The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-21 00:00:00

GRAND DEMONSTRATION
AGAINST CII URCH - RATES.

IMMENSE MEETING AT LEEDS.
(Abridged from the Leeds Times.)
Yesterday, at twelve o'clock, one of the largest open
air meetings ever held in Leeds, was held in the Cc-
loured Cloth Hall-yaril, on the subject of Church-
rates. The meeting was called by the Vicar and the
Churchwardens for the purpose of considering the pro-
priety of levying a rate for the purchase of additional pa-
rochial burying ground. The numbers present in the
Cloth Hall-yard on the occasion were not less than
from 10,000 to 12,000 people, amongst whom were se-
veral of the most influential gentlemen in the town,
including, we believe, almost all the Dissenting minis-
ters. There were two or three flags in the yard, Veer-
ing the following inscriptions--" Down with Church-
rates. Remember Thorogood and Baines."--" More
pigs and less parsone."—" The Church and the Priest-
hood we willingly barter, in exchange for our rights
and the People's C saner."
The demonstration of yesterday has settled the ques-
tion of Cnerch-rat sin Leeds, we hope for ever. We
look upon the proceedings as the grandest demonstra-
tion in favour of religious liberty that has occurred
for ye ses.
The Rev. Dr. HOOK, the Vicar of the parish, pre-
sided as Chairman.
On opening the business of the meeting,
The CHAIRMAN said, the present meeting had been
convened by the Churchwardens to take the sense of
the parish as to the steps to be taken for the increase
of the parochial burying-ground. It had been the duty
of the Churchwardens and himself to state to the
parish the fact, that the parochial burying-ground
in this parish was at present insufficient. They
made that statement to the parish generally. What
steps they might take to remedy the evil it would re-
main for them that day to decide.—( Hear, hear.) Fos
his own part, he was not at all desirous to raise the
money by a parochial rate.—(Hear, hear) He should
be extremely glad to find it done by a general subscrip-
tion.--(Hear, bear.) It was possible that some of
them might disagree in opinion, but they might at least
agree to differ, and conduct their proceedings with
perfect good humour towards one another.—(Hear,
hear.) He should now call on Mr. Barr to read the
notice convening the meeting.
ROBERT BARR, Esq., Solicitor to the Churchward-
ens, t:.ca read the notice, signed by the Vicar and five
Churchwardens.
Mr. WILLIAM WHITEHEAD, one of the Church-
wardens, then came forward, and said be appeared be-
fore that meeting for the purpose of moving the first
resolution. Before, however, he spoke to the resolu-
tion, he would say a few words as to the conduct of the
Churchwardens in calling the meeting. It was the
duty of the Churchwardens to call that meeting. On
taking office they made a solemn declaration that they
would perform the duties of their office to the best
of their judgment and ability, and they could not
do that without calling that meeting.—(Hear, hear.)
It was their firm conviction, that more burying-ground
was requisite. They had called the parishioners
together to know whether they were willing to tax
themselves for such burying-ground. They (the
Churchwardens) left the matter entirely in their hands.
It was for them to say yes or no.—(A loud and simul-
t meous shout of " No.") He would proceed to state
the condition of the burying-ground. Previous to 1830
the only parochial burying-grounds in Leeds were the
one opposite to the Old Church, and the church-yard
surrounding the church. In 1830, the Quarry
Hill burying-ground was purchased, and the first
interment took place on the 15th of March
in that year. From that period up to the pre-
seat time there had been no lees than seventeen
thousand four hundred and seventy interments, in-
cluding about three thousand still-born children. He
believed the ground was not properly menaced, but
such was the state of the burying-ground ate present,
that they did not know where to dig for graves., and on
some occasions in digging for graves, they found coffins
only a few inches below the surface.—(Hear, hear.)
They found that not more than a hundred new graves
could be made, in which the dead might be buried de-
cently. Other graves might be made, but not in the
manner in which they ought to be.—(A voice, " They
never have been.") The annual number of interments
in the whole of the parochial burying-grouts ds was
1,420. Of that number about 1,100 were interred in
Quarry-hill burying-ground. Supposing that four
corpses could be interred in each grave, there would
then, in the 100 graves that might still be made, be
room only for 400 interments, which would only provide
decent interment for about four months, at the tete of
100 per month. As for what was commonly called
the New Burial Ground in Ksrkgate, that was quite
full. He thought, in justice to the Vicar, in conse-
quence of opinions that had gone abroad as to the
amount of the receipts for the burial of the dead, be
ought to state what the fees were. The number of
graves-stones annually put down did not exceed 30,
and the amount re”ivedannwelly from this source
was 15/.—(lnterruption, and shouts of " Who gets
it ?") He had not inquired, but he believed the
Vicar received those fees.—(Cries of " Hear, hear.")
The number of interments annually being 1,420,
the annual amount received by the vicar from this
source was 471. 6s. Bd. The clerk in orders received
annually 231. 13s. 4d. ; the sexton annually 361.
These were the fees paid on the whole for interments
that took place in the parochial burying grounds.—
(Cries of " How much has the vicar besides?" " How
much salary has be besides ?") He (Mr. Whitehead)
ha] nothing to do with that. As he had stated at the
commencement of his speech, it was the duty of
the Churchwardens to bring this matter before the pa-
rishioners. It was well known to many of them that
seven out of the eight Churchwardens were Dissenters,
and they had been charged pith inconsistency, but he
would tell them that they were not liable to that
charge.—(Cries of " You could'nt help it ?") They bad
made a declaration that they would perform the duties
of the office, when they accepted it, and if they neg-
lected to do so, they were liable to be cited before the
Ecclesiastical Court, one of the most unconstitutional
authorities that ever existed.—( Loudshouts of " Hear.")
Twelve months ago, they had been commanded by the
Ecclesiastical Committee to take this step, and now
they merely asked them to say Yes or No.—(Cheers.)
They must not carry the matter a step further.—
(Cheers.) They should have dote their duty during
their term of office, and their successors might do as
they best could. Two resolutions had been drawn up,
and. the first one which bad been entrusted to him he
would read to them— " That in the opinion of this
meeting the existing parochial burial-ground for the
parish of Leeds is wholly insufficient and inadequate,
and that it is necessary, for the decent interment of the
dead therein, forthwith to provide, according to law,
suitable and convenient additional burial-ground in and
for the said parish." The next resolution was to the
effect that certain plots of lard specified in the notice
convening the meeting should be purchased, and that a
rate of eleven pence in tha pound should be levied.—
(Great hooting.) His own opinion was that it would be
a far simpler plan for only one resolution to be
moved, and he had one prepared which he thought
comprised all that was necessary. The following was
the resolution he had prepared
' Tnat a rate of
elevenpence in the pound be soar laid upon all the
rateble property in the parish, for the purpose of pur-
chasing additional ground foreonveying
it proper for the same to
the parish, and for incloeing and snaking
a burial-ground." (Several persons here asked, " How
much will a rate of elevenpence produce?") He would
tell them they must recollect at the same time that
the Churchwardens bad not the power to lay the rate
on the township alone, but were compelled by law to
lay it. on the whole parish,including the out-townsaipc_
(Hear, hear, hear.) Tue total nominal amount of the
rate would be 17,3951. 1 ls. Bd.—(Shouts of " Hear,
hear," and laughter.) The nominal amount for the
township of Leeds would be 11,1401. 19s. Bd. and for
the out-townships 6,2541. 12s. That was not alt.
They must take the le :lieges in the collection of the
rate into account. He had taken the trouble to ex-
amine the accounts of the last Church-rate that was
levied in Leeds, and he found that the leakages in the
collection &that rate in the out-townships amounted to
71 per cent.--( Hear.) After deducting these leak-
ages, the rate would yield 5,570/. 9s. 10J. from
the township of Leeds, and 2,501/. 16s. 10d.
from the out-townships—making a total of 8,072/. 6s.Bd.
He was quite sure of this, that so long as there were
Dissenting Churchwardens in office, they would never
use their power in the Ecclesiastical Court against any
Dissenter who refused to pay the rate.—(Loud
cheers.) On the other band, it was impossible for any
Dissenter, holding the office of Churchwarden—unless
he were either a fool or a madman—to refuse to call
the people together when duty required them so to do.
—(Hear.) They wished to do their duty, and nothing
more nor less.—( Hear.) Mr. Whitehead concluded by
moving the last-mentioned resolution.
Mr. THOMAS WHITE, another of the Churchwardens,
seconded the resolution.
Mr. RICHARDSON, solicitor, then presented himself,
and was received with cheers. He said—Rev. Chair-
man and Gentlemen—lt having been said that a rate of
elevenpence in the pound should be levied on the
parishioners of Leeds, it becomes the duty of those
who intend to oppose that rate, to move an amend-
ment upon the original resolution.—(Hear, hear.)
In doing so, I do it with a feeling of the greatest
respect for the vicar as a clergyman and a gentleman.
I now turn to my fellovv-townsmen, and address them as
the
You are c parishioners of the parish of Leeds.—(Hear, hear.)
called upoa to-day to pass a most " swingeing "
Church-rate—(Loud cries of" Hear, hear.") We have
already heard a great deal of "swingeing" borough rates,
but to-day we are called upon to impose a most-swingel ing Ch
touthereh-ratoune.—(n Never.) Permit me to call'your atten-
tion fdatio on which Church-rates are based.
Why do I come forward on this occasion to recommend
you not to grant a rate ? Having been called upon by
gentlemeu resident in this county, to advise on Church-
rates, I have, perhaps, turned my attention to it more
closely than than the generality of legal men. I have
therefore looked a little at their foundation. The first