The Sun.
London, England, 1838-09-26 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, TUESDAY.—Yesterday the Queen did not ride out
This afterncon her Majesty rode out in the park on horse-
back, accompanied by her Royal Highness the Duchess of
Kent, Viscount Palmerston. Viscount Melbourne, Hon. Col.
Cavendish, Hon. C. A. Murray, the Earl of Surrey, Lady
Portman, and Lord Lilford.
The following are the distinguished visiters at the Castle I
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, Ladies Portman,
M. Stopford, r.nd Forbes ; Baroness LeLzen, Hon. Miss Paget,
Hon. Miss Anson' Visceunt Melbourne, Viscount Palmerston,
Lord Lilford, Colc.:el Armstrong, Hon. Colonel Cavendish,
Hon. C. A. Murray, and the Earl of Surrey.

Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, attended by Viscountess
Barrington and the Hon. Miss Gore, took a carriage drive in
the Parks yesterday morning.
His Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe Wiemar ar-
rived at Marlborough House on Monday, from Sandhurst.
Mr. T. H. Brooking, and Mr. Christophers, of Newfound.
land, had an interview with Lord Glenelg yesterday, at the
Colonial-office. Dr. Hynes, Mr. Fairbanks, Mr. G. F. Lewis,
Mr. J. Mantell, Mr. Pennington, and Mr. Newmarch had also
interviews with Lord Glenelg yesterday, at the Colonial-office.
Despatches for Sir E. Disbrowe, Minister Plenipotemiary
at the Hague, were sent off last evening from the Foreign-
office.

CORN-LAW FALLACIES, WITH THE

ANSWERS.

(Continued from The Sun of Monday.)

61. Dr. BOWRINO, we re- ANSWER.—Dr. BowIING
peat, who has been perpe- has done much towards ex-
testing dirty jobs for the pre- ploding the dirtiest job of all;
sent Government, in nearly —the " job of jobs," as Lord
every country in Europe, was King called the Corn-laws in
regaled in Manchester, on the House of Lords. He
‘Vednesday night, by a party
his well earned his abuse.
of his admirers. Morning
Herald, Sept. 24, 1838.
62. —The Irish grievances
are worn out ; and something
must be done to conciliate the
jobbers and schemers, or the
Whigs must prepare to bid
aileu to Downing-street I
The Whigs, therefore, are
getting up " the steam" of
agitation against the corn
laws;—ld.
63.—whilst tools of the
stamp of Dr. BOWRING are
!sent forth to earn Whig wages,
by urging on the manufactur-
ing " masses" to demand the
overthrow of the agricultural
interest, and the permanent
prostration of native industry
before the influences at the
disposal of our idle consumers,
and our commercial gamblers.
—ld.

A.—Anything so there
be war against the old " job-
bers and schemers." It
might be supposed that there
had never been anything like
" jobbers and schemers" to
keep up rents at the expense
of other people.

A.—The dishonest agri-
cultural interest must be
overthrown like other dis-
honesties. Why should we
pay a New Police, if we can-
not prevent men from taking.
the bread out of our mouths
another way ?

64. The following is a fair
sample of the doctrines which
our free-trade philosophers
retail at so high a price :
" Now, a very serious state
of things has come on in con-
sequence of the existence of
these Corn-laws. Nobody can
estimate the amount of capi-
tal withdrawn from agricul-
ture [in foreign countries] in
order to be applied to manu-
factures [there], in consequence of our not taking from
other nations the commodities with which they could ay our
goods. The other day, coming down the Danube, an Hun-
garian nobleman told me that they had quite ceased to think of
producing corn for the English market, and that they were
turning their capital to manufacturing, as they could not sell
their corn. There were boundless quantities of corn in the coun-
try, but not sufficient clothing for the use of the people, and
so the Austrian Government was led to encourage commerce,
to discourage English manufactures, and to manufacture for
themselves. And this was a state of things which Corn-law
Legislation was bringing about in all directions." • * * *
Heavy loss, in short,—the most sweeping waste of the
resources of national strength—ought to reward this common
folly on the part of manufacturing foreigners, and of corn-
growing Englishmen I—ld.
65. --Yet what say the eco- A.—The speaker quoted
nomists themselves to this part says nothing of "commercial
of the case? Why, they tell supremacy." The plan is to
us, it is true, of the deep in- insert " commercial supre-
jury which England is inflict- macy" in place of " discou-
ing on herself;—hut, in the
racring English manufactures
very same breath, they enlarge
on the mighty strides towards and manufacturing for them-
selves:" But what are the
commercial supremacy, which
these partners in our alleged Austrians to do? It is we
who put on the Milan decree.
folly, are making I—ld.
They must either manufac-
ture covering for themselves as well as they can, or paint
themselves blue like our ancestors and go without it.

A.—And so it does. The
Austrians lose as well
o.s we. They lose as we
should do, if a Milan decree
cut off English manufactures
from the Continent. The
manufacturers grumbled at
Napoleon ; but they take a
Milan decree quite kindly
from the landholders.

6G.—The folly, be it re- A.—Not a word is there
membered, is declared to be of " rich and powerful."
the same ;—)et,, w
gravely assured, that eare
the mad- adversary, who would not
ness which induces Prussianswants.
This is the case of a cruel
say what his opponent
and Austrians to manufacture
for themselves, is making them
rich and powerful, whilst the
corresponding madness which impels Englishmen to grow
their own food is making them, day by day, poorer and more
helpless l—ld.
67. —lf Dr. Bo wrallo and A.—lf Dr. BOWRING and
his friends speak truly in al- his friends speak truly in al-
leging that England injures leging that the Morning
herself by growing food, it fol-
Chronicle injures himself by
lows, of necessity, that the insisting on making his own
manufacturing nations of the
shoes, it follows, of nece. city.
Continent must injure them- that the shoemaker would
selves still more by their ma-
nufacturing speculations than injure himself at least as
England can do by keeping much, who insisted on making
her corn fields under tillage. his own Morning Chronicle.
Who doubts it ? But if the
shoemaker's necessity for
making his own newspaper
arises horn the Chronicle's refusing to accept of payment
from the shoemaker, then the Chronicle ought to wear two
strilight-waistcoats instead of one.
68.—From the Manchester A.—When corn rises, up
speech of the Whig Mission- go wages, but not in the
ary, we might cull specimens same proportion as the corn.
innumerable of nonsense of a When corn falls, down go
mischievous character. The wages, but not in the same
following example, however,
; proportion as the corn. This
must suffice for the present
is what puzzles the working
The point at issue, it will be
classes and the
perceived, is, whether a high Tories. The
price of corn sustains wages. jobbery is between nominal
" I have heard it said," &c. and substantial wages ; too
Cheap corn, in other words, astute a difference, it must
according to Dr. BOWRING. be allowed, for a common
raises wages! Good! But man to understand.
what says this worthy apostle
of free trade in the passage
which follows?
Holland, a country," &c.
We are first assured, be it observed, that cheap wheat
raises wages ;—and then, we are assured, that in Holland,
free-trading Holland—wages fall with the fall of wheat, and
Ilse as wheat rises ! Truly, Dr. BOWRING is, after all, but
a bungler at his craft ;—or else he must presume the public
to be as stupid as he is impudent.—ld.
69.—1 t is an acknowledged A.—ln other words, thost•
principle of Tory policy that whose profession it is to re-
to keep things steady in the ccive rents, must increase
country, and to do justice to them at other people's ex-
all parties under existing cir- pence, or they will be ex-
cengly uncomfortable. Mr.
eedi
cumstances, the price of corn
must be kept considerably
Wilberforce found himself
aheve the continental average.
--11hrning Post, Sept. 24, directed to " Provide things
1838. honest in the sight of all men,"
and therefore he voted for
the Corn-laws. The other

landowners seem to have read with the same commentator
What a text for a border chaplain, when the spurs were
served for the laird's dinner, and the order given, " Forth,
Forbes, and fill the fetters !" .
70.—A less price than from A.—Wait till the manu-
fifty to sixty shillings for the facturers tell them that " a
quarter of wheat must neces- greater price than from fif-
sarily create a confusion, em- teen to twenty shillings for
barrassment, and distress in the
quarter of wheat, must
the affairs of the country, , „
necessarily create a contu-
which, if continued, would
bring about some fearful con- sion, embarrassment, and
vulsion. —ld. distress in the affairs of the
country, which, if conti-
nued, would bring about
some fearful convulsion." Is not one just as reasonable as
the other,—and just as honest too, if contemplated to be
brought about by robbing with the public blunderbuss ?
71.—But there is a yet more A.—The landholdersmade
general objection to be urged the Corn-laws, with a view,
against the cheap-corn advo- among other things, to rob
cates, of which they who love the fundholders who had lent
justice and a steady undis- money for the landlords' war,
turbed progress of our national
by paying them with less
affairs should never lose sight.
corn ; and they robbed them
This country is bound to
same landlords would per-
pounds sterling per annum for
pay twenty-eight millions of accordingly. And then the
suede the community to con-
interest on the National Debt.
o
...Now, under this state of tinue to be starved, lest the
national circumstances, it fundholders should get their
is mere madness to labour for rights. Poor and honest
the establishment of money- working-classes,}'ouare
cheapness. The The cheaper that
we make corn and other things rob I
in proportion, the dearer we
make money, and, conse-
quently, the greater do we make the burden of the annual
twenty-eight millions which we must pay.—ld.
is, that having money to pa
72.—What we contend for, A._Abarefaced proposal
and not corn, our policy ought coming from the quarter
to be to make money cheap ; out
buy money with that property, which is ever crying
and as the owners of property Y, to rob the fundholders,
" spoliation" against the nu-
just as the owners of money'.
buy property with that money,policy to steal ;
think it , for
it is the interest of all tax- but thieves are hanged
merous- classes. Thievo may
payers, whose possessions con- it, sometimes sooner than
sist of corn or ether goods, or they calculated on.
of the power to labour, or of
any thing else except money,
or stock, bearing a fixed inter-
est, to have money cheap. Id.
73.—Every labourer who A.—lt can be reduced as
,
buys tea, and sugar, and gin, to two third parts ; for the
and
bacco must pay a consider-
soap, and beer, and to- savinas of the Government
from t cheapness
' o h of the
able portion of his earnings in
tax. Now, the manufacturer things they buy, may be aP-
says that be wants the Corn- plied to meeting one half of
laws repealed, because he the increase of value paid to
wishes to have labour as cheap the fundholders, by taking
as it is where the corn is cheap, off taxes to the same amount.
and thus be the better able to Which the writer has taken
compete with the foreign ma- care to forget ; and so will
nufactwer. Well, the mere the Government.

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1838.

nhuerermo sub-
theus labourer find a similar re-
ti
reduction in the price of corn But happily, all is not
Jot n a
won't do that ;he must reduce tax. When
receive the
higher the labourer's wages. But willc /
wage s ,i ncons
abundanceeq u e n cc ef
duction in the things which he f a
an increased
now purchases with his wages?
corn, they must receive what
It is impossible, for a consi-
will enable them to eat more,
derable part of the price of
these things is tax, and the ins pite of the taxes. For
tax cannot be reduced, except if not, the corn must be
as to one-third part of it. —ld. thrown away ; it is plain it
cannot be sold.

74.—1 t would be well if
all the clamourers for cheap
wheat had the fairness of old
COBBETT, who admitted, with
the cheap wheat, must come
what he called " equitable ad-
justment ;" but what would
be, in fact, a national bank-
ruptcy. We can pay to the
public creditor twenty-eight
millions of pounds sterling
per annum, while we can buy
three pounds sterling in
Mark-lane with a quarter of
wheat : but if we had to give
two quarters of wheat for that
amount of sterling money, it
is by no means so clear, but
very much the contrary, that
we could continue to pay the
public creditor twenty-eight
millions a-year. —ld.

A.—ls it not just as much
a national bankruptcy, as it
is What is a national
bankruptcy, if paying 10s. in
the pound is not ? The na-
tional creditors lent their
money for the landlords' war.
The moment there came
peace, the landlords said—
" Lay on the Corn-laws, and
then we shall pay them with
one quarter of corn instead of
two." Can the thing be made
worse ? But honest men (turd
the classes which are now
rising in the political horizon
are honest) will neither rob
by the Corn-laws, nor after-
wards.

75.—Some of the labourers
are foolish enough to think
that that is no affair of theirs,
but only concerns those Who
have money in the stocks.
There they are very much mis-
taken, and if some of their
leaders were not fonder of re-
volution than of truth, they
would tell them so. —ld.

A.—Try no hoaxes on
the labouring classes. You
will be horribly afraid of
them by-and-by ; and there
is no use in making them sa-
vage. The labouring classes
are entreated not to make a
national bankruptcy ; and
you have made one already.
What you have done, the
labouring classes, when the
time comes, will undo.
(TO BE CONTINUED.

ANTI-CHURCH-RATE MEETING AT

EDGBASTON, BIRMINGHAM.

On Monday evening, a public meeting, convened by a
number of the most influential rate-payers of the parish of
Edgbaston, was held in a large building adjoining the exten-
sive chemical works of the Messrs. Sturge, Islington, to
receive information on the extraordinary circumstances under
which two Church-rates lately imposed on the inhabitants of
the parish, had been granted, and to consider what steps
should be taken in regard to these rates.
About half-past six o'clock, WILLIAM SCHOLEFIELD, Esq.,
High Bailiff of Birmingham, whose residence is situated in
the parish of Edgbaston, was called to the chair amidst ge-
neral acclamation, and proceeded to read the advertisement by
which the meeting had been convened. He then observed
it would be unnecessary to remind those present, that they
had been called together on the present occasion, not only
to receive information, but to suggest what steps it might be
deemed necessary to take in the present circumstances of the
parish. The subject which they had met to consider was an
important one, and for his own part he confessed that if the
meeting was merely to content itself with protesting against
the present rate, he for one should not have come amongst
them that evening—if it was good in principle he would be
the last to lay hold of a technical objection to get rid of it ;
but it was because he felt Church-rates to be unjust that
he had come forward, with others, to aid and assist in
opposing them.—( Cheers.) Church-rates were so well known,
especially in Birmingham, and were proved to be so flagrant a
violation of the rights of equity and conscience, and se inju-
rious to the Church itself, of which he was a member and sin-
cere well-wisher, that he most anxiously desired to see them
removed.—(Cheers.) Indeed, if he needed any additional
inducement to endeavour to rid their statutes of the obnoxious
law that rendered Church-rates legal, he was sure that in.
ducement would be afforded by the cruel, unjust, and tyran-
nical persecution which had been so relentlessly carried on
against some of the most inoffensive of their fellow-towns-
men, whose only crime was their consistent opposition to this
oppressive impost. —( Loud cheers.)
JOSEPH STUEO2 here presented himself to the meet-
ing, and was received with much cheering. He said, before
the business for which they had assembled was entered upon,
perhaps it would be as well briefly to put them in possession
of the facts which had led to the present meeting. A few
days ago three or four of his neighbours called upon him
and stated that they thought the last Church-rates im-
posed upon the parish had been granted under circumstances
that called for investigation, and they did not conceal their
opinion that they considered the rates illegal. He told them
that he had opposed Church-rates all his life from principle,
as a proof of which he had suffered his goods to be taken out
of his house rather than pay them ; and, viewing them as a
legal robbery, he should consider it his duty to join in tak-
ing any legal exception to the mode in which the present
rates had been imposed.--( Cheers.) A few individuals met
the same evening, at which some fresh facts were elicited,
when it was resolved as the most fair and candid modo of
proceeding, to call a public meeting of the parishioners for
the purpose of taking the subject into consideration. With
regard to the signatures attached to the requisition, that sub-
ject required some explanation and perhaps apology, as many
of the parishioners had no opportunity of attaching their
names, and one list that had been signed, from some
cause, was not delivered in thee for publication.—(Hear.)
He might perhaps be allowed on that occasion to state dis-
tinctly the grounds on
which the Society to which he belonged
(the Quakers), had
for nearly two centuries allowed their
goods to be taken rather than consent
grounds
to pay Church-rates.—
( Hear.) They did so rounds ; first, because they
regarded that impost as on cr a
violation of justice • and secondly,
and principally,iebser• ) causeit was a violation of the rights of
conscience.—(l
Some of their Episcopalian friends
thought they were rather factious in this their opposition to
Church-rates ; but ifthey would place themselves for a
moment in their situation, and suppose that the Catholics, or
Independents, or Baptists, or Quakers, or any other body of
Dissenters got the upper hand, and imposed a compulsory and
exclusive rate forthe
of, they
of that peculiar form of worship
they would soon see the force of the
which they approvede issenters now entertained against the pay-
objection which
merit of this tax.—.(Cheers.) Under the strong conviction
was a violation of the rights of conscience, he could
that it
never contribute to the support of a Church Establishment which
he believed was not founded on true Christian principles
There were, however, circumstances connected with the pre
epeculiarr character, which would perhaps be best-
sent rates of a
explained by reading to the meeting two or three of the mi-
nutes of the Vestry entered in the parish books, copies of
which he heldinhis hand.—( Hear, hear.) Mr. Sturge here
proceeded to read a resolution come to at a vestry meeting,
held in the
perish-church on the 22d of September, 1834, to
the effect " that iu future the churchwardens shall give a fort_
night's previous notice, by advertisement in Aria's Gazette
(a paper
published in Birmingham), of all parish meetings,
and that such advertisement be inserted twice." On the 21st
of July, in the present
sent year, there was a vestry meeting held
in the parish-church,
when a notice was issued for a meet-
ing of parishioners
(also
on the Ist of August, " for the purpose of
or the repairs and ex of
granting a rand
also a fu thorn rther y rate, for the puprposeenses of
the church ;
lot of land to enlarge the present church..
purchasing a p
a
yard, and enclosing and fencing the same,
as specified in
the estimates to be laid before the meeting, and at the
to pass the churchwardens' accounts." This no_
same time. d James Busby and James Upfill, Church-
wardens.
(Hear,ticewaee_sigahear.) Here they not only omitted to ad-
vertise,vestry, but, rather
fixed on the Ist of August to pass
according o the minutes of the
many of the
singularly he thought, they
nhgenthe freedom of
the rates (it might beabgyedpuinreteavicncidceenletb),ratwi
rarishioners were engaged
the Negro I—(Laughter, and cries of " Hear, hear.") Orethat
day, a rate of 3d. in the pound was granted in the terms of
the resolution on the parish books, "
for the necessary repairs
and expenses of the Church, and also to reimburse the late
churchwardens the money advanced by them in their accounts
for the last year, namely, 351. 175., and the payment of the
unpaid bills, amounting to 91. 103." At the same meeting it
was also resolved, " that a rate of 6d. in the pound be now
granted and signed, for the purpose of purchasing a plot of
land adjoining the present church-yard ; for enlarging
the same and fencing it, and to defray the expense thereof as
specified in the estimate now laid before the Vestry."----( Hear,
hear.) He would leave others to judge if anything of this
kind had been done in private life between man and man, what
would have been thought of it ?—( Hear.) Was there not at
least a moral obligation, enforced, too, by their own previous
resolution, to let the ratepayers know they were going to as-
sess them ? But no notice was given of such an intention ex-
cept to those who attended the Church and saw it on the door.
The Church party, as it was called, were in the habit of boast-
ing that they comprised the wealthiest and most respectable
portion of the community ; but although he might belong to
the poor Dissenters, he would not have sanctioned such a pro-
ceeding for the amount of the rate itself, and the value of the
Church and the Church-yard together.—(Cheers.) It might
perhaps be said by those who enforced the rate, " We have
the law in our favour, and we will have it whether it is
founded on justice or not." Now, if this was their ground,
it only served still more strongly to prove the case
of the Dissenters, that a Church Establishment was
not founded on Christian principles.—( Hear, and cheers.)
The Gospel told them to do unto others as they would wish
others to do unto them ; and if they would only act in accord-
ance with this sacred command, he was persuaded they would
bear very little more about Church-rates.—(Cheers.) Such
were the peculiar circumstances of this case, that although the
denomination to which he belonged might not generally be
very anxious to make converts, be trusted many of those pre.
sent would act as the Quakers did upon this subject, and suf-
fer their goods to be taken rather than do violence to their
principles by paying the rate; for, in addition to other grounds
in the case before them, he believed the parties who acted in
i
the manner be had described would be found to have violated
law quite as much as they had violated equity. If he had
spoken warmly upon this subject, or used any expression thate
might be construed into personal offence to any one,he
begged to assure them that it was not the result of any
ill-
feeling towards those individuals, for he firmly believed the
greatest good he could do to the Members of the Episcopalian
h
Church itself would be to duce them to give up at once and
for ever this odious and unjust import._( Hear, and cheers.)
Mr. Sturge concluded by moving the first resolution, " That

this meeting considers the enforcement of Church-rates a
violation of the principles of justice, and of the rights of
conscience."

WILLIAM REDFERN, Esq., in coming forward to move the
first resolution, said he had been requested by his worth;
friend, Mr. Sturge, to afford the meeting some e:Tosition of
what he conceived to be the law of the case ; and at the out-

set he felt happy indeed in being able to state that that expo-
sition would he of a gratifying nature, since he thought he
should be able to show that the par Jes to whom they were
oppc,stl on that occasion had net even the law in their favour.
In the prosecutian of his inquiries he was desirous, in the
first instance, of ascertaining what the ane'e it common law
of the land on this subject was; whether, accordi! g to that
ancient common law, setting aside all new-fan led n t .rations
introduced by modern statutes, there was any power in a parish
vestry to maLe a rate, not for the purpose of repairing (about
vroicii there could be no doubt), but fur the purpose of enlarg-
ing a Church-yard.—( Hoar, hear.) He had not, however,
proceeded far in his inquiries before he cams to the conclusion
that there was no such power; for as the authority •on which
he mainly relied for information in the matter was Dr. Burn,
an eminent civilian and practitioner in the Ecclesiastical
Courts, and therefore naturally disposed to stretch to the
utmost the ecclesiastical jurisdiction, he (Mr. IL) felt safe in
believing that the entire absence of any mention of such power
was in itself a conclusive proof that no such power did exist.
So much, then, for the ancient common law of the land

upon the subject.—(Cheers.) He (Mr. Redfern) was not,
however, satisfied with this result. He knew the grasping
and extortionate spirit of the Church—( Hear, hear)—he knew
that the Church never slept—that it was always awake to its
own selfish interests, and eagerly availed itself of every oppor-
tunity for aggrandizing and enriching itself.—( Hear, hear.)
He thought, therefore, that it was not at all unlikely that a
clause granting some power of this nature might have been
slily slipped into some obscure nook or corner of some modern
Act of Parliament. He accordingly set to work to rum-
mage the Statutes at large, and sure enough he at last
alighted on a clause wlfich he supposed had served as a
foundation for the grant of the rate in question.—( Hear,
hear.) He should first read the clause to which he referred,
and then explain the reasons which induced him to think that
the formalities required by the Act had net been complied with.
The clause was the 36th section of the 39th Geo. 111. c. 134,
and it ran as follows :

" That all such parishes as shall be required by the Com-
missioners for executing that Act, shall furnish lands for en-
larging existing churchyards, or for making such additional
churchyards as the Commissioners may deem necessary to be
enlarged, and that as soon as the Commissioners shall have
fixed upon any parish, as being one in which it was necessary
that the churchyard should be enlarged, they shall give no-
tice to the Churchwardens thereof, and the part of the parish,
or the extra parochial place within which the same is required
to be provided ; and the said Churchwardens shall, within the

space of fourteen days, call a meeting of the Vestry of the
parish, for the purpose of taking all such measures as may be
necessary for providing such additional churchyard ; and in
case such parish shall not be able to provide the same, with-
out purchase, then the Vestry shall forthwith proceed to
treat for a piece of ground, according to such notice, but shall
not conclude any bargain for the same, without the approba-

tion of the Commissioners."
Now (continued Mr. Redfern), there were two things that
struck him fcrcibly on the perusal of this Act. The first was
that the Churchwardens could not take the initiative in the

matter, but that, in the first instance, a formal notice must
have been given to them by the Church-building Commis-
sioners ; and, secondly, that a Vestry meeting must be sum.
moned within fourteen days after the service of the notice, for
the purpose of taking such measures as may be necessary for
providing the additonal Churchyard.—( Cheers.) With re-
spect to the first of these points, he should like very much to
know whether any such notice bad been given by the Church.
building Commissioners.—( No, no.) He had made diligent in-
quiry about this matter—he had inquired of Mr. Upfill, the
present Warden, of Messrs. Bedford and Spencer, who were
professionally concerned, of Mr. Fletcher, the collector
of the parish rates, and the custos of the parish
books, but no where, neither in the one place
nor in the other, could he find any vestige or trace of

this same notice, and he confessed his own strong opinion
was, that no such notice had in fact been given.—( Hear,
hear.) He might, perhaps, go a step farther, and say that
from a certain quarter (which he was not at liberty more par-
ticularly to mention) he had received a pretty broad hint that
he was quite right in this conjecture—( Laughter and cheers. )
Now, if this were so, it was clear that the rate in question was
not worth a straw.—(Loud cheers.) But even admitting that
a notice had been duly given by the Church-building Com-
missioners and that the meeting was convened within fourteen
days after this notice had been served, even then he contended
that the meeting was not convened by the Churchwardens in
conformity to the Act of Parliament. The Act says "The meet-
ing shall be convened for taking all such means as may be neces-
sary for providing the additional churchyard or burying ground."
But what says the notice? Why it calls the meeting for the
purpose of granting a rate for purchasing the land. The
Act in effect says " You, the parish vestry, shall make all
these arrangements ; we leave it to you to provide the addi-
tional churchyard, and to treat for the purchase of the land."
" 0 no," says the Notice, " nothing of the kind—we, the
Churchwardens, have done all these things already ; we have

treated for the purchase of the land, and have made all the
necessary arrangements, and all we want you to do is to grant
the rate."—( Hear, hear.) He (Mr. R.) contended that there
was a plain arid palpable discrepancy between this notice and
the terms of the Act of Parliament. lie contended, indeed,
that no meeting had been held for the purpose " of taking
measures" for providing an additional churchyard, and
therefore that the rate was illegal.—(Cheers.) At that meet-
ing, however, not only was a rate granted for enlarging the
churchyard, but one was likewise granted for repairing the
church. Now if he had doubts as to the validity of the former
rate, still greater were his doubts as to the validity of the lat-
ter—doubts, indeed, amounting almost to conviction in the
opposite direction.—( Cheers.) There was no rule of law
more completely settled than this--that no Church-rate could
be granted for the purpose of reimbursing the expenses of a
former churchwarden ; and that if any such rate were granted,
it should be null and void.—( Cheers.) He called upon them,
then, to mark the terms of the resolution by which the rate
now under consideration was granted; they were—" That a
rate of three-pence in the pound be now granted and signed
for the necessary repairs and expenses of the church for the
current year, and also to reimburse the late churchwardens
the money advanced by them in their accounts for
the last year." Why, there was a palpable blunder on the '
very face of this resolution—(Cheers)—and so convinced was
he of the illegality of the procecdieg that he would pledge his
professional reputation, that if any one would resist the rate
it could not be enforced against him.—( Loud applause. )
Having made these remarks on the legal merits of the case,
he would now glance at a few of the more general topics
connected with it. They had been told by Mr. Sturge, that
in the year 1834, an understanding had been entered into,
which might very properly be regarded, he thought, as an agree-
ment between the Dissenters of the pariah on the onehand, and
the Churchmen on the other, that no Vestry meeting should in

Edgbaston, in addition to the general objection stated in this
previous resolution, are, in the opinion of this meeting, a vio-
latioe cf a moral, if not legal obligation, inasmuch as the fol-
lowing resolution was passed by th Vestry on the 22d of Sep-
temher. 1834—` That in future the Churchwardens shall give
a fortnight's notice, by advertisement, in Ari's Gazelle,
of all parish meetings, and that such :advertisement be in-
set. ed tyke.' and no such advertisement was published previous
to granting the rates at the meeting on the Ist of August lest."
He had iefused the rate when the collector cal.e I upon him ;
and he did so for the reason assigned in the resolution he had
just read. Yes—he believed it was unjust, and a gross viola-
tion .1 a moral obligation to call for the rate without comply-
ing :liar the notice which the rate-payers had a right to ex-
pect. What saith the just God—fishy, that "he hated rob-
bery for bi oTerings;" and he woola ask them cc old they
consider the present rate in any other light than a robb .ry, al-
though and e. the colour of law ? He it Is glad, however, to
hear from the Learned Advocate who had jut addressed them.
that the Churchwardens had not law on th... 3 occasion) and
that a successful resistance could be legally males
to the pay-
ment of the uajust demand made upon them. Mil,:
saith the
great Master, the head of the Church ? He told the:o to
" call no min master upon earth," in his admirable eermt.:l
upon the mount; and concluded that ever memorable address
by telling them that " they should do unto others as they
would wish others should do unto them." Now, he desired,
in all his transactions in life with his fellow-man, to
be guided by that golden--that heavenly rule.—( Hear,
hear, hear.) He did not wish the Episcopalians to defray
the expense of maintaining his religion, and he ( Mr. Swan)
was determined that he would not willingly pay for the sup-
port of the religion of another denomination. He trusted if
the present rate was generally demanded it would be resisted,
and then they would have what they called in his country a
fine rattling, and they would then see what would be the re-
salt. Besides he could not pay the rate without stultifying
himself. He bad for many years past concurred with the
people of Birmingham in their resistance to Church-rates. He
had argued upon its injustice, and done all in his power to in-
duce others not to pay, and he could not with any degree of
c nasistency pay the rate in Edgbaston.--( Hear.) He had the
happiness to preside over a congregation who had at a great
expense built and paid for the maintenance of their own place
of worship. In fact, they then paid from 8001. to 1,0001. a
year for the support of religion amongst themselves and others
in the neighbourhood. They not only supplied themselves,
but they contributed towards the establishment of religion in
every part of the world; and what enhanced in his estimation
the value of this offering was, that it came from a congrega-
tion the majority of whom lived by the work of their
hands.—( Loud cheers.) It came from the industrious,
the all-important, the productive class. Why then
should they be called upon to pay a compulsory rate for the
maintenance of another religion. He would ask the High
Bailiff could he, with any degree of fairness, have taken that
chair if the meeting bad been convened for the purpose of en-
forcing money from them for the support of the highest, the
most favoured, the most respectable, and the richest Church
in the country?—( Hear, hear.) Yes, the Church of England
boasted of being possessed of the wealth and respectability of
the land, and yet they found themselves unable or unwilling to
pay the expense of their Church. Was it to be endured that
they should be called upon to pay for the religion of the few
gentlemen who worshipped in the little Church of Edgbaston?
__(Cries of " No, no !") Was it justice that they should be
compelled to do so ?—(" No, no.") Then he hoped they
would not pay.—( Cheers.) The fact was, they dare not pay
it.—(Renewed cheers.) They dare not, as conscientious
men, countenance such a glaring injustice in the name of the
holy religion they professed. The next objection referred
to in the resolution was, that it was a violation of the
rights of conscience.—( Hear.) Now he declared that he
considered it a violation of the rights of conscience to demand
money from him under such circumstances, and he had refused
the rate, because he could not conscientiously pay it. Reli-
gion, in his opinion, was a matter solely between man and his
Maker. It was a most serious and important subject, and in-
finitely above the reach of men's meddling. Religion was a
subject upon which men could not legislate, without making
the most egregious mistakes. Eery day's experience proved
that fact. The history of all past ages proved that fact.
What did the present system of legislation do in England ?
Why, it exhibited their rulers supporting Papacy in Canada,
Idolatry in India, Presbyterianism in Scotland, and Episco-
palianism in England.--( Hear, hear.) Only let them just
think what a tissue of absurdity was here exhibited, and all
to be attributed by State meddling and State legislation in
religion. He conscientiously objected to the establishment
of any religion by the State. He objected to State religion
in any shape or form, because they could not establish
or endow, for that was the whole of the matter, any one
Church, without injustice to those who dissent from it. He
went, therefore, at once, and without any reservation, for the
separation of the Church from the State.—(Hear.) By re.
fusing to pay Church-rates or Tithes, he considered he was
fully and entirely advocating that doctrine. Every man who
refused to pay Church-rates went for separation, and every
man who fancied be did not was only misleading himself. It
was a natural consequence, and one most heartily to be desired.
He felt thoroughly convinced that, until that separation took
place, there would be no solid or lasting peace in the country.
If he did not go for the separation of the Church from the
State, he would at once pay the rate. The connection of
Church and State was the great evil—the root of all evil,
An Established Church must of necessity be the predominant
Church, and trample upon all other Churches in the country.
The present Establishment had done so, and he did not hesitate
to say, sooner or later its connection with the State must cease.
Yes, he would say, the Established Church as such, could not
exist. He did not wish to speak of forms of religion, but he
must say he could not conscientiously support that form which
recognised the right of a bench of Bishops to sit as Legislators,
and whose general conduct was inimical to the rights and li-
berties of mankind. He could not give money for the support
of a Ci,urch, a majority of whose ministers were worldly-
minded men, fox hunters, and such like. He could not sup-
pert a Church, which, r oevithstan ling all,:its immense wealth,
had kept the people in ignorance. He admired all the good
men of the Established Church, and was willing to admit there
were many good and zealous men amongst them, but he could
not support a religion which had been, and was still pro-
ductive of so much evil. But he did not object so
much upon the defects of the Church as upon principle.
He took his stand lama the ,rinciel hat it was

. t.,
unjust to compel one man to pay fu,prle the religion of
another. Such were the reasons which had induced
him to attend that meeting, and take part in the pro-
ceedings. He had stated his opinions freely and candidly,
because he cared not if all the world knew them. He hoped
the time was near at hand when the question would be finally
settled. He trusted Lord John Russell was thinking of some
means by which the matter would be put to rest. He hoped
there would be no commutation principle introduced, because
he felt confident the people would never consent to any such
arrangement. The Church. rates must not he saddled upon
the general taxation of the country—if so, there would be
grent dissatisfaction created, and the evil complained of still
continue. He hoped the day was not far distant when every
man would support his own religion, and be required to sup-
port no other, and then they would live in Christian peace
and brotherhood.

future be held without a precious advertisement in iris's G a
zette. It. would seem, too, that to give as binding a sanction
as possible to this agreement it was reduced into writing, was
passed as a formal resolution at a vestry meeting, and was re-
corded amongst the parish minutes, and there it continued up
to the present day.—( Hear, hoar.) He felt then with Mr.
Sturge, that they had great reason to complain of the utter
disregard of an agreement so deliberately entered into ; he
should not be far wrong, indeed, if he denounced that disre-
gard as a most unjustifiable breach of good faith between man
and man.—( Cheers.) But there was one plea that might,
perhaps, be set up fur the select vestry. It might be said
Olt, as the compact he had alluded to had been made so long
ago as 1834, they hrd forgotten it. If this plea should be
urged, all ho could say was, that it had not the slightest
foundation in fact; for he was able to state, on the authority of
Mr. Upfill, the churchwarden, who reminded the select vestry
of the resolution amongst their minutes, and asked whether
he was to advertise the meeting, and what was their reply ?
Did they say that the law prohibited them from complying
with the resolution ; or that they would incur any legal penal-
ties by doing so; or that there was any one obstacle either of
law or of convenience in the way of it? No ; the answer was
simply this, that the law did not require them to advertise.—
( Shame, shame.) And they were perfectly right in this ;
the law did not require them to do so. Unquestionably there
was no Court of Law that would recognize the agreement ;
but he was also sure that there was no court of honour that
would not recognize it; and he felt some pleasure in reflecting
that if the agreement could not be enforcded eitherld by Judge or
Jury, at all events its violation could, and
cannot, and
visitedu by
public indignation. —(Cheers.)
outrage,
the impunity thus tb trifle. with, anddmoustt
btheepte)lraminitetsetd, and commonest, and most elementary principles
that bind society together, and make man place faith in man.—.
(Renewed cheers.) He should like to know, too, for what
reason the gentlemen of the Select Vestry were so reluctant
to advertise the meeting ? Ilow was it that they were so
anxious to avoid publicity ? What was it that made them prefer
the comfort and snuggery of what was little more than a select
vestry, to the openness and freedom of a fair parish meeting?
He would tell the meeting what it was— they knew very well that
if the Vestry Meeting had been properly advertised—if due
notice bad been given—it would have been numerously at-
tended; it would hare been attended by all who were there
that night, and by many more besides—by Dissenters as well
as by Churchmen. They knew very well, too, that a spirit of
opposition to Church-rates had sprung up in the parish,
and was spreading day by day.—( Cheers.) It was for these
reasons that they saw fit not to advertise the meeting—it was
for these reasons that they put the notice of the meeting on
the church door, and then cunningly locked the churchyard
gates.—(Great laughter.) But good sometimes came out of
evil ; and he believed that such would be the case on the pre-
sent occasion. His own opinion was, that if the gentlemen of
the Select Vestry had been satisfied with going on in their old
jog-trot pace—levying a rate of only 3d. in the pound—not a
little finger would have been stirred in opposition. But this
did not satisfy them ; they must try their hands at something
more ambitious—they must have a ninepenny rate. He was
glad they had made the attempt, for his firm conviction was,
that, by doing so, they had sealed the doom of Church-rates
for ever in that parish. ( Mr. Redfern concluded, amidst loud
cheers, by seconding the resolution.
The Rev. TIIOMAS SWAN, Baptist minister, rose to move the
second resolution, and was received with applause. He said his
duty would have called him to attend a prayer meeting that
evening in the chapel over which he presided, but he con-
sidered the present a more important duty, and he was not,
ashamed to appear there humbly to advocate the cause of
truth, justice, and liberty, and he might say, the cause of re-
ligion. He had been requested to move the resolution e
of he
held in his hand, and which was as follows—" That th
Church-rates, now in the course of collection in the parish_

JAMES JAMES, Esq., seconded the resolution. He regret-
ted that he was called upon, from principle, to differ with any
poition of his fellow Christians, but being conscientiously op-
posed to compulsory exactions fog the support of religion, be
could not, of course, refuse his assent to the resolution before
the meeting. He wished most heartily that some measure
could be devised to do away with Church-rates, and conse-
quently those ill feelings and dissensions which arise from the
collecting of them. He would say, let the Established
Church keep all she had, and cease t) ask more, and he, for
one, would willingly close all difference between them. With
respect to the min;stcrs of the Established Church, he must
say there were amongst them many amiable and excellent
men, and he had lived long enough to see a marked difference
in the character of that body. There were amongst them
excellent men, and if they continued to increase
in piety and religion as they had of late years,
he felt certain they would see that the best interests of the
Church would be promoted by the total abolition of all cause
of uneasiness to the community.
The resolution was put and seconded.
The Rev. Hue!' HUTTON, Unitarian Minister, in moving
the next resolution for the appointment of a Committee,
briefly addressed the meeting. He said be bad risen from ,a
sick bed to attend the meeting, and nothing but a conviction
of the great importance of the subject could have induced him
to have attended. He received an invitation to attend, and

he could not resist.—(Hear.) He had refused to pay Church-
rates for many years past. He had acted upon the principle
of passive resistance, and he had great pleasure in stating
that he had never been troubled by the Church authorities.—
( Hear, hear.) The question had been so ably handled by pre-
vious speakers, that he should not further occupy their time.
Mr. JAMES BAKER seconded the resolution, which was put
and carried unanimously.
Captain MOORSOM moved the next resolution. It was as
an Episcopalian that he had great pleasure in taking part in
the proceedings of that evening. He most cordially assented
to the first resolution, which declared that the enforcement of
Church-rates was a violation of the principle of justice, and of
the rights of conscience. He was sure religion suffered most
by the exaction of such rates as they were that evening met to
oppose. —( Hear, hear.) He had never attended a vestry
meeting in that parish, because he thought every thing was
carried sub silentio ; but if he found such an opposition was
likely to be given to Church-rates as had been that night
pretty strongly hinted at, he should attend in future.
Wm. BOLITER, Esq., vconded the resolution: He said.
it was rather an Irish mode of doing business for him to stand
te u k
up there to oppose the payment of a rate which
0 ohr called at his
he
had already
paid.—( Laughter.) The fact was,
the
rannown
house for the rate, and one of his familypaeidliteheet
to him. He was always of opinion that coinpulsory payments
for the support of religion was bad.
to
teHne had Kadin his time
or twelve different
ministers of the Established e
to pay tithes and Church-rates
;Church, although he or his
family bad never received
either reproof or encouragement
from one of Gentlemen to whose support he had
been compelled to contribute. And what was the reason he
the Rev.
t
bu
had not derived any benefitfrom their ministry ?—because he
had been forced to support them. The truth was the people
and the parsons would be better friends if the latter would be
content with the
_voluntary support of the former.—( Hear.)
JOHN GREEN,
bsq., Mr. HULL, and other gentlemen, after-
wards addressed the meeting, and a vote of thanks having
been passed to the Chairman, the meeting separated.

SUGAR.—We understand that, from the Ist of
January to the sth of Septcmhur, 1838, the decrease in the
weight of refined sugar exported was, as compared with the
corresponding period of 1837, 26,000 ; namely, 79,000 in
1838, and 105,000 in 1837.