The Sun.
London, England, 1840-07-06 00:00:00

CHURCH-RATES.

(From the W iltshire Independent.)
On Thursday week, a mteting was called at the
Vestry to grant a rate for the repairs of the church,
and other such purposes. At the time of meeting, the
chancel and•vestry were filled ; it•was calculated about
800 were present. The Vicar was in the chair, sup-,
ported by 'I. H. H. Phipps, Esq. A rate of 3d. w..s
proposed ; items were mentioned, which were objected
to. At length it -was stated 50/. was wanted for re•
pairing the foundation of the church. A voluntary
subscription was then proposed, and many rate payers
were willing immediately to commence the list with
double or treble the amount which they would be:
called upon to pay by the rate. This was refused. An
adjournment for 12 months was proposed. Mr. Phipps
advised the chairman not to put it, and he refused.
. The rate of 3d. was proposed ; nineteen hands were
held up for it, and against it the whole of the meet-.
tog, except the nineteen. A poll was demanded;
by the churchwardens. and fixed for Monday and
Tuesday following. Immediately on this decision,
activity was the order of the day with the Church party ;
every cottager, whether rate-payer or not, as it ap-'
pears, by many voting who had not paid rates for
years, but whose names stood on the book as excused,
were brought up—the rate was paid—and the parties
voted. The agent of Mrs. Ludlow called on her tenants,
and, Dissenter or not," vote, or turn out of your house."
was the word. Sir Raiph's agent was very active
in the same way, and every nerve was strained. The
Dissenters appeared perfectly quiet ; very few, corn..
paratively, polled on Monday. Oa Tuesday, seeing how
things were going on, the opponents of the rate began
a little to bestir themselves, but still, nothing like acti-
vity Prevailed. At three o'clock on Tut slay, the Hey-
wood steward marched up to the poll with about twenty
poor fellows, who, as they passed through the Market-
place, accompanied by their keeper, looked what cannot
be told, and only
one feeling prevailed in . r
diem-16A of pity. The poll d o
closed at 4 ' eference to
clock, w:th,
it is said, a majority of 4 in favour of the rate ; bet up
to this time, no declaration of the numbers has tEken
place! A scrutiny has h:en demanded, but poSitively
refused !

Cowper, Esq.,
From Henry
of Tewen waters,
Herta, to Messrs. S. and B. Solomons, 39, Albemarle-street,
..
Piccadhly, and 76, Kin,, W ' illiam-street Dank of England.
—Gentlemen, having been deaf for many }'ears, was
induced from recommendation to try your Invisible Voice
Conductors, and 1 have great pleasure in telling you that
they enable me to hear persons in company and at a place of
worship most distinctly ; and in consequence of
the great ad-
vantage which I have derived, I have recommended many
persons to you;and I am happy to state that their report is
similar to mine, most favourable. 'lle Spectacles and Hand-
glass which you have sent me are very excellent, and snit my
sight precisely, and surpass anything of the kind I have ever
tried ; the transparrncy of which is so brilliant, that although
I have passed my tlath year, the 22d of May last, yet they en-
able rre to read, &c., by candle-light with the greatest ease
and comfort to myself.—Gentlemen, I return
You my best
thanks, and remain your most obedient servant, HENRT
COWI.EII.-22d of June, 1839.—1 n consequence of Mr. Henry,
Cowper receiving applications from all quarters to know whe-
ther the above letter is authentic or not, he has addressed a
letter to the Standard, which was inserted in that paper on
the 6th of April last, stating that it was so, and that in conse-
quence of his extreme age and increasing infirmity; requested
he might not be troubled with any further inquiries. No con-
nection with persons of the same name.