The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1822-08-23 00:00:00

MRETIACuI S r.ANbRIIIrs,IILLBOR,Y.

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Yesterday an adjourued meeting of the inhabi- I
tent huustlrolders, freeholders, and other owners of
p.opesty iu the above extensive parish, was cohere- '
ed in the Inquest-room, to devise such measures es
might be found siecessary defend themselves agaiust
the coosequeuces 01 a suit instituted in the Court of
Exch►quer by the Rector, the Rev. Gilbert Be-
resford, to colorer the paymeirt of is. 9J. in the
pound upon the rental of their respective houses.
The room being much ton small fur the accum-
modaiwri of the increasing as.semb!y, Nit'. TAYLOR
100,11t41 an adjournment to the church, which was
carried. and the meeting proceeded thither.
Mr. Hoven, the Churchearden. took the Chair,
and havieg read the notice for calling the meeting,
expressed his readiness to hear the opinions of any
gentleman on the subject.
Mr. BRECHAN raid the nature of the question
between the R.ctor and them had been so often and
so ably dircuw,ed, that nothing which he could say
was likely to set it in a clearer light. The Rector
claimed this obnoxious tithe under it statute called
the 37111 of Henry VIII., which had expired with
the old fabric of Popery, and was considered such
a disgrace to the Statute Book that no notice was
taken of it as a law in the late edition of the Statutes
at large, printed by order of the Howe of Com-
mons. which was a prey), good proof that it was
considered eittirely obrolete. The intention of
passing such an Act first was to provide for the
poor, and riot to enrich the clergy; and it was one
of the provisions of the decree which followed it,
that it should be 'strolled in the Couit of Chancery
before the hit of March, for which purpose it was
sent to Hilltop Bonner, who placed it in his registry,
so that it was never enrolled, and, of course-, was of
non-effect. The Learned Gentleman then cited
I cases in the times of Charles I. and
Charles 11., in which two instances occurred of par-
sons getting verdicts, and of several being foiled
in their endeavours, but he believed that in the
present es.lightened times it would be some
difficulty to find such Juries as these two
lucky parsons must have had. In the reign
of Elizabeth the poor laws were first intro-
duced. and this was a strong circumstance iu
their favour; for who could believe that the vigor-
ous government of Elizabeth would have adopted
this plan for the relief of the pour, if the 37th of
Henry VIII. was considered a law ? Both Bills
would have had the same object in view, and the
old Act would have been repealed; bat in truth it
was never considered a law since the Reformation.
Mr. Berrsford, with an income of 9001. per annum
clear of all deductions, now sought to wring are ad-
ditional sum of 7001. from the parish, under this
odious and spurious statute, resting his hopes
of success on the precedents of the two fortunate
parsons in Charles's reign, but the inhabitants had
too much spirit to allow this clerical speculation to
pus over ire silence ; they met—they debated the
matte►—atnl they raised a fund to defend themselves,
which now exceeded I,oool.—(Hear, hear.)—The
Corporation of London allowed them access to all
the old documents which they might deem neces-
sary for their defence. besides the valuable aid of
the City Solicitor. Mr. Beecham shortly alluded
to time petition of the City of London, which was
presented in 1817, by Sir James Shaw, against the
claims of the Fire-Act Clergy ; that petition was
supported with considerable ability, and was remark-
able for the repeated declarations of Dr. Phillimore
and Sir James Graham, th it the decree of Henry
the Eighth was enrolled in Chancery; but although
the Committee had searched all the records of that
Court, the Roll Office. and every place where they
could obtain information, they no where could
find the decree. He per4culatly exhorted the free-
holders to come forward handeoraely on this occ.-
sion to recond the exertions of their tenants, ■nd no
doubt of their final triumph.

Mr. Bum Ham then submitted some resolutions
of a loc.! nature, partly descriptive of the laborious
exertions of the Tithe Committee, the tyraimical
conduct of Mr. Beresford, and concluding with a
recommendation to the parishioners not to telax
their caution or activity in the cause. They were
seconded by Mr. Taylor, and carried unanimously.

A gentlemen, who introduced himself as the
churchwarden of St. Dunstan in the West, came
forward, and stated that he appeared before the
Meeting by the desire, and as the representative, of
his fellow-parishioners, to offer every assistance,
pecuniary or otherwise, to fight their arduous battle.
This attempt of Mr. Beresford's, if it succeeded,
would enable every clergyman to recover the 2v. 9d.
in the pound, in addition to their present enormous
emoluments; it was only a trick, and it was to he
hoped it would meet with its proper fate in a Court
of Justice. He would not say what St. Doornail's
would contribute on the occasion, but he knew it
would behave very handsomely.—(Applaase.)
Mr. R. TAYLOR, after some prefatory remarks,
observed, that the Rev. Incumbent's salary had
been wrongly stated by the gentleman who spoke
first. Instead of nine, he annually pocketed be-
tween fourteen and fifteen hundred pounds ! out of
which, it was true, he gave a trifle In two others,
who did his share of duty ; but if he was too lazy►
to do this himself, the parish ought not to take his
assistants into their consideration. Besides this, •
fine house was provided for him to live in. He
possessed much parochial influence and patronage,
and had two country livings as profitable as this, in
each of which he had raised the tithes.—(Shame !
shame !)—Mr. Taylor, alter remarking that he had
lately seen • parliamentary paper, by which it ap-
peared that the clergy of this country alone devour
mote of the public wealth than all the Christian
ministers from one extremity of the globe to the
other, moved a vote of censure on the Rector.
Mr. SouTmorrE seconded the motion.

The Churchwarden of St. Botolph, Hishopvavles
also came forward with offers of assistance from
th■t parish. Ile said that the subject of tithes was
regulated by a conclave of divines at -- College,
who regularly issue out their manifestos. Six years
ago they compelled the good old Rector of his
parish to raise the tithes Is., and soouer than lose
the good old matt, who was about to resign, the
inhabitant■ paid the money. His successor made
it la. GJ , and the present Incumbent bays he will
have ta. gJ. from every new inhabitant.
A gift of 501. from the Trustees of the Thavies
estate, of which Mr. Beresford i► Chairman, was
hailed with great applause.
The Meeting adjourned about three etlock.