The Sun.
London, England, 1836-10-19 00:00:00

ABOLITION OF CHURCH-RATES.
(THIS DAY.)

A public meeting took place this day at the City of
London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of
forming a Church Rates' Abolition Society. At half-past
twelve, on the motion of Dr. Morell, CHAS. LUSHINGTON,
Esq., M.P. was called to the Chair. On the platform
were Thos. Duncombe, Esq., M.P., Joseph Hume, Esq.,
M.P., Wm. Ewart, Esq., M.P., D. W. Harvey, Esq.,
M.P., B. Hawes, Esq., M.P., John Humphrey, Esq., M.P.,
and a number of other distinguished personages.
The CHAlRMAN—Gentlemen, assuming that the great
majority of this meeting is composed of Dissenters from the
Established Church, I may not improperly remark that the
selection of a member of that communion to conduct your

proceedings this day is a warrant for the moderation ancirea-
sonableness of your views.—(Hear.) In evidence of your re-
liance on the simple justice of your cause, one most accept-
able manifestation is your confidence in the support of those
who, differing from you in minor points of ecclesiastical
discipline and practice, are, nevertheless, anxious to se-
cure to you that redress which you are now assembled
to enforce.—(Hear, hear.) It does not become me to
make your personal choice a subject of prominent ob-
servation ; but I may be permitted to affirm that, al-
though it might have fallen on many far better quali-
fied by ability, it could not have reached one more
deeply sensible of the equity of your claims, or more
ardently interested in the success of your undertak-
ing.—.(Loud cheers.) We are met together for the
purpose of organizing a Society for the Abolition of
Church rates—for the extinction, without compromise,

without commutation, of an impost, unjust in its
principle, harsh in its operation, oppressive in the mode of
its exaction, and considered a grievous burden on the con-
sciences of those who, in defiance of their religious scruples,
are constrained to swell the arbitrary contribution. If there
be any truth in the indefeasible maxims of reciprocal jus-
tice, the demand of Church rates from Dissenters is unjust
and indefensible. No man has a right to require another
to do that which, if placed in similar circumstances, he
would decline to perform. The Gospel, the only unerring guide,
has prescribed no preference for any particular form of
Christianity. As a Churchman, I should undoubtedly re-
fuse to contribute any compulsory payment for the embel-
lishment of Dissenters' chapels, or to provide clean linen
for its services—(Laughter, and cheers)—and therefore
it is perfectly unjust that Dissenters should be required
to contribute by compulsory means to the repairs of our
edifices, and their proper administration. Be assured that
you do not stand alone—there are a large number of your
brethren belonging to this Establishment who deeply sym-
pathise in your complaints, and who feel a sense of humi-
liation, that for their advantage you should be required to
contribute to ordances from which you not only derive no
benefit, but from which your convictions are averse. Nor,
let me tell you, is this feeling confined to laymen of the
Church Establishment. I am satisfied that it is largely
shared in by many clergymen, who lament that the exaction
of Church rates has been a fruitful source of political animo-
sity—that it has led to the alienation of Christian from
Christian, and has sundered those who should otherwise be
united in peace and contentment. What were the re-
corded sentiments of the late Dr. Burton, the Regius Pro-
fessor of the University of Oxford, and the Chaplain of
the late Archbishop of Canterbury ?—(Hear, hear, and
cheers.) What were also the opinions of Dr. Fancourt,
on the occasion when Church-rates were refused at the
parish of St. Mary's, Leicester ?—(Cheers.) Witness also
the generous conduct of the four Magistrates of Beccles,
who contributed a large portion of the Church-rate them-
selves out of their own pockets, rather than issue war-
rants of distress.—(Cheers.) This was not all, for a Ma-
gistrate in the neighbourhood had contributed largely ;
but further, an individual, a dissenter, thinking that some
blame might attach to these who had acted so liberally,
actually stepped forward and discharged the whole.—
(Cheers.) This was, indeed, a striving at charitable
rivalry. For his own part, when he adverted to the enor-
mous revenues of his own Church-3,500,0001. a year—
out of which they could afford to pay twenty-four bishops
150,0001.—(Cheers)—to maintain them in unscriptural
pomp—(Great cheering, and cries of " Give it them again")
—while they were mis-spending their time in Parliament—
(lncreased cheering)—knowing that a large proportion of
rank and wealth was claimed for the Establishment—recol-
lecting the manner in which Dissenters had contributed to
the support of their own ministers, and the means which
they had taken, and still took in missions ; and also the
Christianity which they displayed in disseminating religio'us
education—he confessed, for his own part, that he felt a
great degree of mortification at the extortions they were
subject to.—(Cheers.) He felt convinced that if Church
Rates were done away with, their place might be supplied
easily by an allotment of Queen Anne's Bounty—(Cheers)
—which in his opinion had been most improperly adminis-
tered. When he was entrusted last session with a petition
against Church rates, from the committee of three denomi-
nations of Dissenters in the metropolis, and also with a pe-
tition from the committee representing the whole body of
Quakers, many facts had been communicated to him con-
nected with the business. At that time the spoliation and
incarceration of Mr. Childs of Bungay had just taken
place. He believed that was almost the only case with
which he had been furnished with respect to the Dis-
senters, but there was a case of two Quakers at Chelms-
ford, with which he was particularly struck. Those two
individuals had in the course' of twenty-five years had
property amounting to more than 1,5001. seized for the
establishment of one place of worship.—(Cries of " Shame,
shame.") In one of the southern counties ten or twelve
months' ago, a Quaker farmer had a warrant issued against
him for the non-payment of church-rates, amountii°s to
11. 18s. A horse worth 201. was seized from him,
and then his granaries and barns, containing sacks
of threshed corn were thrown open to the dis-
training officer. That would not satisfy him, and
he insisted upon taking the horse for the purpose of
punishing, no doubt, the unfortunate man.—(Loud cries of
" Shame.") The horse was sold for 11/. 10s., the expenses
amounting to upwards of Si. A friend of the unfortunate
Quaker offered to pay the arrears, but the Quaker's scru-
ples would not allow it, and the rapacious churchwarden
triumphed.—(Great hissing.) One individual was seized
upon to the amount of 40/., the demand upon him being
9s. Another, whose forced contribution was 2s. 6d. was
seized upon to the amount of 3/.153., the expenses amount-
ing to 1/. 1 ls. 6d. These things did not take place in
the days of Lord and Strafford, not in the days of cutting
off of ears, not in the days of the boot called " little ease"
—(Loud cheers)—modes of affliction well known to Dis-
senters—(Cheers)—not in the reign of the mis-called
Martyr Charles—( Three distinct rounds of oheering)—but
in the reign of William the Fourth, some years after the
passing of the Reform Bill, when civil and religious rights
were deemed secure, and justice was supposed to be faithfully
and impartially administered.—(Cheers.) Could these things
occur without giving rise to vexatious and offensive opposi-
tion ?—(Loud cries of " No, no")—they could not without
giving offence to religious feeling and arousing their indigna-
tion.--(Cheers.) It must be borne in mind that Ministers,
unfortunately for themselves, had made declarations unfa-
vourable to their cause. They must therefore expect op-
position in the House of Commons, and the most vigorous
hostility in the House of Peers.—(Cheers and laughter.)
The work, therefore, must be done out of Parlirment—
they must do their own work ; and observing all legal obli-
gations, they must advance with concentrated vigour, and
win that emancipation which their urgent remonstrances
had failed to accomplish.—(Cheers.)
The SECRETARY then read a letter containing the reso-
lutions of the Central Committee of Scotch Dissenters in
Edinburgh, appointing the Rev. Mr. Campbell and the
Rev. Mr. Redpath their deputies to the meeting. He also
read letters of excuse from the following M.P.'s—Grote, Ag-
lionby, Clay, Sergeant Wylde, C. Rippon, Wilks, Tooke,
and Patteson. They all cordially joined in the hope that
the meeting would succeed in their endeavours.
JOSESHHUME, Esq., M.P. rose to move the first reso-
lution, and was received with loud cheers. During a long
public life he bad always supported those principles which
they had met that day to give effect to.—(Cheers.) He
had come there not with any intention of moving the first
resolution, but as Member for the county, to hear the opi-
nions of the assembly. He, however, was always ready
either to drive or lead.—(Cheers.) He would be most
happy to use his best efforts in any way, not for a commuta-
tion of Church Rates, but for their entire abolition.
He had often before expressed his opinion, and he still
maintained it, that it was absolutely necessary that those
who felt the burthen should be prepared to put their shoul-
ders to the wheel, in order to assist its removal.—(Great
cheering.) During his experience he had known nothing
removed until the shoulders of the people had become rest-
less.—(Cheers.) He fully agreed in the sentiments so
nobly put forward by Bentham, that " the many would
never get any relief until they had made the ruling
few uneasy."—(Loud cheers.) That was the pur-
port of their meeting, and he had come to
assist them. He should have preferred that the first
resolution had been put into the hands of one not a church-
goer ; but having been called upon, and, as he said before,
being always ready, either to lead or to drive, it was with
pleasure he rose to propose the following resolution :-
1. That while this meeting disclaim all hostile feeling to the pre-
sent Administration, and are grateful for the enlightened measures
on Marriage and General Registration, which have been introduced
and carried into law ; they are, nevertheless, constrained to lament
that the Government have been backward to propose the extinction
of the odious impost of church rate; and to fear, from various inti-
mations, that they are not now prepared with a satisfactory mea-
sure on that subject.
Ile boi)«.d that his votes of the session woidd taken
as evidence that he was not an enemy to thu present
Ministry—he was most anxious to keep them in
their present situation ; but he was also most anxious