The Sun.
London, England, 1819-12-17 00:00:00

IRON COTFINC.

Mr. G. LAMB had to pvvseot a petition of an
unusual nature. It seas that of a person who found
himself incapable of paying the tires of interment
to his wife, in consequence of her being enclosed
in an iron coffin. The petitioner began by assur-
ing tke House, that he had employed an iron ea-
fin in compliance with the positive desire of his
wife, who was apprebett‘ice that her' remaiws
tnight he taken up by iesurrevion-men, and had
besought him to stiffer them to be enclustl in the
m.tnner they now were. lie had made three dif-
ferent attempts to procure interment at the Parish
Chute!' of St. Andrew, Holborn, anti the coffin
had at last beets taken to the church-yard, and by
order of the Minister and the Church-wardens lett
for three days on the steps of al h ite Csjcis
lie was aware Ire ought to apply to the blouse
ugly in case other means of procuring redress
bad failed ; he therefore stated that he had
first made an application to the Bishop, who
had veinied to interfere, and li.td referred him
to the Ecclesiastical Court. That Court, on
npplicatiou bring made, had issued a summons

to the Rector to appear before them. To (his the
Rector had replied that i►e was ready to perform
the rites of interment, hot that the burying-
ground having been purchased by the Church.
wardens, o as.itot under his control, but 'entirely
under theirs, so that he could not proceed with-
out their leave. The Rector had died during the
course of these transactions, and an application
I►ad tob,equently been made to the Court of King's
Bench, hctore which Ithe new Rector had refused
to appear. As the whole power of that Court to
punish such a refusal did not extend beyond sits.
pending the Rector for three mouths, the petitioner
had no means of redress left hint, but an appeal to
the House. The ground on which the resolution
of not admitting iron coffins had been taken was
their greater durability. lie (Mr. Lamb) should
not en►er into that question, but such a principle
ought not to be allowed to prevent the fulfilment
of those rites to our departed relatives and friends,
which were deemed sacred amongst all nations.
If the church-yards of the metropolis were so full
that they were no longer able to contain the dead
Without the aid of resurrection-men, or the dig-
ging up and irreverend scattering of decayed bones
and coffins, the subject was woolly to attract the
attention of the Legislature, and tueaus ought to
he taken to prevent the evil. He did not mean
to found any measure on the present petition, be-
cause he hoped that the expression of tie sense
of the House would be sufficient to make the
Churchwardens recall the unciviliied resolution ,
which they had taken. But if some alteration did
not take place in the conduct of such officers, he
should probably think it his duty to submit some
measure to the House upon the subject, the na-
ture of which he was not yet prepared to ex-
plain. He then moved, that the petition be
brought op.

Dr. PEIILLIMORE contended that the perit•ioner
would have had no difficulty in obtAirring redress,
if he had applied to the Ecclesiastical Court or the
Court of King's Bench.
Mr. G. LAMA repeated, that applications had
been made to both those Courts, and the gionnds
On which they had failed.
The petition was then brnnght up and read. It
was troni John Gilbert, of LAystall-street, in the
par ish of St. Andrew, and stated the facts which
we have described.

Oil the question that the petition lie on the
table,

111 r. HALroxio'svas understood to say, that the
real Ttestion was one between the Patentee for
Iron Coffins, and all the Church w3ritns itt
London.

Mr. BENNET considered the subject in a very
serious light ; and thought that its discussion
would probably lead to the adoption of some mea-
sures that we much wanted. There existed a
system for taking up persons out of church-yards
for the purpose of dissection, the particulars of
which liptl been laid before him as Chairman of
the Police Committee. Lie had not put then.
forth, because he felt that they would have creat-
ed the utmost alarm through the whole country.
But be was aware that some measure had becon..e
oecessaty to repress a practice so repugnant to all
the feelings of nature.

After afew words from Mr. G. Lomb, Mr.
Vtiviine, and 1)r. Phillimore, the petition was or-
detect to lie on the table and to he printed.

DUTIES ON WINES.

Sir C. MONCK %i.as understood to state, that it

had been strong:v ritilloured that 9 !light lion.
Gentleman oe,po,ite (the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer) intruded to propose an eqoalization of
ditties on certain Wi-es, tvWch would probably
effect a great reduction in the consitetiption of
l'oituguese Wines. The Merchants dealing in
PortUttette Wines -were, therefore, very desirous
of having I lie earliest information possible respect-
int; any deep Mination I 0 which the Right Hon.
Gentleman tni4ht-conte on that point.

The CHANCELLOR of the ExCHMUEIts as far as
he todd he heard in the Gallery, stated that he
Will not preptred to give an anNwer to giteVions
of, that kind but that there was no danger of
any sodden reduction of dillies, as such a Mea-
sure could not he adopted without previous nego-
ciations with other Powers.