The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-25 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES AT TAUNTON.

We had one of the most exciting church rate contests
here last week that we ever remember. It arose re-
specting St.
lilary's tower, about the repair or restora-
tion of which we are almost tired of waiting, if our read-
ers are not of reading. A vestry meeting was held on
Thursday, . when it was proposed, on behalf of the
churchwardens, that 2,0001. should be raised on secu-
rity of the rates, in addition' to 1,000/. which the parish
bad previously agreed to grant, in order to restore the
tower. Many of the inhabitants think that the tower
'has been tampered with, and that if it had not- been
pulled about in the manner it has, since some busy-
bodies suddenly diseovered it to be in a dangerous state,
it would have stood another century with but little out
lay an it. Others say that the parish has been misled
and deceived by Mr. Giles, the architect of the work,
in the opinions which he has given from time to time
respecting it. Other persons oppose &lurch rates for
whatever purpose they are proposed, on principle, and
the resolutiOn of the churchwardens also met with oppo-
nents in those who considered the subject in a financial
point of view more particularly. With these varied objec-
tions, it is not to be surprised at that the vestry (which
was numerously attended and was held in -the Assize
Hall) should reject the churchwardens' proposition by. a
_large majority. The churchwardens determined to perse-
vere, and demanded a poll,. which commenced at once,
and finally closed at four o'clock' on Friday afternoon.,
when the mamber of persons who 'had voted was stated
as f?llows the. churchwardens' resolution, 392 ;
against,re 402 : majority against, 10. -This- was not of
c
e accepted as conclusive, as a scrutiny dto be
made, and the votes of different
persons, who were
ereen:
titled to give more than one vote eniimerated: This was
done on Monday, and an Tuesday morninn. the R ir If.
Parr, the Chairman, officially announced nutnebe.e. of.
voted actually recorded' to b
Prenesition,- 4el4as, afoglaloincYsst :—For42o: • Mthae-
churchwardens'
jority against, 6. . Th., eh
urchwardenspartisans used-
everY effort to drag upwvoter,7, and
just before the final
pailcl9B9ag9-at lia at4e4, nbr f
wereie preventedperBns by'%vbPt h wentm mob.
up to
t

was more like a contested borough election than a
charch•rate contest, and it created almost as much in-
terest and excitement. The victorious party are much
elated at their success.—Sherbourne Journal.

BANK OF ENGLAND RETURN.

(From the Daily News of this day.)

Another weekly Bank return, showing a further dimi-
nution of 518,9211. in the coin and bullion, and a fresh
increase of 755,5571. in the private securities, has tended
to maintain the feeling of caution lately enforced in the
monetary world. At the same time there is an entire
absence of any tendency towards panic, and money is
rather more readily obtainable in the discount market,
owing to the disposition of monied men to eschew rash
action and to feel their way carefully through the un-
usual obscurity in which the future of the money market
is at present involved. ' As no one is disposed to feel
over-confident, and as the rates at present allowed for
money "at call"—viz., 3i to n per cent.---are higher
than can be obtained from Consols or Exchequer-bills, capi-
tails morefreely deposited in Lombard-street, and the cur-
rent supply in the market proportionately increased. The
market, it appears to us, is at present virtually in a state of
suspense, and at this moment ail reliable satistics bear-
ing on the subject are of peculiar value. We make no
apology, therefore, for presenting our readers with the
subjoined figures, which represent, with as much pre-
tension to accuracy as ca n be attained in the absence of
reliable Government returns, the imports of the precious
metals into this kingdom since, the beginning of June.
We confine our present abstract to these weeks, because,
although the period is comparatively limited, it is in this
interval that the phenomena of the Money Market now
attracting such earnest attention have become rapidly
developed

BULLION IMPORTS.

June 2 ..
9 ..
16 ..
23 ..
30 ..
July 7 ..
14 .
21 .
28 .
Aug. 4 .
11
18 .
25 .
Sept. 1 .
8 .
15
22 .

£445,000
923,000
508,000
296,000
800,000
423,000
176,000
406,000
1,020,000
457,000
535,000
278,000
105,000
263,000
240,000
534,000
1,240,000

Total imports in 17 weeks. £8,651,0)0
Being at an average rate of upwards of 508,0001. per
week. This is exclusive of large arrivals of silver from
the continent, the extent of which cannot be subjected
to accurate estimate. The Bank of England return for
the week ending the 2d of June, stated the amount of
coia and bullion held by that establishment at
17,789,1021. In the return last issued, for the week
•ndrng the 15th inst., it was only 13,698,4551, It
would almost be fair to infer that the whole of the
difference-4,090,647/.—in addition to the above ar-
rivals, making a grand total of no less than 12,741,6171,
has been sent abroad. 'lndeed we know that during the
period above referred to, the exports to Alexandria,
India, and China alone absorbed 2,936,0001., whilst
the present demand for that quarter is at the rate of up-
wards of a million per month. These heavy figures
carry their own instruction with them, and warn us to
caution.

Turning to the certain future demands upon the mar-
ket, it will be seen that the prospect is not a peculiarly
favourable one. The known requirements for Govern.
meat purposes are shown below :