The Sun. — 1853-02-08 (London, England)

BANKRUPTCY AND FLIGHT OF THE RECTOR OF STEPNEY.—The large parish of St. Dunstan, Stepney, has been lately deprived of the services of the Rev. Richard Lee, the rector, under very extraordinary circumstances. The reverend gentlemnt succeeded to the living on the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Vaudrey, in 1847, and it is believed he was then considerably in debt. He has for some time past been engaged in railway speculations to a very large amount, and these adventures turning out unfavourable, he disappeared some few weeks since, and much speculation has taken place respecting his whereabouts. It is believed that, in the first instance, he fled to Hamburgh, and afterwards to Brussels. A few days since the officers of the Court of Chancery were on the look out for the clerical defaulter, and received information that he was at Birmingham, and they proceeded to that place in search of him, and returned to town without being able to arrest him. The amount of the reverend gentleman's liabilities is upwards of 11,0001., and a composition has been tendered to some of the creditors, of 6s. Bd., and to others of 11s. in the pound. The living has been sequestrated, and the sequestrator has given notice that all tithes, fees, Easter offerings, and other money, are to be paid over to the Rev. Mr. Auchinleck, the curate, on his behalf. The value of the living, exclusive of the large and spacious vestry house and pleasure ground, is 8001. per annum, and is in the gift of Brasenose College, Oxford. An offer to pay the creditors 5001. per annum from the proceeds of the living has been made, and, it is believed, will be ultimately acceded to. Several persons residing in the parish will be great sufferers by the failure of Mr. Lee. The Rev. Mr. Lee was not a man of expensive habits, but a great speculator. He was anything but popular in the parish, a very indifferent preacher, and, to use his own words, no orator. His opposition to the election of the Rev. Mr. Poole, the popular afternoon lecturer, and his refusal to permit him the use of the pulpit one Sunday afternoon, which caused a disturbance in the church, brought the Rev. Mr. Lee into very bad repute with his parishioners. The most absurd reports respecting the flight and liabilities of the rector of Stepney have prevailed in the parish all the past week. A rumour obtained extensive circulation one day that the rector, overwhelmed by his misfortunes, had committed suicide ; but there is no foundation whatever for this story. It was reported on Saturday in the vicinity of Old Stepney Church, that the Rev. Mr. Lee was the inmate of a lock-up house in the neighbourhood of Chancery-lane, and that his creditors had refused to accept the composition offered them. The clerical duties have been performed by the curates since Mr. Lee's absence from the parish.— Disputa. Oun ANTironEs.—Almost everything in nature is, in Australia, the reverse of what it is here. When we hteoci:ualieget:ess,seouNwvtonbiai:nter they have summer, when we have day they have night ; we have our feet pressing nearly opposite to theirti feet ; there, too, the compass points to the south ; are miseentr rsdsioanos \avoiviri travels are black, ibstseacal aalluoinceeilteicaitgc,:oi.odltpti ha,:eten onlynr oeaeoid hgrriwol nteohasttel notes. hrmoa northern e whitely in , hner:sesrt hht;tdhhetaahenvywedmatilniplumageneli:se..valleys :aabtrrl strange;yeee hot,cool tinhsetebaedesolarae theti south winds are' cold, the east winds arehealthy, stone outside, one of the birds has a broom in his mouth platypus) unites with withouttosting, the cherries grow with the mole, the webbed foot beautifulformation flo w flowers sofa anotheratheidb body,ll o f creature afur, duck. uc k (the and Many habitsnt nc yk ob foi ftl he duck-billed without smell, and even the geologicalmost singular. the country, as far as ascertained, is