The Express.
London, England, 1853-12-15 00:00:00

CHURCH BUILDING IN PADDINGTON.

A scandalous " job " is in contemplation in this
parish. In August 1 ist, hearing that the Select Vestry of
Paddington meditated building a number of new churches,
we sent a reporter to the meeting, at which the question
was to be discussed, in order that the public might be male
acquainted with its proceedings; but ou► reporter was in-
formed, in no yery courteous terms, that this Om bosly
did not allow reporters front the public press to be present
at their meetings. We were, however, enabled to furnish a
report of what took place, which excited great interest in
the parish, and we hoped the idea of taxing it to the tune of
20,0,k1. to 30,000/., without its knowledge or consent, was
abandoned. We regret to 6nd, however, by the following
notice that the scheme to: building churches is revived.

" Paddington, Vestry Hall, Harrow-road,
13th December, 1833.
" SIL—An adjourned meeting of the ♦estry will ¢e held
at the Vestry-hall, Harrow-road, on Tuesday morning nest,
the 20th instant, at tan oclock precisely, to take, into con.
sideration a report from the Church Committee, of which
the following is a copy :

" ' Paddington, 2nd December, 1853.
" "fhe Church Committee beg to report, that in cons-
phones with the resolution of the vestry of the 2nd August
last, they hue received and considered plans for building
two additional churches in this parish, one at Crai en-hill,
prnpoeed to be erected by the Rev. Richard Wood, nod the
other in Westbourne-park- toed, proposed to be erected by
Messrs. Phiilipe end Rey ; and the committee recommend
that sums of two thousand pounds be applied oy the vestry
from the clutch rate in aid of the coat of .building each of
these churches, upon condition that not fewer than .500 free
sittings be appropriated in each charch for the use of the
poor for ever, in positions to lie approved.by the vestry.
•• •A. M. CAMPBELL, Chairman.'
" I am, sir, your meet obedient servant,
" F. AVELINO, Vestry Clerk."
We believe about 40,0001. has been already spent by the
select vestry of Paddington Of which body the Bishop
of London is a member), and it appears from the last state-
ment of their accounts, for the year ending April, 1853,
that of this sum there remains a balance of debt amounting
to 27,1041., fur which the parish is taxed every year to pro-
vide for the interest and a sinking fund in discharge of the
principal. It appear. that the select vestry, in addition to
this large outlay, contemplated the expendi•nre of a much
larger sum in building new churches, for we see, by a re-
port of a committee appointed by the vestry in January,
1842, signed by the Rev. A. W. Campbell, chairman, that
" the church seeminoilatioa throughout the parish was
little more than one-fifth the amount of the population,"
and as a cootmencemext to supply this spiritual destitution,
the committee resommended " a sum not exceeding 10,0001.
to be expended in building a new church in St. Mary's
district." This ,scheme, we believe, was not carried out,
and the one new proposed is to subscribe 4,0001. to two

projected by tome buildin: speculeturs.
itisgtaiterta that this eine corporation
Nneoww it churches,
is
should take advantage of the parish at • moment
like the present, when church-rates are about to
be abolished, to saddle it with taxes for building
churches without their knowledge or consent. It is clear,
however, that the whole scheme is a gross job to favour
certain building speculators, under the falee pretence of
providing free sittings for the poor (for church building is
u much a speculation with these jobben as hones building.)
Where is it proposed to build these two churches ? In the
densely populated part of the parish, where the poor have
need of education and religious instructi^n ? No such
thing. They are to be built at Craven-bill, and West-
bourne Para-roid, parts of the parish where large building
speculators are erecting rows of houses, and villas fitted for
every class but the poor. There are no poor to fill the seats
proposed to be appropriated to the poor, but we know how
they will be occupied—by the servants of the rich who
frequent the churches.
This project then is intended to spars the pockets of the
rich, at the expense of the parish.
Paddington presents one of those anomalies, which the
.

inhabitants should forthwith apply to parliament to remedy.
These are not times when a secret inquisition should have
the power to tam a parish as it pleases, and to shut out the
inhabitants and the public press from its proceedings.
The church property in the parish of Paddington has
within a few years become enormously productive. We
understand it produces about twenty to thirty thousand
pounds per annum, and is yearly increasing. If it were
• ' ' .

justly appropriated there would be no nand to tax the
parish for building or repairing churches, but instead of
these purposes it goes to swell the bloated iacoms of
the Bishop of London—one of the members of the select
vestry of Paddington.