The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-20 00:00:00

__—
POLICE INTELLIGENCE.
MANSION.ROUSE.
Mr. Burgon, a resident householder in BucklersbuiT,
was summoned before the Lord Mayor and Alderman
Johnson for having refused to pay the church-rate to the
amount of 51 2s. to the parochial officers of the united
parishes of Walbrook and St. Benet-Sherehog. The
goods of the defendant had been seized and sold last year
for a similar demand. .
Proof having been given of the application to the de-
fendant, and his refusal to comply with it,
Mr. Burgon said he could not think of complying
with so unreasonable and so unprincipled a demand.
His house was in the parish of St. Benet-Sherebog, in
which there had been no cburch -for many a year, and
be could not conjecture wh7 the inhabitants should be
called upon to pay under such circumstances. But be
objected to pay the rate on higher ground—on the
ground of religious exception, inasmuch as he could not
iihsetidcoacl
consent to adopt the tenets of a church which recognised
the principle of baptismal regeneration, a doctrine
scruples
obliged
ietg
et to see wholly founded in error:
The LORD MAYOR said it would be competent for the
defendant to object to the payment of the rate upon the
ground that there was no church in the parish, and he
might appeal to the Quarter Sessions, or to the Ecclest-
of
tMhart. Burgon.
;s.rAoTahl:lhdtee:
tLC.rioouniterspthaelcrcotricdailn.gly; but it was not in the power
Of the magistrates sitting as he and Alderman Johnson
tivoaserr.eoue- sfpipt9toibrnjtgeco;
ttfioomntaakytoenolpnoatto:consideratioii 'the conscientious
Mr. Burgon_ot soafidrahrelihad not the least fancy for an ap-
EscocifleNsisaosNti_cail
rCourt, and he did not at all
vpotreopfeorrtyt h
e gconfiscated.rant
of a 'lsHunie hoafdmtohneeys a
fmo er
Parliament
said
pice theno
it l
el
otr.
College,
ert
:e.
obmße
cpuawhicherulgs
Burgon
hn thehe e
peßishopaoyn mustm s
ietkipayment
tr
oeoowd:
very MAYOR
he and his brother magistrate were
the rate.
Sessions are appealed to, the magistrates at Quarter
church for the parishioners
and they consider there is no
ground of objection sufficient
rs t e attend,' that may form a
court would you wish to to exempt you. To which
Court or to the Quarter Sessions?
the Ecclesiastical
Mr. Burgon—To the Quarter Sessions,
Your Lordship will greatly oblige me if by all means.
that the property seized, in excess for ith you contrive
applied to the liquidation of this demand. e last rate, be
The LORD MATOR—If the authorities have received a
larger sum for the property they seized, ,they must
refund to you, or an action will lie.
Mr. Burgon—You must be aware that I cannot conde-
scend to receive money which had been taken from me
by force. I cannot live upon plunder.
The clerk to the parochial authorities said the money
in excess from the sale of the goods bad been offered and
refused at Mr. Burgon's house.
Mr. Burgon—They seized a table which cost me 30L,
and a glass which cost me 91., for the sum of 51., and sold
them to pay that amount and the expenses. I should
think that the excess ought to satisfy the churchwardens
for their demand, and your Lordship may order them to
accept that money.
Alderman JOHNSON—No. ' Two separate questions
are involved in that.
Mr. Burgon—They may as well take a howitzer at
once and knock my house about my ears.
Alderman JOHNSON—You know the conditions upon
which you took your house; one of which was, that you
should pay this rate; and we have no alternative. You
can appeal to the Quarter Sessions.
Mr. Burgon then left the magistrates under the im-
pression that he would appeal at the Quarter Sessions;
but he seemed determined to adhere to his expressed in-
tention not to touch a farthing of the money which bad
been received in excess by the sale of his goods.
The crowd in the justice-room seemed to be struck
with the singularity of the case, and of the party com-
plained against, who observed, in the course of the con-
versation, that this country, which was called part of
Christendom, ought rather to be called Devildom.
wreshtbml ehlayeade
Alderman