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

MARYLEBONE VESTRY.

THE INHABITANTS OF THE REGENT'S PARR,
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 iahabit-
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
show
memorial of the undersigned ratepayers and inhabitants
o fhe Regent's
hPaavrekhaenadrd witiivthicirneigtyr;t and eatihinz
Thatthat it
is the intention of the proprietors of the Regent's Canal
they
Company to apply to Parliament for powers either to
convert the present water way of the Regent's Canal int*
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 th© park, have induced a large
number of wealthy and respectable persons to take up
their residence in this parish, to the great increase of the
parochial rates and general benefit of the trading and
commercial interests of the parish.
" That such contemplated line 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. WILLIAsts, 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 parisk.—(Hear.) Ile 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 pretenoe of affording any
benefit to the public. The inhabitants looked upon the
vestry as a moat important body, and was desirous of
securing their co-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.) He 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 the
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
vicinity of and on the slopes of the canal. It must also
be remembered that the Regent's Park had been laid
out and beautified at an immense expense, not only for
the comfort and recreation of the locality, but for the
humble classes also, who were equally in danger of being
train, as those who were
couldesti
tha either
wr•oebrunei
ldgdnii
non
igendflooeircur
tbt
driving
reani
also of
iegos eft
killed or injured by runaway horses frighted at the
ae(
nal
dlt e a
hr
injurye, hear.)
proceedings
u) c
h. Therea rail-
way
ohthie.
parish,ema.
hoped to
sa
there
was the strenuous aid of the vestry in opposition.—(llear.)
Mr. 11. C. Wilson concurred in all that had fallen
wfraosmatheoemgmenitttleeemaepnpoofiattehdetodwepautethatitohne,
the Bill in Parliament.
Mr. MARTIN' THACKERAY moved that the memorial
just presented be referred to the committee.
Mr. G. DANIELL seconded the resolution. Ile had
been invited to attend the meeting presided over by Sir
Peter Laurie, but being the chairman of the committee
alluded to, he thought it better that he should not. He
(Mr. G. Daniell) had, however, a few days since,.at-
tended at Gwydr House, where he saw Mr. Driakwater
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. He 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)
outthought
theirt hmaits
ttahkoes o;
tphaartt iethse
ywwoeurled , n
owt ht
oe nh taoro l e
thaet e find
, water
taken away. Let the Canal Company once get their
Bill for a railway, and they would soon leave the canal
a dry ditch.—(lleac, 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-
lariaad noise.—
for such diseases,
posed to carry a
and other disorderss;maonhde,thesyteparo,posed as a cure
(Loud laughter.) They
tunnel under immediatelyalso under other of
large and popular church there,.n
Maids Hill, apnrelo— under a
y has
larylebone. Did the
the most valuable
ately over a railway tunnel?—(l\ 0, Ile.
d would not be less
parish, if such a project were adopte,
vestry suppose that pperooppleerwt- oull,d live i)n hToluleselsoisms
tmoetdhie-
ment in opposition to
strong ground in going to Parliament than 10,0001. per year, and therefore
.the vestry had
such a scheme.
Mr. JOSEPH considered the inhabitants
Park ought to make an urgent appeal o
sioners of Woods and Forests in the matter.
tofththee cßoemgemnita's.
P. LAURIE
h
Lattyarunpwsaairddaa
ofmemoriall2oof w
andMrsig ln)
which would be placed in the hands of Lord Morpeth by
a deputation as soon as he arrived in town.
The resolution was carried unanimously.
tahse already Crown prepared,te
nnts
a
DEFICIENCY IN THE REVENUE OF THE
CHURCHES OF MARYLEBONE.
Mr. W. Bacsnaw rose to call the attention of the
circulation of
vestry to the necessity of a more extended
The
the auditor's reports, with a view to inform the parishi-
oners of the condition of the affairs of the pariah.
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 150,000 persons, and all
the paid sittings provided in the seven churches under the
controul of the vestry amounted to b,900, of which num-
ber about 900 were annually vacant. The returns for
the last twelve years for pew rents was 58,000 L, being
4,8341. per annum, or 16s. per sitting ; but the returns
of expenditure amounted to 74,2401., being a deficiency of
11,8401. The whole amount of accommodation afforded
by the church in Marylebone was 32,000 sittings, whilst
the Dissenters gave accOollllOdlittiQlll to the ALLl9tlllt of