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

RELIGIOUS FEUDS IN BEL(RAVIA.

MEETING THIS DAY.

This morning a public meeting wag held at St. James's
Hall, Piccadilly, to hear certain "disclosures" in refe-
rence to the practice of Confcssi3n, maid to be indulged
in by the ministers of the district of St. Pant's, Knights-
bridge, and St. Barnabas, Pimlico. The large ball was
densely crowded by men, 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. Malios, the Earl Manvers, Mr. Wise,
M.P., the Earl of Shaftesbury, the Earl of Shrewsbury
(late L01(1 W6OO, Mr. Ellice, jun., M.P., Mr. Briscoe,
M.P., the Rev. R, Gunnery, Sir H. Terner, M.P., Mr.
Moody, M.P., the Rev. A. G. Edouart, incumbent of St.
Michael's, Burleigb-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
C,,nterbury, the Rev. Dr. Worthington, incumbent of
Trinity Church, Gray's Inn-raad, the Rtv. 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 derv-,
elan connected with the Church of St. Barriab.- "J.
real the evidence of several women •
collected. These women, it aro- -old) he had
.meined by the reverend gen.' ,eared, had been ex-
^` in a dark room of S.
Bornabas. Many 7t. the- questions- alleged to have been
put to the "".-omen 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 bon. and
reverend gentleman proceeded to point out that confes-
sion, penance, and absolution, were practised in that die-
trie, All these facts were laid before the bishop, who
afier 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 Bishop
of London, did on or about the 26th day of September, in
the year of our Lord, 1857, by a license under his hand
and episcopal seal, grant unto you his license to perform
the office of Assistant Stipendiary Curate, in the Church
of St. Barnabas, in the district chapelry of St. Paul,
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 give°,
to us in this behalf, by an Act of Parliament, made and 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
better provision for the residence of the clergy," and of all
other power and authority vested in us, ordinary and
Episcopal, for sufficient cause us hereunto moving, do by
these presents revoke, annul, and make void the saidlicence, and we do hereby dismiss, and remove you, Val
said Alfred Poole, from the office of assistant stipendial/
curate' in the church of St. Barnabas aforesaid, from the,
day of the date of these presents.
" Given at London House, the 25th day of May, i n th•
year of our Lord, 1858. As witness our hand and episco.
pal seal, _ "A. C. LONDON-" L S

Mr. BARING proceeded to say that he should bass
c!osEd his case here had it not been that Mr. Liddell's
party had made charges which compelled him to sst
that Mr. Poole was only following the example and
instructions of Mr. Liddell, his incumbent. A. wanes
(whose evidence he read) stated that she lived for-
inerly in the service of one of the curates of St. Paul's'
Knightsbridge, who had his back parloar fitted UP
like St. Barnabas Church, with an altar coversa
with different cloths 011 different days. She boa
seen persons go out cf the house crying, in cos
sequence of the filthy questions put to them. ill
this district there were a large number of lady visitors
who were pandering to the lust of these priests, for ther
must have undergone a rigid examination. The res:
gentleman concluded by saying that he had searched
out these cases merely for the public good, and this was
the first public meeting he had ever attended. (Tre•
mendous cheers and waving of bats.)
Mr. MOODY, M.P., passed a high eulogium en the
Bishop of London's general administration of his din'
cese, and expressed his opinion that his lordship would 4
...fter the manner in which he had dealt wit
Mr. Poole, stand still higher in the estimation of those.
over whom he had episcopal supervision. He concluded
by moving a vote of thanks to Mr. Baring, for the intl;
cious and manly course he had adopted in bringing the
painful evidence before the proper ecclesiastical autama
ties.
Is
Mr. PETERS, a tradesman, seconded the motion, which
was unanimously adopted.
The Noble CIIAIBM &Dr then said this was all the bu
ness, and immediately dismissed the meeting, to the BO-
prise of all present, who had come in the full expectation
of a long and exciting discussion.

RAILGV.AI' INTELLIGENCE.