The Sun.
London, England, 1839-05-01 00:00:00

CH UReH-RATES.

Mr. BAINES then rose to bring, under the con-
sideration of the House, a ease, he thought, entitled to
that attention which was always bestowed when
tis liberty of the subject was under discussion.
The oase he had to call the attention of the House to
rviis that of John Thorogood, an inhabitant of Chelms-
ford, whe was now confine] in the gaol of that place for
Lis' refusal to pay Church-rates. The petition
he had the honour to present on the 28th of
February, from that individual, stated that the peti-
tioner had for twenty-three years resided at Chelmsford
—that he was a Protestant Dissenter—and that in
the month of September last he was summoned to
eepear before the Magistrates of the county of
-Essex, to answer for his neglect in not haying paid
6s. 6s. demanded from him fur Church-rates. When
before the Magistrates, he was asked why he had not
made the payment, :led his answer was, first, because
lie entertained the opinion, that it was not con-
sistent with a religious onliption to pay a com-
pulsory rate for the support of religion ; and,
its Site next place, because he believed the rate to be
an tmproper one. Upon this the Magistrates dismissed
the complaint, and it was not till the month of Nov.
that he received a citation from the Consistorial Court.
Fie declined to answer that summons, and his reason
'or doing so was that he was of opinion he should not
receive justice in the Court before which he was sum-
weaned, and that he was not in circumstances to en-
counter the expense likely to arise out of that pro-
Reeding. The matter continued in that state till the
month of January, arid on the 16th of that month he
was seizes] by the oiS.cers, lodged in the gaol of
Chelmsford, and there he had remained ever since.
The petitioner further stated that he had conscientious
objections to Church-rates-:--that he believed all corn-
vulsory payments for the purposes of religion were in-
eoesistont with the Divine Scripture, and that
in plying this rate he should violate a law
that be held of more importance than any human law ;
1 and he prayed, first, that Church-rates might be ex-
tinguished ; secondly, that Ecclesiastical Courts might
be abo:ished ; and third.y, that such relief might be
afforded in his case as the House in its wisdom might
think proper. He (Mr. Baines) thought that the case
of the petitioner was such as ought to excite the syin-
%lathy of that House. For sixteen hours during the
twenty-lotir he was not allowed any communication
with his friends. He was subjected to great privations,
mid he was also not allowed to have advice from
his religiows instructor, neither was he per-
-1 mitted to see his wife or his family on
Stinday.—(Hear, hear ) He had now been confined
for nearly four months, his business had gone to ruin,
and his health had greatly declined—lie tbotqlit that
Ithis punishment was rather toe severe for a mli who
Ifelt ft conscientious objection to the payment of Church-
rates. Now, what was the case with respect to
Mies:: rates? Why, in small tewns they were imposed
(Too the people with the utmost seta rity, while in the
larger ones they were treated with utter contempt. if
j such a state of ti:ings existed—and that they did he i
woald h—C thought i was
take upon himself to prove •
high time that the law on this subject should he either
I abolished or skated. An attempt had been made by
j her Majesty's 'Ministers to do away with this law, but
Ithat attempt ha] been resisted in the counties of
i Devon, Wilts, and Essex, and also in Wales. The
petitioner, after praying for the abolition of Church-
rates, also prayed for the abolition of Ecclesiastical
Courts, and he (Mr. Baines) thought eller the exhibi-

tion which had taken place the ocher night in that
House upon the subject, the time hal come when they
ought to be abolklied, for it had ht.!en.shown that the
Judges of those Courts had acted most unjustly, and
that the eeelesi.aStieal law was vio:ated by elergyinen
eery Week in the year. The E,:elesiasCeal Courts
were tatitalgent towards great offenders, hut visited
minor outs with the utmost stvedty. would defy
. .

Hol. Mumbers is thAt House to name a clerg3, man who