Star.
London, England, 1828-03-08 00:00:00

7,388 persons (p) were receiving relief from the poor
rate, either in or out of the workhouse ; that the expenses
of the poor in that year amounted to 54,000/. (q), the
inhabitants will then judge how far they have just cause'
for complaining of the management which has so long
kept their poor rate down, and has now only raised it
to 2r. 3d. with a hope and expectation of being able, in
some degree at lest, to diminish it again. Be it re-
membered also, that the poor are only a portion of tl,e
burden entailed by law upon the poor rate. The county
rate (r), the expense of those prosecutions which the
parish is required by law to institute or maintain, and
all the various incidents to which such an establishment

as the parochial business of this large parish requires is
liable, all expenses indeed except the items charged
upon the church, paving, and watch rates, are by law

directed to be paid out of the poor rate, and necessarily
add to its fluctuating character.
We do not feel ourselves pledged for the correctness
of the calculations made by the opponents of the Vestry
but the real state of the case, as regards the poor rate,
is this: The rate of 1826, of Is. 23. in the pound,
amounted to 40,'9641. The additional rate of is. lel. amounts to
38,629/. and the whole rate for the present year will give a total
of 79,5931. On the other side of the account we shall have to place
the following items :—Charge of the Poor, 54,000/. County Rate,
6,1901. Interest on Bond Debt, 1,357/. Portion of the Debt to be
paid Off according to the itovisiuns of the Act of Parliament, being
one-thirtieth of the whole sum borrowed, about I,oool.—Total.
62,5471. leaving a balance of 17,0461. on the 31st of Mcember ;
which, when added to the balance of 1826, 9,7791. will make a
total of 26,8251. to provide for the necessary relief of the pour until
the following 30th of June, when the first half-yearly payment of
the current year's poor rate becomes due (s). We trust, then,
that it will appear evident to every candid person that the poor
rate has not been hastily, inconsiderately, or unnecessarily increased.
Two other charges have been brought against the Vestry, which
seem to require an answer. It has been urged as a proof of their
extravagance, that their Vestry Clerk receives a salary of 1,2501.
per annum. This, though nominally, is not really the cawnuch
is the sum charged in the accounts under the head of the Vestry
Clerk's salary ; and it is divided in due proportion among all the
rates, as it would not be just or equitable that any one rate should
be charged with the whole salary of an officer whose duties render
him responsible for the due conducing of every department under
the controul of the Vestry. Bat out of this nominal salary the
Vestry Clerk has to pay the assistant clerks employed under him ;
and the net income which he enjoys, when these deductions ate
made, is 8451.—a sum which no pinion will consider too great,
who is aware of the laborious duties of that Gentleman's office, and
that they necessarily occupy all his time.
The only charge against the Vestry which yet remains to be cos.
sidered, relates to the transferring of the evening services from seve-
ral of the Proprietary Chapels to the District Cburches and St.
John's Chapel. It may be sufficient to say of this measure, that
when it is carried into complete effect, as will be the case when
Trinity Church is consecrated, the means of attending Divine
Service on the Sunday evening will thus be afforded to more
than 9,000 persons, instead of 4,600, the utenost number which the
(lapels at which the Evening Service has been discontinued could
accommodate. The annual charge to the parish will also be de.

creased from 1.1721. the sum paid for the third services at the Pro-
prietary Chapels in question, to 8124 the sum which will be paid
Ifor the whole expense of the third services at the foLr district
Churches, and St. John's Chapel. 'The arrangements at the parish
Church aid parochial Chapel have suffered no alteration, and are,
therefore, not included in this statement. Clearly, then, this ma..
sure cannot be deemed an instance of inconsiderate extravagance.
Whether it is an effective measure, as far as the interests of religion
art:concerned, and particularly as respects the power classes, they
will heat judge who attend the service, and observe the numbers
and conduct of the several congregations. As for the charge of in-
tokrance affixed to this measure, it will be time enough to answer
that when the accusers have rendered it intelligible. And those who
said that considerable addition is made to the ecclesiastical patro.
nage of the Vestry, ought to have known that the Act of Parlia-
ment which sanctioned the bulking of the district Churches, placed
this patronage, such as it is, in the hands of the respective district
Rectors. Vide 1 and 2 Oeo. IV. c. 21. s. 17.

It winnow only be necessary to add a few remarks, for the pur-
pose of explaining briefly the real objects of the Consolidatiou 11111
which the Vestry wished to bring into the present Session of Par-
liament, and have now abandoned in deference to the presumed
desire of the parish.
Some doubts had been expressed by high legal authority, as to
interpretation of two of the clauses in the Act of 3 Geo. IV. c. 84.
And these doubts had rendered it difficult to assess and collect a
portion of the rates on the north-western part of the parish. The
consequenie of this was that the expense of repairing, lighting, and
Watching the unpaved parts of the parish, has very greatly exceeded
the amount of the rate levied for that purpose.
Acting, therefore, under the legal advice they had obtained, the
Vestry conceived that no other alternative remained, if the inha-
bitants of that part of the parish should refuse to pay the necessary
rate, than either to leave it without the protection of watchmen or
lamps, or to obtain from Parliament powers to levy a rate cent.
menaurate with the expense.
Such was the original sound on which the Vestry determined
to apply to Parliament for a new Paving Act. It was then deemed
expedient that, as the expense of an Act was to be incurred, other
matters relating to the police, and civil concerns of the parish, and
likely to be very conducive in themselves to the comfort and cut,-
venience of the inhabitants, should also be provided for. One of
these was a better system of watering, now rendered imperatively
necessary by the anxiety expressed by the inhabitants to have so
many of the streets Macadamized. When the Bill was introduced
in the last Session of Parliament, the Noble Chairman of the Com-
mittee of the House of Lords suggested the propriety of a Conso-
lidation Bill, that the law of the parish might thenoeforth be found
in one Act, instead of being searched for 4n four. To this opinion,
thus expreased, the Vestry felt themselves bound to defer ; and thus
wee produced the Bill which has been so much opposed, but really
so little understood. That Bill is now withdrawn. Whether the
best interests of the pariah have been consulted by its abandonment,
time will show.
But though the Vestry will not claim for that Bill, or for any of
their measures, the character of perfection, they may truly say that
the object of them all was the benefit of the parish ; and that nei-
ther in asking for new powers, nor for the re-enactment of those
which they already possess, were they actuated by any motive but
that which honourable men will always feel an anxious desire, rightly
to perform the useful and lahoeieus duties of their important office.
By order of the Vestry, ,
J. H. GREEN WELL, Vestry Clerk.
Court House, St. klary-la-bonne, March 5, 1825.

(p) In the month of Illarch, 1827, the numbers stood thus—
In the workhouse 1,025. In the sick house 318. Out.door poor
7,194. Total, 2,537. In the mooch of Match, 1822, the total
number was only 5,524.
(q) In this sum are of course included the salaries paid to the
different dicers of the woilatoisse ; the rent and repairs of the
building; and all which properly wines eider the establishment
required for the poor.
(r) More than one-eighth of the county rate for Middlesex is
paid by the parish of St. Muy.la.bonne.
(a) Poor Rate, 479,50; Chasse of Poor . . £54,000
County Rate . . . 4,/flO
Interest . . . 1,357
To pay off . . 1,000
Balance . . 17,046

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