The Sun.
London, England, 1832-12-15 00:00:00

MARLBORO UGH-STREET.

DON PEDRO'S RECRUITS.--A couple of stout
agricultural labourers, and a woman, were placed
at the bar, on a charge of vagrancy. The men said
they had gone out in the Swallow cutter, Captain
Adams, to join Don Pedro's army, but were sent
back to England, and set on shore without receiving
a farthing of their stipulated pay, and, being totally
destitute, they were compelled to resort to begging.
The men exhibited some papers in support of the
truth of their statement, and added that there were
between 70 and 80 of their comrades who had been
set on shore in the same destitute situation.

Mr. CONANT directed that they should be kept in
the office until the overseer of the parish in which
they were found made his appearance.

BOW-STREET.

ST. MARTIN'S PARlSH.—Yesterday, Mr. Webb,
a glover and hosier, residing in the Strand, was sum-
moned by the officers of St. Martin's parish for re-
fusing. to pay an arrear of church-rates.
Mr. Aldridge, the senior churchwarden of the
parish, proved that the sum of 21. 6s. Bd. was due
to the parish by the defendant for church-rates made
in 1825 and 1828, and that the defendant had been
applied to for the payment of the same, but refused
to settle the demand.

Mr. Webb had several objections to urge against
the rate. In the first place he totally denied the
right of the Select Vestry to make a church-rate,
and contended that the power to do so was vested
in the parishioners at large. The Select Vestry
had themselves admitted that they had not the
power to make a church-rate, anti an entry to that
effect was now on their books in the Vestry-room
of the church. He considered it was rather strange
that after he had resided in the parish for nearly 10

years, he should now, for the first time, be caled
upon to pay rates, the validity of which he vas
prepared to prove could not be sustained.
Sir F. ROE said that the question as to the %Ili-
dity of the rate was not for Magistrates to ry.
Their power was merely ministerial, and if hey
saw that the rate was legal they were bound to en-
force it. In the present ins'ance an Act of Palia-
ment was before them by which they had powe• to
act.

Mr. Webb said that he was aware of the Act
referred to, which was called " The Camden-town
Burial Act." That Act, however, was merely a
local one, and the authorities of St. Martin's tad
caused a clause to be smuggled into it, upon witch
they now rested their claim. That clause pre
authority to Magistrates to enforce the payment of
church-rates made by the Select Vestry, withmtt
giving the party summoned the power to appeal to a
higher Court.
Sir F. ROE suggested to Mr. Webb that be
might, if he pleased, apply for redress to the Eccle-
siastical Court, which had power to interfere in all
cases where the affairs of the Church were cat-
cerned.

Mr. Webb replied that the process of the Eccle-
siastical Court was too expensive for an individual
like himself to encounter. lie had hoped that he
Magistrates would have allowed him to apply to the
Court of King's Bench, which he could have done
at a comparatively trifling expense.
S'r F. ROE----YOU may bring an action against me
if you please, and try the question in that way.
The order for the, payment of the sums demanded
by the parish was then made, and Mr. Webb ex-
pressed his determination of resisting the payment
as far as he could legally do so.