t,
turtbermite be or .nted beyond that regained to pail'
Ecehegner Chapman seconded tide.—lbiv
U. D. Norm opp.olot to Kr. Chandler net to mot

this. He, like Mr. Chandler, was an outsider, he did'nt
attend the parish *buret., and be did not think he had a
right to vote 30 • question of ministrations that he did
not attend. The elmreit-rate was one thing. Ritualism.
'Mesh he did not approve of, another, and bethought
they oeglit not to nailed up ate vestal, which was pot
the plan for diaireating pante of doctrine. Mr.
Willmott also appealed to Mr. Chandler. The Viear felt
It to be his duty to do what he very seldom did. 4107
the meeting to depart from he basinese. He d-nie lit
was any part of their duty to mous this queeticiu.
herolmain and dissenters would agree, that as near
it was his duty to do what he °mild to being as many
people to the church as be einid—(an expression of
dissent). Well, he should have thought dispenter.
diem...elves would have allowed it. Hie endeavour
bed been to make the services its popular sate wield, to
bring as meaty an he °fluid to the church. He *skeet
them whether he had altottetties !Ailed ? He looked
back to the days when be came, when it
was only belt or three-parts fulL Wefc
the oommunictets as numerous as they were DOW?
Were the services conducted according to
the petaled rule, of the Prayer Book? He
was sorry to •••01 to oast the Blithest shadow of • slur
on his venerable predeceaeor, whom he keyed to wet
above, but still toe humiliating sexy cos that were in
force when he come there were no model for him to
tillow. He commented at some length on music, and
other parte of the services, Bayles if be had not sue-
oseded to the extent he desired, be had endeavoured to
do what he believed to be his duty. He slightly tauttnel
the mover of the ainendineut with this upsets tint
being prop eel by any °hereunto, but by on* who odd
not be supprued to look chit favour on the imatese
the Church—Mr. Lion observed ill.t he tees esalud•
014 this broad fun, that if no +imp irted this Church.
rate be would eepoort that which mainterned the bold-
ness, and the system of worship carried on there.—Mr.
W. Pfnoirs regretted the amendment wu not withdrawn,
md AA.' them to unite in supporting the Church-
wardens in doing what wee ocly their duty. Ht lessen-
axed that Mr. Chandler ocotild not ears much for Ilse
ritualistic gelation. but only used lies • covet to attack
Church.raten---Dr. Williams declared his opinion that
the amendment was an upright and honest one
—(cheery). lie referred to biz twenty-three years'
experience of the town, and the cordial and generous
feeling that bed ever seated between the Church-
ten and Dissenters. He could not agree with
Mr. Harper that he had nothing to do with
this question. As a Christian man he felt be must
wry his principles into the pariah Vestry. If
Ibe believed the practices to be eminently dan-
gerous to the Protestant Chureh he invintented
that be bad a common interest with other citizens in
endeavouring to suppress them If be believed they led
to Roman Catholicism—(lood cheers)—he was entirely
Justified in supporting. u he did most thoroughly, the
preposition that had been made. The amendment was
just being put, when Mr. Hoeg, appealed to Kr.
Chandler to withdraw it, isad on this ground—that it
placed an altogether false isms before the public—
(cheers). They saw there many whose faces they
seldom saw at their Vestries, and they knew what
they came for. They were going to support the rate!
Hot if, irrespective of the rate their opinions eould be
taken on Ritualism, he was eonvineed the itituelists
could find theineelme in • considerable minority.
They would vote foe the rate and therefore against the
temodment, and what • figure would they out before
the public I Mies their strongly impressed opinion, ou
the sobJeet for tram to r• jut a resolution which coneowed Ritualism would be to stultify themselven
rimester*, disapproving of these practices as strongly u
my, he still desired to see the ameedment out of the
way. After a pause, Dr. Williams said he saw the
loopo would be a faits on*, and the public would be
and be should therefore join in asking
Chandler to withdraw his amendment—(ebeers). Mr
Chandler Aid so, and the rate was then agreed to, about
lour hands being laid up against it.

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