The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-26 00:00:00

REFUSAL OF A CHURCH-RATE AT

READING.

A most extraordinary and indecent scene occurred
at the vestry-room of Sr. Mary's parish, on Thurs-
day. A vestry had been summoned for the purpose
of granting a rate to the churchwardens for the ne-
ces,ary repairs of the church, and the usual expenses
incident to their office. The vestry was crowded,
the greater part of the meeting being composed of
low radicals, who were assembled "to do their
duty," as a handbill circulated through the parish
expressed it, by resisting the motion for a church
rate. Immediately on the Rev. Mr. Milman taking
the Chair, a motion was made, that the body of the
church, being the property of the parishioners,
should be thrown open for the accommodation of
the meeting. This was firmly resisted by the
Vicar, who declared that he would never suffer
the church to be thus profaned for secular pur-
poses. The notice for calling the meeting was then
read, and one of the churchwardens, Mr. Hobbs,
stated that the sum required was 166/, seventy
pounds of which were due for arrears in 1831 and
1832. It was also stated by the Vicar, that a larger
sum was required, as a rent of twelve pounds from
some charity property had not this or last year been
received, in order that a legal claim might not be
prejudiced. A rate of threepence in the pound
was then proposed, and Mr. Philip Davies immedi-
ately proposed an adjournment for twelve months.
To give even a faint outline of the noise and con-
fusion that pervaded the meeting would be impos-
sible. Mr. Davies, with the utmost vehemence, pro-
ceeded to inveigh against the Church establishment,
and government which legalized Episcopacy in this
country, the Presbytery in Scotland, Catholicism in
Canada, and Paganism in India,in order to advance its
own ends. He declared himself a Dissenter from
principle, and stated his willingness to subscribe vo-
luntarily for the support of the Church (?),but avowed
his determination never to pay a farthing of any
church-rate levied compulsorily. In the interval of
each sentence the speaker was hailed with yells of
delight from his party, and there was a general
cheering when he proposed the adjournment of
the meeting. This was immediately seconded.
Mr. Milman said this was a question entirely of
a legislative character. If the Dissenters felt ag-
grieved they should complain to the Legislature.
It is now the law of the land that the Church
should be supported in this way, and until the law
was altered they were bound to do so. A vestry
meeting was not at all the place to debate ab-
stract questions, and the effect of resistance would
be to entail additional expense on the parish. Mr.
H. James said he should not have resisted a legal
rate, but he saw in the room persons who, while
they were churchwardens, had run the parish to
great expense. Mr. J. then began to talk of the
general reformation that is going on in every thing,
but so much confusion prevailed that it was impos-
sible to ascertain the purport of his observations.
Mr. Summers explained that the churchwardens
had obtained a handsome subscription from the per.
sons who had attended the church, and had been
enabled to pay the expenses of Divine worship, with-
out calling on the parish. Here a shout was raised of
"Never mind that, knock the system on the head at
once." Several persons attempted to quiet the
meeting, by telling them that till the law was altered,
they were bound to pay for the repairs of the
church, but their efforts were unavailing, and at last
the amendment was put, and the show of hands in
favour of it preponderated. A poll was then de-
manded, and the mover of the amendment, and
some twenty others, rushed out of the church, ex-
claiming " up and be doing," to fetch the rate-
payers to vote against the rate. The poll was closed
at 2 o'clock, when the amendment was declared to
have been carried by 130 to 108. During the
whole of the time of the meeting, and of the polling,
the vestry was the scene of such uproar as would
have disgraced a low alehouse. The thanks of the
meeting were voted to the Vicar, whose patience
and forbearance throughout the whole of the pro-
ceedings, were beyond all praise.—Berkshire Chron.