The Sun.
London, England, 1839-07-04 00:00:00

ROCHDALE CHURCH-RATE.

On Friday last, a meeting of the ley-payers of the
parish of Rochdale was held in the parish church, pur-
suant to notice, for the purpose of making a Church-
rate for the current year; the Rev. William Robert
Hay in the Chair. As the parishioners had refused to
grant a rate only fourteen days previously, considerable
excitement was occasioned at being so soon called toge-
ther again for the same purpose. The day before the
meeting, a placard was extensively posted in the town,
calling upon the ley-payers to remember " who it was
that plundered them for a Church-rate, which even the
partiality of the Ecclesiastical Courts was compelled to
pronounce illegal, and who robbed the dying man of his
Bible, which was publicly sold in the streets of Roch-
dale."

Mr. ABRAHAM BRIERLEY, the Vicar's Warden, read
the estimates for the coming year, which, amongst
other items, contained 201. for the- rent of the new
burial-ground ; organist, 20/. ; singers, 20/. ; sacra-
mental wine, 121. ; clerk, 10/. ; organ-blower, 2/. ;
beadle, 2/. ; cleaning church, 71. 108. ; washing sur-
plice, 5/, ; cleaning church plate, 30s. ; repairing church,
40/. ; coals, 41.—in all 2031. To meet this expense he
asked for a rate of id. in the pound, which, having been
moved and seconded, Mr. Barton said, he wished to
make a few observations upon the motion before it was
put. He commenced by observing, that, as he had
been four years a suitor in the Ecclesiastical Courts,
the meeting would attach some authority to his opi-
nion of what was a legal, and what was an illegal item
of a Church-rate. He had been dragged from Chester
to York, and from York to Chester, for, as he supposed,
the benefit of his soul ; and, if persecution for con-
science sake could purge him from the errors of
schism, he stood before them as immaculate that
day. The first item, 201. for the rent of the new
burial ground, was bad in point of law, as the Vicar was
well aware ; and ringers', singers', organ player and
blower's salary was equally objectionable. All these
items, together with many more of a Like nature, had
been struck out by their own partial Ecclesiastical
Courts as untenable in the late law-suits in which he
had been involved. The forty pounds for the repairs
of the Church was the only legal item in the whole two
hundred and three pounds. The Vicar said he cared
very little about the twenty pounds for the rent of the
new burial ground ; but as Mr.
.Barton acknowledged
that the forty pounds for the repairs of the church was a
legal item, he (Mr. Barton) was in duty bound to
move for a smaller sum, in order to cover such
expense. In answer to this, Mr. Barton said he ob.
jetted upon principle to any
rate, however small,
whether one shilling or one farthing in the pound. An
amendment was moved, that the meeting adjourn to
that day twelve months but the Chairman refused to
put the amendmeut, saying, they must either move for
a rate or no rate. In the midst of the tumult occa-
moved that a new
appointed, when Mr. Barton
csihoanierdmabny refusal,sthhoiuslabe
some one
stepped forward and succeeded in quelling the uproar,
saying, that the Vicar was the legal chairman, and he
knew that an Englishman wanted nothing but a clear
stage and no favour A person in the front of the
Vicar bawled out—" Mr. Chairman, what is your salary
a year ?" to which the Vicar mildly answered that "the
meeting was not called for such an inquiry." At last
another amendment was proposed, that there be no rate,
which was carried by an overwhelming majority, when
Mr. Abraham Brierley demanded a poll, which will
commence on Monday next, and continue open for
five days. The meeting then separated.-111anchester
Paper.