The Express.
London, England, 1853-03-29 00:00:00

ST. MARTIN-I\-THE-FIELDS.
•

The inhabitants of this pettish assembled in vestry.
The Rev. Henry Mackenzie.. A., the vicar, in the choir.
Mr. Francis Barron was fleeted senior, and Mr. Oeorge
Gillett junior churchwarden f..r the year.
4,0 n the question of the re-election of the organist being
brought be hire the vestry, it was moved that he should only
be re-appointed on the condition of being liable to be deposed
from his office at three months' notice, by a body of gentle-
men who are termed " the organ committee." It was con-
tended that this limited engagement of Mr. Walszo.ley, the
organist, was necessary on account of his having outgrown
his capabilities, and Mr. Cobbett urged that it was in the
highest degree inexpedient to pension off any parochial
of for services rendered by them. He added that a
large number of gentlemen were anxious to obtrin the
appointment, and would defer themselves as candidates as
soon as a vacancy was announced. It was contended, on
the other hand, that the organ in St. Martin's Church,
upon which Mr. Walnalley hail to play, was a wretched in-
strument, and unable to give forth those sweet sounds
which the inhabitants had a right to look for.
After a good deal of discussion, it was agreed that Mr.
Wahnsley should be re-appointed, with the three menthe.'
condition ingested.
The next business to be proceeded with wee the election
of the beadles.

Mr. Corinrrr remarked, that before those officers were
re.appob.ted, he ►ad to complain of their negligence in the
discharge of their duties, particularly on Sunday evenings,
which they passed in gossipping and snuff-taking outside the
church, instead of attending to what was going on within
the lamed edifice.

The Rey. Mr. Mrsenexxle stated that, on Recount of
an aff:ction of the chest under which he was labouring, he
was prohibited by his medical adviser from taking tiny duty
is the evening, and he therefore preached morning and
afternoon, taking his seat in his pew on Sunday evenings,
on which occasions he had en opportunity of observint,
what was going on in the church. The school-boys, who
sat at the end of the church, were very disorderly, and the
frequent sound of the beadle's heavy cane across their
shoulders, and their consequent shouts, d feelings
anything but agreeable or pious in the minds of those
who were assembled for devotional purposes. Other boys,
not connected with the school, were in the habit el coming
into the church and cenducting themselves in a manner
offensive to the dignity of the beadles, who thereupon in-1
dieted personal chutisement upon the intruders, who were '
driven out. In a few minutes afterwards these boys were
in the habit of banging open the church door, aad making
hideous noises, as a piece of revenge. All these things were
very disagreeable, and showed great negbg. ace on the part
of the b.adles, one of whom, he was informed, spent his
Sunday evenings in courting the pew-opener, in the south-
east corner of the church, while the parishioners and'
others who wanted seats, were left to shift for themselves.
(Laughter.)
It was ultimately agreed that the beadles skould be re-
elected, and an intimation was given that the churchwarden
had the power of suspending times, and would certainly ex-
arise it it, for the future, they exhibited such remissness
as bad been complained of. Attention was then called to
the question of Sunday trading in the parish, and it was
stated that althonfiti great efforts had been made to put
down Sunday trading in Hungerford-market, they bad
failed, sad that place was becoming more and more offset-
sive every day, while Covent-garden-market was a pattern
of sanctity every Sunday morning after nine o'clock,
sit:lough a large number of the principal dealers there
wets Jews. (Laughter.) It had been ealeulated that no
fewer than 100,000 pennies pawed through Ilungerlort mar-
ket every Sunday from the steam-boat,.
The ftev. CMAIRKAN• in acknowledging a complimentary
vote, which was poised to him, thanked the vestry for
drawing attention to the %motion of Sunday trading, which,
be said, be very much desired to see abolished.

ST. CLEMENT DANES.
The vestry of this parish was held at eleven
o'clock. The Rev. W. W. ELLIS, the Hector, in the
chair.

The levelly, is addition to the purpose of electing paro-
chialolivn, was convened to protest against the scheme
of the Thames Embankment Railway Company, which the
ratepayers conceived to be a project likely to affect their
interests most injuriously.
Eight gentlemen having been nominated as fit and proper
persons to serve the alias of churchwarden of the parish,
the declaiation was fisted for Friday neat.
Messrs. Jacquet, Lewis, Woods, and Raimondi, then
spoke against the proposed railway scheme. It was calcu-
lated to inflict serious detriment upon the property of the
perish, as it must necessarily draw away from the Strand
a vast amount of traffic, which would flow in a perfectly
useless channel so far as trade was concerned, it the line
were con/Muted. No compensation to the inhabitants of
the parish could be anticipated, and that trade and eustom
which they now enjoyed would be transferred to the termini
of the line and the earls= stations on the road. Even
supposing that the whole scheme was a failure, as far as
any profit to the company was concerned, a vast number of
persona who would otherwise traverse the Strand would be
drawn away from it by curiosity, to the detriment of the
shopkeeper' on the line. Under these circumstances it
was the duty of the vestry to oppose the scheme.
After a short conversation, a committee was appointed
for the purpose of watching the scheme in its progress
through the committee of the House of Commons.
After the usual vote to the chairman, the vestry ad•
journed until Friday next.