The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-11 00:00:00

RELIGIOUS FEUDS IN BELGRN

MEETING THIS DAY.
This morning a public meeting was held at St. James'a
Hall, Piccadilly, to hear certain "disclosures" in refe-
rence to the practice of Confession, said to be indulged
in by the ministers of the district of St. Paul's, Knights-
bridge, and St. Barnabas, Pimlico. The large hall was
densely crowded by meu, an intimation having been
given that women could not be admitted.
Lord Calthorpe presided. On the platform and scat-
tered about the hall were the Hon. Mr. Stapleton,
M.P., Mr. Paul Foskett, Mr. Wilbraham Egerton,
M.P., Mr. W. Malins, the Earl Manvers, Mr. Wise, •
M.P., the Earl of Shaftesbury, the Earl of Shrewsbury
(late Lord Talbot), Mr. Ellice, jun., M.P., Mr. Briscoe,
M.P., the Rev. R. Gunnery, Sir H. Terner, M.P., Mr.
l'sleody, M.P., the Rev. A. G. Edouarr, incumbent of St.
Michael's, Burleigh-street, the Rev. Wm. Curling, in-
cumbent of St. Saviour's, Southwark, the Rev. J. E.
Keane, incumbent of St. Jude's, Bethnal green, the Rev.
J. Thomas, domestic chaplain to the Archbishop of
Canterbury, the Rev. Dr. Worthington, incumbent of
Trinity Caurcla Gray's Inn-road, the Rev. W. Cadman,
rector of St. George's, Southwark, the Rev. Marshall
Vine, rector of St. Mary-le-Bow, Cheapside.
The Hon. and Rev. P. BARING said it became his
duty to make known to them the details of a system of
auricular confession which was practised by a clergy-
man
connected with the Church of St. Barnabas. He
read the evidence of several women which he had
collected. These women, it appeared, had been ex-
amined by the reverend gentleman in a dark room of St.
Barnabas. Many of the questions alleged to have been
put to the women were extremely filthy, and cannot of
course be reported in any form. (They caused loud
expressions of disgust from the meeting.) It had been
said by the party attached to Mr. Liddell that this
case was trumped up on the evidence of profligate
women who came forward to see what they could get,
but he (Mr. Baring) denied this, for the women did
not come to him. He sought them out, and it was
not until the third interview with them, and upon an
assurance that he did not want their evidence from
filthy and dirty curiosity, that he wanted their evi-
dence but to lay it before the bishop, that he could get
them to divulge anything. (Hear, hear.) The hon. and
reverend gentleman proceeded to point out that confes-
sion, penance, and absolution, were practised in that dis• .
tries All these facts were laid before the bishop, who
after due inquiry and the necessary formalities, issued
the following judgment :
" Archibald Campbell, by Divine permission, Bishop of
London, to the Rev. Alfred Poole, Clerk, B.A.
" Whereas our predecessor, Charles James, Lord Bis
of London, did on or about the 26th day of September,
the year of our Lord, 1837, by a license under his haw
and episcopal seal, grant unto you his license to perfor
the office of Assistant Stipendiary Curate, in the Church a'
of St. Barnabas, in the district chapelry of St. Pan],
Wilton-place, in the county of Middlesex, within our dio-
cese and jurisdiction, and did assign to you the yearly
stipend in the said license mentioned for serving the said
cure ; now we, by virtue of the power and authority given,
to us in this behalf, by an Act of Parliament, made and
passed in the first and second year of the reign of her
present Majesty Queen Victoria, entitled An Act to
abridge the holding of benefices in plurality, and to make
bitter provision for the residence of the clergy," and of all
other power and authority vested in us, ordinary and
Episcopal, for sufficien cause us heeunto movi, do 11,
these presents revoke,t annul, and make void tghe sada
licence, and we do hereby dismiss, and remove you, the
said Alfred Poole, from the office of assistant stipendisrl
curate, in the church of St. Barnabas aforesaid, from the
day of date of these presents.
"Given at London House, the 25th day of May, in the
year of our Lord, 1858. As witness our hand and episa"
pal seal. "A. C. LONDON." L S
Mr. BARING proceeded to say that he should have
cles d his case here had it not been that Mr. Liddell's
party had made charges which compelled him to sal
that Mr. Poole was only following the example and
instructions of Mr. Liddell, his incumbent. A womsd
(whose evidence he read) stated that she lived for' ,
merly in the service of one of the curates of St. Pauls,
Knightsbridge, who had his back parlour fitted tiP,
like St. Barnabas Church, with an altar covered
with different cloths on different days. She bad
seen penons go out of the house eraing, in Or
sequence of the filthy questions put to there.
this district there were a large number of lady visitors
who were pandering to the lust of these priests, for thei
must have undergone a rigid examination. The ter,:
gentleman concluded by saying that he had searched
out these cases merely for the public good, and this wag
the first public meeting lie had ever attended. (Tred
mendous cheers and waving of bats.)
Mr. MOODY, M.P., passed a high eulogium en the
Bishop of London's general admieietration of his diT
esse, and expressed his opinion that his lordship wooln,'
sfter the manner in which he had dealt with
Mr. Poole, stand still higher in the estimation of those.
over whoas he had episcopal supervision. He concluded
b} a vote of thanks to Mr. Baring, for the in%
diens and manly course he had adopted in bringing the
painful evidence before the proper ecclesiastical audit:ire.

tier.
Mr. PETERS, a tradesman, seconded the motion, which
was unanimously adopted.
The Noble CHAIRMAN then said this was all the bnai•.:
ness, and immediately dismissed the meeting, to the stir'
prise of all present, who had come in the full expeetatiGla
of a long and exciting discussion.

RAIL WAY INTELLIGENCE.