The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-12 00:00:00

RATING OF PRINCE ALfsERli6

FART.

A great deal of ex parte matter (says the Herald), has of
late appeared in the public journals on'this subject; the ob-
ject of which is evidently to make it appear that Prince
Albert, in resisting the claim of a rate as a right, has been
actuated by a desire to save an inconsiderable suet of money;
whereas, the f►ct is, that the law officers have formally ad-
vised his Royal Highness, that the property, belonging to
the Crown, though managed in the Prince's name, is not
legally liable, and that the prerogatives of the Crown were
involved in the question ; the Prince, however, offered to
pay the money required as a matter of courtesy and conside-
ration for the poor, but a majority of the parish vestry re-
fused the money except as a rightful rate, embracing, of
course, a continuous rating.
On Friday afternoon another vestry meeting was held on
the subject, Mr. Mains, the Mayor and Vicar's warden, in
the chair. There was a numerous attendance, and the pro-
ceedings were somewhat stormy, a party being present, led
by Mr. Sharman, whose object appeared to be to place the
Prince in an invidious light bef.re the public.
A detail of the previous proceedings was given by the
chairman, who read a memorial which had been presented
to the Prince, and the answer iNreto by Mr. Anson, his
Royal Ilighnosi's private secretary. This reply intimated
(as above stated) the Prince's desire to do anything reason-
able by way of courtesy ; hut stating also that a case had
been submitted to the law officers of the Crown, and that
Sir F. Thesiger and Sir Thomas Wilde concurred in opinion
that the Queen was the real occupier of the Flemish farm,
and that therefore :he property was not liable to be rated, as
claimed by the parish vestry.
A good deal of speaking took place. Several gentlemen
depreca•.ed proceedings calculated to offend and wound the
feelings of her Majesty and the Prince; and Mr. Sharman,
though no lawyer, quf stioned the correctness of the opinion
of the law officers, moving .: resolution to the effect, that the
Prince was in beneficial occupation, was therefore liable, and
that the rate ought to be enforced. To this an amendment
was moved by Mr. Ingalson in the terms following :—" That
this vestry extremely regrets that the resolutions, in refer-
ence to the rating of his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
passed at the vestry meeting held on the 18th of September
last, should have been so carried, inasmuch as this meeting
is now fully aware that his Royal Highness is not in any way
liable to be rated for the Flemish farm ; and that this vestry
deprecate the garbled-statements set forth in the public jour-
nals on the subject."
On a show of hands, the Chairman decided that, in his
opinion, the amendment was carried; this was disputed, and
the names of all the rate-payers present, aye or no, were
written down, when it was fund that the amendment was
really carried by a majority of two. The question is there-
fore settled in a legal and parochial sense; but Mr. Sharman
declared that he himself would ge to the expense of another
opinion, and thus keep the affair alive.
Finally, it was agreed to make a representation to the
Prince, that the parish funds were in a low state; and there
can be no doubt that his Royal Highness will cheerfully lend
his aid, and do it in a liberal and princely spirit, so that his
concession be understood as one of courtesy, and not of. right
and compulsion.