The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-11-20 00:00:00

THE IMPRISONMENT OF MR. DALE.

The Times, of Monday, said :—" According to a
statement made by one of the watchers outside the
church, every precaution has now been taken against
the re-entry of Mr. Dale or hi.s friends. Commis-
sionaires are now within the vestry and are relieved
every four hours, and one of those placed outside by
the rector's friends, and who was let in with the others
by mistake, declares that seven new locks have been
placed upon the different doors, and that a padlock
also fastens the outside gates to the steps in Foster-
lane. The Commissionaires enter and leave by the
school-room in Priest-court, and not by either of the
church doors."

In spite of the rain, there were a good many arrivals
at the church on Sunday morning, between half-past
ten and eleven o'clock, Mr. Charles Powell, the secre-
tary of the Working Men's Society, being among the
number; but neither the Rev. C. T. Ackland nor the
rector's son appeared upon the scene, as on the pre-
vious Sunday, with a view to conduct any service.

The following petition has been agreed to by the
Church of England Working Men's Society, and
copies of it were posted to over 200 of their branches,
and also to the principal clerical sympathisers with
Mr. Dale :—" The humble petition of the undersigned
prays that your gracious Majesty will order the release
of the Rev. Thomas Pelham Dale, now a prisoner In
your Majesty's prison at Holloway."

At a meeting of the Hatcham and Peckham branch
of the English Church Union, the following resolution
was unanimously carried :—" That this branch of the
English Church Union indignantly protests against
the imprisonment of clergymen for carrying out the
plain meaning of the rubrics of the Prayer Book, and
hereby records its most grateful thanks to the Reverend
T. Pelham Dale for refusing to recognize the authority
of secular courts in spiritual matters and for his
willingness to suffer imprisonment rather than do
violence to his conscience by accepting decisions
which contradict the plain words of the Book of Com-
mon Prayer."

Tuesday's post brought Mr. Dale a largely signed
address of sympathy from members of University
College, Oxford, and he has been informed that
similar addresses are in course of signature in each of
the colleges of both Oxford and Cambridge.

The Evening Standard of Wednesday said :—" The
position of the contnding parties in the case of Mr.
Dale remains unaltered, and it is understood that no
steps, legal or otherwise, will be taken to obtain the
release of the reverend gentleman until after the
judgment of the Dean of Arches on Saturday, in the
other ritualistic cases. Meanwhile the friends of Mr.
Dale are working enefgetically, and it is stated are le-
ceiying a great number of signatures to the petition
to her Majesty now in course of preparation. The
health of the prisoner continues good; in fact, at the
present time he is better than he has been for a con-
siderable time past. He is much pleased with the
efforts made on his behalf, but continues to express
his determination not to go back in the least from the
position he has taken up,"