The Sun.
London, England, 1824-12-31 00:00:00

NEW CHURCHES.

PARISH OF ST. ANDREW, HOLBORN.
Yesterday, a Meeting of the inhabitants, householders,
of the City Liberty of the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn,
was held in the New Inquest Room of the parish, to take into
,Fonsidmellgtili:oroposal for the Erection of Naz Churches,
and p ieli for their future maintenance. Vie Meeting
was. ed by .r. illexandOk3Wilivn, the Churchwarden, in
consequence of a requisitiaii foi tharpurpose, signed by a con-
siderable number of the inhabitants of the City and Liberty; and
was numerously and respectably attended. The Churchwarden
was unanimously called to the Chair.
The Requisition for convening the Meeting being read,
Mr. JASPER TAYLOR said, as the requisition for calling
the Meeting had been presented in consequence of a commu.
ideation made to him and Mr. Henry Widriell, who was not
then prevent, he felt it incumbent on him to put the Meeting
in possession of all the circumstances. About a fortnight
since, he received a letter signed by a person who styled him-
self Clerk to the Committee for the erection of New Churches,
in the parish of St. Andrew, Holborn, which stated, that he
(Mr. Taylor) and Mr. Whitten, were appointed members of
said Committee. Mr. Widnell, at the same time, 'received
similar letter. This communication naturally led them to in-
quire by what authority this Committee was appointed ; and
they soon found that the Committee had no authority from the
parish or any portion of it, but were in reality self-appointed.
They then made known the communication they had received
in the name of this self-appointed Committee, to several of their
neighbours, who united with them in addressing a requisition
to the Churchwarden to call a meeting to take the subject into
consideration, with which he most promptly complied, and the
present meeting was in consequence convened. Mr. Taylor
then read the letter that had been addressed to hirn,announcing
his appointment as a member of the Committee.
The Rev. Mr. BERESPORD, the Rector, said, he felt it was
proper That he should state the circumstances that led to the
appointment of the Committee for the erection of New Churches
in the parish, and to the. appointment of Mr. Taylor and Mr.
Widnell as members of that Committee. On his return from
the country, in the month of September last, he received an
application on the subject of the erection of New Churches in
the parish, which was signed by forty respectable inhabitants
of the Upper Liberty, and the Saffron-hill Liberty. He
thought it his duty to attend to their application, and he was
informed by them that they had learned that the Commissioners
for Building New Churches had agreed that 20,0001. should be
applied to the erection of Churches in that parish ; and that if
they (the inhabitants) did not exert themselves to procure pro.
per aches for their erection, and plans and estimates to lay be.
fore the Commissioners, the money might be given to other
parishes, and they would be loft without that accommodation
for public worship of which they stood so much in need and
were so desirous. Several meetings in consequence took place,
and • Committee was formed for the purpose of determining
on suitable eche', &c. and he believed he might say that a ache
for the Saffron-hill Liberty was now agreed on. In this state
of the proceedings of the Committee, it was thought proper
that two inhabitants of the City Liberty should be added to
the Committee, in order diet their proceedings might be made
known to the *hole parish; and Dir. Taylor and Mr. Wid.
pelt were accordingly appointed Members of that Committee,
which appointnient was communicated to them by letters, one
of which had been read to the Meeting. Ile had only to add,
that although it was the wish of the inhabitants of the Upper
and Saffron-hill Liberties that their proceedings should be
known to the City Liberty, yet he believed it was not the inten-
tion of those Liberties, that the City Liberty should be sub-
jected to any expence in consequence of those proceedings
beyond what the City Liberty itself might approve. He hoped,
whatever might be the determination of the Meeting on the
subject, they would abstain front any expression of a hostile or
angry feeling, the effect of which could only be to provoke,
which he hoped could not be the wish of the Meeting.
Mr. BEAUCHAMP said, the enormous expence to which the
City Liberty was already subject for the performance of public
worship made it quite impossible thatit could bear any further
impost; nor could they consent to the erection of any new
churches that would entail an additional burthen on them.—
Resolutions expressive of these opinions had been prepared by
the persens who had signed the Requisition, which he would
submit to the ,Meeting, and had no doubt would receive their
approbation. Mr. Beauchamp then proposed the Resolutions
Mr. Deputy REEVES said, their Rector had stated, that he
believed it was not the intention of the Upper and gaffron-hill
Liberties that the City Liberty should be put to any expence
by the erection of new churches in their liberties ; he wished.
to ask the Rev. Gentleman whether he would undertake, that it
he new churches should be erected, the City Liberty would not
be called upon to pay any portion of the consequent expence
Mr. BEnesronn replied, that it was obviously impossible
that he should enter into a pledge of that kind.
Mr. TAYLOR reminded the Meeting, that when the subject
of the erection of New Churches in the parish was before agi-
tated, the Bishop of London fixed on 2,200/. as the additional
aunt. that was to be annually raised by a new taxation of the
pariah for the support of Ministers to officiate in the new
churches.
Mr. SwEl.t., collectors of the church rate, said, he should
not think it necessary to say one word on the present occasion,
were it riot that his situation gave him opportunities, perhaps
cbue
ftoyn yd any
ith wo
cerh mt ;lien inp retsheen pt ari sl i, of knowing
heavy
imjmst
for the
egrsuelaqt)odritfli-
of
public worship was paid by many of the inhabitants. The City
Liberty contained 600 houses, 250 of which were inhabited by
persons who gained their living by their labour; often and
often, when those persons paid the tax, under the weight of
which the parish at present suffered, they declared that the
payment left them without sixpence to buy bread for their chil-
dren ; and though it made his heart ach to be compelled to be-
lieve it, yet he could not doubt the truth of the declaration.
Was that a situation, he would ask, in which to add tothe bur.
dens of the parish ?—(Hear, bear !)
The Resolutions were then put and agreed to unanimously.
A Committee was appointed to watch the proceedings of the
Committee for the erection of New Churches. Thanks were
voted to the Churchwarden for the promptness with which lie
called the meeting, and to Messrs. Taylor and Widnell for
communicating the letters they had received on the subject of
the new churches to the Liberty ; after which. the meeting
separated.