The Sun.
London, England, 1834-12-18 00:00:00

VICE-CHANCERY COURT.-(THIS DAY.)

TABERNACLE AND TOTTENHAM-COURT-ROAD CHAPELS.
ul )4, THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL V. BATEMAN AND OTHERS.
XNIGHT (with whom was Mr. Ching and Mr. Bethell)
red in this case, upon notice, on behalf of the relators,
roPaYtiew of the trustees of the Tabernacle and Tottenham-court-
kin Chapel, for an injunction to restrain the defendant, the
fl.:tilling trustee, from receiving
.any further sums of money
rest pew rents of the Chapels in question; and also to
tern the other defendant, Mr. Campbell, the late Minis-
"ora exercising that office, and from interfering or in-
thtorceddling with the performance of Divine Service at
pti places. The two places of worship in question were
tally founded by the celebrated Mr. Whitfield, who ob-
A\fried long leases of ground in Tottenham-court-road and
Iht?c;rfields in the years 1753, 1757, and 1766 ; and partly from
ki,Q3 of his own, and partly by contributions among religious
11.scca, erected the chapels in question. Up to the year
io Mr. Whitfield officiated at both thoseplaces of worship;
oh;uat year he made his will, by which he bequeathed the two
tki"Pels, the houses attached to them, and all that they con-
lehtled, to two gentlemen of the names of West and Keene,
iel4° accepted the bequest. After the death of Mr. Whit-
e those two gentlemen continued to be trustees of the
bil?ela, and caused them to be used for the purposes ef
o,ev(in_ w.orship, urn the same principles as they had been
to„,, 'airing the life time of Mr. Whitfield. Mr. West
ho'''ved Mr. Keene, and thereby became sole proprietor of
Li" the chapels; he lived till the autumn of 1796, and by
Of 3 Will, stating that at that time he was in the sole possession
twoe two places of worship, which he gave to the use of his
1 Werthy friends, Samuel Forster and John Wilson, or the
°:gest survivor of the two, but nothing was said as to any
to deal Those gentlemen accepted the bequest, and continuedpr . with and directing and managing it in the manner
pc°tlded for by Mr. Whitfield. Mr. Wilson survived Mr.
tliter, and in the month of January, 1798, took a lease from
It..e City of Lonlon of the Tabernacle for 47 years. In the
Q 1823, Mr. Wilson, being a person advanced in years, and
444-014 on that account of obtaining assistance in the perform-
opce of the duties, and bearing the burthens that had devolved
itte°,!hini on the death of Mr. Forster, executed deeds of assign-
tt, "of the 24th and 25th December in that year, by which the
le chapels and their appurtenances were vested in himself,
jo",,' Isaac Smith, Mr. Townshend, and Mr. J. Wilson,
is l' That deed was as to its trusts and purposes
dltlc , trust ad confidence and upon
carrythey on the same
ttic work therein on the same way, and under the same
Vtllagement as had been done ever since the decease of Mr.
ltneld, and those gentlemen were to take care that they
'i onted successors like minded to fill the vacanciesin the
%I of pastor as they arose. These gentlemen continued to
tortege both the chapels as they had been managed hereto-
; Old Mr. Wilson was survived by the tbree new trustees.
'nine, 1827, the lease of the Tottenham Court-road chapel
itolt):re, d, and upon that occasion the trustees then living took a
112 tease for only a year and a quarter ; that lease expired in
coi,B. and in consequence of there being some diffi-
ki.„'Y with respect to purchasing the copyhold of the
OM on which the chapel was built, the chapel was, closed
tj nearly three years. In 1831, however, the then trustees
st,,,ceeded in buying the copyhold fee of the property for the
.„' of 14,0001. Shortly after this period the property was
troe„."u in 14 trustees, seven of those gentlemen being taken
eo to those who were connected with the chapel in Tottenham-
-I'4 road, and seven from those who were connected with the
114_ rustle. Two of those 14 trustees were dead, and the
tat her was therefore reduced to 12, eleven of whom were re-
-I,4ta in the present case, and Mr. Bateman, the other trustee,
to. I.ldefendant. The trusts of the assignment of April 1831 were
ofeclsely the same as those of 1823, no trust being declared
‘I the legal fee. The eminent Dissenting Minister, Mr.
' ktthe w.
1,11,,L. ilks, was the pastor of both congregations for up-
-41'4 of fifty years, and upon his death in the year 1829, the
trenclant (Mr. Campbell) was appointed in his place by the
tob/sting trustees, Mr. Townshend, Mr. Smith, and Mr. Wa-
h; Jun. This was previous to the appointment of fourteen
111'tees, that not taking place till the year 1831. It was,
I:refore, to be taken that Mr. Campbell agreed to that ap-
Ottnent, as well as Mr. Bateman, who actually formed one
84 Of the fourteen trustees. In the early part of the pre-
)„'lt, or the latter part of the last year, it occurred to the
of gers of these chapels that it would be fit an account
d Lhe extreme generality and vagueness in which the written
41tnents relating to the trusts had left the matter, to have
"r tten records for preservation as to the management and re- ,
Nation of the establishments, Mr. Campbell entertaining
fro
from those entertained by Mr. Whitfield, and having also at-
d he alis:id
pted to
Scotlan
as drawn i
beenl a te
fathmeilidaro.ctrinesis to those with which in
with ipthlanth;being the state of things
Knight) would clearly shew
lated
no 2 followed, aPprobatiug; oasf Mbre. (BMarteman,by which it was stipu-
, tat the principle laid down by Mr. Whitfield should
_ft the wed, and that the appointment or dismissal
ministers and officers should be under the control
the trustees exclusively. After this Mr. Campbell went
tiler° Scotland upon the usual leave of absence, and while there
„„,,halo overtures being made to him, offering an additional in-
rure to that which be received in London in the month of
ay last, he wrote from Edinburgh a letter to the trustees, re-
;nog to submit to the domination of men he had never seen,
ir Whose authority he had never recognised, and stating that
uch men were to rob his people of their rights, and manage
Pleased entire affail-s, to choose or depose ateir pastors as they
then his connection with them was an end. The letter
ant
on further to state that his first act upon returning to Eng-
-I,hu m Would be to resign his charge into other hands, and also to
Cte the fact, with its reasons, to the congregation. This was Mr.
le!unPbell's conscieious and irrvocable determinon. This
:ter the trustees considered ase a resignation of the office of
telelner on the part of Mr. Bateman, and returned an answer
tpLePting that resignation. That letter was signed by all the
po'.'tees except Mr. Bateman, and another Minister was ap-
,_lnted to officiate. To that letter Mr. Campbell returned an
requesting the trustees to reconsider his letter, as they
ho Misunderstood it, and stating that he had tendered
th resignation, and did not intend to resign. In answer to
the trustees wrote again to Mr. Campbell, distinctly ap-
thafinF him that his services were no longer required, and
tneY would not permit him any longer to officiate as Mi-
befilr of either of the chapels. Since that period Mr. Camp-
lki.stftd appeared every Sunday at the Tabernacle, resolutely
sec fisting in endeavouring to gain possession of the pulpit ; to
t• 'rain him from doing so was the object of the present injunc-
%The learned gentleman (Mr. Knight) was addressing the
otZt When our reporter left, and the case appears likely to
sij PY several days, as there is a vast mass of affidavits on both
Rt, all of which will have to be read.
W. Horne, Sir C. Wetherell, and Mr. Wakefield, are
)„,:ltlllsel for Mr. Campbell and Mr. Bateman. The Court
'eerovvded to excess during the day.

kiWe Understand that the following gentleman are to be made
todg's Counsel :—Messfs. Wigram, Kindersley, Jacob, Wake-
", Barber Temple,Skirrow, Burge, Miller, Follett, Platt,
44448..heyhera.
Mr, Pembeston returned to town last night after, as we are
eined, a successful canvass for Ripon, but the Learned
elltleinan has refused the appointment of Solicitor-General.