The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-03 00:00:00

THE VESTRY CLERK.

Mr. WOODWARD said that in proposing a gentleman
for their choice as vestry clerk, he felt a great pleasure
in haying to nominate Mr. Robert Oldcrshaw, who,
during the short period that, since the death of his
father, he has filled that office, had performed its duties
with credit to himself, and to the satisfaction of the
parish.—(hear, hear.)
Mr. GEDES proposed Mr. Cork, who had expressed
his opinion in favour of the separation of the two offices
of Clerk to the Vestry and Clerk to the Trustees:
Mr. BARBER, for similar reasons, proposed the nomi-
nation of Mr. Greenfield.

A desultory conversation arose as to the qualifica-
tions of the respective candidates.
The CHAIRMAN put the names severally, when he
declared the majority of votes to have fallon upon Mr.
Oldershaw.

A ballot was demanded, when the election was ap•
pointed to take place to-morrow morning (this day,
at nine o'clock, and scrutineers were also chosen.

ST. JAMES'S, CLERKEN WELL.

Yesterday, pursuant to annual custom, a very nume-
rous meeting of the rate-payers of the parish of St.
James's, Crerkenwell, was held in the vestry-room,
to elect parish officers, Mr. CROPLEY, Upper Church-
warden, in the Chair.
Mr. SAYWELL rose to nominate Mr. Larrard, the pre-
sent junior Churchwarden as the Upper Warden for the
year ensuiug, and in doing so eulogised him as a man
who would tend to infuse a spirit of harmony and
goodwill among his fellow-parishioners—(Hear, hear,
and -' No, no.")—without he would also assert the
slightest political feeling in favour of one_party or the
other.—(Cheers and uproar.)
Mr. SMITH seconded the nomination of Mr. Larard.
Mr. HAYWARD proposed the name of Mr. William
Bennett to be Junior Churchwarden.
Mr. LOVELL, in seconding the nomination, stated
that Mr. Bennett was a man who would be open to all
parties but influenced by none.—(Cheers.)
Mr. MASON said he had a gentleman to propose for
Churchwarden who was possessed of more ability and
talent than either of the other candidates nominated.—
(Laughter, cheers, and hisses.) Mr. Mason went on to
say that Mr. Lerard was quite incompetent to fill the
office of Upper Warden, inasmuch as he made one law
for the rich and another for the poor : lie had issued
his mandate to deprive even the poor water-cress women,
who were obliged to get their bread by calling this
article on the morning of the Sabbath-day, of exercising
their calling, whilst he kept his own shop open till
I I o'clock.—(Great confusion, and cries of " Shame !")
He concluded by nominating Mr. Paris as the most fit
and proper person.—(Cheers and hisses.)
Mr. WEST seconded Mr. Paris, and called upon
whoever was elected to prevent the desecration of the
Sabbath, which was carried on within a few yards of the
Church, by a parcel of vagabonds, who collected in
Gates' Rents, and, in addition to playing at pitch and
toss, used the most disgusting language.—(Hear.)
Mr. HOLLAND opposed the election of Mr. Paris,
upon the ground that he would not be a fit and proper
person, inasmuch as lie was a brewer and publican, and
therefore the vender of a most deleterious and intoxi-
cating liquid.—(Laughter, and cries of " This is a
temperance meeting.")
A long and recriminatory conversation here ensued,
interrupted with tremendous uproar, in the course of
which the name of Mr. Vicars was also put in nomina-
tion. A show of bands was then taken for the respec-
tive candidates (amidst loud cries of " No factory men,
no tyrants to the poor children, &c.") and declared by
the Chairman to be in favour of Messrs. Lerard and
Paris. Upon which a poll was demanded on behalf of
Messrs. Bennett and Vicars, and granted by the Church-
warden to take place on next Monday, Tuesday, and
Wednesday, to commence on the first two days at the
hour of nine in the morning, and close at four in the
afternoon, and on the last day to open at half-past eight
and close at three in the afternoon.
At this stage of the proceedings the business was in-
terrupted by loud cries of " Adjourn to the Church,"
the room having become densely crowded.
Several questions were here put to the respective
candidates as to the course they intended to pursue
with respect to granting evening vestries, and the ap-
prenticing infant paupers in factories.
Mr. BENNETT would refuse to pledge himself to any-
thirg.—(Great confusion.)
Mr. LARARD also refused to give any pledge.—
(Tremendous uproar.)
Mr. PARIS, on being called on, said he entirely set
his face against the Board of Guardians apprenticing
twenty pauper children to one individual, for the pur-
pose of being placed under the monstrous Factory Sys-
tem.—(Cheers.) He would not allow that such a sys-
tem would be conducive to the welfare of either the
children or benefit to the parish.—(Hear, hear.) It
might not be out of the way to allow three or four chil-
dren to be placed under a person in a probationary
manner upon trial, but to turn over to work at a cotton
factory twenty helpless children, he would never con-
sent to its support.—(Cheers.) [Great interruption was
here again occasioned in consequence of the crowded
state of the room, with cries of " Adjourn, adjourni
111 r. Selby having been re-elected Vestry Clerk, after
some slight opposition from Mr. Mason, Messrs. Walton,
R. Smith, Lovell, Radcliffe, R. Thompson, Gilling-
ST. MARY, ISLINGTON. water, C. Bailey and Bolton were nominated as sides-
Yesterday forenoon, at eleven o'clock, the election of
men, four eligible for election.i
Overseers, Trustees, Vestry Clerk, Churchwardens, On a show of hands being taken Messrs. Bolton,
and other parochial officers for the parish of St. Mary, Radcliffe, R. Smith, and Walton were elected. A poll
Islington, took place in the parish Church, on which was then demanded on behalf of the other candidates,
occasion there was a very numerous attendance of the appointed to take place at the same period as that of
rate-payers. the Churchwardens.
The Rev. DANIEL WILSON, the Vicar, presided. Upon the nomination of five members of the Board
On proceeding to the election and appointment of of Guardians of Infant Poor, a long discussion took
sixty inhabitants as trustees for the three ensuing years, place, and the following motion was made by Mr.
Mr. THOMAS HODGKIN said that previous to the Holland :
election taking place, he should feel it his duty to move " That the meeting having heard it reported that
an amendment. the large number of., twenty children are about to be
The CHAIRMAN observed, that as there was no mo. apprenticed to a Mr. Crocker, a cotton-winder at Car-
tion before the Chair, neither could any motion be Put, shalton, Surrey, hereby express their unqualified disap-
such course of' proceeding being contrary to Act of probation of such a proceeding, as being calculated to
Parliament. The Vestry were simply called upon to produce an impression on the public mind injurious to
elect a certain number of inhabitants Trustees, who bad the character of the parish of Clerkenwell."
already been nominated. He had a list of 120 names, Mr. PARIS seconded the motion, which, on being
which he would severally put to the Vestry for election, put, was carried amidst vehement cheering,
Mr. HODGKIN then observed, that he had some very Messrs. Hayward, Bolton, Mason, Bestow, and
important information to communicate ;he trusted that Pretty, having been elected to fill the offices of guar-
the Vestry would hear him patiently. The Vestry bad dians of the infant poor, the other parochial appoint-
A-3! a Cianmittee of At;..olLits., to stlareh into the j inerits wer,_• filled Lip, and d -.k)te bia7
expenditure of the parish, and the manner in which those Mr. Churchwarden Cropley for ht., impartial conuuta

ST. MARY, NEWINGTON.
' A very numerous vestry meeting of this parish was
held yesterday at five o'clock, at the school-room of the
parish, for the purpose of choosing churchwardens for
the ensuing year ; also to nominate eight substantial
householders to serve the office of overseers ; to fill up
the vacancies that have occurred in the governors and
guardians since Easter last, and to nominate twelve
persons to be governors and guardians in the room of the
twelve who are to go out, and for the nomination of
other officers to fill situations of less importance.
Mr. CHARLES A. HOPKINS, the parish churchwarden,
was voted to the chair, and said that he held in his hand
a letter from the Rev. Rector, nominating Mr. Charles
Pugh as his warden.

On the motion of Mr. DUTTON, seconded by Mr.
Rost:, Mr. C. Hopkins, was re-appointed parish church-
warden, and he said that he would discharge the duties
of his office without any regard to party or politics.
Mr. W. Johnson and Mr. J. Brandon were appointed
his sidesmen.

The next business was to nominate eight substantial
householders, four of whom to be chosen by the Magis-
trates sitting in petty Sessions, to serve the offices of
overseers of the poor for the ensuing year.
The following gentlemen were then nominated :—Mr.
Cuff, Mr. J. Gover, Mr. Cheesman, Mr. I'. Alford,
Mr. Robert Cornell, Mr. Chamberlayne, Mr. Allem.
Mr. J. GOVER proposed Mr. Samuel Watson, solici-
tor, of the Walworth road.
A PARISHIONER objected to him in limine, because
he was a lawyer—(Hear and laughter)—and because if
he were chosen he could not act.
Mr. Alderman THOMAS WOOD considered the Ma-
gistrates could not sanction the nom nation of a solicitor,
as any of his clients might disqualify him, by issuing a
writ of privilege, from executing the duties of overseer.
The Court of Queen's Bench could not compel an attor-
ney to serve the office of overseer.
Mr. Watson accordingly was not nominated, and Mr.
George Fisher, of Blockman-street, was selected in his
stead.

Messrs. Heywood, Choice, Green, and Rogers's no-
minations were confirmed.

The following 12 persons were then chosen to be
governors and guardians for the ensuing year :—Mr. W.
Gover, Mr. Mayne (instead of Mr. W. Brandom), Mr.
Woollatt, Mr. W. Sentence, Mr. Nash, Mr. Rogers
(instead of Mr. Heath), Mr. E. Jones, Mr. J. Gover,
Mr. Ebsworth, Mr. Cowley, Mr. J. Cuff.
On Mr. Cheesman being proposed, his reelection
was opposed by Mr. Fleming, on the ground that there
were other persons who could be proposed, and whose
characters were unimpeachable. He would therefore
propose Mr. Simpson who had no stain upon his cha-
racter.

Mr. CHEESEMAN considered it very unhandsome to
cast a slur on any man's character by insinuation ; but
he knew why his nomination to an office, which, by the
by, he did not court, was opposed. He had been for
two years struggling to get rid of the new Board, and
Mr. Fleming's opposition arose from his having lost his
situation of Auditor to it. Under the atrocious system
of the New Poor-law the voting by proxy was most
glaring. For example, a rate-payer, occupying his own
premises, and paying 2001. a year, had but one vote in
reference to Poor•law appointments, whilst an owner or
landlord, though he resided in Nova Scotia, and was
rated at only 1251. a year, might have five votes by
proxy. It was under that unfair proxy system of vot-
ing that Mr. Fleming got his situation of auditor, and
was paid 401. a year, whilst the Auditor in the parish
of St. George's, Southwark, was paid only 161.
Mr. Cheeseman was then re-elected amid loud
cheering.

The Commissioners of the Court of Requests, Audi-
tors, Surveyors, and other parish officers having been
appointed, the Vestry broke up.