The Sun.
London, England, 1845-12-22 00:00:00

mARYLtBoNE VESTRY.

On S iturday a mostlinportant meeting of the Mary-
lebone Vestry took place at the Court House, Mr. George
Daniell, churchwarden; in the chair. The, meeting was
very fully attended, and besides the borough Members,
Sir B. Hall and Sir Charles Napier, there were present
Mr. Williams, M.P., Sir John M'Taggart, M.P., Lord
Montfort, Sir James Hamilton, Bart., Martin Thacke-
ray, Esq., &c., &c.
Mr. HooD, the vestry -clerk, brought up a communi-
cvtion from the B ,ard of Management of the North
Western Metropolitan District Asylum, demand,ing the
sum of 173/. 7s. 11 d.,•: as the contribution of the parish
of St. Marylebone towards the expenses already incurred
with respect to such proposed asylum. Mr. -Hood also
laid a communication before the vestry from the parish
of St. James, Westminster, to the guardians of which
parish a similar demand was made, and refused on the
ground that it was illegal.
Mr. Joux WILLIAMS said he would move, in reference
to the application in question; ‘` That, in the opinion of
the vestry, the constitution of the Board of Management
of the North Western Metropolitan District Asylum is
illegal, and that their demand should be resisted."
The motion having been seconded,
Mr. FLOOD announced that he had just received a
communication from the Home-office, addressed to Mr.
Hume, M.P., and, as it was probably upon the subject
then under diseussion, perhaps it would be better that it
should be at once opened and read. Mr. Flood then
proceeded to read the • following communication from
Sir James Graham:—

" Whitehall. Dec. 18, 1845.
"Sir,—Although my position at the present moment in
this office is peculiar, yet I am unwilling to leave your letter
without an answer, especially as you and the vestry of St.
Marylebone express a wish to be informed of the result of my
communication with the. Poor-law Commissioners before I
resign the seals of this department.
"By the 7th and Bth of Victoria. c. 101, s. 41-45, the
Poor-law Commissioners' were empowered to form districts co
parishes in the metropolis, for the purpose of providing and
maintaining asylums for the temporary relief in destitute house
less poor. The provisicns of the Act were fully debated in
Parliament, and the power of forming the districts was given
to the Poor-law Commi• sioners without hesitation or appeal:
"The Commissioners, after a careful deliberation, adopted
a plan for the division of the entire metropolis and its
suburbs into six districts,. each consisting of several unions
and parishes, represented by a single Biiard of Management.
The orders forming these districts, and prescribing the mode
of election, and the duties of the Board of Management, and
of their officers, have been issued by the Commissioners in
the course of the present year.
" All the parishes comprised in these orders have acquiesced
in the arrangement, and have elected managers, except Mary-
lebone, St. Luke, Chelseavand Camberwell.
"The Secretary of Stko. has ,no official power of interfe-
rence with the arrangenieut adopted by the commissioners;
nor is he rendered by tHe Act of Parliament responsible for
their decision with reference to this subject.,
" The responsibilityretti with the Poor-law Commissioners
alone. They have acted deliberately, and on a general view
of the arrangement best Suited to the entire metropolis.
" If the parish of Marylebons have any objecti.,ns of detail
which they wish further to urge against particular provisions
of either of the orders.a...the Commissioners,. I ha.'e ascer-
tained that the Commissioners are ready to receive them, and
to bestow on them the most attentive consideration.

"jf :the objection be to the entire arrangement, as well in
principle as in detail, the whole subject might be referred to
the investigation of a Parliamentary Committee at the com-
mencement of the session:hand the Commissioners inform me
that they are prepared justify their plan. The case of
Marylebone must be taken in conjunction with the general
rcheme, and cannot, in justice, be cousidered separately.
"I have gone thus at length into the matter, which does
not fall immediately within the control of the Secretary of
State, even in present circumstances, because I was unwill-
ing to appear wanting in, the reepect due to the Marylebone
vestry, or negligent in my endeavour to remove a misunder-
standing which I regret.—l have the honour to be, Sir, your
faithful servant,

(Signed)
" Joseph Hume, Esq., 151,P."
This letter was ordered to be entered on the minutes,
and to he considered on Saturday
.next.
Mr. WILLIAMS, M.P.; rose to give his cordial support
to the, resolution of resistance which had been proposed.
The reason he advised this course was that the Poor-law
Commissioners were dOing everything they could to
bring Marylebone and. other independent parishes
throughout the country.under their fangs. The reason
the Poor-law Commissioners were so desirous to get
independent parishes under their control was, that there
should not be a comparison between the diet given to
the poor of those parishes and poor-law unions.—(Hear.)
Mr. H. C. WILSON cordially concurred in all that had
fallen •from the Hon. Member for Coventry ; but in con-
nexion with this subject he wished to say a few words
on the conduct of the Ron. Members for the borough of
Marylebone, who, for the first time for many months
past, he now saw present.—(Hear, hear.) Yle (Mr.
Wilson) was one of those who would not say that be-
hind the back of the Hon. Members that he was not
prepared to say to their faces.—(Hear, hear.) He would
say, then, that he believed, if the Members for the
borough had done their duty to their constituents, the
pariah of St. Marylebone would not have been placed in
its present
.position with the Pcor-law Commissioners.
—(Loud cries of" Hear.") He (Mr. Wilson) spoke more
particularly with respect to the Hon. Baronet behind
him (Sir B. Hall).—(Hear.) He was free to admit that
they had no right to expect so much from the Hon. and
Gallant Commodore,•. Sir C. Napier, when they con-
sidered his general habits, and his imperfect knowledge
of all their local affairs, and therefore to some extent the
Hon. and Gallant Commodore was exonerated. There
was a probability, from, the present state of political
affairs, of a great change, and he (Mr. Wilson) thought
that those gentlemen who aspire 4 to be the representa-
tives of the largest and most influential borough in the
kingdom ought to devote a greater degree of attention
than had been devoted by its representatives recently.—
(Loud cries of " Hear,- hear ") He again repeated it,
and he felt that he had the general support of his
brother electors in making the assertion, that on whom-
soever the representation of Marylehone in future de-
volved, there was a greater degree of attention to Parlia-
nentary duties neeessary.—(Hear, hear.)
Sir B. HALL rose, amidst some slight confusion, to
address the vestry. .The Honourable Baronet said,
after the remarks which had fallen from Mr. Wil-
son, he hoped he might be permitted to say a few
words in self-defence:—(Hear, hear.) It was at all
times painful to advert to a serious personal and domes-
tic calamity, hut, in doing so, he begged to say that •he
did not wish to conceal from him-elf the fact, that- his
recent inattention to Parliamentary duties had been
most unsatisfactory, and he begged to assure them that

aJ. G. GRAHAM.

it hod been equa.lly unsatisfakOry to himself as to his
constituents.— (Hear. hear.) He begged to state, how-
ever, that his apparent inattention did not result from
his own neglect. but from calamities over which he had
no control, and which' human foresight could not have
prevented. Gentlemen were aware of the course he
(Sir Benjamin Hall) had pursued when he first beceme
elected for that borougli',,and after his second election also,
and be thought it must;be palpable to them, when they
viewed his previous coin -duct, that he had not willingly
and wilfully neglected their interests. He begged to
remind them that there were times and circumstances
which would prevent my man from Frformi g great
public duties.—(Hear.) Last year a domestic affliction.
god at the commencement of the last session a serious
personal accident. caused him (the Hon. Baronet) to be
placed in that unfortunate position.—(Hear.) With
reference to the probable political change which had
been alluded to by Mr. Wilson, he (Sir Benjamin
flail) begged to say, be that change whatever it
might, he should not deviate from the straight-
forward course he felt, he had hitherto pursued. With
respect to a political change, he (Sir B. Hall) was of ()pi-
nion that no material change would take place' and that
it would be left for :Vise who had produced the present
..risis in the affairs of this country to quench the fire
which their own bad conduct had created.—(Hear, hear.)
Tfe believed that Lord John Russell would not take
office with the inevitable prospect of being turned nut
immediately, but that. he would leave it'to those who
had created the evil. • .With. reference to the question
before them, he cordially agreed with the Hon. Member
for Coventry that they should offer a most determined 1
resistance, and as soon as the next session of Parliament
opened, he would not fill to use his best endeavours to
qupport their local Acta and privileges unimpaired.
Sir CHARLES NAPi.ER next rose. He did not think
that he was deserving, of the censure which had been
thrown upon him by tilt vestry. He would venture to
' used that no Member of the House of Commons had
been more attentive to,his Parliamentary duties than he
had been since he had ,represented Marylebone.—(Hear,
hear.) If the gentleman who had addressed them and
called him negligent meant that he was so because he
had not come 400 miles•to attend a vestry meeting on the

corn-laws, then he pleaded guilty, for he had previously
promised to attend a great meeting held on that very
day at Edinburgh on the same subject.—(Hear, hear.)
Mr. Wilson had said, if the Members for the borough
had done their duty, this amended Poor-law Bill would
not have passed. Now he (Sir C. Napier) begged
to say that he did atteed.to his duty, and opposed that Bill
throughout. He also did so with respect to the Lunacy
Bill, and when he divided the House upon that measure
he did not even get a seconder.—(Hear, hear.) It was
true he was not so well acquainted with their local
matters as his Hon. Colleague, Sir B. Hall, but he begged to
ay that he had a head, and he never objected to their
beating their local knowledge into it.—(Laughter.)
He was always ready to receive a deputation of his
conati:utents, but if they meant that to do his duty,
after working hard for five days and nights every week
in the session, it was iipcessary for him to attend there
every Saturday, and also sacrifice his Sunday, be begged
to say that he was ready to resign their representation
altogether. With respect to the question of the corn-
laws his opinions were known, and he thought no time
ought to be lost in *ling a meeting of that borough,
containing as it did ir. population of 300,000 and up-
wards. Ho would say further, he thought all the metro-
politan boroughs should have a meeting, and, in order
to make the cl,monstration more complete, that they
shiadd meet in one day:—(Hear. hear.)
Messrs. Joseph Gomm, Kirby, Michie,' and other
zentlemen having spoken to the resolution, determining
to resist the demand for supporting the District Poor-
law Asylum, it was carried unanimously.
The meeting then separated.

THE FARMERS AND' THE REPEAL OT THE CORN-
LAWS.—We have heard from several quarters where informa-
tion of the kind was most attainable, that the farmers who
usually visit Canterbury market did not on Saturday
last express any other feeling on the Ministerial changes
in progress than a ‘,l,.ish that some permanent deci-
sion should be immediately arrrived at, and seeing that
repeal of the corn-laws ninitt sooner or later take place, they
would prefer the accomplishment of such a measure at once
to a state of ontirtual uncertainty and alarm. The farmer is
wise in this—.-there can "be no ease or security or indepen-
dence for him until this takes place. The sooner that total
repeal of thig landlord's rim occurs, the better unquestion-
blv for every cultivator of the soil.—Kent Herald.
BRISTOL' SUGAR-MARKET, VEC. 19.—There is
.carelv any business do:fig in our raw. sugar-market, and,
indLel, produce of el descriptions are difficult of sale, with a
dermrard tendency in ptices.—diristyl gercunt,

~ .-r

OPENING OF THE PORTS.
- ST. CLEMENT'S DANES.

Fridec evezfng a public meeting, called pursuant to a nu-
merousry-signed requisition of the inhabitants of the parish
of St. Clement's Danes, was held in the vestry-room for the
purpose of memorializing " her Majesty to direct the imme-
diate opening of the ports for the free admission of foreign
grain, or to adopt any other measures that might be consi-
dered necessary relative to the apprehended scarcity."
Mr. W. Wilkinson, the senior churchwarden, in the chair.

Mr. Paour moved the first resolution, and stated that his
opinion with respect to the iniquitous and pernicious corn-
law was well known ; it was a law for the advantage of a
few to the injury of the many. He '(Mr. Prout). need not
state how necessary•it was•at the present-time for all parties
to unite in the extinction of those laws, when, by their opera-
tion, millions were likely to be deprived of that support
which was necessary to their existence.—(Hear, hear.) Mr.
Profit concluded by moving the first resolution :
" That this vestry is seriously alarmed by the failure of
the late crop of potatoes, and the defective yield in wheat
corn, thereby apprehending before the next harvest the
united affliction of famine and pestilence, and that the fear
of these csbanities is greatly increased by her Majesty's
Ministers having omitted to exercise their authority to open
the ports of the United Kingdom for the free admission of
foreign grain."
Mr. JACQUET seconded the resolution in a brief speech,
which was carried unanimously.
Mr. CanoGait moved the second resolution—
_

" That to the calamities occasioned by natare's laws we
submit without murmuring; but against the continuance of
legislative enactments, which tax and impede the supply of
food, we most
.solemnly protest; and as the corn-laws still
remain in force, blighting the national prosperity, this vestry
deems it requisite that a memorial should be sent to her
Majesty, to consider the necessity of immediately opening
the ports of the United Kingdom for the admission of foreign
corn, free of duty."
Mr. PARKER seconded the resolution, which was also car-
ried unanimously.
_ _ _

Mr. BERGER moved an appropriate memorial to the Queen,
and it having been adopted, the meeting separated.

ALNWICK.

A memorial has been addressed.* ber Majesty by a nu-
merous body of the inhabitants of Alnwick, Northumberland,
praying for the opening of the ports for the free admission of
foreign grain and other provisions. The circumstance strik-
ingly shows the univer,ality of the feeling against the corn-
law, as Alnwick is a small market-town, entirely dependent
for its prosperity upon the agriculture of the district, and
under the immediate influence of the Duke of Northum-
berland.

• - MAIDSTONE.
On Thursday evening a numerously attended meeting of
inhabitants of the town, and farmers of the neighbourhood of
Maidstone,'was held 'in the Assembly-room, the Rev. Mr.
Dobney in 'the chair.

The Rev. GENTLEMAN observed, that be considered the
question before them to be of deep and momentous import-
ance. It was desirable that a decided blow sh• mid be giver
to monopoly in human food—a monopoly which was produc-
tive of many and great evils, while it was based upon princi-
ples which could not be supported by the laws of nature or the
doctrines of revealed truth.
Mr. R. R. R. NIOORE then spoke upon the question up-
wards of two hours and 'a half, during which protracted
period the utmost silence and deepest attention pervaded the
meeting.

At the conclusion of his speech the following resolu-
tion was proposed by Mr. NELMES, and seconded by Mr
SHIMMY That this meeting views with deep apprehen•.
sion the fearful consequences that appear inevitable from the
acknowledged deficiency in the present supplies of food, and
that in the opinion of the meeting these consequences can
only he averted by immediately opening the ports for the
free admission of foreign grain and provisions, and an early
summoning of Parliament to consider the urgent necessity
of at once and for ever abolishing all laws which restrict the
supply of the people's food ; that such laws arbitrarily in-
terfere with the rights of industry, and are as inimical to the
beet interests of agriculture as they are injurious to every
other interest in the country." This, upon being put, was
carried with acclamation.

It was then moved by Mr. CLAYTON, and seconded by Mr.
STIEVENB :-" That this meeting respectfully, but most ear-
nestly, calls upon the electors of this borough of Maidstone,
as well as upon those of the western division of the county
of Kent, in the event of a general election, to record their
votes for no candidate who will not advocate the total re-
peal of the corn and provision him; and most particularly
recommends all, those who are not on the registry for the
county, and who are able to purchase a county qualification,
immediately to do so." Carried nem. con.
Thanks were then voted to the Chairman, and the numerous
assembly separated.