Quarter Sessions. The terms of the first provision, in relation to the present subject, are, by the second section of the 17 Geo. II., c. 3, as follows, "that the churchwardens and overseers of the poor, or other persons authorized to take care of the poor, shall permit all and every the inhabitants of every parish, township, or place, to inspect every rate allowed, at all seasonable times, paying one shilling for the same, and shall, upon demand, forthwith give copies of the same, or any part thereof, to any inhabitant of the said parish, township, or place, paying at the rate of sixpence for every twenty-four names." And to enforce the specific observance of these requirements, the neglect or refusal, on the part of parochial officers, to comply with the demand of an inhabitant or a parishioner, subjects them to a heavy pecuniary penalty. The third section says, that if these officers shall not permit any inhabitant or parishioner to inspect the rates, or shall refuse or neglect to give copies thereof, they shall for every such offence, forfeit to the party aggrieved, the sum of 207., which is recoverable by an action at law. The important right conferred upon parishioners by this enactment is two-fold,-the right to inspect any original rate which has been made by the overseers and churchwardens, and confirmed by the allowance of the justices, and the right to be furnished with a copy of it; and, consequently, parish officers, who, through wilful negligence, or corrupt conduct, disclaim, deny, or delay a parishioner's title to either, are in the hazard of incurring a double penalty. The statute, in effect, creates two distinct offences. The conditions which are imposed upon an applicant when he desires to inspect a particular rate, are, that he should be an inhabitant of the rated parish; that he should pay, or at least, tender, the necessary sum of money; and, lastly, that the demand should be made at a convenient hour of the day, and at a proper place; for this purpose, the officer's residence, and within the ordinary hours of business, would generally be most suitable and appropriate. So, when a parishioner applies for a copy of a rate, the overseer or churchwarden must have a reasonable and convenient time (for this is the legal meaning of the word "forthwith") for preparing the copy. But if these preliminaries are not strictly fulfilled, the right of inspection is completely gone.

It was once, however, conceived that a parishioner could not sue for the penalty unless he had sustained a certain and specific injury by the act of the officers in improperly withholding the information which was sought, as, for instance, that he had been prevented from appealing against the rate which he applied to inspect, or a copy of which he wished to obtain. But this doctrine was soon repudiated, and it was properly held that a refusal to produce the rate upon a legal and regular demand, constituted the inhabitant "a party aggrieved," within the meaning of the act. "An inhabitant has a right," the court observed, "to see the rate in order to satisfy himself whether he has been fairly dealt with, and whether other parties are assessed at all, or to the full value, or whether he is overrated." For some years, it was also considered necessary, for the substantiation of the right of inspection, that the person should be a rated inhabitant, but when the

question came to be fully discussed, it was determined that the statute required no such qualification, and imposed no such limitation or restraint upon the exercise of this right. In Batchelor v. Hodges, 4 Adol. and E., 592, where this question arose, the late Mr. Justice Littledale said, "The inhabitant may have an interest in seeing the rate, although not himself rated. He may desire to see whether he is rated or not, as there are some privileges connected with the being rated. The act of parliament says nothing about 'rated inhabitants.' We have no right, therefore, to say that it is necessary that he should appear to be such."

Assistant-overseers* are generally liable to the penalty of the statute, if they are intrusted with the custody of the rates of the parish, and illegally refuse inspection. But it has been recently decided by the Court of Common Pleas that a churchwarden, or overseer, is not an inhabitant, or parishioner, within the 17 Geo. II. c. 3, so as to be entitled to sue his co-churchwarden, or overseer, for the penalty for refusing to permit him to inspect, or to give a copy of a rate. And the reasons of this are thus stated by the Lord Chief Justice Tindal, in Wethered v. Calcutt, 5 Scott, N. R. 409: "It seems to me that the statute intended to give to the inhabitants a remedy against the parish officers, the word inhabitants' being used in contradistinction to 'churchwardens and overseers.' If they had done their duty, all the churchwardens and overseers would have been present at the making of the rate; and the legislature never could have supposed that those whose duty it is to make a rate would require the aid of penalties to enforce a right to inspect, or to obtain a copy of it."

The remaining provisions on the subject of inspection of parish rates, are the 17 Geo. II. c. 38, and 6 & 7 Will. IV. c. 96. By the 13th section of the former act, which passed shortly after the 17 Geo. II. c. 3, churchwardens and overseers are bound to keep a book wherein to enter attested copies of all rates and assessments made for the relief of the poor, which book is to be carefully preserved in some public place in the parish, whereto all persons assessed, or liable to be so, may freely resort. The 5th section of the latter statute enacts, that any person rated to the relief of the poor of the parish in respect of which any rate is made, may, at seasonable times, take copies, or extracts of the same, gratis. To entitle him to this privilege, however, it is obvious that he must be a rated inhabitant, which circumstance distinguishes this from the preceding enactments.

Assistant-overseers are appointed under the 59th Geo. III. c. 12, § 17, which empowers inhabitants, in vestry assembled, by a resolution to nominate and elect any discreet person to be assistant-overseer of the poor, and the vestry is required to determine and specify the duties which the individual is to perform. This appointment is afterwards confirmed by the warrant of two magistrates, and if the person is appointed assistant-overseer generally, he has the authority, and is subject to the liabilities of an ordinary overseer of the poor, in all respects, and in all matters connected with the parish.

MR. WARD AND HIS MARRIAGE.

To the Editor of the Times.

SIR,-Several of the newspapers have occupied themselves of late with my private affairs, and theological comments, I am told, have in some instances been made upon the circumstance that I am engaged to be married. I have no wish to examine the question how far in these comments the liberty of the press has been carried beyond its due limits, because in truth I am glad of the opportunity, which could hardly otherwise have been afforded me, of making a short and simple statement of my views on the important theological subject. I am not unmindful of the grave evils which may be apprehended from making newspapers the vehicle of such controversy; but, on the other hand, a person who undertakes the responsibility of writing a work which treats on subjects of such extreme importance as those considered in the Ideal of a Christian Church, seems to lie under a positive obligation to take measures, so far as in him lies, that a cause which he considers inexpressibly important may not suffer detriment through a misapprehension which a few words from him might remove. Whereas, then, it appears that both friends and opponents have, in innumerable instances, conceived that there is some inconsistency between the sentiments contained in my work, and the announcement that has been recently made, I trust I shall not appear egotistical, or again unduly sensitive, if I beg your permission to lay before your readers the simple views which I have long entertained on the subject of religious celibacy.

First, I hold it most firmly as a truth, even of natural religion, that celibacy is a higher condition of life than marriage.

Secondly, I most fully believe that vows of celibacy, when duly taken, are perpetually obligatory; and

Thirdly, I incline most strongly to the opinion, that under a really effective church system, the priests would be, if possible, wholly selected from those who have taken such vows.

On the other hand, it appears to me of the utmost importance to remember, that in cases where no vocation is felt for a life of celibacy, he who leads such a life forfeits a great spiritual blessing; and he who makes a resolution, much more a vow, to lead such a life, involves himself in a fearful snare. I can hardly fancy a much more serious evil than that the Catholic doctrine on "counsels of perfection" should be revived, while the correlative Catholic doctrine on "vocation" remains dormant; and any one incurs a most serious and grave responsibility, who swells a current of public opinion which should tend to deter from marriage those who have not had the opportunity of carefully considering in which direction their real call lies.

These have been very long my opinions, and more than one of my friends remember my having, from time to time, expressed them. How any one can imagine that I have ever professed any vocation to a high and ascetic life, I am utterly at a loss to conceive. At the very outset of my work, I mention that my dissatisfaction with the English system arises from "the absence" in it" of such helps as may support an erring and sinful mind in the most ordinary path of salvation," (p. 8,) and speak of myself as having "no more power in understanding and sympathizing with moral goodness than would be given by acting for a single day, with reasonable constancy, in disregard of other inclinations, and with a single eye to duty," (p. 5) while in the preface I most earnestly draw the attention of my readers to these disclaimers, (p. iii.) I suppose persons consider these to have been merely graceful expressions of humility at starting, just as some, with the kindest intentions, have represented me as not fully realizing the various severe expressions which are to be found in my work. But I am really in the habit of saying what I mean, whether I speak of the "deep and burning hatred" which I feel towards the English reformation, or of the very unfavourable light in which I regard my own moral attainments.

One newspaper, I am told, supposes that I must deny the validity of the English ordinations. This is really unintelligible. The strongest ultramontane Roman Catholic would repudiate the doctrine that priests are forbidden by divine law to marry; while, I need not say, no ecclesiastical law exists on the subject in our own Church. On the other hand, I do not at all deny, rather I deeply feel, that under a pure and really effective church system, a person so wholly destitute as I am of such a vocation, would never have been admitted into priest's orders. In that part of the Roman Church (by far the greater part) where the discipline of priestly celibacy exists, nothing can exceed the care that is taken of ascertaining in each individual case whether there be really such a vocation.

The only remaining question is, whether such a person as myself could have any right to express a confident opinion on theological subjects—in other words, whether I do not rate too highly the value of mere intellect in such inquiries. The Quarterly Reviewer of my work thinks the very reverse—that I rate it too highly. My own opinion of course is, that I rate it neither too highly nor too lowly. I think that a writer who, like myself, makes it a matter of the most conscientious duty never to deem a religious opinion false which religious men hold, until he has satisfied himself that they hold it either as an intellectual inference from, or an intellectual analysis of, their spiritual perception, and that it is itself no part of those perceptions-I think that such a writer may conceivably bring to light truths of the very utmost value and importance, however miserably deficient his own moral character. Whether I have myself brought to light such truths, depends of course upon the question, whether my intellectual powers be really valuable or not-a question which has plainly no reference to the point now at issue-or, viz., whether I have, or have not, a vocation for a single life.

I remain, Sir, your faithful servant,

March 1.

W. G. WARD.

SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL.

Ar a meeting of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, held on Friday, March 14th, at 79, Pall Mall, the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Bishops of London, Lichfield, Worcester, and Bangor, the Dean of Chichester, Rev. Sir H. R. Dukinfield, Bart.; J. H. Dickenson, Esq., M.P.; Newell Connop, Esq.; Richard Clarke, Esq.; G. F. Mathison, Esq., J. C. Sharpe, Esq.; Revs. Drs. Spry and Grant; Rev. H. H. Norris, Rev. D. Wilson, Rev. T. Jackson, and others, were present. The special attention of the society was drawn to the remarkable movement in favour of Christianity which has taken place in the society's Tinnevelly missions, in the course of the last twelve months. It appears from the letters and other documents recently published by the society, that in that period three thousand have been added to the number of converts under Christian instruction, and that remarkable evidence had been given of the sincerity of their motives by the destruction of their idols, the conversion of their devil temples into houses of prayer, the contributions made for the purpose of building churches, and the endurance of much trouble and per

secution.

Archdeacon Robinson (late Archdeacon of Madras, and Chaplain to Bishop Heber, and who had visited this district in the year 1829) made an earnest appeal on behalf of the mission in Tinnevelly, and the remarkable and simultaneous movements peculiar in several districts of the province, describing the peculiar characters of the superstitions and worship of the natives, only partially under the dominion of the Brahminical faith, tracing the early history of Christianity among them from the visit of the first Protestant missionary about the year 1780, enumerating the powerful causes that, during the re

mainder of that century and in the early part of the present, retarded the progress of our holy faith among them, and enlarging on the healthy and encouraging features of the present movements in the districts of Edeyenkoopy Sawyerpooram, and Nazareth, as calling most loudly for the concentrated and united efforts of the church.

This appeal was powerfully seconded by R. Clarke, Esq., late of the Madras Civil Service, and for many years secretary to the Madras committee of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

The Archdeacon and Mr. Clarke were requested to prepare for immediate publication the substance of their very interesting statements, and several liberal donations were at once contributed for the extension of the Tinnevelly missions.

SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE EMPLOYMENT OF ADDITIONAL CURATES IN POPULOUS PLACES.

A MEETING of this society, of which her Majesty Queen Victoria is patron, and their Graces the Archbishop of Canterbury and York are presidents, was held on Tuesday, 18th March, at their chambers, 4, St. Martin's-place, Trafalgar-square; when his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury was in the chair. There also were present the Bishops of London, Bangor Lichfield, Chester, and Hereford; the Rev. Drs. Spry, B. Harrison, C. B. Dalton; and H. Brown, Joshua Watson, Newell Connop, Esqrs., &c.

Of the applications before the committee, grants for the maintenance of additional Curates were voted to the following districts-viz., For the Diocese of York to St. Mary's Hali, 757., to meet 257. In the Diocese of London-to All Saints', Gordon-square, on condition of two services at the school, 50%., to meet 501.; to St. Peter's, Bethnal-green, 20l., for two years, from a special subscription by W. Ford, Esq.; to Romford, 50l., to meet 201., for two years; to Christ Church, in the parish of St. Luke, Chelsea, 10%, in augmentation of a grant previously made of 70l., for three years. To St. Matthew's, Bethnal-green, 80l., for the maintenance of a second Curate. In the Diocese of Durham-to St. Andrew's, Deptford, in the parish of Bishop Wearmouth, a sum not exceeding 50l., to meet the remainder of the Curates; to St. Giles's Durham, 20., to meet 607., from the Diocesan Society. In the Diocese of Bangor to the united parishes of Stannor-cum-Denio, 80l., to meet 201., subscribed by the Bishop. In the Diocese of Chester, to St. Matthew's, Manchester, 60%., to meet 30%.; to Hulme, Holy Trinity, Manchester, 30l., to meet 70%.; to Christ Church, Bolton-le-Moors, a sum not exceeding 50%., to meet the remainder of the Curate's stipend; to Holy Trinity, Preston, 80%., formerly occupied by the district of St. James's. In the Diocese of Gloucester and Bristol-to St. James's, Bristol, 70l., to meet 30l.; to Chipping Sodbury, 251., to meet 251. from the Incumbent, and 40%. from the parishioners. In the Diocese of Bath and Wells-to St. Mary's, Taunton, 351., and to St. James's, Taunton, 401., for one year. In the Diocese of Hereford-to the borough of Leominster, 50l., to meet 40%. In the Diocese of Lichfield-to Ilkeston, 60l., to meet 201.; to St. Paul's, Burslem, 70l.; to St. Mary's, Wolverhampton, 801., to meet 20.; to Hanley, in the parish of Stoke-upon-Trent, 75., to meet 251.; to Leek (Staffordshire), 20., to meet 40l.; to Belper (Derbyshire), 10., in augmentation of a former grant of 70l. for three years; to Stafford, St. Mary's, 60%., to meet 401. In the Diocese of Llandaff-to Bedwelly, 70l., to meet 101.; to Abersychan, in the parish of Trovethein, 801. for a second year. In the Diocese of Ripon-to Robert Town, in the parish of Birstal, 80l., to meet 107. for one year. In the Diocese of St. Asaph-to Rhys-y-medre, in the parish of Ruabon, 70l., to meet 10l. In the Diocese of St. David's-to Alt-y-gry-gy