The Sun.
London, England, 1839-10-02 00:00:00

WATFORD PETTY SLSSIONS.

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On Tuesday the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Capel, the
Vicar of 'Watford, attended before the Bench to show
cause why he neglected to pay the sum of 251. 2s. 6d.,
being the amount of a pour-rato due upon his property
in the parish of Watford, and why a distress warrant
should not issue in the event of non-payment.
Mr. Russel, of Watford, appeared on behalf of the
parish officers, and Mr. Fellowes for the Rev. Mr.
Capel.

The circumstances connected with the present pro-
ceeding arc of a rather singular, and at the same time
important character. It appears that the parish
officers of Watford have declined to make any applica-
tion to the Poor-law Commissioners to have the parish
surveyed, but have made their assessments upon a sur-
vey made by a Committee of farmers and rate-payers,
which has given general satisfaction to all the rate-
payers, with the exception of Mr. Capel, who has for a
long time resisted the payment of all the rates upon this
assessment. By the Parochial Assessment Act it is re-
quired that a rate should be made in a particular form,
according to the schedule of the Act ; and it also requires
that all the different columns specifying the name of the
rate-payer, description and amount of property,
should be filled up. The parish officers have made
their rates complete in every particular, except that in
some sases they have not been enabled to ascertain the
exact amounts of average of different property, and
this, it has been contended by Mr. Capel, renders the
rate a nullity, and on this ground he has refused pay-
'l he present application involved the question
as to whether Mr. Capel was legally justified in the
course he had taken.
Mr. Russell addressed the Bench, and said that
this was an application to enforce the payment of 251.
Gd., the amount of a pour-rate for the parish of Wat-
ford, made in the month of April last, at one shilling
in the pound, upon Mr. Capel. Payment had been re-
fused, and the question was whether the Bench would
enforce it. The rate had been paid by nearly all the
other rate-payers, and he felt satisfied that there could
be nothing but a technical objection raised on behalf of
Zr. Capel for the non-payment by him. Whatever
technical objections might be raised, he was prepared to
contend that they would give no answer to the present
application, for, however defective the rate really might
he, the only remedy was by an appeal, and in the mean-
time it must be paid, as the law said that the poor could
not be allowed to starve. If the rate was in reality il-
legal, the proper course to have been adopted was to
have appealed, and to have put the public in a proper
train to be argued before a higher tribunal.
The rate was then put in, and the assistant overseer
proved that it had been paid by nearly all the rate-
payers, with the exception of Mr. Capel.
After some further discussion the Court was cleared,
and in a short time the Chairman said that the Bench
had come to the decision to enforce the rate.

The Rev. James Fox has resigned the first pats.
tership of Kirkman Grammar school, after holding it
for 60 years. Mr. Fox and his two immediate pre de_
cessors held this situation for a centuary and a lilt