SIGNS OF THE TIMES.

39

the parish of Lockington, from a remote period of time. In 1831, two persons had refused to pay or compound, but were merely summoned. In 1832 about fifteen had refused, and among them the plaintiff: and a warrant of distress having been regularly issued, the Constable had returned upon oath that goods to the value of five shillings were not to be found.

The Judge (Baron Bolland) did not consider that the wages of labourers could in any shape be made subject to Tithe; or that this claim was supported by the statute 2nd and 3rd Edw. III, under which it was said to be made. He would caution all magistrates against enforcing any such claim. The custom however ancient was bad, and ought to be abandoned. The verdict was nevertheless formally in the defendant's favour; on the ground that the sum of twenty-five pounds tendered to the plaintiff was, in the opinion of the Jury, a sufficient compensation for his wrong: the wrong itself being thus admitted.

Note. 1. The Magistrate who himself made out this commitment (the Clerk having refused to do it) and signed it alone, was a CLERGYMAN. 2. No complaint on the part of the Claimant appears to have been made to obtain it-he being away in the island of Guernsey: so that for two years the parish clerk who collected for him had not seen him. 3. It appears to have been the subject of conversation at different times before, with the magistrates assembled in the Grand-jury room: and the Sessions were actually going on when this man-servant was put in the Calendar (by one person's act) as committed for three months on a misdemeanour. 4. The Constable himself declined to execute the warrant, until threatened by the Magistrate with a fine for not doing his duty.

A second case precisely similar in its circumstances, followed the fate of this-the record being withdrawn: and after the declaration of the judge on the subject, we need not doubt that this piece of extortion will go down in the parish of Lockington, if not also wherever else the practice may have obtained.

Wexford, July 11.—Our Mayor, Mr. C. Harvey, was this day committed to the Wexford gaol, under a warrant for tithe. He went in state, accompanied by his bailiffs, and a number of police, conducted by the sub-sheriff, and a few gentlemen, partizans in the cause- -People v. Tithes. Mr. Harvey frequently expressed his determination to suffer imprisonment before he would pay a shilling tithes. The sum due by him is about £20. His Worship has since paid the debt, and has been discharged.

The circumstance of payment upon being imprisoned will not, probably, at the first glance obtain the approval of my readers of the society of Friends: but let them note, that the Mayor literally kept his vow on the subject—and that a Magistrate's example and a Magistrate's time are each of them worth something.

South America.-Mexico is represented to be in the enjoyment of profound tranquillity, and with the exception of Vera Cruz, where the yellow fever was raging, is generally healthy. The cholera had disappeared from every part of the republic. The Mexicans had been released by the Government from all civil obligation to pay tithes, and similar measures had been taken not only in Vera Cruz, but also in Oajaca, Potosi, and Jalisco.

Three plagues (if not four) removed at once--I am sure they ought to be very thankful!

So universal is the opposition throughout the county of Somerset to the present proposal for commuting tithes, that no less than twenty-one parishes are about to petition against it, besides those which have already declared themselves adverse to the measure.-Bath Journal.

note.

66

A clerical correspondent of the British Magazine, who signs himself H. Coddington, in a letter inserted in the July No., remarks, that "if the proper endowments of the church were restored and secured to it," he sees no reason why every parish should not support a priest and one or two deacons, who might undertake all the duties now devolved on the lay churchwardens and overseers, besides assisting the priest in reading prayers, baptizing, &c." What this simpleton means by proper endowments, is distinctly intimated in the following "The composition of my parish, made in the thirteenth century, awards to the Vicar the tithe of the profits of all lucrative trades. This, which in a very large country town must have amounted to a considerable sum, is now_cntirely lost to the church, with the single exception of the tithe of corn-mills. It surely behoves the Legislature to restore it, or to provide some substitute for it, which would furnish a maintenance for clergymen in such situations where they are notoriously very much wanted." Let Priest Coddington know that if he is living in the thirteenth century, we are not. But contemptible as the writer of this letter may be, its insertion in the British Magazine shews pretty intelligibly what the party would be at, had they the power.-Patriot, July 31.

Church-Rates. In the House of Lords on Monday evening, in the discussion on the Irish Church Temporalities Bill, Lord Wharncliffe, said, “that any man who looks at the state of public feeling throughout this country, must admit that the church-rates could not be much longer collected in England." This candid avowal is quite consistent with the fiank and manly character of our noble neighbour. The church-rate is in reality founded upon injustice. Men are called upon to contribute to the maintenance of an edifice and institution that they do not use, to save the pockets of those who enjoy these benefits. For a dozen years at least, this has been seen and declared by the parishioners of Leeds; and it is to the perseverance, public spirit, and discretion of a number of them, made known through the press, that this conviction of which Lord Wharncliffe speaks has become so general. The parishioners have not proceeded rashly to work; they have gone on year by year reducing the church expenditure, till it has now become little more than nominal. and it must soon entirely cease by force of public opinion. The sooner the legislature puts an end to this unnatural state of things the better, even for the church itself. At Christ Church, in Surrey, the church rates have just been refused, and an amendment carried by 279 to 103 votes, “that the expenses be paid by a voluntary contribution." At Gateshead, near Newcastle, at a numerous meeting of the rate payers held on Thursday, it was resolved by a considerable majority that there should be no church rate allowed this year, or in other words, that the consideration of the propriety of imposing a church rate should be postponed to this day twelve months. In Manchester the case is equally hopeless.-Leeds Mercury, 27th July.

On Monday last, four persons, members of the Society of Friends, at Newport Pagnel, who had refused to pay church rates were eased of goods to a considerable amount, under the sanction of a warrant signed by the magistrate, J. B. Praed, Esq. The more respectable of the parish officers declined having any thing to do in this odious proceeding. The magistrates, or their clerk, have charged each person for a warrant, though all were included in one and the same.— Northampton Free Press.

The Metropolis. We lately announced that there was a contest in the parish of Christ Church, Surrey, about the payment of Church-rates; the following is the state of the poll, at the final close thereof:—

Against the making of a Church Rate
For a Church Rate

...

...

...

289
103

-186

and on the motion "that the churchwardens do pay the usual expenses out of the Rate;" and the amendment, "that the expenses be paid by a voluntary contribution," the numbers were

For a Voluntary Contribution
For the Original Motion

279
103

-176

Patriot Paper, July 24.

This is incomparably the best way of relieving the dissenters from the impost in question.

Ministers' Stipends. --At a numerous meeting held in Tailors' Hall, Edinburgh, many of the gentlemen present stated they were ready to go to gaol for conscience sake, as they were satisfied that the tax for ministers' stipends was not only unjust, but also opposed to the first principles of Christianity. A strong feeling was manifested as to the necessity of dissolving Church and State, as the only remedy for the evil of which they complained.—Scotsman.

Sons of the Clergy.-Thursday the Anniversary of the Sons of the Clergy was celebrated at St. Paul's Cathedral, where a numerous assemblage of rank and fashion took place, and an appropriate Sermon was delivered in support of the charity. The instrumental and vocal performers were numerous, and arranged similarly as at the rehearsal of the music, which was the same that has been performed for a series of years. The dinner which was usually held at Merchant Tailors' Hall, was dispensed with this year; it was formerly very splendid and extravagant, and attended by noblemen, bishops, the judges, and the clergy. A handsome subscription was entered into at the cathedral.

This is not among the worst signs of the times-that the Annual dinner of this "Charity" cannot be afforded. There are some among the more discerning of the age, I believe, who would pronounce the body in question a very equivocal part of the Christian church in this land. If they fulfil to the modern Clergy the office of the Sons of the prophets,—if they be the disciples and helpers of the Hierarchy not in any public and responsible character, but in their more secret missions and obscure intimations of vengeance as from God, to those who may fall under the displeasure of the priesthood, we have small cause to regret that they appear to be fast losing the influence they formerly exercised, with the consequence and opulence which collectively, it is plain, they once enjoyed. Ed.

Copy of a Petition presented to the House of Commons by John Wilks, Esq. M.P. The humble Petition of the undersigned inhabitants of the city of Winchester and its vicinity.

Sheweth,-That in the opinion of your Petitioners, to compel one person to adopt or maintain the doctrine or worship of another, or to impose direct or indirect penalties on good and loyal subjects, on account of their religious principles, is contrary to the spirit of the gospel, the dictates of justice, and the happiness of a free nation.

That your Petitioners regard the various denominations of nonconformists in this empire, as being equally numerous, intelligent, patriotic, virtuous, and loyal members of the community as those who belong to the Established Church. That they are consequently entitled to equal privileges and exemptions with Episcopalians, and that under existing circumstances they by no means enjoy their equitable rights.

Your Petitioners, therefore, pray your Honourable House forthwith to pass a law, which shall empower all regularly licensed ministers of every persuasion to marry their own people, and to officiate at the interment of the dead in parochial

G

burying grounds; which shall duly sanction their registration of births, baptisms, marriages, and burials, and exempt their places of worship from assessments under the Poor Laws; and which shall also exonerate all Nonconformists from being compelled, directly or indirectly, to support an established religion. And your Petitioners, &c.-Patriot.

The Editor believes it is not required of him to make more of general remark, in inserting these extracts from the public papers (worthy as they are of a more than Ephemeral duration) than that he hopes they will serve as a further stimulus to Friends, to be still more firm and still more public in their Testimony against Ecclesiastical imposition in all its forms.

The Petition of the Inhabitants of Devizes and its Vicinity for Exemption from taking Oath. Sheweth,-That your Petitioners are fully convinced that the relief, which is so justly granted to the Quakers and Moravians, whereby their solemn affirmation is allowed to be considered as equivalent to an oath, has heen granted to them solely on the ground of their conscientious objection to take an oath, and not on the ground of their holding any other peculiar religious opinions.

That your Petitioners therefore consider that all Christians, whether members of the Establishment or any other section of the Christian Church, who have the same conscientious objection to swear, should be allowed the same liberty of conscience; and that the denying to such non-juring Christians only, all redress for their wrongs, by the inadmissibility of their evidence in any court of law, or of equity, is painfully harassing as well as peculiarly oppressive.

That your Petitioners humbly submit, that a certificate from two magistrates of the general good character of a nonjuror, would be as satisfactory a guarantee for his sincerity, as his being a member of either of the privileged sects; though your Petitioners deem it to be the especial province of a jury to determine whether a witness be worthy of belief or not.

That your Petitioners earnestly implore your Honourable House to extend to all Christians, who conscientiously object to take an oath, the same privilege that has been conferred on the Quakers for nearly a century and a half. And your Petitioners, &c.—Patriot 24th July.

ART. III.-Derivations and Meanings of Words.
(Continued from page 14.)

Fashion. This word, so important to many artists and tradesmen, and to the persons on whom they exhibit (in plain English, show off') their productions, means simply the way in which a thing is made-as large or small, round or square, blue, red, or yellow, &c. &c. &c. It is from the Latin facio, I make-whence we get it (along with the thing itself) through the French, façon.

In the present day (as it was also in the days of our grandmothers— and theirs) it imports the maker of a thing much to know what the fashion' is—and the buyer to be assured that it is in the newest fashion.' Else it will not please the eyes of others; which, as Dr. Franklin long since observed, are the most expensive eyes we have about us: our own requiring only the cheap assistance of a pair of spectacles!

But a thorough-paced fashionable will not regard his own eyes, no,

MEANINGS OF WORDS.

43

nor his head and shoulders either, but will wear what is put on him, (though it should offend his feelings and his judgment both) till the fashion changes-but not a moon later will he abide by the most comfortable and becoming garment in the world! This term once arrived, and the mode fairly changed, or pronounced so, by the cognoscenti in these things, away it goes; and, coute qu'il coute worn out or not, is presently replaced by the thing a la mode.

When I buy a Silver Cream-jug, I pay so much for weight at so much per ounce, and so much for the fashion-in other terms for the workmanship, as agreeing with the reigning mode. In process of time I find my Cream-jug battered, and wish to exchange it for a new one-or, the inventive talent of the silver-smith has brought up something new and so pretty that my wife must have it: there will be no end of remarks else. I take my vessel then, be it battered or in good condition, to be exchanged. I get for it precisely what it is worth as old silver, at so much per ounce: and pay over again for the fashion in the new one.

Now there is a thing (among purchasers, not among utensils) called a fop; which resembles the Cream-jug as well in regard to its office in society, as to its highly polished exterior. It is of the greatest moment to the fop that he, too, be in the newest fashion: were it otherwise with him he would not be well received in company, nor his blarney so relished at the tea-table. Should he become antiquated, so small is his weight of metal, that he is ruined at once-there is no remedy but to change himself and put on an exterior entirely new: by this device alone he keeps his standing.

There is a fashion also in SILVER CANDLESTICKS: but, here, the solidity of the make, and the weight of the metal, secure a much longer duration under the same aspect: for it is evidently less hazardous to keep your Candlesticks on' a little too long than your Creamjug; the fashion' making a far smaller proportion of their worth. Moreover, in the character represented by this utensil, the light which is placed on it attracts too powerfully the attention of the company, for them to be critical about the form of the support: and it is ten to one, if your friend be solid and weighty, that he escapes (in good company at least) those ill-natured remarks, which are otherwise apt to be freely bestowed upon the minutest points of his external form

and habit.

Yes, No, &c. The old form of affirmation or assent is YEA, from the Saxon ea or yea; in Danish, German and Dutch ja, pronounced yah! The old form of denial is Nay-in Saxon Na. This is the same root with that of the Latin Nego, I deny which might be pronounced Ney-o, the last letter standing (as in other cases of the verb active) as a contraction of ego, I:-thus making it at once, I nay. But we have now in use the two forms Yes and No. Now Yes is synonimous with Aye, a very common provincial form of assent. Aye is plainly the French imperative singular of avoir, to have: and Yes looks very like Ayez, the same imperative in the plural. Thus we