The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-12 00:00:00

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PARISH OF ST. JAMES,
WESTMINSTER.
On Wednesday a numerous vestry meeting of the
parishioners of St. James, Westminster, was held, in
the Vestry-room, in Piccadilly, " for the purpose of
taking into consideration the proposed enormous
outlay upon prisons by the magistrates of the Ct+Unt3
of Middlesex, by which contemplated expenditure the
present exorbitant rates must be greatly and perma-
nently increased."
M. GEESIN (one of the churchwardens), having
been called to the chair, said that the subject before
the vestry was one of the greatest importance, not
only to the parishioners, but to the whole of the rate-
payers in the county; as he thought the time had
arrived when it became them to consider the pro-
priety of endeavouring to obtain a control over the
administration of the county expenditure.— (Hear.)
An enormous outlay was about to take place by direc-
tion of the county magistrates, and this at a time
when, from the depression of trade, they all found a
difficulty in paying the rates. There was already a
debt amounting to 318,0001., while the annual re-
venue of the county amounted to 72,0001. They
ought to have gentlemen on the bench of magistrates
responsible to the rate-payers of the county, and not,
as was now the practice, selected by the Lord-Lieu-
tenant of the county.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. BROWN moved the following resolution :
" That a committee be appointed to draw up resolu-
tions protesting against the proposed outlay by the
Middlesex magistrates, for the enlargement or re-
building the House of Correction, whereby the
county rate of the parish must be largely and per-
manently increased ; that the vestry-clerk transmit a
copy of the same to the clerk of the county magis-
trates; and that a copy be also transmitted to the
vestry-clerks of the various parishes in Westmister."
It was their duty (he observed) to remonstrate
against this attempt to increase their burthens.
Should they fail in their application to the magis-
trates in quarter-sessions, their next course would be
to send a memorial to the Secretary of State, and if
he did not give tt satisfactory answer, he had no
doubt that their voice would be heard in the House of
Commons.
Mr. A'BECKETT seconded the resolution.
Mr. EWEN stated that the county rates were
originally raised for the repair of bridges and the
highways. In the year 1700, when the first rate was
made, the sum was 1,6001.; in 1711 it was 2,0001.;
in 1740 it was 2,4001.; in 1780 it was 4,0001.; from
1782 to 1800 there was no return ; in 1820 it was
36,000/. ; in 1830, 83,000/. ; and in 1835 it was
66,0001. Such was the effect of allowing gentlemen
to be placed in an irresponsible position.
Mr. JACKSON and Mr. M. MILAT supported the
resolution, which was unanimously agreed to, when
the following memorial was adopted :
" To the Worshipful her Majesty's Justices of the
Peace for the county of Middlesex, at their
Quarter Sessions of the Peace assembled—
" Showeth—That the enormous amount and continued
increase of the debt and annual expenditure of the said
county has long been a matter of serious mistrust and
alarm to the rate-payers.
"'That this vestry have learnt, if not with surprise,
at least with feelings of deep regret, that a proposition
has been recently entertained by the Middlesex magis-
trates for an extensive enlargement of the House
of Correction, whereby a large outlay must be occa-
sioned, and a heavy permanent addition made to
the county rates, and at a time, perhaps, of unparal-
leled distress, at the close of a year during which
the c mmerce of the country has become gene-
rally depressed, and the rate-payers of this metropolis in
particular are yet suffering from an almost total stagna-
tion of trade; when, also, her Majesty's Government,
sensible of the necessity of reducing the taxation, are
carrying retrenchment into every department of the
public service; this vestry, therefore, cannot but deplore
that, at such a period, any proposal of an extensive in-
crease, and of questionable utility, should have met with
a moment's attention from the county magistrates.
" That this vestry entertain a strong conviction, that,
with judicious management, and the introduction of a
better state of discipline, and with less inclination to
encourage that propensity among criminals for seeking
an asylum within the walls of a prison by endeavouring
to render their situation preferable in comfort to a
workhouse, the existing prisons of the county would be
amply sufficient.
" This vestry, therefore, in behalf of 40,000 persons
directly and indirectly affected by the acts of the magis-
trates of the county, most respectfully protest against
the contemplated expenditure, and express their earnest
hope that the absolute power which the court possesses
of taxing others will be exercised in the present instance,
so as to evince the magistrates' sense of the additional
moral responsibility which the absence of all legal re-
straint must attach to their proceedings."
The meeting then separated.