The Sun.
London, England, 1826-03-29 00:00:00

MEETING Al' ST. LUKE'S

For some months past the parish of St. Luke
has been in an unusual ferment, owing to an expected come. t
for the situation of vestry-clerk. One of the parties, Mr
~Vti.as, had filled the office fur .the last 16 years. The other
candidate was a Mr, FLOAANCE,' Among the reasons urged

for the removed of Mr. Wilks, it was sweet, that his demean.
our to the parishioners was at all times haughty and overhear•
ing ; that he had evinced unnecessary harstmiss and rigour to
the poor ; that he derived too great an income front his office ;

that he was a Dissenter from the established religion; that he
had been the solicitor to the notorious. Equitable Loan Cont.
Many ; that he had rated many of the houses ,in the parish 'at
ton high a rate ; and that he had opposed the macadamizing of
Finsbury.phce, in opposition to the wishes of the inhabitants.
These objections had been urged against Mr. %VOA from tim
to time, and the new candidate, in order to'stmgthert his claims
to the support of the vestrymen, had (inked, it was said, to
execute the duties-of the office of Vestry Clerk for half the sum
which Mr. \Yaks derived front the wffice. A good deal of
paper-war, in the shape of electioneeiing squibs in prose and
poetry, bad passed between the partitat,: and accualtions and
recriminations were bandied from
one to the other, so that:
tormy discussion was expected as a matter of course, when the
subject-matter in dixpute, and the claims of the respective
claimants, should comae forward in doe form.
Accordingly, a numerous meeting of vestrymen assembled
yesterday at an early hour, at St. Luke's church, in order to
open the proceedings, and after some preliminary matters were
dlspOsed of, Mr. POTTER, one of the Clturchwardens, was
called to the Chair.
Alderman Bitowx then rose for. the purpose of proposing
Mr. Was as a fit and competent person to perform the duties
of Vestry Clerk, a situation which he had held for the.spacecf
la years, and to which he was fully-competent.
Sir C. C. nowEit seconded the *notion.'
Mr. YEATES then rose, for the purpose of naming Mr.
Ylorance the the office of Vestry Clerk indoing,so he was ac-
tuated hy,po feeling of hostility to Mr. Was.
Mr. BislicP seconded the motion.
A discussion of rather a stormy nature then followed, and se-
ral gentlemen, among whom were Mr. Bateman and
31elliee, delivered their sentiments in support'of the respective
candioates.
Mr. PATTI-sox spoke in support of the claim of Mr. Fu..
ranee. and recapitulated the charges advanced against Mr.

Wilks.
It having been asserted by the friends of Mr. Wilksethat the
committee of Mr. Florence had, prior to their proposing that
gentleman, waited on Mr. Wilks, jun., the son Of the other
candidate, in order to obtain his consent to be nominated for the
office in opposition to his father, and that circurinaanee having
been distinctly denied by the friends of Air. Florence,
Mr. Metes, jun., came forward, and stated, that in Nov.
last, he had been waited upon by three gentlemen, whose names
were subsequently signed to the requi,ition inviting Mr. Flo»
ranee to become a candidate, who tirgoi him to oppose his fah, r
and that they would ler him their support, but to this proptsi.
tion be promptly dissented. (Several voices called to Mr. Nl'llks
to name the parties who had waited ttn hint.) fle; did riot
wish to elate the names of those gentlemen, unless he had
their sanction for so doing, but be would name one of them
who now faced him : Mr. Haller was one of those who had
waited on him.
Mr. HALLER soletnttly declared that he never had invited
Mr. IVillts, jun., to become a candidate in opposition to his
father, and he appealed to God for the truth of what he said.
Mr. GREENLAND then came forward with a letter in his
hand, which he said he had received from Mr. Wilks, jun., in
which that gentleman desired him (Mr. (Greenland) "to stand
up in church and say that he fully believed his statement to be
true respecting the application to which he (Mr. Willis, jun.)
had alluded
Mr. IlateeEn produced a letter from Mr. Wilks to a like
effect.
Mr. WI T.as, jun., then protested to God that the statement
which he had advanced respecting the application made to hitn
to oppose his father was quite true in every particular.
r. Jos. CLARILN defended Mr. Willis from the charge of
incurring unnecessary. espences in prosecuting appeels.
11 r. ItElo spoke m favour of Mr. Winch's return.
111 r. Wieks then rose. Ile Ilia not fear to court the sciu.
tiny of those by whom he was accused. lie w3t4 charged with
accepting lOU/. e-year more than he had solicited Um the 'pa.
rieh for his long and laborious services. Yes, he had been AC-
cused of taking this additional 100/. a.year, which orris WM- 1
nanimously voted to hint by a vestry, consisting of 309 reepect.
able inhabitants; and the day on which that vote was passed,
he should ever consider as the proudest 'if his life—not in con-
siderationof the addition which it brought to his income, lout
because that vote implied that his long and; faithful services
were appreciated by his fellow-parishionets. Ile would ask,
what were the marvellous chinges which had occurred since
last Easter Tuesday., when the vote was passed to increase his
salary, that oten's minds shoUld have turned against him, and
that he who was semen Led tiounimouely then, should now be
held up al an object of suspicion and distrust? With resneet
to the charge brought against him of apposing the Al*Adamizlug .
Of Finsbury-place, he was not ashamed to deny that it was
with a view of saving the parish the expellee of that measure
that be vetted againet it. In doing so he had secrificed his psi
vete interest to his sense nl' public duty ; for while he opposed.
the measure, he ofliaed to pay 511/. cut or his own pocket tke
inhabitants would consent to have, the place M'Achmilzed by.
private subscription ; or he offered to give double the %annual
subscription of any of the inhabitantein order to effiect that ob.
jest. As to the charge of not acting kindly to the poor, he
appealed to the acts of his Net life for grout of his humanity.
Out lit the 66 guardiens of the poor' belonging to the pariah,
five only had conic forward to advance that charge, but with'
sock a majority in his favour he had little need to ?eel uneasy
on that score. Ile had never given intentional offence to any
person connected with the pariah, and he invited thu vestry-
men Who' were present to say if he had ever offered an insult to
otie of thent.—(A voice in the crowd—" T am one to when)
you offered an insult.")—Then make room for the Gentleman,
and let him gate his grievance.
Two of the vestrymen then preSsed forward, but they did not
appear to succeed in establishing any ground's of coMPlaint
Against Mr. Wilk*.
Mr:Wit:XS then resumed.—lle was happy that those gen-
tlemen had come fotward, because their objections proved that
in point of fact there was no juet ground,' of complaint against
hitn. The parishiutierc should pause before they discharged an
old 'and'fititlittil serv:ant, agai.ist whose diameter not a whisper
of suspicion had been heard. 'Would they deprive a 111311 of
his livelihood, and ',end hitt, into the world with a brat.ti of
infamy upon hint ?
Mr. 14 ilks having concluded,
Mr. Ft.o RAN cr. presented himself to the meeting. Ile WAS
invittql by gentlemen of integrity anti honottrable character to
offer himself to their notice. He made himself-no party to the
charges advanced against Mr. %VIM*, and he diaclaitned any
personal hostility to diet gentleman.
The question was then put front-the Chair, and both oan.
dictates beieg proposed, a show of hands wan taken for each,
and a trifling majority eppeared in favour of Mr. Wilke.. The
friends of Mr. Florence, however, who were nomeruns, de.
mended a ballot. which, being agreed to, this day and to.mor-
row, from 9 to 4, were appointed for receiving the votes, And
the meeting Alertly afterwards diepersed.

THY.. SAntiATtb—We are happy to tante, that i
in coosequotre of the determination of the Ma.
gistrates of Mereworth to enforce the law against
persons opening thrir shops or retailing goods on
the Sabbath-day, the strictest attention was Mil-
an excellent re-
olfested throughout that village on the last Sab•
populous town, and ill
gbilultilltliotlist it)(1): trirliTt.:l;::lrtr..P.meinti isofmost earnestly to
be hojwd that so laudable a measure will b
oeutgal,,,out,..l ti
tot lutti s
the kingdom. If pay-
:::'ll:;rl:Ytt:rtlsdt iltiv:4:)rru la mak,. it a matter of conscience to
ray their workmen Parly On the Saturday, then.
c„,,dd be no excuse for such a breach of toorai
dot y
...... ( Maids ton e Journal.)