The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-12 00:00:00

CHURCH RATES IN THE PARISHES.

KIRKHAM.—The quiet town of Kirkham, in Lancashire,
has been for some time past agitated with the church-rate
question. There is a suit now pending in an ecclesiastical
court as to the validity of the last rate ; the question raised
being the liability of the 15 townships of which the parish
is composed to a rate for the parish church. Notwithstand-
ing this the parochial authorities have demanded another
rate. There was a large attendance at the vestry-meeting
on Thursday, and much discussion. It was proposed that
there should be a three months' adjournment, to await the
decision of the suit in the Consistory Court of York; also
that all items should be struck out of the estimate except
those for repairs, which amounted to less than £lO, out
of £64 ; and further, that there should be six weeks' ad-
journment, to raise funds by some other means than a rato
The vicar put all those proposals, which were lost, and then
a poll took place upon them, and upon the motion for a
rate. It:was an exciitng affair, lasting from ten in the morn-
ing until eight at night, and the result was the rejection of
all the propositions except that for the rate, which was car-
ried by 409 to 263. The Roman Catholic ratepayers voted
with the anti-rate party. The promoters of the rate had
the advantage of previous preparation, and brought up to
vote ratepayers wbo knew so little about the matter that, to
make it plain, the question was put, "Do you vote for the
church or for Mr. Knox ?" Though the rate is carried
there is likely to be a continuance of the most pertinacious
opposition.

STAPLEHURST.—For some time considerable excitement
has prevailed in this parish on the above subject occasioned
by the determination of the churchwardenc to carry with
a high hand the rate to its utmost extremity. On Thursday
last five parties who had received summonses appeared
before the bench at Cranbrook to show cause why they
refused to pay. The Rev.:E. Bailey, Independent minister,
was the first called on to show cause why he refused to pay
three shillings, the amount of his church rate. Mr. Ben-
nett, of Serjeant's .inn, ably conducted the defence, and
urged two objections, first, that the summons issued was
for a rata made on the 10th of January, whereas he
should prove that no business of any kind was done
on that evening; and, secondly, that the bench had no
jurisdiction, inasmuch as the rate had been disputed as in-
valid. A meeting, on November the Ist, of ratepayers had
been convened, and a proposition was made that a sum of
threepence in the pound should be granted as a church-
rate, whereupon Mr. Jull moved as an amendment, "That
the expenses attendant upon the church be defrayed by
voluntary contributions;" this amendment the chairman
refused to put to the meeting, and therefore the bench had
no jurisdiction, inasmuch as a bone fide objection had been
made as to the validity of the rate. The bench retired for
a short time, and on their return their worships said they
considered the objection bona fide, and had decided that the
case must be dismissed, as they had no jurisdiction. The
other summonses also fell to the ground.
SMARDEN.—According to notice, a vestry-meeting was
held on Thursday, the 30th ult., to consider the subject of
a rate. After some discussion, a penny rate was proposed,
no counter motion was submitted, but the proposal was
simply negatived by a majority voting against it. After
the meeting a voluntary subscription was started to defray
the expense necessary to keep the parish church in order.
The IVeald of Item Chronicle mentions as a good effect of
this way of disposing of the question, that soon after the
vestry, a meeting was held for the purpose of framing rules
and electing officers for the Mutual Improvementrociety.
It was convened in the schoolroom, readily lent by the
rector ; side by side stood the churchwarden and the Baptist
minister, co• operating in the kindest spirit in conducting
the business 0 the evening,