The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-10-08 00:00:00

CHARGES AGAINST THE REV. R. S. BARTON
RECTOR OF HEY SHAM.

On Tuesday, the 29th tilt., the investigation into the
charges against the Rev. R. S. Barton, of profane and lewd
conversation, intemperance, and intoxication, was resumed
at the Royal Oak Inn, Market-place, Lancaster. Mr.
Knowlys and Mr. Buck attended in support of the complain-
ant; Mr. Brandt and Mr. Shuttleworth for Mr. Barton.
Mr. MACKRETH, the first commissioner, said they had
not yet decided the point as to the date of the commencement
of this suit or proceeding. The commissioners would receive
the evidence which had been tendered the day before, but
they would not at present, give any opinion whether it would
be considered admissible or not, when they came to make up
their report.

Mr. BucK said, that as the commis ioners proposed to
receive the evidence conditionally only, he would close the
case now, on the part of the complainant.
Mr. BitANDT then addressed the commissioners on the
part of Mr. Barton, in a long and ingenious speech. He
contended that Mr. Knowlys, in bringing these charges had
put himself in a false position. He felt, from the nature of
the evidence itself, that it was not of that character which he
should have expected a member of the church, who was
anxious for the well being of the church, to have brought
forward. He expected the case would have been established
by evidence very different from that which had been adduced.
What sort of an inquiry were they embarked into? Not any
allegation of specific facts upon particular days, of which no-
tice had been given, but a general inquiry into that portion of
Mr. Barton's life which was limited by the act of parliament
to two years. That enquiry was to be conducted as the pro-
secutor might think fit, and to be supported by such evidence
as he could adduce; and he should have thought that no
friend of the church would have launched such a case as this
unless upon testimony of the most satisfactory and unobjec-
tionable character. From first to last, the evidence was
most unsatisfactory, both from the character of the witnesses
and the nature of the facts they deposed to : and in bringing
them forward, Mr. Knowlys had not exercised a sound dis-
cretion. The learned gentleman then said he should produce
testimony which would totally contradict the case for the
complainant.. _

Forty-one witnesses were then called, some of whom
deposed to facts, but most of them to character. It is, of
course, quite impossible to give even an outline of their
evidence. .

The commissioners then called Anthony Hewetson, a
sawyer, who deposed, that one evening during the time of
the strike of the sawyers in Lancaster, he saw Mr. Barton
coming out of the late Mr. Hargreaves' house, at Spring-
field, in a state of intoxication. _

Mr. BRANDT replied upon this evidence.
On Thursday morning Mr. KNOWLYS proceeded to reply
upon the case fore Mr. Barton. He said, the situation in
which he stood was one by no means pleasant to his feelings,
and he should not have undertaken it, had the act of parlia-
ment provided any officer for that purpose. The inquiry
was doubly painful to him, inasmuch as it related to the con-
duct of the rector of his own parish, but standing in the si-
tuation he did, having heard scandalous and evil reports
respecting Mr. Barton, he felt it was his duty to give him an
opportunity of vindicating his character before the world.
Mr. Brandt observed• that this was an important case,
and he (Mr. Knowlys) confessed it was so ; it was certainly
important to the rector, but at the same time it was equally
important to his parishioners that the character of their spi-
ritual instructor should be set right before them. Mr.
Knowlys then proceeded to point out a variety of contradic-
tions and improbabilities in the evidence produced by Mr.
Brandt. In conclusion he offered, in order to show that he
had no feeling of animosity against Mr. Barton, to be bound
by the operation of the sixth clause of the act, (church disci-
pline act,) provided Mr. Barton would be likewise bound by
it. Whatever might be the result, whether the commission-
ers reported that there was a prima facie case or otherwise,
he begged to assure them he should be perfectly satisfied with
their decision.

The Commissioners then adjourned till six o'clock, for the
purpose of agreeing upon their report.
At six o'clock the court again assembled, when Mr. MACK-
RETH read the following :—" The time has now arrived when
the Commissioners in this case have to declare their opinion ;
and it now becomes my duty, as one of those commissioners,
to declare openly and publicly, in the terms of the act of par-
liament, the opinion they have formed upon the evidence ad-
duced before them, which is that there is not sufficient prima
facie ground for instituting further proceedings."
The court then dissolved. The decision was received with
some marks of applause by a group of Mr. Barton's friends,
who had assembled to hear it.

NOTICE OF EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS

(CONTINUED.)

204. "Portrait of Mademoiselle Celeste." N. J. CROWLEY,
London.—A capital likeness, and this is the only meritin
the picture.
216. " Basket of Flowers." Miss HUNT, Liverpool.—The
flowers are well painted. The rake spoils the picture.
217. " Stacking Hay." W. F. WITUERINGTON, R.A„
London.—There is no poetry in a hay stack, and no painting
can make it picturesque. The figures are good, and the
expression and intention of each well worked up. This pic-
ture has much merit.

220. " The Rescue of Kenmont Willie." H. BERRAUD,
London.—A very good picture—the figures are admirably
drawn, and well painted. If this picture had been hung in
the place of 184, its merits would have been better appre-
ciated. .

225. " Scene near Calais.", W. DIDD.—A good picture,
with much warmth in the colouring.
232. " The old Sailor steering the best course." JOHN
BISHOP, Liverpool.—A clever little picture. The moral
excellent.
234. " Interior, with Portraits." G. LANCE, London.—
A family party making themselves comfortable; interesting,
no doubt, to those whose portraits are pourtrayed, but by no
means so to the casual spectator.
235. " Snowden from Capel Curig." A. VICKERS.—One
of the best pictures this artist has in the exhibition.
237. " Gulnare." T. ELLERBY, London.—A picture of
some merit ; the fleshings good.
_ . _

238. "It Figurista Italiaus." Madame SOYER, London.
—A very cleverly conceived, drawn, and painted picture.
The attitude of the lad very natural and easy.
241. " Powers Court Waterfall." D. Writ.LlAmsoic, Li-
verpcol.—Painted in this artists usual tea-board style.
242. "View of the Porte Vecchia." F. JAMES, London.
—A clever picture ; warmly coloured ; the lights well distri-
buted. _ _ _ _ _

244. " The Letter." C. MARTIN, London.—The young
lady with her hand upon her mouth, seems as if she had the
tooth-ache, or wished to smother her laughter.
246. " The Will of Mrs. Margaret Bertram." S. CLATER,
Chelsea.—A very capital picture, full of interest and variety.
The varied expressions of feeling on the countenances of the
groupe are well managed.
259. " Destruction of Chinese War Junks." E. DUNCAN,
London.—A spirited picture, and curious in the subject as
well as interesting. John Chinaman seems to be in " a fix,"
if the painter has depicted truly.
In the room the following are also good pictures ;-37, 41,
49, 48, 58, 70, 73, 97, 105, 107, 119, 139, 140, and 179. Mr.
Van Hoist raising of Jairus Daughter, (131) we shall notice
presently.