1828.] Select Vestries. 119 
borrowing large sums of their own body at the rate of five per cent. when 
they could get it elsewhere for four and even three-and-a-half per cent. 
“In 1825,” says the Report, “ they purchased land illegally of a member 
of their own body for 4,000J. without having any use for it ; and many 
years afterwards they appropriated ‘it to uses not recognized by any 
local act.” Proofs, the committee goes on to add, “ were also given of 
other dealings with members of their own body and their nearest rela- 
tions, the latter being in contravention of their own by-laws. No 
wonder then that debts should accumulate ; and but for the fact being 
in evidence before the House of Commons, it might be doubted that 
since 1811, the enormous debt of 227,000/. has been incurred and still 
exists, against the parish, while the rates have been increased fifty and 
sixty per cent.” No wonder, indeed, the committee may well say ; and no 
wonder that, under a similar principle of management, we find in the vestry 
accounts of St. Paul’s Covent Garden, such small items of overcharge as 
that of forty per cent. on iron bedsteads for the use of the paupers, and 
153/. on a bill of 212/. 4s. 3d. paid without a cavil to the parish surveyor. 
Nor let it be supposed that occurrences of this description are the mere 
result of accident. Again at work at the church, in the year 1822, the 
select vestry of Spitalfields caused estimates of the expense of certain 
proposed repairs to be delivered in to them. One sent by the surveyor 
fixed the cost at 24,000/. others, however, set it down at a lower amount, 
- and among them one from a Mr. Benson, in which he offered to do all 
that was wanted for a sum not exceeding 19,000/., and to give security to 
__. any amount for the due performance of his contract. “ The committee, 
however,” says the author of the “Considerations,” &c. from which we have 
previously quoted, “ went on without regard to either estimate, and 
finally expended the sum of 6,993/. 19s., a sum they found themselves 
unable to raise sufficient money, by rates, to pay, consequently they 
borrowed the sum of 5000/. of themselves, at five per cent., when all the 
money lending world would have advanced the sum at four per cent.” 
Thus much for our charge of extravagance. We apprehend it will be 
conceded to us that we have brought it home to the very letter of our 
definition. 
_ Supposing, however, select vestrymen to be utterly devoid of any 
ing so anomalous in human nature as sinister interest, we should still 
contend that their administration is likely to be extremely inefficient to 
its purposes. The interests which they have involved in it, are far from 
_ being sufficient to insure activity in the exercise of their trust ; and con- 
sequently their whole government becomes marked with the extreme of 
slovenliness. At a meeting of the parishioners of St. James, Westmin- 
ster, touching the abuses of their vestry, at which Sir Francis Burdett 
resided, it appeared that there was one deficiency in the accounts of 
‘15,1581. 5s. 5d., and also several others amounting to upwards of 11,0001. 
Of none of these could any satisfactory explanation be given; and Mr. 
Byng was very indignant at the bare supposition that the vestrymen could 
have pocketedthem. Whether Mr. Byng was justified in his indignation, we 
_ do not dare to say. We certainly do not imagine Mr. Byng to have been 
_ the thief, nor, indeed, could we put our finger on any other individual 
member of the body as the object of suspicion, any more than had we, 
before his apprehension, been simply told that an extensive forgery had 
__ been committed in Berners-street, we should have dreamed of walking 
_ into the bank there, and pointing out Mr. Henry Fauntleroy as the 
culprit. The justice of Mr. Byng’s indignation is, however, little to our 
