City Tithes.
The Times, 1824-09-03T00:00:00

A General Vestr y of the parish of St. 1otolph, Aldgzte, was held seserdy a Aigae Churach "for the purpose"l (as the requisition Satd) of onsderng anl adoPting some mettns of relieving the arisionrs romthepresent oppressive tand hieavy rate of tithe." The eetng ws cnvened for, 12 o'clock, at whichl timie a flotie- roosannveryresectale odyof parishiofiers were in attcndatsce. Mr. Or~. te seiorchtrchwarden, having taken the. chair, entd the requisition on- whihe had called the parialh together having been read, statedI to ithe mengthe object for which it had been con - veniesi. That object was trsita most oppressive demand of 2s. 9d. in the pound which had bemade for tithe by thelay ienpropr'iator. Hle was aware that thr were very maciv parfibhioners-not subject to ~hat tithec, but he hoedthey wyould, ntevertheless, be disPosed to ,Ome forward and asit ter fellow parishioners whio wereestruggling to esit o opresie adeand. He himself wvas one of those who wereant ubjet totheligh tithte, but, notwithistanding that, he felt s hs dty o asis inrem-oving so severe a burden fromn the shoul-. ler ofhi usebbur. (Hear.) Mr. R. CA'RTEr now moved, that the report of the Provisiona' Committee be read. The f'ollowing report was accordingly read by Mlr. Batho, the vestry-clerk - 11ST. BOTOL.P5, ALflGATrE, LONtDONt. In the Matter of tlte Claim of Roger Kynaston, Esq ., the Lay' Imrpiator of this Parish, to the suni of 2s. 9d. in the Pound fo.lpr andn respect of Tithes, under the Statute and alleged Decree of 37th Henry VIII. "To the Parizshioners of the Parish Of St. Botolph-witliout, Aid. gate, in the City of London, in Vestry assembled : Retport of thie Provi'sional Committee aCLing on behalf of the In. htabitants and Occupiers, and otlite Person-, beneficially interested in Houses and Premnises, itn the Lo9ndon Division of this Parish, against the Lay Intproptriator's said Claim:- " Your Provisional 'Commn-ittee htaving (and some of them for miany years), in commont with their fell"w.parishionerr, la- boured unrder a gradual increase of tithes by the lay impro-. priator, until at length the complaints in tltc parish upon titis i~mporta'nt sutbject hiave become loudI andI g6neral1, felt them. sevsin duty hound to adopt mea,ues whtereby tlte relief of thle parishi generally froml an oppressive burdlen mligh.t be effected. and tlte lay irrpropriasor having recenitly instituted proceedi'ngs. in the Court oF Chancery for the recovery 3of hiis demand, anid havitng thireatened simnilar proceedlings to a grea-ter extent, your comnmittee could no longer withholdl laying before t1heir brother parishioners such information as they have been enabled to obtain upoR the sub- jec. i orer hatthe miltchav afair and just opportunity of avaiingthemelvs ofsuc meas o reief as the natuxre of the casec impeatielydemads;andfor hatpurose hisgenralvestry has beenconvtiei bythe hurhwarena pona reuisiionsigne;d by upwardsof 200inhabiant hoseholdrs. or comm tte literefore prce rmarily to state, that the statuite of 37 Henry VIII., and tlealgddecree under the same (even if valid ).have for a long series oyerbeen a continued, source of disunion and litigation, destruc- teoftebest interests of the church establishment, andl of the peace and happineiss of rishnes, Thatt te sai'dXdecree" inidependently of being formed prior te thie establishtinent of the keformed Reli'rioti in this country, and itt validity not appeAring to have been confirmed ~.nd completed by en. rolmns,proidesforpayent hic canot be cisnidered as exclu. sivlv pplcabe t th clrgy bu inlieu of obligations and othier deeswltch ereprevousy aproriaed also for the relief of tht poorandtherepirs f se curces,both of w;iich eSsential pur. pose ar no orteriseproide fo bythe parishioners. Tha bytheschdul anexe to(le Act of 22 and 23 of Charls- If., cap. I~ (commonly called the Fire Act), even as increased b3 Pariattunt in the Year 1804, it anpeatrs that in each of' those parisher whichi zufre is the dreadful fi're of L-ondon, in 1666, Parliamren mnade a p3rovision in lieu of tithes, whichr- in no one case exceeds 3701 perainu beyond glebe andI perqutisites ; ivtiilst in this parishutitr anually levk .d u er the denomination of tithes. partially, and, as i: cniee, illegally and unconstitutionally, sthe imimensean of he tween 4,000). and 5,0001. ; and that Parlitmentt having relieved thi arstuidy parishes not consumed by the fire of London from thie enor mnous effect intentled by the statute and alleged decree 37 Heir, VIII., youir committee cortfldentljy submit that this parish is end tied to similarjustlce and relief. " Tltat the great atnount now received by the lsv itnpro?riator frotn tlie Lonidon division of this parish, has been (and within thi last twenty years most rapidly) inicreased from ancient customar, Payments, protecting tshe formier inhabitatits of this as well as th .S1 iddlesex d ivision, unider solemn pledee fromn tine to timne, that n, firtriter claimis should be marie; but in defiance of good faith tlt saiti statute anid alleged decree hiave been, and arc now, held intt er r'orern over the inhabitants to enf'orce the tlentand of 2s, 9d. in tb pounrid. " That suchi claims are made only in that part of the parish whir: is situate withiin the liberties of liontion, under colour of the sai statute and dlecree 3l7tlt HenrY VIII., whiJst the Mliddlesex divisin of the parti;ltiisprotected by ancient establishied sums of sm-all amountI " Tha it appear to yucomittee that Itie inhiabitants a reason to conclud titat thiey have beeti wrongfully labouring unde thlis oppressive burden in coniseqoence of the long considered obso lete act and decree Under which it is pretended to be exacted, ne being Valid in law for want of due enrolmer.t. "That your committee,iup,on htistonical reference, findl that afte tile reformatioin in religion inti onry, and for a very consi.ders ble perioti after the date of the saidi statute andl decree, their prori stotis were never generally, if at all, acted upon. "That the former lay impropriators of' this parishi (when thel receipts for tithies did not amouint to one-fifth part of the sumn pai at the present time) cor,tributeil towards the mnte'rtseance of the off ciating mninister : but it is understood that such is not nowr the cast or to a very trifling amut " Your committee ,une the circumstanices aforesaid, and tl ag-grieved state of ithe petitioners in relation to tithcs, feel it necel sary, in accordance with the general feeling, and in order to prr mote the peace of' lite inhabitants and the protection of properti legal and justifiable mtans be restrained, tind Wfalj and`r6s~itjbl comipensation given itim in' iett the'reof. " 'rhat therefore it is highly expedent, on the part of tlte fret holders and othier personsg beneficially initerested in pretnises. as we as tite irnmediate occupiers of property in this parish, that the shiould Unitedly and firmly resist the inorditsawodemands of tilte ls improptriator, by availing themnselves of tile first grounds of que. tinnling his legal right, as well as by respectf'ully layitig their gricr ances before Parliantent for redress; and Your committee recommen Petitions to both hottises of the Legishatu(re, to be prepared for thi Purpose. Ylouxr commiittee also recotntnend, that for tlte legitimate pur poses of sel f-diefence, a subscription be entered into by freeholder. landhtolders. and all ptersotns iteitieficially interested in houses4 anl premises wititin ntiis parishi, is order to dlefrayi tIme expenses whic m"ay he incurredI its resiisting the unjustifiable' demtiandls of the la tmnpropriator, and( that no Person wlto lias n',t contribu'ed to tif tfund for the prstection and benefit of himsielf tntd thte rest ot'his f'e lots parishioners, be isrcluded in anly tlteaaures adopted for the zt neral defencee, or have a voice iti the deliberationi. of' thte parttes urni FinR to diefend, "'TIa ano eca omtmetnicatiots he ttrs'.la of tile roclcedine qlPe nblt1tlf of the parishi, to the lqr;. Couirt of Dircc,ors sthe Last Inidta Comnpany, requesting their co-operation its a mieas,it toa i,as a Pubilic bodyv, thev arc so 4crinit,liv and ininiciliatel i ht it polsit ion hr. tIrrs'eststd to tliv iro;oroiableI Corlnr,tii ri theitv t' of wodtahri have adreadsy ipon v-rriotr ..ee..i.ins. so hr nefical iv interest ed tihet'tselvev fur the pront titon of' iltt C it, ers regardi to itites, praying their assistancc arlid --.perazion. prurtiem; larty ,I,, the Faid co)rp,tration are extenrive proprintsorsc ho'euse ati, tirelitus m wtlhin ihis Parish. 1 'ouxr provisiontal committiree ali, re,'otsinmet, that an npso eon;t mitttter he appointedi to take stuch legatl anti other nseasitres~ for tite pus posesi foresaid, andi aien for appttcation ti, ttie ugltur as thle vshall dleem Most expetlicas and thit reslittittro, he passecd at th veRtry,. to he ielt i Ot Ttitrsda,, text. ettihrncaing true miost materis intl inportatit poitnts relattng 'to the def'ence of' thec t'erishi, and h afterw, a-is printi i nd circitlatefd anitongst thle itnhab)ttstts. andl adl Veruise in the usulRtU13ortlinrg and evening papers. tithor lusarty wisheis lbs the RUCCess Ot (lie fir8t canir,ei I'shichi thec parishi is engaged, atidc for she welfare of the irthubitatst, s'our cotrnisitec respectf'ully sttbtsiit their aforegoing report, tiji Ist day of Septemnber, NU"4. MrDe:Dpmv. CoLATa'iCtH, in Corning forw-kril to mci'Vt tlt, firs resoluttton, satd, that astone oh the oldett inhuabi,ants of the parishi Ii felt greatt plea.Rure iii expressing his abhorrence of A tax titore ;Rtnjs and more opprestsive in ins nature ttitan thle income-tax, He stiteere IY hioped that the exertions of the p3arish mniglht b)e suclessful in re mnoving so severe a burdien. HeI ihen iticioved the fiest resolution which teas seconded by Mlr. TyrR.s. anti carried unanimiouITl. [Fo this anti tlte subseqitent resolutions tsee adv'ertisement.lI Mlr. B. STsAteD atsG, in. moLving the secondt tesol'tiation teck short review of the rircunstanees out ofahwbich the present nOioei 0 regulating the tithe in mo,(st of the city liarishes arosec. ft had pleaseci Providetice, he observed, to vlit London in the year hOfir reitli (lie calameitv of a dr.L.dftil fire. whichn uiesroyed 13,OOr houses lund 400 titreet. Amrong thle other bufidiings de-strne ed, Or verv mitch iiniureud, were 98 churhch. Of' these A; weretfilti'sh wals. n te r.b'ding of Lond'on, it had beer foutid tnecessary to tinite Several parishe; it, consequenice of theicq unlions, there vere otily .SI newe chitrches buiilt. Br- thle 22d and 23e of Chiarlest IT., anew platt was, adopteit of giving in the inctnitbent4 ofIthe several Parishes a certain annual stipenri in lieui of tithes~ rIhese salaries or incotines variedI in dfifferent Parishes, bttt in no oni Earisit slid titey exceed fromn 3601. to 401i. fie believed, the twi ighent were those of St. Mlargaret antI Sr. Christopher, in whirl tite allowance to tshe clergymats diii not exceed 3661'. 1iS. 4td. Un. forutitarehy, theft' parish (St. Botolpli) lmad beets exempted fronit thr visttatton to sehtch others had been subjected. fle said itnfortsu. nmrtely, because, htad their chiurchi been desttroyled like the others. thley would have been subjected to tite mmne r eyulation as tite othet parisihes, andi instead of havtn a .,01 a year, as they now ptainl, they would ltave~1 on11P1y to pay fromn 400). t& 5001. a yeatr. Its sontie othier arishes to which the rigitlation, ofIlie act (22 antI 23 of Chare LII) utid not extend, attetmpt~ had bests niadle to raise, the tithne on the inhsabitants to slit sumn of' 2s. .q:1. its thie pound, as set forth in thec act ttf stec 37d1i of Ileary VII I. fie believed. huowever. that in- nio parish liart an at- temptr to revive tite olil ctains of 2s. 9d. in the pouind beet, tnre.d, unitil within Itoi last 20 years ; and he was glati to say', that in solle cses tm prpostrols aalad Vas mnost spiritecdly resisted by the inhabitants, as soon as it was mnade ; and what was better, resisted effectually. (hlear.) Oneof the first exaniples of this kind was in the partish of St. Dnastan in the West, whlere. in the year 1812, the claim of tithe, to the amouint of 4,0001. a year and upwards, hat, by the spirited resistance of the parishioners, been brought down to stie very nioderate sum of 4001. per annum. In another instance, the parish of St. Andrew, Ilol. born, had, by the strenutous exertions and indefatigable zeal of the inhabitants, reduced a claim of the rector to tithe to the amount oi 4,000i. to an income of 7501. a year,and that, too,hy an aCt of Parlia- ment, so that it was put out of the povrcer of any future incumbent to raise the iticome beyond its present aniount. The expense of re- :suing that claim did not cost the parish more that, 2,5001. lWith respeet to their own parish, he would bbserve that at the death of the late lay impropriator, his son, Mr. Roger y;ynaston, the present itnpropriater, wetnt round to the parishioners, and stating tuat he, having a large family, could not ive on the 8001. or 1,0001. a year which his father had derived from the parish, he therefore begged that e ttight puton,another6d. in the pound. This demand was unfortu. nstely complied with,and from that time the rate rose, first to 1. 6d. in hiepound; then to 2s., and so on until he whipped it up to its prescnt smoult of 2s. 9d. In tits way he had already received from 40,001. :c 50,0001. from the parisn, nmore ttan he was entitled to. (Ileatr.j Let any man .sk himself, how sevcrely muSt not such a rate bf tithe be felt by the struggling and distressed tradesnian ? Let it be cont tiderel that with the money which lwas thus wrested from him for :he use of an individual from wliom he derived no be- efit whatever, he tradlesman miglht be able to portion oft his daughter, or putt her ao some respectabie trade, by which, in tithe, she niiglit support her. teif. Blrt this pressare upon the means of the industrious trader Wks hsot tha, only er'ilAttendant upoin the -lsigh rat'e -of tithe. It caused a gjeeral deterioration of-he value of laiedlpropagty, in the partsh. The prudent trader dill nOt wiah - to become sub- .tet to very high rates for premi'est, when hae could find others equally convenient in an adloiuing parish, wfiach were compareatiely free from such bigh exa_ctions. He couLld give mnan) insttaneeS Of Lthe gr=a depreciation c-f houses andI gtores in St. IBotoiph's parisha in consequernce of thL- feeling. He knew cases where houses and stores whsc'nlhad been formerly let for 1201. a year now produced only a rent of 601. a year. HeI could state from do- cuments in his possession, that rise rental of the whole parish was 37,0001.. and that -the taxes, including tithe, poor rates, &c_,amoant- ed to 22,0001. Of thecse the tithe alone was upwards of 4,0001., and the poor's rates 5,00(fl. There had, it was true, been rome rmsst- sion of taxes within a few years-the assessed taxts were reduced- thie pours' rates were somtewhat reduced ; but -hi-le all others had become lees, the lay impropri4tor's tithe had increased. It hid,0 however, come to its greatest height, and be trutsted that it would be red.ced at no diumttn day. It waLs only necessary 'bat the parishioners Ishould be firmly united in their opposition to it, and they must sac- 'ceed. He would now say a word as to their weak point. ThaFt he consi'dered to be the iarat of money. They were not, itivas well k"own, as very rich parish ; butt if they were united, and stood well one to another, thiey would, like the bundle of sticks, gain strength by their union, and be well able to cope with this richn lay-improprls.. t6r, who. by the way, had grown rich by the mnoney, drawn from thleir pockets. lIt ehoved every man who had sensesaLd spirit to resistthigop.. Ipressise ilpositionl, to exert himself on this occasion to theurmost of his; Ipower. For his9 own part,he would do hais utmost. Ii i' tithe wa.s 301. a year, but he would subscribe 30 guineas, which wras mnore than a year's tithe, and if every man exerted 1imnself in proportion to his means, there would be no doubt of their final triu;mph. There was one thing wihich above all otlhers v-as to be dreaded.....e meant. apathy oni the part of anny of' the parishioners. There would, no doubt, be founid mnanv wbo would sit at horns inartive, thinikingf that the exert1ons of a fei~ would be qmiwe sufficient for the object in view. But on such an occasion as the present, the services of, aeah Iand every individual in the parish were of importance. They- should recollect that they we,e about to shake oil' thaLt which was not only a burden ~on themselves, but wghichi woul-d be' entailed on their children, if they should not be suc-cessful in resist- ing it. Looking at it in'this point of view, he trus.red that every parishioner would see the vast importance of acui-ity, unanimity, and perseverance in their exertions. (Hear.) lie concluded by moving the second resolution, which wats secondedby Alr. Whsaley, znd carried unanimously. .Ar. STANtstrsre here observed, t1hat it was rather a curious i coincidence that they should have assemble-d for suchl a Purpose on this dar, which was the anniversary of that grtat firs of Londlon, one consequence of which was the alteration which had taken place in the otode of assessing the city tithe. He hoped the circormstance would rove a good omen for th~eir exertions. (Hear, hear.) Mhat KCATER, in moving the third resolution. observed, that wha was nojw proposed to be'done, shouldI have been done some years ago, when the attempt had succeeded in raisinz tlte t ithe to its prese-nt amount. It was not yet tLcOlate,but hec hopied that the mreeting wotild make upin diliugenceforthe timiewhich had been already lost. The resolution was, secondled by Mlr. R.PAastgsR, and care)~ed una-_ nimouslv. III-. J. l3ATruO said, he --ould hear testimony to the miser:' which had fallen on several poor persons in the parish, by hzaving ax. cheqer wits nd oher egalprocssesserved Talon thiemi for not payig th inreasd tihe.He culdnot see upon wlhat prin-iple of ustce t ws, hatan ndiidul,in no 'edy identified with the inteest of he aris, souldthu hae power to increase the lithe at hs wil, nd daw s may thusad pouinds of the hard earnings of he otlstroustraesmn ito is wn pocket. Neithier could hc reconcile it to justice, that one set of parishioners shDuld be called upon to pay, a titihe of about 4X001., while another portion, equally well able to pay, should he assessed to the amnount of only, 30011. or 4001. Wilth Trepect to tliepresent impropriator,1llr.Kynastnn,'bewould Observe that his conduct to dhe parishioners was ans' thing but fair or candid. HeI was; one of those of whom tile poet said, that he would "And break it to the hnope." Iremember," continued M1r. Batdho, " wvhen Air. Kynaston can otepossession of the tithe by the death of his father. Hle camei to tlhe parishiioners, and amongst otherst, to ml-self. He said. ti'iyfather had only Is. in the pound from the parish. I hares ;I larye family. and that sum will not be sufficient for my support. wanIt, therefore, f'rom the parishioners on additional sixpenc'e in tN( pound. l ou knowv that I can oiblige the niarish to payv me 2s. ad ir thep;.und,buitthatl lo not wish, andl if they consent togiveame thn additional sixpence, I pledge my, honour thatt there shall not hi a farther increasRe during my life.' With thi4 asisurance, and the 'in- derstanding thiat the other parishionerzs consented to the samne tiring. I agrreed to pay, the additional sixjience. I thouxght of course that]I should hear no miore of any inscreasea; but what wits toy surprise. when in thie course of a few years (we ehiink). I received a sutanson from Mr. Kynaston's solicitor in the Temple, to attend him andi te prodtice my l'eases. I did so, anid was assessed in the wvhole sum o 2s. 91l in ttime poun(i on the whole ; and not only that, but the land. tax was added, and I was Obliged to pay oua that also." (H ear. "After this fact, of th-e truth of whiich I could take mv oath, I dc trozt4hink that wee ought to be particularly nice in our future dleal. inhgs with Mlr. Ks'naston." (Hear, hear.) Mr. Batho concluided ib~ rmoving the fourt h resolution, which was secondced by Mr. Heawoo. and carried unanimouslyr; as wa-s illso the fifth resolution moved b3~ Mr. Perry, and seconded by Mr. Burrows. Mlr. PAaSON s, in movinw the sixth resolution, adverted to th, r illegality of the demanid of 2s. 9d' in the pound. Thait illegalitt i was hieldi by several eminent la-wyers, on the arround thtat thu -decree unider whbich the tithe was claimied hiad never been en. rolled. The c-ause of itst not having been enrolled at the time was thiat the clergy of that dlay ehid not think- 2s. 9th. in tht pound suaffi a chant for the waatnteniance of the poor and the repairs oif the churchi But supposing it bad riot been sufficient sehen the decree was issitee in the time of Renry 17I11., surely it must be more than sufficier, for an individual wrho neither maintainid the poor, nor repaired thin 't 111l bqzFV 1f 7Ji`e`e 5TW,, tTait tthe clergv of t he pari sh wanr most miserably paid, in COnLseclaence of the furid for that purpose Ibeing diver-tetd to an improper channel. !I The sixth resolutton was tben put and carried. yA' r. BLAc5BuR~,.E. in, moving~ the seventh resolution, Lflverted Ito the fact of the late impropriator havinig agreed with the parish, tc pay a certain sumn towards she ruppo rt of the poor, as the rate on hi! l.tte, lHe would ask hiew it happened thiat this sum had nut beer. d increased since then, sneinig thiat thle p resent impropriator had in. It c-reased hiis titht nearis' four-fold I' hy should any' indulgen3ce with respect to thea atno~unt of his poor's rate be given to the mnan who , though lits had increased his tithe to its present large amiount, never gave a single shillio~ toucards paying theclcrgyinan wliodid the d lthu of the ?tarishi, or to~'ards suppiorting the charity schools hIt se7t andmi eoltons were now'A put anld carried.. Y-q3l r.HAL L,in Movting tlie 9th resoluttion, remarked! upon the enor- I motto increase which hta? taker placc in the tit he ripon S,,nic- hiouse in 'the parish,. Ile menitioned one instance, in whichits hoitmr,which paid a itithe of 21. 48. in thie scar 17,-1. bad been assessqed in1 file veetr 18111 to, the sttrni of 161. 18-s.'2d. Rei cotmid( not 'ecunoin what petacip'leof'iustiec, iit waes.that th;i, eno,rmouzs increafie should b)esll1%_i,wee or why a en Ito dlid txo,lu kty ,in4 tvas, ofri onutr bnefit to the paTi th, shiould receive mm'ri thw pockets of' i!s ii,hnlitants. a Salur. as xrm-a,,r a of a Secers tarvs of 'itare, and greater 'thani tht Of 'the ludzc` of the land. %.In ronclusion, lie troul1d aStiecnt. that heforec anv other 'urns shlo-,ld te ki" e' ertirs eould lie %naeo.1. Knsston,andi an off,'r of a *m,,re da tf o wettlement bhtt he r'ndhope toe) hercafter. if he~ shlowedi tile ptrith to Proceed, and to ie pttt inc considherable' ax. tense. r'ite resolution wvas n-,- put and cprnetu. Mr. RLEKKARN itt proposiitt; the next resoluttkin, dmsel at ctingt. 4or thilc 1.tleolittpt,n the ucecash;i ci o ictis itv in the caivic to sebich lie aleuthrked. Mr D JilYClZ-2TCer n prp-reta h mlp-oceedings i ~ lepsrtsh ciX, titxi orcesion ,hould be, condturted by lc'ssrs, Sstd Romad Go., who so ably conduietei die legal Proceeditigs s:If(he Pari-sit Of St. Artdreiv, Polihoti. in the resistance 2 -sdle to thsb trscanio .m nte oui okta ,ppowmt aldeclaring publielv'. ta lr ail was utterly utiacquainted wvith the intentions o-f the P-rovisional C;ommit. tee Until they had selected him a, titeir solicitor. lie was anxiouu thathibis sh6'tt1il he chits publitcl stared, ast somec itnfaunded reports Iha-d gon.e shrould thi%t Mr. Sswttutlcts was~ at the, bottom of dile presati 1sroceedings. Alter 1,)aing soaic-conmplittients to Mt. 'Saunders and2 At prners .tipri sh )t zetl and ahlofit' displayed bit them in con- dut ogth poed ngof the parish of t.ndrew.'obin t ('lea h. conclude by oing the reszolutio, ats abo-c, it was mrae tiatd unanttioushy. Mlr. t'~AUXnre5t thanked she meetinig for this, honourablc inarkoDf thleir confidence to hini, and assured shaen thtat hiis best gervices.and rthose of his colJeagues4, should be devoted to their interests. leading members of the Proiisional Conimi.tec, for thtair zeal and activity in tile cause of the parish. These genrtlemcn severally tuade churchwadedna, thec meeting was dissolved. CITY TITHES.