The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-11-12 00:00:00

MIS MI
a

The Chairman : That is just exactly the conclusion I
came to—that the thing is settled—and that my offer,
which I thought was a concession, has been rejected.
It was rejected by three out of four of the committee.
Mr. Shaw read me the Act of Parliament. The overseer,
Mr. Bairstow, met my proposal for is 6,1 by a counter—
proposal of Is. Mr. Owen has tole you whit his opinion
is, and, therefore, I considered at the time that the thing
was closed. Mr. Owen now tells you that the thing is
closed—that I have not a leg to stand on—and he applies
the act, which is confined entirely to St I. tin's
Cemetery, and has nothing whatever to do with Walton,
which is but an extension of the parish churchyards—he
applies that act to Walton Cemetery. Perhaps it may be
so. It is a question which must be settled in a court of
law. Mr. Shaw, at the time of the discussion, threatened
tee with the general vestry.

Mr. Shaw : I beg your pardon, sir, I did nothing of
the kind.

The Chairman ; You told me the general vestry would
revise my fees.

Mr. Shaw : I said they had the power to do so, but I
did not hold it out as a threat.

The Chairman I have not the least possible doubt
that Mr. Shaw may carry any vote against me in the
general vestry which he pleases, because, however
humiliating the confession may be after 35 years service
in the parish, I am obliged to confess that in the general
vestry, I have no influence whatever—not the slightest
influence in the general ves•ry whatsoever. My own
friends, or at least those who ought to be my friends,
do not choose to come down to support me, and
any vote upon the subject may be carried.
But, then, the vestry has not the power to revise the
fees. The church commissioners are the only persons
who can fix a table of fees in the parish, and even they can
only do that with the consent of the vestry and the
bishop of the diocese. They did fix a new table of fees
in the year 1829, which table of fees, I maintain, applies
to the whole parish, and to the Walton Cemetery, which
is a part of that parish. The Walton Cemetery is an
extension of the parish churchyard, and in the parish
churchyard lam entitled to a fee of 3s, and I believe it
will be found that I am entitled to the same fee of 3s in
the Walton Cemetery. Of course, if that be illegal. the
qu stion can be decided, and, as Mr. Owen said, I do
not see what else can be done. Ido not wish to go into
these sort of questions at my time of life. I don't want
to raise the question, and no doubt all sorts of things
will be said of me for raising it. I shall be accused of
covetousness, avarice, and all sorts of epithets will be
applied to me. But such is not the case. lam now past
70, and I do not particularly wish to enter into any
contest. But, at the same time, an Act of Parliament
has been passed securing me a pecuniary payment, and
all the fees which have been hitherto received. Now, I
dare say the commissioners will not give up any of their
rights, and I do not see why 1 should be
expected to give up any of mine. I, of course,
shall consult with the Bishop as to the best
mode of protecting my own rights and those of
my successors, and the bast plan will belt the vestry
would consent to take the opinion of a court of law,
without pleadings, upon the subject. That is the
quickest and least expensive mode of deciding the
subject—to take the opinion of a court of law without
pleadings.
Mr. Denton said the reason why he opposed the
introduction of the discussion was because the question
was referred by the vestry to the finance committee, and
by the finance committee to a sub-committee; and he
contended that the vestry had no right to take up the
subject at all, until the sub-committee had made their
report to the finance committee, and the latter body to
the vestry, when the members would be enabled to give
a deliberate opinion upon it. He believed that the
vestry at present was placed in a false position.
The Chairman : I had to answer a question—l had to
set right what I considered erroneous.
Mr. Bairstow did not understand at all that the
committee had entered upon the question last Friday.
They merely had a little confidential conversation upon
the subject among themselves, and it was understood
that nothing should be entered upon the minutes. He
certainly did suggest to the Rector and the gentlemen
present that it would be well if they could arrange the
matter comfortably and amicably, by adopting ls. for
burial and registration included. That was simply a hint
thrown out by himself—be did net make any motion to
that effect. It was neither seconded nor taken up in any
way, and he could not agree with the rector that his offer
was either accepted or rejected, or that any decision was
come to at that meeting beyond a simply confidential
conversation among themselves. It was fully understood,
he thought, that they were to enter upon the business as
soon as the churchwarden, Mr. Woodruff, could make
it convenient to attend.

The Chairman : Remember the length of time which
had elapsed. My letter was read at the vestry on the
16th of September. The whole month of October I was
here, and this part of November. However, Ido not
want to go any further into the question.
The question then dropped, and the minutes of the
committee confirmed.