The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-05 00:00:00

:all parties were combining some for the abolition of
the corn-laws, some for their retention, some for their
seyen points of the Charter—should not they, the !
friends of truth And Protestantism,. combine against
ail open it 33, or secret enemy, or perfidious friends ?
(Cheers.) Should they not take their stand against
a false expediency—(Cheers)—a truckling to place
anil pelf, and say, emphatically, and with uplifted
" We shall have no more concession to Rome—
hot one step flintier down the precipice no more sa-
.crificiog to man or devil ?7--(Cheers.)-.• Our wateh-.
word shall be, " The Church fOr whiCh our fore- ;
fathers so nobly hied, meontaminated and unreduced
in its fair proporti-ms."7—(Cheers.).. Praise to God
they had not a Tractarian on the Bench of Bishops,
and it was creditable, at least to her Majesty's ad-
visers, that, in their appointments to the Church of
-Erigland, • and still more to their appointments
in the sister country- of Ireland, they had
.not advanced one of Tractarian principles. But
Tractarianism, he was happy to think, was at its
senith, though, as sappers and miners, they might
be Still endeavouring to injure the Church of Christ.
The Rev. Gentleman continued.in a strain of the most
thrilling eloquence, interrupted at every sentence by
the most general cheering, to expatiate upon the
duties incitinbent upon the members of the Church of
England in that crisis. He commented, In withering
tenni, upon an amalgamated system of education,
which, consisting of all religions, really inculcated
none. lie concluded by exhorting them to be wary
and ‘vatchful—to make no cause with any of the wild
sects who called themselves Protestants, but to trust
to a power, all-wise and infinite, whose instructions
might be found in the Scriptures and in the Homilies
of the Church. There might be specks in the latter,
but there were specks on the sun, and they might
depend upon it that they would be found a substantial
shield in their warfare with the Romanists. But let
them show that it was Popery they hated, and not
the souls of those who professed that principle. Let
them treat their antagonists with love, speak to them
in love, and pray with and for them in the spirit of
love and mercy. Let them hope that as it was a
glorious British Queen who fostered their Church in
its infancy, so another Queen would at that time
nurse, and foster, and succour her, now in the hour
of her struggles. The speaker sat down amidst the
loudest applause. Several more speakers addressed
the meeting, and some resolutions were proposed and
seconded, and after thanks had been voted to the
Chairman, the meeting separated.

DESTITUTE CONDITION OF THE
LABOURING POOR.
A special session of Justices of the Bromley di-
vision was held yesterday at the Bell Inn, Bromley,
for the purpose of disposing of a great number of
summonses, &c., against poor people residing in
Bexley, Bromley, Cudham, and other parishes, for
non-payment of poor-rates. The magistrates present
were the Rev. Sir C. Farnaby, the Rev. Mr. Scott,
the Hon. Mr. Dashwood, J. Goodhart, Esq., J.
Berens' Esq., and P. H. Dyke, Esq.
The first case gone into was a summons against a
poor old widow, named Evans, for non-payment of a
poor-rate for Bexley parish.
The poor old creature said she was not able to pay
any poor-rates; She was herself at this time receiv-
ing relief from the parish.
The overseer admitted that that was the fact.
Sir C. FARNABY asked how it happened, as this was
the case, that she was called upon to pay the rate ?
The overseer replied that the vestry had heard
the old woman had a son who was earning money,
and they thought he ought to pay for her.
Mr. DYKE asked the old woman what she received
from the union ?—She replied one shilling a week, and
a loaf of bread.
The BENCH said they thought this was a case in
which the party ought to be excused paying the rate,
and Mr. Goodhart observed that the poor old woman
ought to have an extra loaf given her for her trouble
in coming to the bench.
The next case was that of another poor widow,
named Martin. She was summoned for six shillings.
The poor woman said the reason she had not paid
the rates was because it was entirely out of her power.
Her husband, when he died, left her destitute, and
she had no means of subsistence but doing a little
needlework. During her husband's life they had
paid rates in the parish for twenty-one years.
Mr. DYKE asked whether this case had been re-
ported to the vestry ?—The overseer said it had, and
the parish authorities thought that, from the amount
of rent paid by .Mrs. Martin, the rate should lee
enforced.
Mr. DYKE—What rent does she pay ? Overseer
—Three shillings a week.
Mr. D rim—People who pay 71. or 8/. a year rent
must pay the rates. If not, they should take a
smaller place, or else a room.
Mrs. Martin—l should have to pay as much for a
room, and I have lived in the house with my husband
a good, many years, and don't like to leave it. She
thought it was very hard, after paying rates for
twenty-one years, that she should be troubled in this
way.
The BENCH said that they must order the payment
of the rate. They would, however, allow her a fort-
night to make up the money.
The woman said it was no use to promise to pay.
She had not a farthing in the world. She had no-
thing to subsist upon but the produce of a little needle-
work, and everybody knew how badly that was
paid for.
Sir. C. FARNABY said the bench had no alternative
but to grant -a distress warrant if she did not pay.
Another poor widow, named Street, was also sum-
moned for a rate of six shillings.
The reason for the non-payment was 'that she had
been left in very bad circumstances by her husband,
and had latterly been ill. The rent she paid was
three shillings a week.
The BENCK said this was a similar case to the last,
and the money must be paid in fourteen days.
Mrs. Street said she could not pay. She had been
lying. ill of fever for four weeks, and was quite
destitute.
The BENCH said, if the parish enforced the claim,
they must issue a distress warrant if the money was
not paid.
A man named Leamington, the occupier of a cot-
tage, which, with several others, it appears, is let on
lease by the parish of Wickham to a person whose
name did not transpire, and who underlets the pro-
perty to a number of poor persons, was summoned for
six shillings.
Leamington said that his landlord told him the pro-
perty was not liable to the payment of the poor-rate.
Mr. DYKE said that as the occupier there was no
doubt he was liable. It frequently happened, how-
ever, that the landlords of cottages told their tenants
they were not liable to pay poor-rates, in order that
they might 'get more rent.
The overseer said that one of the occupants of the
cottages had told him that she paid additional rent,
upon the untieritanding that there were no poor-
rates to pay.
The Baca said it would he a very good thing if
the landlords of cottages and property of that de-
scription were compelled to pay the poor-rates. At
present, however, the occupiers were liable, and the
payment must be enforced from them.
Leamington said that he and a number of other
poor people had acted upon the statement of their
landlord, and he trusted that under the circumstances
the bench would not compel them to pay the costs.
The MAGISTRATES said they could not remit the
costs, which must be paid, with the rate, in feurteen
days, or there would be a distress warrant.
Mrs. Lawson attended to answer a summons for
eight shillings. She said she could not pay. Her
husband had not done a day's work for some months,
and there were nine of them in family.
Mr. DYKE asked what rent she paid, and she re-
plied, eleven guineas a year.
The BENCH said this was a case in which the rate
must be enforced.. They had no business to keep a
house of eleven guineas a year if they did not pay the
rates. •
The poor woman said that with seven children they
could not get a house to shelter them for less rent.
Mr. DYKE said that was their look out. Houses of
that value must pay the rate, and if the amount was
not paid in fourteen days there would be a distress
warrant.
The poor creature said it was quite impossible for
them to pay the rates. She had left her children at
home with nothing but a piece of dry bread to eat,and
if they took all they had got in the world they would
not make up the money.
Mr. DYKE said that if they were in such a destitute
state they should have applied to the Board.
She replied that it was no use going there, for if
she did they would not give her a loaf of bread for
her children.
The BENCH said they would give her a month to
pay the money.
She said that if her husband got any work they
would pay it, but if he did not, it was impossible
for them to do so. She added, that when she went
home she should not find a morsel of food, and she bad
not a farthing in the world.
Several other summonses were then gone into, and
the parties were ordered to pay in fourteen days.
They begged hard to be excused from the payment
of the costs, -which in almost every case amounted to
the sum claimed for the rate, but the Bench said they
had no power to relieve them, and both the rate and
the costs must be paid, or there would be distress
warrants.
John Masters, a poor, decrepid old man, was sum-
moned for four shillings.
coals and a cart
P
and horse.
Mr. DYKE—Oh if you keep a horse and cart, you
twwhiethgaotfehwis' ?—He re-
ufedsitlepbaily:sshculiasngk.eillbohuo
The old man said the horse was not his. It was
only lent to him. -
The BENCH ordered the payment in fourteen days.