The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-06-12 00:00:00

AIR. GLADSTONE'S CHURCH RATES BILL.

The following is the report of the Executive
Committee of the Church Institation as to Mr Glad-
atone'. Bill for ,the Abolition of Compulsory Church.
Rates.
The ILlseutive Committee of the Church Institution.
having carefully considered this Hill, with an anxious
desire to take that course in relation to it which shall
be most for the benefit of the Church, have passed the
following resolution
"That insomuch as the Bill for the Compulsory
Abolition of Church Rates is virtually a Bill
for their total and unconditional repeal, and
substitutes a voluntary subicription without
the tomtits of obtaining payment from the sub-
scribers, and is moreover open to other vises
objections, it cannot be accepted as a satisfac-
tory !settlement of the yuestion."
The Bill recites that Chursb-raiss have for some years
oea,ed to be med. or collected in many wishes by
reason of oppmition, and in many other Parishes where
Church-rates have been made, the levying thereof has
given rise to litigation and ill-feeling.
Clause I prevents future promo/in:es in Ecclesiastical
and other Courts, and before Justices to aurorae or
compel payment of Chumlorates.
Clantms 2 and 3 except from the operation of clause 1
roes to pay b,rrowed money, and rates made before the
'mon' of the Ant.

•
Clans... 4 and 5 provide for the making of voluntary
rate. where there is no sufficient Trust Fund or F.ndo•-
ment, in the ume manner as Church-rates hairs been
lirretofore made ; and for the pnrpose of such voluntary
rates, separate pariabes and Ecelesiatical distinct& are to
be deemed as excluded from the ancient parish oat of
which ilp.y were formed.
clause 6 pr ,vides that in case of • poll, the peril a
voting must sign a paper signifying that they are
willing to nay the rate.
Clause I provides for the application by the church-
minicabs of the sams raimad.

rlauae 8 provides, that persons assessed to the
voluntary rat., who do not pay it for six months, shall
be disqualified for the office of churchwarden for Lode.
@judicial purpose.s, and to vote at the election for such
churchwarden, and to vote as to the repairs, rebuil iing,
ornaments, ministers, or service of the Church, or to
the care and maintenance of the Churchyard, and chill
not be entitled to demand that any seat in the Cbureh
be allotted, aisigned or appropriated to theme; with •
proviso that on their paying the voluntary rates for the
last three years they .half thenceforth be entitled to
the some rights as if they paid in the Brst instance.
Clause 9 provide., that if, on the eleonion of •
churchwarden at which • poll is taken, the person
chosen has not the majority of not., of persons who
bane paid the voluntary rates, he shall only act as
,11 rehwarden for secular purposes, and the pawn who
has the majority of votes of such persona shall solely
set as churchwarden for Ecclesiastical purposes.
Clause 10 defines what are Eectesiastical purposes,
and provides that churehwardens for secular pirposes
need not take the declaration now required.
. . .

The Rill is then, in the opinion of the Executive
Committee, simply a Bill for the Abolition of
Compulsory Church Rates, leaving a machinety for the
levying of voluntary Church aubecript;ons (for they can
no longer properly be railed rates), and, lo return, ex.
eluding those who decline to pay the voluntary anbecrip-
tion from taking part in the raising or disnoaing of it,
and from being churchwardens, so far as the Aloe
relates to Booleitiastioal matters, and from any right to •
Nat in Church.

The proposal to substitute voluntary subscriptions
for a compulsory rate is not new. It was made by Mr.
Rright, in the debate on the Church Rate Abolition
Bill of 1862. (Hun-aid, vol. 166, p. 1712.
The Bill is called • comproaxite ; but where is the
concession to the Church? It is no oonoemioo to pro.
ride that churchmen ['my meet and subscribe. They
may do so without an Act of Psrliament. Nor is it any
conmesion to exclude non-payers from collecting and
applying • subscription in which, as Mr. Caine. nail, it
would be an impertinence and ii. Justice if they inter.
feed. There might seem at first to be something of
eon ession in excluding the non-payers from the right to
a seat, But this would deprive the Church o her
great glory—that of being the Church for all. And it
might operate as • ban of exclusion on those who now
Pay the rate willingly, but who might decline to make
up for the deficiencies of others.
It will abolish Church.rates as effectually as the Bill
for simple abolition, and will thus sever an important
link in the co inection between Church and State.

Great uncertainty will arise. It will not be known
beforehand how many will pay, and wtere there are
trust funds or an en lown,ent, doubts will arise as to
whether these are sufficient for the maintenance of the
fabrio and services.

The executive committer, then. considering that the
Bill is one for the abolition of Cr.urch•rates, with ob-
jectionable additions. cannot regard it u • satisfactory
'talismanic( the question.
. .

The executive. 'eiOuienittes think that it will not be
out of piths to offer some general observations on the
subjvet of the abolition of Church-rates.
The abolition is demanded by a party of political
dissenters, who require it as en instalment, openly pro.
claiming that they wish to take away all fun& and pro.
pert, of the Church, inelnding tithes.
This is the undisguised object of the Liberation
Rociety. At the recent simnel meetiug of the society,
(May, 1856.) Mr. Fletcher "Every measure
which they carried through Parliament was mapping the
foundation of tie establishment." At the formetion of
the society it was said thet the priociple of an otheb-
listed Church "is productive of numerous and most
dvplorable evils, spiritual, moral, political and sociaL"
" There is but one way to protect society from its evils,
and that is to uproot it altogether." _

Church-rste ettntesta are not f relnent. From this
best information which Um installs/ cosomittee can
obtain, it ia believed that Church-rates me not refused in
more then 6 per wont of the parishes of England. This
is not msont to intim& those where, from venous retinas,
they are never mowed. either bemoan the Church is
supported be endowment, or where, as in new end
district parishes, other modes, such as pew rents, have
been pr-rrided by law. The rate is quickly earrirl
in sonicithies like 10,000 wishes. After one or more
eontsats the parish heroines • quietly-paying or a
quietly-nonpaying perish. The cues of erten' posase.s
ere now but few.—it is the constant pending of the few
which makes them SOW to he many.

Chnrch.rate• litigation becomes ler every year. Tbe
law Is biromirg well known by the publications and
advioe of both parties, and its pitfalls are avoided.
Conctientions scruples against payment of Cburchvatee
are now but seldom alleged•
. . . .

The rate is virtually one on property. The tenant
takes the property subject to the rate. If not paid to
the Chureb•wardens, the amount will be added to the
landlords rent.

7:l;;;;;iti;;lerence to Mr. Gladstone. Bill, it may
be added, that the •holitioa of errupulsury Chureh•rates
will neormarily lead to the rising of rent, and thus
reduce the means, and loran the diapont on, of tenants
to pay • voluntary suMoription, and that among the
lists of non-payer. will be found, with dissenters, •
large array of men of no religion at all—of those who,
; from whucecer moue., will never pay till eompAled—
• of Churchmen, with fowled or real grievances—in fine
of those who love their money better than their faith.
It is much to be feared tbat the abolition a Church-
rates would cause great difficulties in the rural and amen
parishes in raising the fund. necessary for the main-
tenance of worship. "lain quite aware," said Mr. Morley
before the Lotds' Committee, '' of the difEculty of
deal.ng with the austentation of ,the fabrics in
country parishes." Answ. 1124.
Why should the Ferrisbioners in the 10.000 perishes be
debarr.d from ratan( themselves by the old rionstitn•
tional method of • majority, because the parishioners in
the 800 will not do so? "I cannot understand," said
Mr. Oaborn, • Wesleyan minister, before the Lords'
Committee, "why, if • parish I. Wining to tax itaelf
for the maintenanee of the fabric, na the current
expenses of the worship, the Legislature should interfere
to prevent it. It does appear to me to be quite an
ins:pitiable violation of the principle of religious liberty
that • perish should be forbidden to tax Heel!, except
the object is to entirely overthrow the Betebbabed
Church." Anew. 1795.

Tbs reasons than against abolition remain In fall
(ores.

---•
It would sever sa important link between Church
end Std..
It would endanger the maintenance of the fabric,
end the due perfomance of Divine worship, iii the
small and rural parishes.
There is no neomdry for it.
It is d-manded as an instalment towards the
uprooting of the Church Establishment.
It would not lessen the agitatioo against the Chureh.
Its conoission would only open wider the door for
farther attack.
The reasons against Mr. Gladstone's Bill comprise all
those against simple abolition, and *be following In
addition.

The Bill Is not a compromise ; it gives nothing to
the Church which can be accepted am •aoncession.
No Bill is wanted far voluntary subscriptions. Its
machinery would fetter rather than promote
them, and as landlords will add the amount of the
compulsory rate to the rent, the tenant is not
likely to look at a request for an additioual
voluntary paymeet with feelings of liberality.
The Isecutive Comudttee then mimes ly ask Cburch•
men to take every constitutional m•siss of opposing
both Bills.

By petons to both Houses.
By influence with Members or Parliamentand Peers.
By agitation throughout the country.
A torte of petition is subjoiDed
By order,
WYNDHAM HOLGATE, WA.,
Secretary.

To the Honorable the Commons (or The Hight Honorable
the Lords Spiritual nod Temporal) of the United King-
dom of Great Britain aad Irelaad in Parliament

-
&rambled.
The 11ble Petition of the undersigned Inhabitants of
the Perish of , iu the County of .
Shower,
That year Petitioners desire to sorntru their right to
vo.• a rale for the repair of their ,Cleareek sad the
performasee el diylie• vonhip Uteri&

Viet. while your Petitioners object to the total abolition
of Church Batas. they Ire 4o opposed to the abolition
of Compulsory Church Rates.
Your Petitioners therefore earnestly pray your (Kight)
linconrable Haim to maintain the existing law of
Church Hate., awl to lAA. no law for thtir tots
ab,lation or for the •bulition of coutpuliory Church
Bate..