The Express.
London, England, 1863-06-26 00:00:00

BALHAM CHURCM.RATIL

The district church of St. Mary, Balham, has
this week been the scene of • strong contest on the ques-
tion of church rates. St. Mary's was formerly a proprietary
chapel, managed by a body of directors ; and at one time, it
is believed, paid a dividend of eight per cent. It was con-
secrated in 1856, and in 1959 a district was attached to it,
taken entirely out of the original parish of Streatham, and
making the fourth new district church in Streatham. For
some five or six years after consecration everything went
ion quietly ; the local charities were well sup-
petted ; the pew-holders paid their own expenses of
public worship, and the old directors managed the new parish
much is the same war as before it was consecrated. In an
evil hour a different spirit seems to have taken possession
of the authorities, prompting them to make and enforce
church rates, a practice dented by none of the other
churches in the original parish. Opposition to this first
showed iteelf last year, when seven or eight gentlemen were
summoned to the police court ; after consideration they de-
cided to pay that you, and to watch for the futute. The
conduct of the authorities has produced its natural result.
No rate bad bees made this year, nor churchwardens' as
• passed at Easter, the usual time for settling
suck matters in other parishes, and it was hoped
that the same influence which formerly governed the
* again in the eacendant. It wu not so, however.
parish es
The vestry meeting in June to pass these:meta was fixed at
so kite a date, that in the event of a poll there was barely
time to canvass the district. The supporters of the old
directors only were invited by officially signed circulars, and
on the morning of the vestry meeting (the 19th inst.), the
churchwardens found themselves in the majority of sixteen
to seven at the vestry-room. A church rate, including
animal items that should sot Is-there, was proposed for 4d.
in the pound ; before this was put an amendment for one
penny in the pound was proposed, including all such items
for the fabric of the budding as were at all necessary.
On the show of hands being taken it was of course against
the amendment, on which a pull was demanded and ob-
tained. The poll opened on Monday morning last, and in
the first hurry of voting several votes were tithes wrongly
the total number of votes so taken was twenty-three, and
were each individually objected to. On Tuesday evening,
when the poll closed, the numbers wilf• 104 to 127, the
majority being the exact number of wrongly taken votes.
Protests against the state of the poll and against other items
in the rate which were incorrect were duly put in and taken.
The district is thus in the singular position that the original
romantics is not carried, not having been put to the meet-
ing, and the amendment is not carried, the valid votes being
equal; so that after all no rate wu made. What the nut
step will be it is difficult to nay, but it is to be hoped that
the authorities will see that it is not possible to control a
parish of independent ratepayers as they would a body of
shareholders, and that it will be to the interest sad comfort
of all concerned to ratans to the more peaceful mansgement
of the first veers of the parish

CAPTAIN BPHIL' AND THE DIZOOVIZTOF THE NUJ.
—Writing to the Timm Captain Spoke aye, "Not wink-
les to enter into say newspaper controversy with regard to
my recent explorations inAfrica, may 1 beg you, through
the medium of your . to at men set at rest those con-
tinued objections what my having disoovered ' the
MOM of the Nile.' Twins have 1 plodded through Africa to
satisfy the public in regard to the origin of this greet river,
mid in doing .o have determined that the Victoria Lake ia
the great resismoir ' of the Nile, while ita source emir
sates from the clouds. The Kitangul• River is, doubtless,
• very coeskierable affluent to the lake, but I have seen
that above tbe ferry where I crueaed, it originates sot in one
lake, bat in a member of small ones, lying in valleys sepa-
rated ose from the other by spars of the Mountsins of the
Moon. A look at the map published by Mr. Stanford for
the !loyal Geographical Society will show you what 1 mesa.
JOZEATTS COPAHINE MEGE, auccessfully Should anybody, after this notice, wish to agitate the quell.
tried ID the retie and tnadm' 11.0.111. ender the oweef Moe, I would advise him to wait until such time as Mr.
Mmes. Ciallirke, aboard, Lloyd, Poland, and twee ___..
Blackwood will be able to publish my vie. yew' (on and
Sanest, Nov. a, Ind), client. a care in an aaera" of sin dart.off ) travels in Africa, ending ia the settlement of the
either In recent or chronic dlseaars. rt, bottle, by post
ea lid at C.Jomma'a, heath chemist, 49, llaymartet;Lmadon.

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Beast. It obviate. ail the effects of climate on the skin, whether
with reference to cold and inciseuency, or totem., solar beet
Totes ed. and ea IS per battle.--gold at 10, II 4ton-warden •
and by chemist. and partnasen. Ask for Bowls.nyli Italydog,"
and beware of spurious and pernicious articled under the name
et .ICalyder."