The Sun.
London, England, 1837-04-03 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES.

• •
Church Rates are levied for repairing and cleaning the
the Church, chiming the bells, providing bread and wine for
the sacrament, washing the surplices, buying dusters, brooms,
candles, mats, and so forth.
Dissenters have places of worship which they support
with their own money. They never call on Churchmen
to support their ministers, nor provide their bread and wine,
nor buy oil for their lamps, nor pay for their brooms and
dusters.
Dissenters do not complain that Churchmen adopt what
religious service they please, or spend what money they
please about it—they complain that Churchmen do net
themselves pay their own expenses, but levy a part from
their dissenting neighbours.
Churchmen say the law compels them to do so, and
they are not answerable for the injustice.
This is untrue. The law allows but does not compel
them. Here is an example. They have an organ and
singing boys, which it costs nearly 101. to support. Of
this sum the Churchmen subscribe among themselves a part,
which the Churchwardens take, and, as their accounts
show, pay so much nff the evpenses of the choir. So far
is honest—but if it is honest to pay for their own singing,
it is-just as honest to pay for their own chiming, and as dis-
honest to charge it upon Dissenters. If the law allows
them to subscribe the money for one part of the service,
and the Churchwardens to take it, -the law would allow
them to do the same with the whole.
This would be paying their own debts, which they are
not willing to do ; and so they make us's. of a condemned
law to shift a part upon the shoulders of the Dissenters.
But when a man uses a bad law to opprsss his neighbour,
he is bound to take care that he do not himself break the
law. The Churchwardens did all the law allowed, when
they sent a townsman to prison, without bail, for 17s. 6d.,
and it is fair to expect they should themselves do all the
law requires of them.
_ The law requires that when they give in their accounts,
they should produce a receipt for every thing they have
paid. Mr. Scott did not, when required, produce receipts
for several items on Monday. He has broken the law, and
the rate-payers have the right and power to strike out the
items. They can do this by going up on Monday next, be-
tween ten and five, and voting that each item objecte.l to
be disallowed.
Bungay, March 29, 1837.

CHURCH PROPERTY.

No. 111.

TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE CHANCELLOR. OE THE
EXCHEQUER, &C., &C.
Sir—The country is at this, time convulsed in every
quarter respecting the Church, and that which should be a
clear fountain of peace and goodwill is converted into the
muddy pool of discord and strife ; one party contending it
can only be upheld their way, the other that these are aim-
ing at its desecration and destruction ; while calculations
and count er-culculatinns arc put forth, which serve only to
puzzle and perplex. Under such circumstances it is most
important that the subject should be divested of the mys-
tification in which it is involved, and the real point
at issue-clearly understood. In this controvery the doc-
trines and precepts of the Church have scarcely been al-
luded to ; and with respect to the essentials to salvation, the
creed of the real Dissenter and the Churchman are so
nearly the same, that there can be no apprehension for
these. The mammon of the Church only is in danger, and
it is merely a qUestion of pounds, shillings, and pence, in
which it is endeavoured to make the people believe their
everlasting happiness is involved : simply it is this.
Certain lands and possessions have heretofore been ap-
propriated to what is called the Church ; but according to
the original intention, for the subsistence of the labourers
in the Gospel, for keeping up their places of worship, and
for their charitable distribution to the distressed. 1 hey
are denominated in Scripture "watchmen," by which title
can only be understood the active and diligent ;, but certain
members of the Church have thought otherwise, and having
formed themselves into corporations and associations, assum-
ing ra.iks and degrees totally unknown to the Gospel, have
got to themselves those (now immense) lands and possessions,
and are wallowing in luxury and idleness, fulfilling the pro-
phecy—" HIS watchmen are blind ; they arc all dumb dogs,
they cannot bark ; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber ;
yea, they are greedy dogs, which can never have enough ;
they all look to their own way, every one to his gain from his
own quarter," while the real labourers have barely a subsis-
tence. It is this anomalous state of things that is attacked,
and has caused the cry of The Church is in danger !"
This system is indeed in danger ; and why ? " The whole
head is sick, and the whole heart faint , there is no soundness
in it." It is fraud and deception in all its ramifications, each
one emulation his fellow in manoeuvring for his own advantage,
and to defraud his successor ; and well might Lord Howick
affirm " that even Bishops were accused of proceedings not
creditable to themselves either as Christians or men y'
honour." We trust there are yet a few who have not bowed
the knee to this Baal ; but we are compelled to admit the
general taint of the idolatry. " The Bishop encourages the
Dean, the Dean and Chapter smootheth it for the Prebendary,
saying, it is ready" for our purposes, and they proclaim those
purposes to be sacred ! " A deceived heart has turned
them aside, that they cannot say, is there not a lie in my
right hand ?" And it is for this mammom of unrighteous-
ness—this stumbling-block to all religion—this fishing bait
of the Devil, that is so greedily swallowed by the clergy,
heedless and reckless of the barb that rankles in it—that
our Christian community is set together by the ears and
plundered.
The sum now in dispute is 260,0001. per annum, to obtain
which there are two ways—the one at present in contention,
and which, if it cannot be carried through, the other, which
I will explain, may be tried. It will be equally effective in
producing the money, and must receive the support of every
one who is really an enemy to the desecration and despolia-
tion of the revenues of the Church.
" By the statute of the 13th Eliz., chap. 10, all Parsons,
Vicars, and spiritual persons are prevented from making any
conveyance of the estates of their Churches other than for
three lives or twenty-one years, so that now, by virtue of
this statute, no real composition, made since the 13th of
Eliz., is good for any longer term than three lives or
twenty-one years, though made by consent of the patron
and ordinary, and such compositions are now rarely heard
of, unless by authority of Parliament."-2 Blackstone's
Cont., 29.
By this you will perceive that even with the authority of
Parliament, the Church cannot be divested of as estate
without a real composition being made for it. Now, in the
cases of the estates of Tottenlkall and Finsbury, which I
have laid before you, so far from any composition having
been made, the parties who possessed themselves of those
estates did not give either a foot of land or the value of one
shilling in money ; all that has since been received on
account of the Church is what in their rampant rapacity
they considered it prudent not to take. Here, then, in a
very narrow compass, are two instances of desecration and
despoliation, which already amount to nearly two millions
sterling, accomplished by the grossest frauds upon Parlia-
ment ; and there can be no doubt, upon the cases being
brought forward, these foul blots upon our Church will be
removed by the immediate repeal of both those acts. This
will produce a very considerable proportion of the sum re-
quired ; and if a proper investigation is made into the pro-
ceedings of bishops, deans, and chapters, prebendaries, and
other trustees of Church property, the remainder may be
obtained without interfering with that part upon which your
calculations have been made. It has not been always by
Act of Parliament these iniquities have been sanctioned.
The Clergy in general arc well versed in the science of
manoeuvring ; but their meanderings can be traced and
counteracted.
By this mode of proceeding you will exhibit to the
country the true friends of the Church ; for there are none
who are not interested in the plunder that will not •support
you in it, and you place those that refuse in the dilemma of
the only alternative, that of acknowledging the power of

A CHURCHMAN.

DUBLIN.-THURSDAY.

Parliament, by these precedents, to appropriate the funds
of the Church to any secular purposes that may be judged,
proper.—l am, &c. &c.

(FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT.)
A favourable opportunity now presents itself for review.
ing the condition of the country. The Parliament is
adjourned fora few days, after affording the nation a tole-
rably intelligible intimation of what may be calculated as
the amount of its labours at the end of the Session. In
this calculation Ireland sees no ground for cherishing a '
hope that she will derive many benefits this year from the
Legislature. On the contrary, those expectations which a
view of her own internal state, as well as of the actual con-
dition of England, taught her to entertain, are likely to be
for the present disappointed. This is the more mortifying,
inasmuch as our improvement under the auspices of an en-
lightened Executive for nearly two- years, ought to be an
unquestionable guarantee of our right to participate in all
the advantages of Reform, even though public opinion
throughout the empire did not suggest the immediate adop-
tion of such a policy. The two measures on which our
future improvement and tranquillity seem to depend,
namely, Corporate Reform and the settlement of the
Tithe question, have made but little progress against the
real or pretended apprehensions of the opposing party.. This
is indeed any thing but consolatory to a people whose patience
is almost exhausted for the unequivocal enjoyment of equal
laws and privileges. It is the less so at a period when facts,
authenticated by the highest functionaries of the law, proved to
demonstration the great national benefits accruing to the en-
tire community from kindly treatment. For, never did a
country exhibit a more bountiful return for the blessings of
impartial Government, than has been gathered in Ireland
since the commencement of Earl Mulgrave's Administra-
tion. Nor are these the sentiments and simulated admira-
tion of a sycophant seeking to sonciliate the friendship of any
member of the Irish Government, or to testify his gratitude
for any favours already conferred. The writer, as you
know, stands independent of all the personages and parties
exercising influence in this country, and cannot, therefore,
be suspected of such motives. And, holding this position,
he ventures to draw fair inferences from facts, many of
which are already known to the world and incontrovertibly
established by Lord Morpeth and other distinguished
Members of Parliament during the present Session. But
as these facts have been corroborated, and placed beyond
the possibility of perversion by sophistry or falsehood within
" one little month," the circumstances that so elucidate
them cannot be too often submitted to the tribunal of pub=

lie opinion.
The Spring Assizes have just terminated, after presen
ing, from North to South of Ireland, one of the most bold
and striking pictures of the abuses of the adminis-
tration of justice among the poorer classes of
of the community that ever was witnessed. In fact, the
light of truth has at length shone brightly on the vitiated
condition of society ; and the -last Circuit pourtrays the
" evil genius" of Ireland in colours so vivid, as to leave no
mistake as to his origin and parentage, or allow further
controversy on the cause of the greatest evils that have so
long afflicted the social condition of this country. The ides
of March have been fatal to more than one usurpation ;
and if we rightly observe the current of passing events, and
the signs of the times, the downfall of a certain dominant
party, whose misdoings are now fully exposed to the light of
day, may be dated as finally accomplished during the
Spring Assizes of 1837. I have frequently told you that
the fountain of justice was polluted here long ago, and that
though Reform had reached its source, and purified the
origin of the waters, it would take some time to cleanse and
make salubrious all those rivulets that have conveyed the
poison to every quarter of the island. The following is a
very faint outline of the juridical incidents that are deemed
of such importance at the present juncture :
The Liberal party had been, during the winter, congra-
tulating each other on the happy prospects of affairs, evi-
denced by the absence of crime, in comparison to fOrmer
seasons ; nor could the fictions of the Tory press, nor its
endeavours to misrepresent this state of things, damp the
ardour of their rejoicings. Every one felt convinced that
the great body of the Irish people had received some im-
pulse towards a national and moral improvement as
regarded the observance of the law. The faction felt
the change, and accordingly, just before the Assizes, began
to insinuate that things were not quite so comfortable, and
even predicated the crowded state of the gaols and large ca-
lendars as a contradiction of this boasted tranquillity. The
Judges of Assize on the eve of their setting out, were told
Of much labour in the way of gaol-delivery ; and therefore
such of them as were imbued with principles of the right
sort, that is, Tory predilections, oa finding full calendars in
some few towns, fell into the illusion that had been can-
taived to deceive the public. Barons Joy and Foster and
Chief Justice Dogherty in particular, trutnpetted forth the
immense indications of lawlessness that certain counties
presented. They had the candour, however, to de-
clare their mistake very soon ; for as they proceeded in
the discharge of their duties they discovered the trick
that had been practiced by the sapient magistracy, and im-
mediately denounced it, proclaiming their disapprobation of
such proceedings. You may be assured the more intelli-
gent portion of gentry will take a lesson from their
Lordships., and that there will be a change, if not a ratting,
in their opinions for the future. It is, however, melan-
choly to find the gentry of a country thus merging the
discharge of a most solemn and important duty in
feelings of partisanship. Nothing can prove more strongly
th,:; spirit of combination which actuates the Tories
in everything, when there. is an object in view. Nothing
transpired during the preceding six months of this manoeu-
vre to tap the foundation of Earl Mulgrave's Government
of Ireland. Had the scheme succeeded, however, it would
no doubt have been palmed upon Parliament as a trium-
phant refutation of the peaceable state of this country. But
fortunately not having succeeded, its failure may be
regarded as the most signal triumph to the Liberal
cause that has been achieved during the present struggle.
Thanks to a few independent Whig judges for this re-ac-
tion. If there had not been a Moore, a Crampton, a
Richards, and a Perrin in the judgment seat, so perfectly
regardless of the ascendant faction as to denounce this
attempt of the Magistrates to libel our country through
the administration of justice, we could not have the uni-
versal testimony now given by the Judges of Assize of the
present state of Ireland. The majority of them, both
Whig and Tory, have proclaimed. to the world the follow-
ing astounding, and incredible, if not so well authenticated,
fact, that the magistracy of Ireland, dreading the conse-
quences to their own ascendancy and misrule of the heal-
ing policy of the present Government, have endeavoured
to frustrate its effects by charging upon the people com-
mission of crime to an extent and magnitude of which they
were found to be NOT GUILTY. Baron Richards and
Sergeant Greene detected and denounced their conduct
in the Sonth. Chief Baron Joy and Judge Torrens in the
North, Chief Justice Dogherty and other Tory Lords of
Assize have recorded their observations to the same ef-
fect. But the language of Torrens, a decided Tory, in
Monaghan, is peculiarly entitled to the serious considera-
tion of the Legislature. In commenting on the nature of
an offence brought before him for trial, this learned func-
tionary says,—" If gentlemen who are on the commission
of the peace do not show more discrimination in future,
something must be done to put a stop to the sending for-
ward such cases as this. The f'act of charging this petty
squabble as a Whitcboy offence is perfectly ridiculous."
Two drunken men had a dispute, in which one of them
drew a knife and cut his adversary slightly. The latter,
who prosecuted, declared he would not believe his opponent
would have pulled out the knife had he not been in liquor !
In Tyrone, some Orangemen were indicted for playing
party tunes, to time annoyance of a populous village, and as-
saulting a policeman who tried to stop them. They were,
however, acquitted by a jury of that Orange county, who,
to show their discriminations and to illustrate their notions
of equal justice, found the policeman, against whom also
there was an indictment, guilty of assaulting the Orange-
men. In both cases, Judge Moore's direction to the jury
was, that it was for them to say whether or not the police
acted properly in endeavouring to prevent the playing of
party tunes among an irritable populace. In Clonmel, six
brothers, named Sysaght, were sentenced to transportation
for making an improper use of fire-arms, and at an unsea-
sonable hour, which had been given them to enable them to
execute process for the " law Church." The public im-
pression created by this trial and conviction is, that fire-
arms are often procured under similar pretexts, while in
reality the parties only Want to violate the laws, for the
purpose of criminating the innocent peasantry.
The first of these facts shows the incapacity of the pre-
sent magistracy of Ireland to discharge the duty of their
station in a manner beneficial to the people ; and will per-
haps account in some measure for the necessary interference
of the Catholic clergy to instruct the people in their social
duties as well as in their Christian principles. The other
two facts prove to demonstration that there is a faction in
Ireland which, notwithstanding its impotency in number and
intellect, are determined to contemn the laws, violate the
peace, and bring discredit on their country rather than sur-
render that ascendancy which they can no longer quietly
and constitutionally maintain. And the conclusion plainly
deducible from the important incidents of the Assizes is,
First, that the magistracy of Ireland, or at least a great
portion of them, are Tory partizans ready to abuse the
power and trust reposed in them for party and factious
purposes ; Secondly, that they have lately endeavoured to
pervert the administration of justice to political views, by
swelling the calendars and encumbering the Judges of As-
size with the investigation of those trivial offences which the
laws and economy of' the country direct to be settled at the
Quarter or Petty Sessions ; and, 'Thirdly, that nothwith-
standing those impediments to the amelioration of Ireland,

IRELAND.

. .
. ,
and the tardiness of the Legislature in passing measures of 1 TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
vital importance to her welfare; she is at this moment more -
tranquil than at any former period during six centuries.
I shall, in a future communication, detail some of the
immediate causes of this last-mentioned satisfactory state of
things

4 DUBLIN, APRIL 1.
BRITISH SYNIPATHY.—CORPORATE REFORM.—In the
Freeman's Journal is published to-day a very long letter,
addressed to the Secretary of the Reform Registry Asso-
ciation, on the amendment proposed by Mr. Crawford to
that clause of the Irish Corporation Bill, which gives the

Lord Lieutenant or other Chief Governor a veto on the
appointment of Sheriffs in certain boroughs. After stating
the reasons and principles on which he made the proposi-
tion, and what was its result, Mr. Crawford, in his pecu-
liar way, says—" It is a remarkable circumstance that, on
the division being called for, the British and Irish Tory
Members, with a few exceptions, left the House ; thus per-
'mating the Whig Government, and the Whig Members of
England, Scotland, and Ireland, to have the undisputed
honour and glory of rejecting an amendment based directly
on the professed objects they have been contending for,
viz.—the granting to Ireland a remedy for the evils of her
corporate system, founded on the same principles as those
of the Acts which have already passed for England and
Scotland.' These are the words of the address. In 1836
Sir Robert Peel moved an amendment to omit these words,
and to insert the following For the purpose of applying
such remedies as may obviate all just causes of complaint,
and to insure the impartial administration of justice.' The
original words, pledging the House to assimilation,' were
affirmed by a majority of forty-one. So much for Whig
consistency." Mr. Crawford complains—with how little
justice we will not now stop to inquire—that " Bri-
tish Liberal Members oppose, or else retire from the
support of Irish freedom, except on questions with party
association or party supremacy." The Hon. Gentleman
towards the conclusion of what may perhaps be considered
a sort of bill of indictment against all English Members of
Parliament, Whigs, Tories, and Radicals, intimates his de-
termination to persist, on the 25th of May,in moving for
' the repeal of the Act " bearing on its front the stamp of
the Curfew Law of the Norman Conqueror"—the sth and
6th of William IV., c. 48. The division on this question
(according to Mr. Crawford) will be a test of British
sympathy with Irish grievances We have no room to-day
for comment on the peculiar views entertained by the Hon.
Member for Dundalk; nor indeed are any remarks necessary,
for the question of principles or expediency, in the sense
and for ths purposes which Mr. Crawford employs these
terms in, has already been fully' discussed in our columns.
PUBLIC DINNER TO THE MEMBERS FOR MEATH.—

Thursday being the day appointed for the public dinner
to the Members for Meath, Messrs. Grattan and Mor-
gan O'Connell, which was given by the Meath Club, in
conjunction with others of the freeholders, the town of
Navan was the scene of considerable bustle, more espe-
cially as the Hon. and Learned Member for Kilkenny
was expected to be present. Mr. O'Connell, accompa-
nied by his son, Mr. Morgan O'Connell, M.P. for Meath,
arrived in Navan about three o'clock, and were received
by an immense concourse of people, who were most en-
thusiastic in their reception of the distinguished visitors.
Having entered Brady's Hotel, the Hon. Member ap-
peared shortly afterwards at the windows, from which they
addressed the assembled crowd, dwelling especially upon
the evils of illegal associations, and beseeching them to
use their best exertions to expose the nefarious practices
which were calculated to entail such mirery upon all ,who
might become the dupes of the designing. • Mr. Henry
Grattan, who was in the house at the time, also made his
appearance, and joined in earnest deprecation of the system
in question. In the speeches of the evening there was
nothing- remarkable. Mr. O'Connell repeated that he was
trying an experiment. He gave up Repeal, because Mi-
nisters undertook to do justice to Ireland, but if they do not
keep their word, said Mr. O'Connell, " I throw repeal to
the winds—l will renew the cry ten times as forcibly as
before, and from inevitable necessity it will be irresistible."
DREADFUL MURDERS.—COUNTY OF GALWAY—BA-
RONY OF LONGFORD.—On Saturday morning last this part
of our county was thrown into the greatest consternation
by the murder of two women of good character. One of
the females, the widow of a small farmer named Haignesy,
was considered in comfortable circumstances, and resided in
the parish of Killoran, near the village of Kiltormer. '[he
other resided with her in the capacity of servant or compa-
nion. At an early hour on Saturday it was discovered that
the House was broken open. On some of the neighbouring
persons entering the house, the two unfortunate women were
found lying on the floor ; the feather bed laid over them, a
quantity of fire placed all round the bed, and in contact
with the bodies. The body of the widow was burnt in se-
veral parts, her skull fractured, and the body of her unfortu-
nate companion was nearly half consumed. An inquest
was held, but very little transpired so as to give any clue to
the discovery of these most brutal murders ; it was, howe=
ver, ascertained that they must have first deprived their
victims of life, and then endeavoured to consume their
bodies—the fire -was not strong, enounh to effect this part of
their design, and the house escaped also.
,The object of the
assassins must have been to burn the house, with the bodies
of the poor women, so as to make it a matter of doubt
whether the inmates might not have lost their lives by the
accidental burning of the house ; but an all-wise Providence
willed it otherwise.—Evening Mail.

THE ATMOSPHERE OF TUNNELS

We have been favoured with the following Report on
the Atmosphere of Tunnels, founded on Chemical Ana-
lysis, by Dr. D. B. Reid, F.R.S., M.R.C., Phys. E., who
was engaged in the Ventilation of the Houses of Parlia-

went :
The Leeds and Selby Railway Tunnel, in which the
experiments have been made, is 700 yards long, 17 feet
high, and about 22 wide. It inclines 1 foot in 300, and
is provided with three ventilating shafts, made originally in
excavating the tunnel. They are respectively, 23, 22, and
19 yards deep, measuring from the top to the floor of the
Tunnel.
No fire or machinery is used to promote the ventilation
of this tunnel. I have no hesitation, however, in expres-
sing my conviction, that the air it contains is not injurious
to the health of passengers, being renewed sufficiently
often by the currents which always prevail in it, to pre-
serve a wholesome atmosphere. The following are the
reasons that have induced me to adopt this opinion :
I. The examination of numerous specimens of air, pro-
cured from the tunnel under every variety of circumstan-
ces, by an assistant, who made observations there for a'
week according to the directions I had given him, has
shown me that the amount of carbonic acid communicated
to the air by the locomotive-engine is considerably less than
one per cent.—an amount too trifling to be taken into con-
sideration, as capable of affecting the health of passengers
in the railway-coaches during their passage through the
tunnel.

H. If the average amount of coke consumed in each trip
within the Tunnel be calculated ; and the volume of car-
bonic acid it produces be compared with the bulk of the
air in the Tunnel, we arrive at the same conclusion as by
the experiments referred to.
111. But the carbonic acid must be considered as equally
diffused throughout the whole of the air in the Tunnel.
Froin the circumstances under which it is . produced, it is

necessarily at an elevated temperature and mixed with a
large quantity of moisture ; and though its temperature
may instantly be reduced on coming in contact with the
air, still the specific gravity of the great mass of the air in
which it is enveloped is less than that of the rest of the air
in the Tunnel, and it floats principally above the roofs of
the coaches till it escapes. The heat and moisture more
than counterbalance any increased density from the carbo-
nic acid, and numerous researches have shown that very
heavy gases do not readily separate from air when they
have been intimately mingled with it.
IV. The temperature of the air in the Tunnel, during
the week that my assistant conducted his examination,
&c., did not differ much from that of the external air ; the
greatest difference observed, did not exceed six degrees.
Its temperature is more uniform than that of the external
air. On one occasion, the temperature of the air at the
top of the deepest shaft rose, in a few seconds, from 37
deg. to 40 deg., as the engine passed and the vapour
ascended from it, and fell as quickly again to 37 deg. as the
vapour escaped.
V. No impurity was detected in any of the specimens of
air I received, except the carbonic acid, which, as already
stated, bears a considerably smaller proportion than 1 to 100.
I may add, that I have been disposed to take a favour-
able view of the ventilation of tunnels generally, notwith-
standing they should be longer than that under considera-
tion , though local peculiarities may at times require special
arrangements.

MEMOIRS 0/ A PEERESS.—This publication,
which is edited by Lady Bury, cannot fail to excite an unusual
degree of interest. Among the numerous personages who os-
tensibly figure in its pages are Charles Fox, General Fitzpa-
trick, the Duchess of Devonshire, Lady Melbourne, Lady
Cork (then Miss Monckton), Mrs. Fitzherbert, and the Prince
of Wales, besides numerous others, under feigned names.

STEAM PACKETS AND SAILING PACKETS.—
His Majesty's Packet Camden, with the Lisbon Mail, left Lis-
bon on the sth March, and did not arrive at Falmouth until
the 23d day, being eighteen days on her passage. The Man-
chester steamer sailed from Lisbon on the 19th, and Oporto on
the 20th, March, and arrived at Falmouth on the 24th, making
the passage in five days from the first, and four 'days from the
latter port. The Iberia steamer made her passage out to Lis-
bon from Falmouth in riinety-six hours, including some hours'
detention off Oporto.

Sir—l observe in your Paper of the 30th of March last
that you have made some observations rt:.s2ecting a petition
sent from this town in favour of Church-raiZ's• I beg to
inform you that the petitions presented by Mr. il,2lland to
ffh
the Commons, and Lord Brouam to the House of i..;.,rds,
against the continuance of Church-rates, was signed by uV-
wards of Six Hundred inhabitants of this town, many of
whom are influential members of the Church Establisinnent•
You may rely on this statement being correct, and may
make any remarks you think necessary on the subject.
I am, Sir, Your's, &c.
Bromsgrovc, April 2, 1837. Z.
The Churchwardens for the parish of Bromsgrove have
been hitherto, always appointed on Easter Monday ; on
that day this year, however, no appointment was made, in
consequence of not any of the inhabitants (excepting the
curate and sexton) attending at that time. It is a subject
of congratulation to many persons, as by this omission, they
aro of opinion no appointment can now take place legally
this year, and consequently no Church-rate can either be
granted or collected.
• ,