St. Paul's.
The Times, 1824-12-30T00:00:00

,T0 T"E EDITFR OF THE TIMES. Sir,-Fremn the inteiest you tnanif6t in -all intter4 ela?ing ta tbe church, I trust voti will not consider me intradi,nr on your va. Iutable time in new placing before you some- facts respecctingthe Ca- thedral Church of St. Paul, and the manner in wvhich th'e divirc service is performed. I believe it is not generally known, and judging from their aftenil- ance; no one would imagine, t!;at the following are the meribers4f .thj1 CathIedliTI: a dean, a prmcentor, a chancellor, and a treas- surer; five archdeacons, thirty canons or prebendaries, twelve minor canoRs, six vicars choral, and eighlt choiristerm. Thc dean and three canrems coastitute a chapter. The salaty orisin. ally given to the o:gani&t was found insufficient to mnke it worth the attendance of a first-rate musician, and therefoTe one of the vicars oi'iciates as organist. I will say nothingrespecting the dean and chapter, most ef whom do their duty in a pr.i.ewo - thy manner, but royattention is arrested when 1 find that, in a'idi- tion to the nine dignitaries, anfl exclusive of the canonis reridertiary, there are twenty-six prebendaries belonging to the church. Now, Sir, for many years I have been a constant attendant at Su PaAl', and if I were to say that I had at any time seen three canons there at once, exclusive of the chapter I think I shoald exceed the truth. I believe a member cannot be a3mitted to the eirolumrents of a stall without first reading in, as it it called,; bat then this reading in. I am serry to say, is usnally their first and lastappearince. 'Th.! Hon. and Rev. iligi Per6< iF now Prebendarv of Finsbury. ard hlas held that situation these last eight years. It hAppened that I was present at his reading in, and I can answer for it, that he has not once since talen his seat 0 I sbould naturally imagine did I not know to the contrary, that these prebendares are not, or do not consider themseives, sufriciently recmpensctl for their attendance. Now, the prebend of Finshury maY only be valued at 6bout 2,000. per annum. 3Jo doubt it is necessary to have caine si- tuatiohs in the gift of the higher powers, as rewards for meritoriougs exertions, but then " these are the stations in which shouldt beplaced men of superior piety. learning, and worth"-tbese are f2e stations for such as have toiled in the vineyard, and for that reason little ex- ertion is recuired, nor ib it a hard task the prebendaries have to per- form. I su;ppose all that is required of them is, that thev attend to their autv twenty or thirty times a year, and isF not 2,0001. per an- nuin sgffcienl to pay for such attenriaace? Only suppose that the ijferior clergy were to follow the example set them by their supe- riors, would it be permitted ? Reverse what is maually consielered thc ax,oni,that the better paid,the better the work ought be done,and you will be near the mark with respect to St. Paul's. Should I hare said any tbing that may not be entirrly correct, it trill give satisfaoC_ tion tO myself as well as many otbers,-to Asve it disproved: should it not be, von wv;-l not blame me if I conaidei? wbat I have said can- not be coritradicted. It is my intention to resume the subject at some fulture opportu. nity, and I shall then offer to your notice some furthtir strictureer cnnprninxr C.hr -mo-;.n ;lr.h .-o cviPA. ;u - -fStr-In ,t oir cathedraL - AUDITORL thA n Iext btongiig tv tth e or regea.r. ry on C LUUUQY 1$. Af UtbIhor the next biat one to the organ, on the d~eenni side o tue ChO!r. RT. PAULVA