The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1826-09-07 00:00:00

BOW BELLS.

On Tuesday a Vestry Meeting was held at Bow Church. to re-
ceive the Report of the Committee appointed to examine into the
state of the bell+ belonging to the church, and of the masonry of
the tower, as connected with dotes. The Meeting was more nume-
MN than any which has been held there fur a considerable time.
Mr. Statwsow, the Chairman, stated, that the Committee, afire
some proceedings, thought proper themselves to take the ooinions of
their architect, and of Mr. Mears, a hell-founder, wits was a per.
of considerable experience and science, on the subject. The
Chairman then read the Report of these gentlemen. It stated,
there could be no question with persons acquainted with the sub-
ject. that much injury had been done to the tower since the year
1742, when the present peal wis act up. This injury they felt no
doubt had arisen from three causes, namely, frian the injudicious
mode of hanging the bells—from that part of the frame, on which
the bells swing, being wedged up against the masonry of the tower
—and from a want of sufficient solidity in the construction of the
tower itself to withstand the force created by the motion of a peal
of hells, consisting of ten tons of metal. In 171,2 tan new bells,
and a considerable addition of weight, were added to a
light peal, consisting previously of only eight bells. The old
frame was altered to accommodate the addition, bat without any
improvement. In course of time it eppeared the frame became
ricketty. and. to keep the bells steady, wedges were fixed between
the frame and the masonry of the tower, by which means the motion
of the frame in ringing 114,1impruilentle transferred to the tower ;
whereas, were the frame left properly detached from the walls the
motion wool.' nearly lose itself in it. The remedy which these
gentlemen proposed for thin evil was to re-hang the bells, ao that
the direction of the framing, and the ringing of die bells, should
be against the four angler of the tower, instcsd of being solos'
the four sides, as at present. and at the same time disposing of the
weight of metal as nearly equal on all sides, and also the swinging
reciprocally in contrary directions, as far as circumstances would
allow. To remedy the want of solidity in the tower, Mr. erwilt
suggested the fixing of a chain of iron ties below the main timbers
of the hell-frame, which, he said, was decidedly the place where
the tower suffered moat. The total expense of putting the tower in
complete and ante repair, and of effecting these alterations, they
estimated at 7751. A model had been prepared by these gentle.
men, to exemplify the new mode of hanging, and was exhibited in
the vestry.

Mr. II rc ICS said the subject of these bells, which were great &-
vouches in the City, had, as might be expected, excited consi ler.
shle public interest; and he had received several itnonymotis let.
ten frmn person% who felt anxious on the subject. These letters he
should beg to read to the Vestry.
Mr. Tette., the bookseller, opposed the reading of these letters.
Mr. HICKS, however, read two of them. One was from a per-
son who appzored to have superior knowledge on the subject, and
who accused the ringers of injuring the tower by unskilfulness in
the mode of ringing.
Mr. AUGHTIE requested that ,Ir. Owilt's previo•ts Reports
might be read. These expressed an opinion, that in the then state
of the tower the ringing of the bells ought not to be persevered in.
The parishioners contended that they ought to be pot a stun to, on
the ground of the expense. "fetish' that, in general, remedies were
exceedingly expensive, but he timed that this would cost
(Smiles of approilating from several of the parishioners.) He lived
next door to the Church. and he assured the Vestry that, when the
hells were at work, his house was shaken by the steeple, and tbat
there was not a piece of furniture, nor an article of his trade, which
was not vet in vibratory motion by it. H r concluded by moving a
Resolution to the effect that the ringing of the bells should be dis-
continue I fur the future, on account of the danger attending them
on such ne.VISiOTA.
Mr. M•LII7 nes/ seconded the motion. . .

Another Pan !SUMNER, whose liou4e is next door but one to
the Church. decl4red that such was the effect of the ringing,
that even in his house it made his chandeliers swing seven or eight
inches. . .

The motion was put without any discussion or the Report,
or examination of the :mulct prepared by Mr. Mears .11.1 it
was carried by a Loge majority, there being but four against it,
Mr. Hicks, Mr. Smith, Mr. Lewis, and another parishioner.
Mr. Am:urn': then proposed a motion, declaratory of the
reasons for the Resolution the Vestry had just adopted ; but this
was law/hell at, and lie withdrew it.
Mr. TATE drew the attention of the Vestry to the condition of

the acroterior, anti the urns paced at the four' ends of the tower.
These, it was reported, were in a state of decay, one of them
dangerously so.
A long and warm diacwodon took place.
Mr. Tenn, and several others, wished to stay further repairs
until the parish got more money. Several were fur pulling down
the acroterior, to save further expense.
Mr. Lewis inquired of the architect, whether he considered that
the acroteria funned part of the original design of Sir Christopher
Wren ?
Mr. Gs-rev—Certainly.
Mr. Lewis aubmited that they ought not, on that account, to
be destroyed.
One orator spoke with great vehemence on the uselessness of the
/turns, and urged their removal.
Another. whose opinion seemed to hive many supporters, was
fir removing only that urn which was absolutely in danger of fall-
ing and letting the remainder stand.
Mr. fl ices rose, and exhorted the Velery not farther to make
themselves the laughing stock of every intelligent person in the
City, and of the public at large. Let them poll down all the urns.
or repair the witele ; and not make the Church look. with one of
the four pulled down, as grotesque as a pig with one ear. He had
lived in that parish for twenty-six years, and he did not like to see
it exposed to the public ridicule which would surely fall upon
them when that day's proceedings because known. He declateti
his conviction that the bells might be rung with perfect safety, and
that they were not justified in stopping them. He hoped they
would reconsider their decision.
Mr. STEVENSON was for repairing the urn with cement, which
would be the cheapest.
Mr. OWILT said cement would not be much cheaper, and its
success would be doubtful.
Mr. Lewis asked Mr. Owilt what would be the expense of re-
pairing that one of the acnsteria and the urn, which were in a dan-
gerous condition ?
Mr. OWILT said M. or 7W. at most.
Several of the parishioners wished to know whether Mr. Gwill
would guarantee the repair of them for that sum.
Mr. OWILT said he would, though it was not his profession,
and he ought not to participate in the profit of work which he
recommended to be done.
After a long dhcu akin the offer of Mr. Owilt was accepted.
Two of the parishioners then gave tne Committee a "set-to" for
ordering the urn, which was in a dangerous condition, to he taken
down, and thereby incurring expense to the parish. They were
only appointed to examine and report. What right had they to
order things to be done ? what right had they to order the model
fur re-hanging the bells ?
• •

Mr. MEARS, the artist, who had, with Mr. Gwilt, prepared the
model, here rose, and requested that the expense of his share might
not weigh upon them, for he would make them a present of it.

" Well ! that's very handsome of you," eaclaimed a parish-
ioner, and the affront was pocketed.
After much discussion, in which the Committee urged that what
they had ordered was requisite, the Vestry agreed to sanction the
measure. The Report of the Committee was approved, although
its recommendation had been rejected.
The Meeting then adjourned.

We understand that one or two of the advocates for the ringing
of the bells are determined not to let the matter rest here, but to
apply to the ecclesiastical authorities on the subject. Such was
formerly the zeal in favour of these bells, that one citizen left two
houses in Bow-lane (from which the parish receive 1001. per an.
num). for maintaining two of the bells. A lady also bequeathed
2,0001. for embellishing the church, and furnishing it with bells.

WesnovEa, SEPT. 3.—The pariah of Cholesbury, in
Bucks, has become tithe-free in an extraordinary manner.
No composition or act of Parliament has abated the de-
mands of the church, and achieved that desired consum-
mation for the farmers of Cholesbury. It is the simple
operation of the poor laws, which, in this instance, have
effected more than the eloquence of Mr. Brougham or the
calculations of Mr. Hume, and completely overlaid the
" divine rights" of the church. The rector, the Rev. Mr.
Roderic, finding that the tithes cost him more than they
were worth, that in fact they impoverished rather than
enriched him, declined exacting the sacred tribute any
longer, and thins has Cholesbury defrauded Melchisedec.
How did this happen? The clergyman having to pay
poor rates on his tithes, found that for every 20s. of tithes
that lie received he paid 23a. in poor rates. Here was the
novel case of losing three shillings in the pound by enforc-
ing the claim of a beneficed clergyman ! a precedent that
well might be viewed by any church with alarm. IVIio
can be surprised that the worthy rector, under such cir-
cumstances, abandoned his right of tithe altogether? If
any of his brvthren blame him, I venture to say the,
would not like to accept his preferment on the terms of
paying more to the support of the poor than they receive
from the produce of the land. This is to be regretted, as
the incumbent is a very old gentleman of amiable charac-
ter. A farmer of this parish yesterday appeared before a
Reverend Magistrate at St. Leonard's, on the complaint of
an overseer, respecting the non-payment of the rates of a
few acres of meadow land. He declared himself willing to
give up the land to the overseer in lieu of the payment of
the rates, which the overseer declined, and this too in •
parish where lands are tithe-free. The overseer was will-
ing
indeed to accept the land if he also gave up a cottage
along with it, from which he derived rent, but he would
not take the land alone for the payment of its own rates.
'f he same farmer stated, that he holds twenty-three acres
opfaildanldastinyetahreoaid.jowinsi.n ginppoarioarh-roaftells,uaelkidlawnd.,inontiwthheic,hanhde
I that he expected the poor-rates this year will be shove 201.
although there is not an acre in the whole worth more than
205., and some not worth that much.

DESPERATE CONPIACT BETWEEN THE FOLIC,-
AND 1 lIE 11(ILLOCK-HUNTERS OF MILE-END.

On Monday evening last a scene of violence and confusion, such
as is seldom witnessed in the metropolis, took place in the vier ity
of Soitaffields and Bethnal-green, in which an organized gang Of
ruffling, called weavers, but more properly denominated determined
• thieves. played the principal part.
In Site early part of that day s gentleman named Brown, a whole.
sale butcher in Whitechapel-inarket, applied to the Magistrates of
Lambeth-street for the assistance of their officers in the retovery Of
two bullocks belonging to I ' which had been forcibly tither, hem
his drover. As the grounds of his application, he. stated that ects
that morning, as a shover of his was conveying a number of bullocks
to the marshes at West Ham, he was met, while pa.sing along the
Commercial-road, by a numerous gang of bullock-hunters, who
violently took away two of the beasts, beat the drover severely, and
danserously lacerated his knee.
The Mmistrates at once granted the request, and Foster, Lea,
and Dalmn, assisted by Skillun and Gooding, of Bow.street, nen
immediately despatched on the business. 1 hey proceeded to Han.
atreet-fields, and there succeeded in retaking one of' the bullocks,
and dispersing a gang of ruffian., exceeding 201) in numbers This
they renewed, and placed in a stable belonging to the Woodman
public-house, for security, and hearing dolt the other beast was In
the heeds of another gang, in the Ilackney-fields, they hastened
thither, and came up with the desperadoes at Twig Folly. They
here niso were successful in making their capture, and removed tt
to the same public-house, with the intention of conveying both the
animals to Mr. Brawn, when, on their arriving there, they found
that their labours had only commenced, and that so great was
the terror inspired in the neighbourhood, that not alone was
the public house barrimuloed, but all the shops surrounding
it were shut up. During the absence of the officers at Twig
Folly a third gang endeavoured to force the public house,
and recover the bullock ; but in this they were unsuccessful ;
and the officers having at length got both the animals into thrk
possession, were proceeding with them to their owner, when they
were met shout half-way by a termitic multitude, who postal
ihemulves at the corner of Fleet-street-hill, and commenced a matt
furious attack. Large (lint stones. brick bats, and missiles of every
deseription,were Hung with the greatest rapidity. even the parersess
was tote up, and large pieces of granite hurled in every direction :
with one of the latter Read was felled to the pavement, and 'se-
verely hurt. Finding the number of their opponents momentarily
increasing, both the gangs, that of Twig Folly, and Hare.
street-fields. having concentrated their strength, and amounting
to above 500 person*, and being surrounded and assaul id on all
sides. the officers were at length, for self-preservation, coon elled to
fire on them. This measure, however, had no effect. The ruffians
still remained in a firm compact body, well armed with stones and
bludgeons, and waving the Litter, called out. " Come on, we are
ready for you." At length, perceiving it would be useless to think
of contending inch by inch with such numbers, the officer., having
drawn their cutlasses aid cocked their pistols, madeols, one desperate
effort, and succeeded in dislodging the scoundrels from their ground
and stizicg tour of their leaden'. These hove since been examined
and sent to the House of Correction, and it is said that in the
firing which took plate one life had been lost, and several persons
wounded.