The Express.
London, England, 1852-06-30 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OP THE EXPRESS.

SIR,—A canon of Rochester having stated in Doe-
WV-commons, on Wednesday last, that the late Primate of
England, as interpreter of the statutes of that cathedral,
hail sanctioned four minor canonries twin,: merged into one
individual, permit me, through your columns, to submit to
the public :in extract from the Ely statutes on the question
of the visitation of the cathedral, which statutes are identi-
cal on this point with those of Rochester, in order to show
how utterly at variance with the intentions of the founder,
was the courre pursued by the interpreter.
In cap. 15, we read thus—" Moreover, inasmuch as
we wish these our statutes tor ever to endure, we will,
that if any doubt, dispute, or difference shall here-
after arise between the dean and CallObS, or between the
canons thenuclrea, concerning the true and real meaning of
our statutes (all which we will have understood according
to the obvious and grammatical sense), we do decree that
such statute, or any clause of a statute, concerning which a
dispute is arisen, shall be referred to the Archbishop of
Canterbury, whose interpretation and declaration (provided
it be not repugnant to our statutes) we command these who
have doubted or disputed, without delay and opposition, to
stand to and abide by ; nevertheless, we inhibit the visitor
and the interpreter ut• our statutes, and all others, of what-
soever dignity or authority they shall be, to make any new
statutes, or dispense with any one ; and we forbid the dean
and canons of our church to receive any such statutes,
under the penalty of perjury and perpetual disinisaion irons
our church—we reserve, nevertheless, to us and our suc-
cessors, full power and authority of changing or altering
these, and (it it shall seem St) of making new statutes." I
apprehend, sir, that the interpreter did dispense with a
mouse of a statute in allowing six minor canons to be re-
duced to three, and thereby violated the injunction laid on
hint by the founder. No penal consequences attach to the
interpreter for such default : fax otherwise is it with the
dean mid canons. Dr. Griffith states that they "received"
this official sanction to violate the statutes and acted on it,
and I thereon appeal to Mr. Cowling whether they have
not thereby incurred the penalty of "perpetual dismission"
from the cathedral church of Rochester ?

Had the Dean and Chapter resorted to the crown to pro-
cure as alteration in the statutes to whom such power is
reserved, regularity and decorum would have been pre-
served. The act of 1810 was in reality an exercise of such
authority, the enactments being based on recommendations
of her Majesty's commissioners, which recommencations, by-
the-bye, 1/r. Griffith at that time considered subversive of
the principles of the church. Dr. Addams extenuated the
long abeyance of the celiac of hedesmen, on the plea that
the nomination of such officers rested with the crown, not
with the Dean and Chapter.
Some of the stalls in Canterbury Cathedral are also in
the patronage of the crown ; does Dr. Addams think the
Dean and Chapter ever omit to notify to the government
the avoidance of such ~talb, or that the latter arc tardy in
filling them ? If not, the mutual indifference only exists
when the interests of poor men arc concerned. Dointis is
not yet cited as recipient of revenues of abeyant canonries.
Dr. Addams ventured to produce no accounts, therefore the
public can draw their own inferences as to how the funds
got out of donuts. In order, however, to show Dr. Addams
the best means of convincing the public mind, I subjoin
aa abstract of the Wimborne accounts fur the year ending
Dee. 21, 1831.
' Let Dr. Addams submit a similar financial digest, ere he
calls on us to acquiesce in his dictum, that the Dean and
Chapter have not benefited by the suppressed offices.
"Abstract of the Accounts of the Possessions, Revenues,
sad Goods of the Free Grammar School of Queen Elisa-
beth, in Wimborne blunter, in the county of Dorset, for
ate year, ending the 21st of December, 1851.
Du.
Hakim due from the registrar, as shown in
the last account 124 2 111
Arrears of rent-charge, rents, pensions, and
portion, at Michaelmas, 18.50
Ose year's rent-charge to Michaelmas, 1851 2,334 15 1
One year's rents to ditto 4 2
One year's' pensions and portions to ditto.. 6 8 8
Head monies for boys admitted into the
school for one year ending 31st of Decem-
ber, 18d1 226 0 3
Dividends on Stock in the Three per Cent
Console

£ s. d.

Received by sale of stock
Received out of the fund in court, 7s. 6d. in

063 IS

the pound, being on account of the regis-
trar's bids in the suit " Attorney-General
r. Governors:of Grammar School," from
the commencement of 184 i to the end of
1848, and which bills had been paid by the
governors in full £349 11 3
,eceived balance of amount
Saud off such bills 6B 1 8

B.oeived for the erection of
two brick graves in the
churchyard lO 0 0