The Sun.
London, England, 1837-03-28 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES.

A numerous meeting of the inhabitants of the borough of
Lambeth was held yesterday evening at the Horns Tavern,
to take into consideration the Bill proposed by his Majesty's
Ministers for the abolition of Church-rates.
Mr. SAMUEL PALMER, on taking the chair, said that at
this stage of the proceedings he thought it right to' an-
nounce to those who were not already aware of the fact,
that he was a member of the Church of England.—
(Hear, hear.) He had been brought up and educated in
the principles of the Established Church, and would yield
to no man in respect and veneration for that Establish-

.•••••••
ment.—(Hear, hear, hear.) The present system was so
mischievous that even Sir Robert Peel himself acknow-
ledged that it required amendment and mending.—(Cheers.)
They need not travel far to see the effects of the system,
they could all hear witness that it worked exceedingly ill in
this borough.--( Hear, hear.) They had seen and they
had felt it, and they were disposed to use all their ener-
gies to endeavour to do away with the grievous impost.—
(Cheers.) As a Member of the Church of England, he
felt that the present system, instead of being useful to the
Church, only tended to alienate great numbers from its
communion.—( Hear.) They had been told that the pre-
sent system could not last long. The Attorney-General
told them that parishes had only to oppose the rate at a
public vestry, and ao earthly power, at least no law, could
compel them to pay. The law was so clearly laid down by
the Attorney-General, that it became necessary for every
friend of the Church, and he was pleased to see a great
number of gentlemen present belonging to the Church,
and he called upon them as brothers and friends of the
Church, to aid and assist that day in signing a petition
to the House of Commons, praying them to pass the
Bill for the abolition of Church•rates.—(Loud cheers.)
It was high time to adopt a plan by which the fabrics of
the Church should be upheld without calling on the public
to subscribe for that purpose.—(Cheers.) The object of
the measure proposed by his Majesty's Ministers was to
give an increased value to the property of the Church,
which was to be employed bona fide for Church purposes,
for the repair of the edifices of the Church itself, and at
the same time to put an end to those scenes of confusion, that
strife and animosity that existed under the present system,
and to spread good will and good feeling amongst all classes.
—(Cheers.) It was said that the most. Reverend Prelate
the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishops of London
and Exeter conspired together to commit spoliation on the
Deans and Chapters.—(A laugh.)—He did not suppose
for an instant that the charge was well founded. There
must be a mistake,

The Secretary (Mr. Henderson) then read a letter from
Mr. Hawes, M.P. for Lambeth, in which he expressed his
regret that illness prevented his attending the meeting.
The letter went on to say, that the measure proposed by
his Majesty's Ministers depended entirely upon popular
support.

It was announced that letters, excusing their absence,
were received from Dr. Lushington, Mr. Barnard, Mr. Pat-
tison, Nr. T. Duncombe, and Mr. Grote.
Mr. NORTHOUSE rose to move the first resolution. He
was as anxious as any man could be that the Church of this
country shruld be duly supported ; but it should be sup-
ported without encroaching on the consciences of peo-
ple. He was sorry to see that many men were wicked
enough to make the kingdom,of God subservient to their
ambition and avarice.—(Hear, hear, hear.) To. show
this, he would take the liberty- of reading a letter which
had been addressed to a Right Honourable Gentleman
by the churchwardens of St. Margaret and St. John the
Evangelist, Westminster, calling upon him to pay Church-
rates. [The letter was then read. Cries of " Name,
name.") He hoped they would excuse him from giving
the name, as no answer had yet been received.—(Renewed
cries of " Name.") If they would have the name, they
must—it was Sir Robert
,Peel.—(9reat groaning.) They
had heard him read the resolution be had to propose, and
he trusted they would allow him• to prove legally, consti-
tutionally, and logically, it was a resolution they ought to
affirm. They had heard it asserted by the high Tory party,
that parishes that refused to pay Church-rates might be
compelled to do so by a mandamus from the Court of
King's Bench.—(Hear, hear, hear, and cheers.) The
Honourable Gentleman referred to the writings of Dr. Burn,
Dr. Barrow, Bishop Latimer, and to Milton's works, to
show that, even in the opinion of Churchmen themselves,
Church-rates were an unjust exaction, and that the fourth
part of the produce of tithes ought to be devoted to the
repairs of the Church. The Hon. Gentleman concluded
an eloquent speech by moving the resolution.
Mr. HENDERSON seconded the resolution, which was put
and carried unanimously.
Two other resolutions, expressive of the opinion of the
meeting as to the expediency of abolishing Church-rates,
were agreed to ; and a petition founded upon the resolu-
tions having been drawn up, the meeting, after a vote of
thanks to the Chairman, separated.

Mr. and Mrs. Thistlethwayte have arrived in Lon-
don from Southwick-park, in consequence of the serious illness
of the Bishop of Norwich, father-in-law of Mr. Thistlethwayte.
THE BISHOPS.—We arc bound to believe that
.

the Jewish and Christian are the only two religions of divine
origin. What a remarkable thing it is, that the single true
one (for the Jewish is now superseded) should have little hold
on the people in general, less on the main body of the priest-
hood, and none whatever on the heads 1 They are commanded
to be patient of injuries ; and yet every chapter-house re-
sounds with complaints and recriminations. They are com-
manded to live in poverty, to which we are disposed to give a
broad interpretation, and to call it by the name of frugality ;
and yet not only do they seize upon whatever they can grasp
from rich and poor, but fall upon one another, like wolves in
winter, with this difference, that the wolves are starved, and
they surfeited. They are commanded to succour the op-
pressed ; and yet the only succour the abler of them afford,
is to relieve the labourer of his satchel when there is bread in
it.—Landor's Letters.
_ _

No POPEItY.—MIe Rev. Mr. Gregg, Minister of
St. George's Church, Sheffield, has honoured Manchester
with a visit. The local authorities were apprehensive of a
commotion arising from the Reverend Gentleman's preaching.
In his tirade he said, if persons asked which uas the most en-
lightened and prosperous country in the world, they would be
told, England ; but if they asked which was the most de-
graded, the answer would be, Ireland : and the Roman Ca
tholie religion was the cause of this. England was no longer
a Protestant country : it had never been so since Roman
Catholics were admitted into government, and it would not be
again till they were turned out. They would never see Eng-
land happy again until Protestant principles were predominant.
He concluded by asking them if they would submit to see him
trampled upon as he had been ? If so, adieu to liberty ! they
were no longer Englishmen. He styled the Roman Catholic
Members of Parliament, purjurers• They had sworn to de-
fend the Church, and they were subverting it altogether.
" Away with the Roman Catholic-S in Parliament l"—[ls this
Mr. Gregg a stibject for the Bishop of his diocese or for a
physician ?]