The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-07 00:00:00

rEr-LvG OF PARISH CHU.RCII COILIIISSIONERS.

eze,.llll "tine; of the Church Comwsioners was held
the accounts of
11,- "ay, for the purpose of going over
Piri3h churches, previous to the annual vestry.' The
.or,l Was held in the board room of the, parish offices,
e,!;'l'w hill, at twelve o'clock. The Rev, Beecor
4,....°°11 presided ; and among the gentleinsei present
Or 3lessrs. Woodruff, Shaw, Braecker, Nickson, By.,
'st. Roberts, Brownbill, eec , &c.
,4
.e'rf,ral accounts relative to the parish churches having
glee through, the accounts of St. Paul's Church were
theira. option moved and seconded.
tai; Roberts R 4
oberts a!l
proposed an amendment, As a Protestant he
1,48 be protested against the p
thumb assine of those accounts. He
tttehet a ashamed to say, en-elide, and privately, that that
it 'vas not fulfilling 'the legitimate functions for whichtio,,,43 erected and. tudowed ; and. therefore, as a commis-
°,,sltt ae Parish ;biter, and as a pew owner, he should boldl .
u'.anfully, protest against such a state of things.
htri4 Church had long been a heavy burthen upon the
a:'elltier, whilst it possessed only a very small con•
A,t'''• Ile lial a;certained upon enquiry that 150 to 200
a congregation was in excess of the usual number.
that to the churchwarden, Mr. Bruwnbill, to say f
Air'l3 as not so ?
, : In the morning, perhaps.
Roberts slid the seat room was fitted for 1,658 persons,
dilig%,the number attending was, according to the most
tnktiel,s494lry he could make, what he had stated. How
4many 18hould ask, attended in the evening ? Were there
et. t
tha
kr, wthertssa: Double the number.
tbid he was very glad to hear It. He found
that, 4,N 5 'or had stated. in a speech made by him last year,,
Pauper
tnt of fact, he had no spiritual control whatever over
1445 ttn 41,;59hureh, or the district, and that no one regretted
tits 45 did its empty ber,clses. Now, he begged
with
there eh% 7:4°lte He contended that the rctolr had to do
1,11:-' la the 35th and 36th section. 2nd George 111.,
t, d'-'s 3 list of fees to be received by him ; therefore, he
t'itiariaL3 the church. He had the cure of souls over all
Tetras within the precincts of his district. He stood
ellt lee morally responsible- for a great deal. As a Protes..
thi46 (Mr. Roberts) was ashamed of such a state of
tseFl ked he would raise his voice as often as ever tea.
tteiwagaiest it. He had defended that church before,
11l land Conscientiously; but he should as publicly
,th.tßseientiouelv protest against the present state of
tats olie
begged to state, as one residing in the pre.
Ititel,l the district, that Popery was increasing there to an
Lipg extnt. That fact ought to concern, the Rector
t'lllthtrieert?,°l. There were two ministers ill the church—
"e et the
duty in the 'morning and ono her took Ilse
t-teet- le evening. He solemnly protested against this
ell4They paid. the ministers for full duty. No one
.1-';"tlict consent in ordinary affairs to pay full
tvti,;(3r ball duty. He thought no one would pay one
'NC or assistant to give him morning service, and
"Net' for evening service, and give each full pay. Here
,!elebt/teen populous district, and a most wicked and
,loto,eu district, without any school attached to the
With ignorance all around, and plenty of work
throe!e Police fficer and the marriatrate. Whatever
..it4terl Many° of the poor children belonging to
Parish received, they received for the first
I,lai hen they came under the tare of the
!j.tle
_4, of the borough gaol, instead of receiving education
t° arch schools, which would have prevented crime.
ete
tied the neighbourhood, he could bear testimony o
ettgat 1,1'4 tic fightiog which constantly took place there,
e;tle• i--,et Police had frequently to he called in to precept
*tt d Two cases connected evith that
41:- "ad beto
en tried the assizes, in both of which death
'ecrtee
tiesie , and in one of which the party tried very
le'coh,r'ePc-aped suffering the extreme penalty of the law.
t-no C:44ered that a member of society was discharging an
tit; ;42; Public duty by protesting against such a system,
a church was maintained, with a staff of clergy-
• .' appeared to care for the Reece, but to leave the
;le as g• reat measure at the charge of the town mission-
le of the Roman Catholics. The worst thing in the
;414 .114 a staff of idle clergymen—the greatest curse they
4?ht 44• as Protestants. Ha was eshamee to see what
at eft' be his parish church in such a dis-
reet; condition. The ecclesiastical polity of the
leNtee. required repair a great deal more than its
Lot them get the ecclesiastical polity o
:ve -,'ch reformed a district legally assigned, and let them
rbt)a'ee,"s°lß going On. A meeting had been held for the
p. dtt,of establishing schools, and prayers had been offered
fee he blushed when he stated the fact that the money was
tit'
in
collected to build the schools. He believed the co-
qi7ta:;"ever met once for the despatch of business. Could the
,Astif that—for he was one of the committee ? One
b:litliSteis was a surrogate, and he would be found daily
street, and elsewhere, attending to the duties of
lie 111 woodreff: I must rise to order. ([Tear, hear.) I
tPilt time will be considered of some value, and that
- ma
`tut bered we came here not to he declamatory
with
atworyt
8 Mr. Roberto, charging certain clergymen
"2° their duty. (Hear, hear.) If he is awafre_otf
Pi,relPer conduct on the part of the clergymen
either
tt`iane!"4reh, any neglect of duty, any offences o
of
°r commission, he has a very good opportune,
terer'eg to the bishop. (Hear, hear.) This meeting has no
ttr.te deal with the clergy.
11, kberts : But the rector has,
kl,tee.: Woodruff : I apprehend that this is not a
called to investigate any charge made against
ZllTl'aister of St. Paul's or any other minister
S'ate,glitik it rather unbecoming in you to make wholesale
;agaitist any clergymen in their absence. (Cheers.) If
Net° Present, and had the opportunity of dealing with you.
• -,jernarks deserve, it might be very fair and proper ,
'lteir absence, and when we are called here for a totally
Purpo„ I
you ought at least, he a little more
11° in the tone of your remarks. Hear, hear.) I
6soeLibleet to
my time, and the time of others being wasted,
kl'alt:nsng kept here to listen for half an hour to long state-
,ed es such matte's. (Cheers
b"re;, nelierts said they were called upon to cons'der the ex-
-17441 the church, and the amendment he had to propose
Itltt,„„to that subject. It was "that as St. Paul's church has
I.l'ltrii• e-:e a heavy burthen upon the parish exchequer, while
--aea a very small congregation, and has hitherto ex-
-414 en • •k 04 it, increasing deficiency in revenue,. the present
d'ol4 \or the addition of accounts) be not carried ; and that
a r4tt, t • tp,„ (,e be appointed to enquire into the general economy
t :3gement of the church." Mr. Roberts contended that
Latcht.eelle was gradually decreasing, and that the neglect
estt4ttlie Saw that district would he deeply felt by the
a()!I succeeding. The Rector was present, and let
e,' ,114elcate the state of things if he could, and if not,
r
icially seek a remedy. He had appealed to the
h.:,"13 in a very detailed manner, but no remedy
i't edu apparently. The remedy was vested in
eiteectet ' 3- he had stated in his
111:ese :r notwithstaneing what
I'lle ;4! St. Aldan's.
Oct, thirman : Upon my word I must remind you
e
)tto r tin:leis valuable I should be very glad to devote
hi 'ari
1)4,t tIZ any common sense talked,. or even anything
th'Pee 4,! not common sense, if it could answer any good
-L°llS this story has been so often repeated, and this
At Y• tiofien refuted, that it is not, only a waste
to been
but equally of the time of the gentlemen her e
(gear, hear.) If it could lead to any practical
Vte e„altould listen to it patiently. do not know
le tsie;e'llfind the report you refer to, but if I said I had
I,eteitellotl with, and no spiritual charge over the district
f,/tion with that church Th—
• (V,herts: You did sir.
ti '3kirman : If I did say so, I must have stated what
L 4t tae
ot
tt,,,f;srts : Exactly—quite right. I am glad to
le er,eauk(Order, order.
;‘ : But I deny positively and solemnly
R did say so.
VI-4e e't'urts: I beg your pardon, sirll —
esith 'Mean : If you say I did so, lam sorry to say
11.1 eiP. you or I state, I think, what is perfectly untrue.have
say so, I stated what was untrue, for
'hiet charge over that district, and I may. go into any
,kr, Dill the parish of Liverpool and exercise
i4k11,-6°tihe.rts : Look at that report.
-airman : Oh, sir, I don't care for a bit of paper
ei airman
eft- raper report; do not think to throw that in my
het us conduct this matter dhumouredly.
t 5, I :,411) Do not let us be giving each other the
erne and I am not
14,- tau very well what my duties are,
tki;` h gat them by Mr. Roberts. I know very well
tl,ecee,sve a spiritual charge over the district, and I.f have
tip,akee Mr. Roberts probably does not know,. or he
cho,sestosuppress—a very considerable por-
'te
the district under my spiritual charge, and I
epee,.
Deneieated one of my curates to look after it.
Z,"l,oerts • Does he do so ?
eea• rairnia• n : I cannot pretend to say whether he
really have a good deal to do myself. (Hear,.
'k Ye Of ,Le Is a man very honourable, very conscientious
Vve to he most honourable and conscienitiouscler clergymen
6of the
'tet,l:(ll,,eal with. I have the spirittla
chargeinsinuate that the
,set p.4ree'n,' f Mr. Roberts. chooses to
kjVre pr have appointed does not do his duty, then
4. qtk pro
his insinuation. (Hear, hear ) Let Mr.
'"e
'IL h
P his nand
if he can. I have appointed
honourable and consientious clergyman to look
-ensiderable portion of the district, and I believe
duty. (Hear, hear.) If he does not, let Mr.
ts4,rtele, /prove that he does not. With regard to the
er to .48sert again most solemnly that I tiave no more
ktt Interfere with the church than Mr. Roberts
bareQws
,x „ this as well as Ido that lam standing here.
nt ilL°"l him over and over again that I do not
the -e 1
ave e,ergyman, and that I cannot dismiss them.
sis Control or authority over them wha soe.
"eP has very little control. The Bishop does not