The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-24 00:00:00

LONVON, MONDAY
_EVII,IIIII4 G, DECEMB_E,R 24 1855.

so unconvenient an angle. Why did they depart from
the original line?
The only answer appears to be this. They made use
of the compass to ascertain what they believed to be the
true north, and they corrected it by the error, as they
conceived, of the original builders. If this be the right
answer, the deviation from the true meridian will be in
accordance with the variation due at the period in which
the tower was built. The variation of the needle from
the true meridian was first publicly noticed in 1576 ;
and it appears, according to the best calculations that
have been made about this variation, and the tables
constructed from them, that two dates are attached to
the period of eight degrees deviation to the north of
west, or east of north (which is the same thing) : viz.,
1363 and 1601. Of these two the earlier agrees best
with the period assigned by Mr. Scott to the erection of
the tower, for he says, "it is quite early in the perpen-
dicular style," which extends from about 1377 to 1485.
We may assume, then, that the tower of Gamston Church
was built towards the end of the reign of Edward 111.,
and, if so, it was probably constructed at the expense of
Sir Nicholas Monboucher, who died in 1385. As the
descendant of the original founders of the church he was
more likely to have taken an interast in its restoration
and improvement.
When the builders of the tower determined to place it
on a different line of meridian from the older part of the
church, they no doubt reckoned that it would be neces-
sary ere long to rebuild the nave and chancel, and that
the line which they had adopted would be the one to
which the rest of the structure would be made conform.
able. Had this happened we should have had a case of
orientation, as it is called, differing throughout the whole
church from that of the true meridian. As such cases
are not unfrequently met with, it is very possible that
the cause in all cases may have been the same. By
comparing the probable age of the structure, in those
instances, with a table of variations (such as has been
alluded to) that question might be determined. The
reasons usually assigned for these anomalies are by
no means satisfactory. Aubrey supposed that the
founders of our churches, having " watched and prayed
all night on the vigil of the dedication, took that point
of the horizon where the sun arose for the east ; which
is the reason of the great variation of the position of
churches as to the due east, and he says that he has
" made trial of some churches, and found the length of
the church to point to that part of the horizon where the
sun arises on the day of that saint to whom it is dedi-
cated." (Aubrey on Gentilism, quoted in Southey's
Common Place Book, iii., p. 372. But this hypothesis is
overthrown by " the difference of orientation in churches
under the same invocation." (Eland-Book of Ecclosi-
ology, p. 40.)
Mr. Scott says—" The chancel is of the 16th century,
and of a size and height by no means proportioned to the
scale of the church." In the register is a memorandum
by the Rev. John Davies, rector in 1669, which states
that on a pane of glass in the window of the church was
in,cribed—"Baker, Rectoris de Gamuleton, qui istum
cancel's= fieri fecit Ano. Dom. MD. .XVII." As there
is a space between D and X, and this date is earlier
than might have been expected, it is probable that
MDLXVII. was in the original.
Another memorandum by Mr. Davies informs us
" that the broad flat monument at the upper end of the
chancel, on the left hand side, is the tomb of one Mr.
Thurland, who was for.nerly Lord of the Towne !" This
was the great merchant of that name at Nottingham,
who was mayor of Nottingham in 1459, and died in
1497. Thoresby further mentions—" within the rails of
the altar on the floor is a grave-stone, on which is re-
presented a priest consecrating the wine." This is now
built into the south wall in an upright position. It is a
curious specimen of a peculiar class of incised slabs.
Other examples are found in this county in the ruined
chapel at Haughton. The recumbent effigy of a priest,
now placed on the north side of the altar, is well worthy
of notice, though bearing marks of mutilation in former
times. He is vested in Chasuble, Albe, Stole, and
Maniple. The effigy of a knight at the west end of the
aisle is supposed to be that of Sir Nicholas Monboucher,
mentioned above. It seems originally to have been in
the chancel, and before the Restoration was built into
the north wall.

Two slabs, inscribed with maltese crosses, were also
discovered during the recent repairs—built up into the
south wall ; these are probably as early as the 11th cen-
tury:.

This restoration originated with the Duke of New-
castle, the owner of the whole parish, with the exception
of the Rector's glebe. The Duke has contributed two-
thirds to the restoration of the nave, aisle, and tower,
and the rebuilding of the porch. The chancel has beer
restored by the Rev. John Twells, the Rector. The
whole building has had new roofs, and the walls have
been put into thorough repair and renewed in many
places. The windows have been new glazed by Welch,
of Retford. The naive and aisle have been relaid with
small black and red tiles. The chancel has been floored
with decorated tiles made by Minton. The sittings art
open, of a plain and substantial character, and entirely
composed of oak. The pulpit, of a bold and handsome
character, is of oak, on a stone basement. The desk is
open and placed opposite to the pulpit. The chancel
seats are of a suitable character and are placed stall-
wise. The communion rails, made from a design by Mr.
Scott, are executed by Skidmore, of Coventry, who ha
also supplied the chancel corona and the standards for
lighting the church. The edifice has been effectually
heated with hot air by Haden, of Trowbridge, at the
joint expense of the parish and the rector. A handsome
crimson velvet communion cloth with aa embroidered
monogram, and a beautiful border of vine-leaf pattern.
has been presented to the church by the parishioners.
The pulpit cushion is the gift of one of the churchwar-
dens (Mr. Wm. Rogers). These and the other articles
of church furniture are supplied by Jones and Willis, of
Birmingham. The Commandments have, with great
judgment, been placed on a large space of the wall above
the chancel arch, in old English character, by Cassells,
of London. A text from 2 Chronicles vi. 40, run'
round the chancel arch, "Now, my God, let, I beseech
thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent
unto the prayer that is made in this place."
The whole restoration has been conducted from the
plans and designs of Mr. G. G. Scott, under the able
and assiduous superintendence of Mr. J. M. Johnston,
the clerk of the works. Messrs. Lee and Webster were
the contractors for the whole restoration.
The whole expense has been for the church about
1,6201., chancel 4151.-2,035/. for the whole restoration.
Divine services ceased to be celebrated after Sunday,
August 20th, 1854—sixteen months being occupied in
the restoration. The money is raised by the parishioners
in church rates, of about ls. 2d. in the pound, extending
over about 4 years from the commencement.

METROPOLITAN BOAI tD OP WORKS.

[A. portion of the following appeared in our impres-
sion of Saturday.]
The adjourned meeting of t'b a members of this board
for the election of a chairman took place on Saturday
at Burlington-house. Mr. Nicholay, chairman pro
tem., in the chair.
There was a full attendanoo of the members of the
board, but few of the public w( it e present.
The list of candidates contained the names of 18 gen-
tlemen.

Mr. WILKINSON (hon. secretaT y) read the minutes of
the former meeting, which were ca .nfirmed by the meeting.
A letter was read from Sir B. Hall, in answer to an
application to him by the hon. secretary, for the pur-
pose of permitting the use of II ;urlington.house for the
meetings of the board till furth r notice, and a vote of
thanks was in accordance pa: is ed to the hon. baronet
for his kind permission.
The names of the members .of the board were then
called over, and but five only' A sr ere found to be present.
Mr. CHAS. FEW rose, and swas proceeding to make
some remarks relative to the proceedings of the last
meeting respecting the salary ito be paid to the chair-
man, but was reminded by
The CHAD:MAN that the fiin thing to be done at
this meeting was to elect a chairman.
Mr. FEW then withdrew his re 'marks till a subsequent
period of the meeting.
Sir J. SHELLEY called attention i to a letter he had for-
warded to the chairman, retiring from the election of
the chairmanship, in consequence chf the resolution passed
at the former meeting, believing a gentleman who was a
member of Parliament would not be eligible. He
therefore preferred retaining his position as a member of
Parliament than becoming at the expense of that seat
the chairman of the board.

Mr. H. L. TAYLOR said he considered Sir J. Shelley
misunderstood the intention of the boarmi. No objection
would be made to a member of Parliament as chairman
if he possessed the required qualification for the office.

Sir J. SHELLEY said he had not canvassed for a single
vote. If he had known at the former meeting that
Mr. Roebuck would have become a candidate, he (Sir J.
Shelley) would not have had the presumption to have
offered himself a candidate in opposition to that
gentleman.

A letter was then read from Sir John Shelley, M.P.,
addressed to the Chairman, intimating a wish that his
name might not appear in the list of candidates, and as-
signing as a reason for that request the resolution come
to by the board at their meeting on Wednesday, the
effect of which was, as it appeared to him, that no one
engaged in the public service was eligible for the ape
pointment. . _

Sir J. SHELLEY staid ha still svithdrev► his name.

The Hon. SECRETARY then read the following list of
gentlemen who had forwarded their names as candidates
for the off 3e of Chairman :—Afessrs. Barker, Booth,
Buckton, Burch, G. F. Carden, Sir C. C. D'Crospeigny,
Mr. Corrie, Deputy Harrison, Messrs. T. Hawes, R.
Jebb, W. J. Neale (barri3te4. G. Offer, Hon. Joseph

Percy, M.P., J. A. Roebuck, M.P., A. Symonds, J.
Thwo.ites, and T. Turner.
Mr. BIKER withdrew his name, and the following
gentlemen having no mover or seconder, were erased
from the list :—Messrs. Booth, G. H. Buckston, Sir C.
C. D'Crespeigny, Neale, and Symonds.
Sir J. SHELLEY moved, and Mr. CHALUERS seconded,
Mr. G. F. Carden.
Sir J. SHELLEY moved, and Major LYON seconded,
Mr. Corrie.
Mr. HALL moved, and Sir J. SHELLEY seconded, Mr.
Deputy Harrison.

Sir J. &CRUET proposed, and Mr. MORLAND seconded,
Mr. T. Ha wes.
Mr. HUNT proposed, and Mr. PASCAL seconded, Mr.
Jebb.

Mr. HOSE moved, and Mr. Scow seconded, Mr.
Offer, who, however, withdrew with the consent of the
meeting.
Major LYON proposed, and Mr. CHALILERS seconded,
the Hon. P. J. Percy, M.P.
Major LYON proposed, and Mr. HUNT seconded, Mr.
Roebuck, M.P.
Mr. DIPFANGER moved,and Mr. COLUMN seconded,
Mr. Thwaites.
Captain Bunninf moved, and Mr. CORRIE seconded,
Mr. Turner.

Mr. FEW was then called on, and said it appeared
to him that the feeling of the last meeting was worthy
of consideration, to get a modification of the clause
relative to the payment of the Chairman, and moved
the following resolution :—" That before proceeding to
elect a chairman, this board desires to record its opi-
nion that it is expedient that the provisions in the Act
(18 and 19 Vic. c. 1201, c 3n:welling the election of a
paid chairman should be repealed, and that any candi-

date for that office be required to give a pledge, th tt if
elected he will resign his position as chairman in the
event of Parliament repealing the provision in question.
(Cries of "Oh, oh.")
The CHAIRMAN ruled that the resolution could not
then be entertained. The ehairman must be first
elected before they could proceed with other business.
The Hon. SECRETARY then read the application of

Mr. Carden, and called upon the mover and seconder of
that gentleman to address the meeting in favour of his
claims, but those gentlemen declined ; and Mr. Carden
having been called on, addressed the meeting in support
of his claims to the office.

Major LTON, the seconder of Mr. Corrie, said a few

words in support of that gentleman.
Mr. ConniE asked the support of the board on the
grounds of his being a professional gentleman, be•
cause points would daily arise requiring the gen-
tleman who filled the office of chairman to hare
a knowledge of law, to prevent mistakes from
occurring. If not a qualification, they would, he
trusted, be of opinion it was not a disqualification his
being a lawyer. Secondly, that his present position as
a magistrate and his abilities to fill that office were proof
of his capacity to discharge the duties that would de-
volve on their chairman. He considered the ao; unless
modifications were made in it by Parliament would ulti-
mately increase the amount at present paid by the rate-
payers. He thought the chairman should be a gentle-
man unconnected with the representation of the country.
If they elected him he would devote the whole of his
life to effectually discharging the duties of the offile.
Ile valued the position the office would confer on the
holder more than the salary.
Mr. H. L. TAYLOR asked Mr. Corns if he were elected
whether he would resign his present office as police ma.
gistrate ?
Mr. ConnlE—Yes.

Mr. HALL urged Mr. Deputy Harrison's claim: to the
ace as being a u3eful man. That gentleman hal been
for years connected with public boards and had had -
perienco as a member of that board, who had carried out
considerable improvements in the City of London. He
was also one of the Commissioners of Sowers for the
City. He was a man of strong common sense and emi-
lently qualified for the office.

Sir J. SHELLEY the seconder was called on to address
the meeting in his favour, but declined, stating he
only seconded Mr. Deputy Harrison as a matter o
fora.

Mr. Deputy HARAISoN said he looked upon his no-
mination to that 'Tice as a desire on the part of those
4entlemen to pay a compliment to the City of London.
He detailed his experienos on public works connected
with the City of London, from the re-building of Lon-
don•bridge to the present time. Objections might be
taken to his appointment to the chair from his being in
business, but if they elected him he promised them faith-
fully that ho would devote the whole of his time to the
duties of the office,

Mr. T. HAWES' (a former chairman of the Metropoli-
tan Commissioners of Sewers) name was next placed be-
fore the meeting►, and a letterifrom.the candidate, stating
his qqalifications for the office, was read by the hon.
secretary.`:

Mr. MOIRLAND, his seconder, having introduced him
to the meeting in a few words,

Mr. riAwEs as briefly addressed the meeting, pledging
himself efficiently to discharge the duties of the office.
Mr. HUNT advocated the claims of Mr. Jebb, Chair-
man of the Metropolitan Commission of Sewers, to hie
appointment to the office of Chairman of the Metro-
politan Board of Works. That gentleman must he
better acquainted with the various schemes and plans
tkat had been brought forward relative to the carry-
ing out of works such as would devolve on them
than those gentlemen who had been proposed for
the office unconnected with that Commission.

Mr. PASCAL also advocated Mr. Jebb's claims to the
appointment.

Mr. .TEue, in addressing the meeting, begged to dis-
abuse the minds of the board from certain statements
that had been made relative to who he was. He
was a distant relation of Colonel Jebb not his
son. He was Chairman of the Metropolitan Com-
mission of Sewers, and repudiated having used
his influence as tutor to the Duke of Cambridge to ob-
tain this appointment, assuring them that he relied
alone on his qualifications to fill that office to obtain
their suffrages. He was by profession a barrister. His
special claim on them arose from his thorough knowledge
of the sewerage and drainage of the metropolis. He
thought it presumption on the part of any person not

civil engineer to put hi, =elf forward as the head of any
Particular party relatil /e to the superiority of any one
system of sewerage a ,nd drainage over the others.
The Hon. SECRE',.CARY said that by mistake the name
of Mr. Arthur Itc,se had been omitted from the list.
Mr. FEW mo- red, and Mr. DREW seconded, the nomi-
nation of that gentleman.

Mr. CHALMERS, the seconder of the Hon. J. Percy,
M.P., urged leis claims as a gentleman of ability, energy,
and integrity. That gentleman was absent, not knowing
the various candidates were expectel to be present to
state their opinion s to the board.

Major LYON, in proposing Mr. Roebuck, said they
wanted the best mon they could find to fill the office of
chairman, no matter who he was or where he came
from—a gentlemaia possessed of integrity, honesty, tact,
and time to bring to the discharge of the important duties
of that office. At the former meeting of the board it
was considered by many that it would be a disgrace to
the members of the board to go out of the board to find
a chairman. He thought they bad since seen that that
was a mistake, and it would be an error, then, attempting
to take a gentleman from themselves. It was, therefore,
from no want of respect to them that he and others sug-
gested taking Mr. Percy, Mr. Itoebink, or Mr. Baring.
The latter gentleman had declined the office. He thought
it was objectionable, then, taking a member of Parliament
for either of the metropolitan boroughs, or a gentleman con-
nected with the Government. He thought this first objection
did not affect Mr. Roebuck, and with regard to the lat-
ter, be (Major Lyon) believed him to be less influenced
by a Government than any other they could select.
(Hear.) It had been said, "Take care in doing a kind-
ness to Mr. Roebuck you do not inflict a cruelty on
him ;" but he was happy to say that that gentleman had in-
formed him he never felt better in his life than be did
then. He believed Mr. Roebuck to be a gentleman of
business habits, and capable of presiding over any public
body.

Mr. ROEBUCK said, that he had not solicited this office,
but had been asked to come forward, and had done so
with rather bad feelings on his mind. Hitherto when he
had had to appeal to the suffrages of the people, no
man had been able to say that he had had any
other personal consideration in that appeal than an honest
ambition to fill the office of a representative, and which
should only distinguish every gentleman who aspired for
such an honour. (Hear.) He had served the country
for 23 years without pay or reward, and he certainly had
felt a little hesitation at accepting that office from the
pain it had given him of pay being attached to it, having
hoped that his life would have been passed without the
slightest possibility of any imputation being made on
him of being influenced by place. (Hear.) Still, how-
ever, he thought circumstances justified his makiag that
appeal to them that day to fill the office of their
chairman, because that board was a great experi-
ment at self-legislation. Hitherto the elective
body had been confined to the legislation for the
country, but here they had an executive one, and it had
been always said by the enemies of the people that they
were unable to govern themselves in an executive man-
ner. (Hear.) He believed there were many diffi-
culties presented themselves to them in doing so, and it
seemed to him that a man who had given up the whole
of his time to the business of Government was a man
eminently qualified to take the lead as their chairman
i❑ propounding a scheme of self. government in execu-
tive affairs. It might be said that he had not that ca-
pacity for business that their chairman ought to pos-
sess, but it appeared to him that his education that
of a lawyer and a legislator give him that qualification.
Their duties would be to do certain things, but before
that to weigh and understand evidence that would be
brought before them, and the man who had been trained
during the whole of his life to the investigation of evi-
dence was the man for that purpose. (Hear.) The hon.
and learned gentleman then referred t• the many thorny
investigations he had conducted to show his business
habits, especially that relative to the corrupt compro-
mises made at elections (which he conducted without a
division in the committee), and that of the committee on
the army before Sebastopol, in the course of which the
committee only divided twice. (Hear.) After alluding
to some other matters, and that his health permitted
his undertaking the duties of the office ho said he would
cheerfully devote his time to them if they elected him,
but not at the expense of his seat as a representative of
the people. It he were called on to give up one, he
would resign all pretensions to fill their chair. (Cheers.)
The various gentlemen who proposed and seconded
the remaining gentlemen addressed the meeting in sup_
port of their claims, after which these gentlemen ex-
pressed their views on the duties of the office, and the
manner in which they should be carried out.
Mr. Tawaries remarked that, if elected, he would
make arrangements to devote his whole time to the
duties.

Some difference of feeling existing whether the board
should at once proceed to the election or adjourn to
Wednesday, a resolution was proposed for the immediate
election.

The board divided, when the numbers were—For the
resolution, 21 ; against it, G.
The Beard then proceeded with the election, after
various absurd propositions bad been put to the meeting
as to the best course to pursue to reduce the number of
candidates to two. Ultimately the names were pat
singly. Each of the candidates whose name was put to
the vote denied being connected with the Metropolitan
Sewage Company.

A show of hands was taken seven different times,
and the following was the result :

Ist 2d 3d. 4th. sth. 6th. 7th. Fi.
Mr. John Thwaites 26show. 25. 26 23 26 21 26 3041
Mr. Deputy Harrison 17 15 16 16 16 16 13
Mr. J. Roebuck, M.P. 17 19 18 17 17 13
Mr. Thomas Turner 14 13 12 12 11
Mr. Richard Jebb l9 11 13 11
Mr. William Corrie 12 13 11
Mr. T. Hawes 9 8
Hon. J. Percy, M.P 4
Mr. G. F. Carden...., 0
Mr. Arthur Rosa 0
The election of chairman therefore fell upon Mr.
Thwaites.