The Sun.
London, England, 1825-08-12 00:00:00

DISTURBANCES AT SUNDERLAND.

The followin4r, is a copy of the letter transmit-
ted by the Associated Seamen of Sunderland to the Secretary
of State for the Home Department, with the exception of one
or two suppressions of passages, reflecting on of
individuals :
" TO THE SECRETALLY OF STATE ..FOR TIIE HOME

DEPARTMENT.

"Sunderland, August 8,
.1825,

" llomounantE SIR—In justice to ourselves, and in order.
that truth may he discovered, we take the liberty of addressing
you on the subject of the late melancholy affair which occurred
here on Wednesday evening last. We are informed that two
ship-owners set off from• hence 'post on Thursday, to lay the
case before his Majesty's Ministers ; and from their anxiety to
fly (like the murderer to a sanctuary), we trust from your dis-
cernment, they come in a questionable shape I"The one can
he proved to have acted most cruelly on the river, on• Wednes=
day night--the other CO have been * * • • *
The seamen of the Benevolent Association, entitled .the Loyal
Standard,' can appeal to every honest man in the port of Sun-
derland, that under the heavy privations and irritations occa-
sioned them by the ship-owners, they have always conducted
themselves peaceably and orderly, and have, time after time,
made .propositions to the ship-owners to accommodate the
existing differences, which, instead of being met, have always
been treated contemptuously. 'ln fact, the inclosed documents
prove an overture.being made by Mr. R. Sc u REIF:nil, a ship-
owner of considerable interest, to mediate the existing differ-
ence 4 • this elated the hearts of every seaman, and the sug-
' gesteS proposition was immediately made; anti on Wednes-
day (the ever-to:be-remembered 3d of August) the reply and
refusal to the terms were read at a public meeting; it greatly
agitated and worked upon the minds of the seamen, who im-
mediately resolved to man two boats or cobles, to invite the men
•out of :the light ships coming into. port; -this they considered
would cause an accommodation to take place, and in proceed-
ing up the river they met some ships going to sea, protected
by the police and a large body of ship-owners, armed with pis-
tols, staffs, &c. as special constables. An altercation took
place between the men in the cobles and those sailors on board
the Busy, concerning their clandestine manner of-going to sea.
The consequence was, from the threats and provocation re-
ceived from the whole posse on boatd, the men in the cohles
were irritated to board the ship under great disadvantages, being
cruelly beat by handspikes, capstan bars, staffs, &c. (they, the
men, not being armed.) But what will `not the prowess of a
British sailor accomplish ? They carried the ship; and drove
their assailants aft. But even at this juncture they strewed
- their natural •disposition, humanity, And took no furthetead-
vantive6e of their :victory, but 'hoisted up the sails of the ship, and
allowed her to proceed.
" This affray drew together a very large concourse of people
on the North Sand, from whence some stones were thrown_
The Riot Act-was nor read, bat at such a distance from where
the mob had actually assembled (being across the river) not one
syllable was heard. Mr. DAVISON, the maeistrate, instead of
crossing to the north side, embarked, in boats, and before a
quarter of an hour had expired after reading the Act, gave
orders to his party, the Third Light Dragoons, to fire amongst
a promiscuous crowd of men, women, and children ! Eleven ,
shots were distinctly counted, and it appears they have all
told ! There is room for strong animadversion on the conduct
of.this magistrate, especially at that moment ; also upon the
military,,for their aim was cool and deliberate, as if firing at a
target.
. .

" Three of the unfortunate. men were interred in one grave,
in Sunderland church-yard, on Saturday; a young man, a car-
penter, who was shot off his stage while at work at Illonkwear-
mouth, yesterday; and to-day another will be interred along.
side the three; a labourer returning from his work to his home,
received the fatal ball. The funeral procession of the three un-
fortunate men excited strong sensations• of sympathy, com-
bined with horror, in the breasts of the inhabitants. I fact,
hardly a dry cheek was to be seen ; and a spectacle so melan-
choly was never before witnessed in Sunderland. They were
followed to the grave by about twelve hundred as fine looking
fellows as ever graced a British navy. The coffins were co-
vered by the British flag, and fOur banners in mourning, and a
band of singers preceded the corpses.- The effect was truly
solemn, and the procession quite naval ; the men having k
crape round the left arm, walking two and. two, hand in hand.
Although the multitude assembled to witness- this awful scene
was enormous, the greatest tranquillity prevailed. It has long
been wished, so populous a place as Sunderland, whose police
is acknowledged to be weak, that it would be desirable to
-have a presiding Magistrate from London, whose judgmenet
might prevent the recurrence of such awinl scenes. It is de-
voutly to be hoped this catastrophe will bring aboutso desirable
an end, as there is great scope for investigation. The Jurors
were badly selected, and only visited one of the bodies. The
account up to this moment, is 5 killed, and about the same •
nurnbcr wounded: We trust the above statement of facts will
excite your most serious attention. _ _

" Wezeznain, Sir, with due respect,
"THE SEAMEN OF THE LOYAL
STANDARD ASSOCIATION."

LONDON TITHES.

MEETING AT SAINT OLAVE'S, HART-STREET.

- -------- -
Yesterday a MeetinEr of the Inhabitants of the
Parish of St. Olave, Hart-street, was held in the Vestry,for the
purpose of taking into consideration a letter which had been
sent by the Rector to the Tithe Committee of this parish. An
application had been made by the parish.to Parliament, for re-
lief from the claim of 2s. 9d. in the pound, set up by the Rev.
Dr. Owen, the Rector. The Bill has beck carried through two
stages, and will be read a third time next ession.

The. Chair was taken by on: of the Churchwardens, and the
following letter, addressed by Dr. Owen to Mr. Jones, the
Chairman of the Parish Tithe Committee was then read

" STK—Since the Tithe Committee" of my parish must be
aware that their application to Parliament bath imposed upon
me a heavy expence, I should-hope that•their sense of justice
will induce them to defray it. An. early answer will oblige
your's faith fully,. " B. OWEN.

" Rectory, flart-street, Bth July."
Mr.- Nonni said, that this extraordinary demand was either
for the payment of his expellees, or for an increase of the tithes.
Before the Committee had time to send an answer, the Rector
had applied to a number of the inhabitants for an; increase of
tithes ; and it was singular that, as, far as had been yet ascer-
tained, he had confined his demands to these who had signed
the petition. to Parliament for relief against him.—( Hear, hear !)
Several of the parishioners having declared that the Rector
had intimated to them that he enforced the demand from them
as a punishment, considerable feeling was in consequence ex-

111 r. RY LAND expressed his regret that the Rector had not
been content to wait. until next Session, when the matter Would
be taken before Parliament and settled ; and he entered at
great length into a discussion of the merits of the question at
issue. _ _

A resolution' was then moved by Mr. Hill, and seconded by
Air: Barklamb, expressive of .the opinion of the Meeting that
the demand was unwarrantable, and that the tendenCy•of the
letter was to excite strife and disunion amongst the parishioners.
Mr. ILL, in moving it, said that, he did not come there in
hoStility against the Doctor,,but he must say, that he had been
for 18-years the medical attendant of the poor of the parish, and
that during the whole of that
.period he had never heard of one
instance where the Re-vol., who wished for 2s. 9d. in the pound
on a supposed rental of 18,000/. per annum, had attended One
sick bed, or ever -gave the laSt consolations of religion to the
dying.:—(Hear, hear !)—Neither had he ever , known him to
give more than five shillings in charity.
Mr. RoLFF, (who, we understand, is a medical gentleman),
said he had various conversations with Dr. Owen, in which he
had ventured to remind him of the precepts of his Master, and
of his own practice, which he (Mr. Rolfe) conceived were some-
what at variance. He had told him that • all the writings of
Hobbes, Paine, and Carlile, would not do so much mischief to
Christianity, as this manifestation of excessive attachment to the
things of this world, and. this oppression of his flock, to obtain
that for Which a return was not made in service.—(Cheers.)—
The Lord Chancellor had often said,- that in construing a will
or a-deed of gift, the intention of the donor shouldalways, be
looked to, and the decision made upon the.apparent intention.
Now was it not well known, that when this allowance of 2s. 9d.
in the pound was given to the, clergy, it was given to them that
they mightmaintain the poor out of it and repair the church ?
(Hear, }Par;)—He had opposed the practices of the Doctor, as
he considered them *Dosed •to the principles of equity, and.
not, as the Rictor alleged,- because. he was a Catholic. If the
Doctor would make his practice _ conformable to that or the
priesthood of the faith to which he was' opposed—if he would
imitate. die charity of William of Wykeham, the -Bishop of
Winchester—if he .would, like • the clergy of the _Catholic
Church, attend to the poor, and administer to their wants—if,
like them, -he would appropriate the portion of the exorbitant
revenue -which he received for the embellishment:of places of
worship, -and emulate those splendid Catholic edifices which
were now the best belonging to the Church, which was said to
be Reformed, then .would be (Mr. Rolfe) consent to pay the
DoctoeS illegal demand for tithes without a single objection.—
(Cheers.)--4:et him adhere to their practice and not make the'
pulpit a counter, the Bible a day-book, and the Parson a term
to denote money, getting. ;When was he seen in the parish ?
On a sick man's call? No, hut on the appearance of a. new
comer, to see what rent he paid, that
.the 'demand for tithes
might keep pace :with it.—( Hear, 'hear!)—He _concluded an
exceedingly violent speech, with a further comparison of -the
conduct of the Clergy of the . Roman Catholic, with that of ,
those of the Protestant. Church, and be moved a Resolution
expressive of the opinion of the Meeting, that the conduct of
the Rector in demanding an 'increase of his tithes under the:
circumstances in which,the parish .was placed,.was highly un-
justifiable.
Mr. ST ÜBBS strongly reprobated the speech of the last
speaker, speaker, -who had entered into an examination of the private
conduct of the Rector in his absence. These were not matters
which ought to be discussed at that -Meeting.
-A PariShioner.— Aye, but they are all true.
Mr.. ST U BBS denied this. He admitted that 2s. 9d. in the-
pound •was a seveic exaction, but it was the law that it should
be exacted.

here there was a loud ,and general denial that the demand
was legal.- Several parishioners' declared their conviction that
it was as illegal as it was manifestly unjust.
111 r. STunns,-Then why do you pay if it is illegal? Will
one of you say that you pay it out. of loving kindness to the.
Rector? Why do you pay it, I ask, if the law does not force-
you ? -
A Parishioner—Why do.I pay money to a highwayman who.
holds a pistol to my head ?

Here an, extremely Violent altercation arose, and one pariSh-
ioner declared that though he was sure of gaining the suit if he
resisted payment; yet it would cost more than 2001. expences
if it were carried through the Law Courts.
Mr. ST unas—l'll speak no more. I see you are like Lord
Truman's cocks, and have all come to .fight on one side.—_
(Laughter.) .
Several parishioners' then earnestly requested Mr. Stubbs to
speak again, -as he was the only ,one on the side of the Rector.
Mr. ST iTitns was at-length prevailed. upon. - He said he had
known the .Doctor fur a number_ of 'yeais, and knew hint, to be
an honest man. He understood it was the intention .of the
Doctor not to have more than his old stipend after be had de•
frayed the experices of -the law suit by Means of the increased
demand. Ha understood.this from the Doctor's son.

One of the Tithe Committee declared,that no reliance should
be placed upon such a statement.
The Resolution, after some exceedingly warm discussion, was
carried, and 'copies were ordered to be transmitted, with the
foregoing Resolution, to the Bishop of London, to 111 r. Secretary
,Peel, and to'the Rector liimself. It was also ordered to be ad-
vertised in the public papers. Thanks were voted to the Chair_
man, when the vestry dissolved.
311 t. DAVY'S PROTEST AGAINSTTaE INCREASED TITHE.'
' Reverend Sir,—.l woirld.not have allowed you to be at the
trouble or calling. and sending 'so often for payment of the
tithes, but for.the extraordinary increase of your demand, the
rewions for which I am not yet satisfied with ; but as you tell
me that I must pay you 3/. Os. 6d., instead 11. 12s 6d. (the most
I have ever paid you for a quarter of a year), and that if I do
not pay this amount immediately, you will institute proceedingi
against me in the Court of Exchequer, when even my first ex.
pence will be'atleast.l.l/„ I judge it prudent, rather than be
exposed to such expence and trouble, to send the amount—viz.,
31. Os: 611, to your collector, but think it proper to protest
against this new claim, that the pqyment thereof may not be
construed into a willing acquiescence on my part, or to be made
a precedent,or ground for any claims on me in future, beyond
what I have hitherto, and for nearly 30 years, 'paid you.
I am, Rev. Sir, your obedient servant,
To the Rev. Dr. Owen, St. Wave's, . THOS. DAVY.
Hart-street.

MP4tOyEMENTS.—YCSt6rtiay, for the accommo-
dation of the workmen engaged in , rebuilding the Duke of
York's house, his Royal Higkness's residence in the Stable-
yard.; St. James's Palace, a large inclosure was commenced in
the Green Park, on the site where the fireworks were collected
on the celebration of the general peace in 1815. Within those
high teneirpgs temporaly workshops were also begun. But the
walk from the basin near Piccadilly, into the ride of St. James's
Park, is still left open for promenaders. Yesterday the work_
men likewise commenced the unroofing and' the pulling down
of the large square building by the right of the outlet from
the Stable-yard into ,St. James's Green Park and at the end
of the Duke of Cumberland's apartments. Such passage,
heretofore open to the public, is of course temporarily closed.
—ln Hyde Park many masor,s, bricklayers, smiths, &c.
arc employed in pulling down the dead wall from Hyde-park
corner to Knightsbridge, &c. Already has a straight line of
iron-railing; and consequently a much widened path in many
instances, taken the place of the.dead wall, once extending from
the " Curds and Whey House" at Hyde-ark corner to the
ancient and memorable " Knightsbridge Bank;" lmit such
house, with the cow-houses' &c. remain ; however, yester-
day, notice of preparation for their removal was given by the
raising of poles to mark the course of projected improve-
ments on removing the park gates, and adding to the ground,
as it is said to be the intention, of Apsley-house, the Duke of
Wellington's residence, by inclosing within its garden walls or
railings that portion of ground now constituting the entrance
into Hyde Park from Piccadilly. The new Park-gate will be
on the present site of the buildings, and facing Grosvenor-place,
and just below the toll-gate, which nuisance, by Act, will be
sent a little further out of town, by way of beginning, by being
removed to facing the Cannon Brewery, at Kinghtsbridge.__
The new light iron railing along Hyde Park i 3 a great improve-
ment ; it is to be hoped it will be c4rried.on to Kensington from
the barracks. •