The Express.
London, England, 1847-10-22 00:00:00

SANITARY REFORM.-ST. ANN'S, WEST-
MINSTER.

Yesterday, a public vestry of the rate-payers and
inhabitants of the parish of St. Ann's, Westminster, was
held in the vestry-roam of the church, for the purpose of
electing and appointing a clergyman to read prayers before
the Sunday evening lectures to be delivered in this church to
Lady-day next, and also to consider and determine upon the
propriety of petitioning the legislature to abolish the prac-
tice of intramural interments. The rector of the pariah, the
Rev. Nugent Wade, presided, and the vestry was attended
by Mr. Allen, the intelligent and able vestry-clerk. The
notices convening the meeting having been read,
Mr. FIELDER moved the appointment of the Rev. G. J.
Bloomfield to the office of reader, at a salary of 304
Mr. Churchwarden SAMPSON seconded the proposition,
and a protracted and somewhat stormy and personal discus-
sion ensued. It appears that the present rector had, since
his appointment, undertaken the duties of the evening lec-
tureship ; and that consequently the pariah had been re-
lieved from the expense of remunerating a clergyman for the
lieved from the expense of remunerating • clergyman for the
performance of that office. It was contended that the patronage
hitherto held by the parish of appointing a Sunday evenir g
lecturer, had been interfered with—the parishioners ought
not on principle to be called upon to pay the stipend to a
reader. This view of the matter was supported by Mr.
Ashby, Mr. John Rogers, Mr. French, and repudiated by
the rector, Mr. Churchwarden Sampson, Mr. Fielder, and
others. Eventually Mr. John Rogers moved, and Mr.
French seconded, an amendment on the original proposition,
that " as the lecturer appointed by the parch had ceased to
perform the duty, it was inexpedient to appoint a clergyman
to read prayers before the Sunday evening lectures." After
some noisy "discussion the amendment was carried by a large
majority of the ratepayers present; but Mr. Fielder stated
his conviction that the decision did not accord with that of
the parishioners at large, and he therefore demanded a poll.
The demand was acquiesce,..;l in, and ordered to commence at
the conclusion of the other business for which the vestry had
been P.Cavaea, to close at four o'clock, and to be resumed
this day at ten o'clock, and be continued as long as circum-
stances might require.
Mr. Gennoe then moved the adoption of the following
petition, to he presented to both houses of parliament
The petition of the ratepavers and inhabitants of the parish of St.
Ann's, Westminster, showeth that the petitioners have great reason
to complain of the evils arising from the want of proper sanative
enactments, and that amongst the means by which much disease and
death might be prevented, that of the diocootmuonce of intramural
interments was o subject of the highest importance. We therefore
earnestly entreat your honourable hoase to pass such laws as may
prevent the continuance of the practice of burying the dead in the
midst of the living, it having been proved before a committee of the
House of Common., and by the evidence of the best medical and other
authorities, that the prattles is not only physically and morally in-
jurious to the public, but destructive to those feelings of respect fur
the dead whirls ought to characterise a Christian community.
The speaker in moving the adoption of the petition, cited
at tonsiderable length the report of the Health of Towns
Commission—that of Mr.E. Chadwick, the evidence given by
Sir flenj Brodie and Dr. Chambers—the opinion expressed
thirty years ago by the present Bishop of London that in-
tramural interments should cease, and concluded by paying
a just tribute to their rev. chairman (the rector), who, in a
conversation, said that he did not wish his interests to stand
in the way of a settlement of the great question of intra-
mural interments. . . . . .

Mr. J. ROGEIVI seconded the adoption of tke petition,
and, in doing so, furnished some statistics, the result of his
own inquiries and invettigation, which were most interest-
ing. He stated that the burial-ground of the parish of
St. Ann's had an extent of 2,958 square yards, which,
allowing to each grave an average of 32 square feet,
would accommodate 831 coffins. The researches had, however,
proved to hint that, since the burial-ground was first used,
no leas than 95,000 bodies had been there deposited ; conse-
quently, aoeording to the above rule, in round numbers, 114
coffins have been placed in each grave. Estimating 201bs. as
the average solid residue from each coffin, no less than 892
tons 17 cwt. and 161bs hove been added to the graveyard of
the parish ; and, estimating 40Ibs. so the average amount of
human flesh on each body, the calculation was, that within
the period mentioned, 1,781 tons 14 cwt. and 321b+. had dis-
sipated itadf by poisoning the air and the adjacent wel!e.
There had been buried in the churchyard between the
months of September, 1813, and September, 1846, exactly
205 bodies. Since September, 1846, to tho end of the last
month the interments had amounted to 172, giving a gross
total of 377 in two years. On further inquiry he found
that, during the same interval of two years, there had died
in the parish no less than 671 individuate, showing, there-
fore, that (to use the language of the speaker) " nearly 300
persons bad been driven out of the parish to be buried."
Mr. Rogers went on to state that, in order more fully to
prove his case, he had ascertained from authorities which
could not be questioned, that ono acre of ground would
only deceatly accommodate 110 bodies ; but in the
burial-ground of St. Ann's, Soho, they interred more than
three tfma that number. Here they buried 350 per acre.
Another point suggested by Mr. Rogers was, that in the
metropolis there were 210 graveyard. and that the gross
average in London amounted to 2181-10th, of which 176
acres belonged to the Established Church, and the re-
mainder to sects of various denominations. And he added
that within this limited 'space 30,000 youths and 20,000
adults were annually interred. With these statements he
most cordially seconded the motion for the adoption of the
petition.
Mr. ARPTRORP addressed a few words to the vestry in
support of the resolution, which was put from the chair,
and unanimously adopted.
A poll on the previous question was then formally opened,
and will be resumed this day at ten o'clock.