The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-04 00:00:00

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.

THE INHABITANTS OF THE REGENT'S PARK,
THE WOODS AND FORESTS, AND THE RE-

GENT'S CANAL RAILWAY.
Saturday, at the meeting of the Marylebone vestry
Mr. John Williams in the chair, a deputation of inhabit-
ants of the Regent's Park, amongst whom were Mr. W
Williams, M.P., Mr. Peter Laurie, Mr. Bishop, of the
South-villas, inner circle, and other gentlemen, waited
upon the vestry, for the purpose of presenting the follow-
ing memorial in reference to the projected Regent's Canal
Railway :
" To the vestry of the parish of St. Marylebone, the
memorial of the undersigned ratepayers and inhabitants
of the Regent's Park and its vicinity, showeth :
" That they have heard with regret and alarm that it
is the intention of the proprietors of the Regent's Canal
Company to apply to Parliament for powers either to
convert the present water way of the Regent's Canal into
a railway, or to construct a railroad on one of the banks
of such canal.

" That the retirement of the Regent's-park, its salu-
brity, and security as a place of healthful exercise and
recreation, and the assurance of the Government that
the advantages should be permanently secured to those
who should invest their capital in erecting or purchasing
dwellings, in or near the park, have induced a large
number of wealthy and respectable persons to take up
their residence in this parish, to the great inerease of the
parochial rates and general benefit of the trading and
commercial interests of the parish.
" That such contemplated lino of railway, from the
annoyance and danger generally attendant on such a
system of traffic, will materially interfere with the com-
fortable and secure enjoyment of the residences, and
greatly depreciate the value of the property in the neigh-
bourhood, thereby diminishing the amount available in
aid of the parish rates, and injure, to a considerable ex-
tent, the trade of the parish.
" That the memorialists confidently rely on the energy
and discrimination of the vestry of St. Marylebone, as
guardians of the interests of the parish, to take all neces-
sary steps for strenuously opposing a Bill for a private
speculation so injurious to your memorialists and the
parish at large."
Mr. BISHOP said this memorial had been agreed to at
a very numerous meeting of the inhabitants of the Re-
gent's Park, held a few days ago, and presided over by
Sir P. Laurie, who was that day out of town.
Mr. WILLIAMS, M.P., said he attended the meeting at
which the memorial was adopted, as one of the residents
of Park-square, which might be said to be, in reality, in
the Regent's Park. He was, therefore, like all other
inhabitants of the park and its vicinity, much interested
in the matter, and he had no hesitation in declaring, if
the canal was converted into a railway, or a railway were
permitted to run along its banks, nearly all the property
on the northern side of Marylebone would be destroyed,
or so depreciated, as to render it almost valueless, and
consequently there would be a great diminution in the
rates of the parish.—(Hear.) He intended, in his place
in Parliament, to give the project his most determined
opposition, and he hoped the vestry would aid in pro-
tecting the rate-payers of the northern districts from
being enveloped in smoke and steam.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. P. LAURIE said he hoped the vestry would aid so
large and respectable a body of ratepayers as the inha-
bitants of the Regent's Park, in opposing a private
speculation which would inflict so much injury upon
them, without the slightest pretence of affording any
benefit to the public. The inhabitants looked upon the
restry as a most important body, and was desirous of
securing their ce-operation. With regard to the legal
part of the question, the inhabitants had already called the
attention of the Woods and Forests to the subject, and
were in a position to prove, in the event of the Regent's
Canal Company obtaining a Bill for converting the
canal into a railway, that such conversion would be in
direct violation of all the covenants and agreements en-
tered into by the Commissioners on the part of the
Crown with the holders of property in the Regent's
Park.—(Hear, hear.) lie held in his hand the report
of the Commissioners of the Woods and Forests, bear-
ing date 1823, the period when the park was laid out,
and it was there declared that the plan attached thereto
was the plan as finally settled, and that in no way what-
ever should any alteration take place. He also con-
tended that the construction of a railway along thu
banks of the canal, or in the water course of the canal,
was an equal violation of the act of 1812, which gave
the Regent's Canal Company the power to construct
their canal. There was a clause which prohibited the
use of any steam engine near that portion of the canal
touching on the property of the Crown, and upon the
faith of this understanding gentlemen had been induced
to go to a large outlay in building their villas in the
huetles expense,lliyPocianarlkditayh;l had been laid
earbasteus ret
and
fidn
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aeht
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eni nits
vicinity of and on the slopes of the canal. It must also
not only
but oofnf
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yr e for
humble
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etmracbe
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cfbmol
killed or injured by runaway
steam-engine or the noise of a train, as those who were
either riding or driving them.—(flea
r, hear.) There
could be no doubt also of the great inj • ury such a rail-
way would inflict sn the parish, and he hoped to have
the strenuous aid of the vestry in opposition.—(Hear.)
Mr. 11. C. Wilson concurred in all that had fallen
from the gentlemen of the deputation, and said there
was a committee appointed to watch the proceedings • of the Bill in Parliament.
Mr. MARTIN THACKI3RAY moved that the memorial
just presented be referred to the committee.
Mr. G. DANIELL seconded the resolution. He had
been invited to attend the meeting presided over by Sir
Peter Laurie, but being the chairman of the committee
alluded to, lie thought it better that he should not. He
(Mr. G. Daniell) had, however, a few days since, at
tendr d at Gwydr House, where he saw Mr. Drinkwater
Bethune and a deputation of gentlemen who were with
the vestry last time in their opposition, but who were,
he regretted to say, not so now. lie was very much
surprised to find that the traders along the banks of the
canal were now ready to support instead of oppose the
scheme. It appeared that they had made their own
terms with the Canal Company, and cared nothing for
the interests of other people. He (Mr. G. Daniell)
thought that those parties would, when too late, find
out their mistake ; that they were not to have the water
taken away. Let the Canal Company once get their
Bill for a railway, and they would soon leave the canal
a dry ditch.—(l tear, hear.) The Canal Company tried
to make it appear that the canal was very unhealthy,
and gave those who resided near it asthma, created ma-
laria and other disorders ; and they proposed as a care
for such diseases, smoke, steam, and noise.—
(Loud laughter.) They proposed to carry a
tunnel under Maids Hill, and immediately under a
large and popular church there, as also under other of
the most valuable property in Marylebone. Did the
vestry suppose that people would live in houses immedi-
ately over a railway tunnel ?—(No, no.) The loss to the
parish, if such a project were adopted, would not be less
than 10,0001. per year, and therefore the vestry had
strong ground in going to Parliament in opposition to
such a scheme.

Mr. JOSEPH considered the inhabitants of the Regent's
Park ought to make an urgent appeal to the Commis-
sioners of Woods and Forests in the matter.

Mr. P. LAURIE said a memorial was already prepared,
and signed by upwards of 120 of the Crown tenants,
which would bo placed in the hands of Lord Morpeth by
a di putation as soon as ho arrived in town.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
DEFICIENCY IN THE REVENUE OF THE
CHURCHES OF MAItYLEBONE.

Mr. W:BAGSIIAW rose to call the attention of the
vestry to the necessity of a more extended circulation of
the auditor's reports, with a view to inform the parishi-
oners of the condition of the affsirs of the parish. The
most important point touched upon by the speaker
was the extraordinary want of church accommodation
in Marylebone, and at the same time the deficiency in the
revenue deriveable by the parish therefrom. Marylebone
had a population of upwards of 130,000 persons, and all
the paid sittings provided in the seven churches under the
controul of the vestry amounted to 6,900, of which num-
ber about 900 were annually vacant. The returns for
the last twelve years for pew rents was 58,000/, being
4,8341. per annum, or 16s. per sitting ; but the returns
of expenditure amounted to 74,2401., being a deficiency of
11,840/. The whole amount of accommodation afforded
by the church in Marylebono was 32,000 sittings, whilst
the Disseatera gay@ soCOMMOdaticil to the amount of