Correspondence between Poor Law Commissioners and Trustees of Presbyterian Churches in Dublin, on Liability to Poor Rate of Pew Rent payable to Clergymen in Churches

DUBLIN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES. 

RETURN to an Order of the Honourable The House of Com 

dated 10 May 1843;—for, 

COPIES of the Correspondence between the Poor Law CommI and Trustees of the Presbyterian Churches \n Dublin, with respect to the Liability to Poor Rate of the Pew Rent payable to the Clergymen officiating in such Churches. 

Poor Law Commission Office,"! 

Dublin, 17 May 1843. 
J 

ARTHUR MOORE, 

Chief Cleik. 

Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be Printed, 22 May 1843. 

LETTER from George Mathews, Esq. 
to the Poor Law Commissioners. 

(No. 
3420—D/40.) 
Sir, Dublin, 22 June 1840. 
ON my own part, and on that of others interested as trustees of Presbyterian 

meeting-houses, I beg to represent that we conceive ourselves aggrieved by the valuators of the Dublin Union having, under the instructions of the Poor Law Commissioners, assessed to the rates the sum paid as salary to Presbyterian ministers, out of the pew rents of our meeting-houses. 
These buildings are erected by the respective congregations, who defray the necessary expenses of public worship by charging the members or families for the pew accommodation which they occupy. 
The congregation makes no profit by letting out the pews to each other; and in a great majority of cases the amount does not cover the current expenses, leaving the deficiency to be met by extra collections. 
We conceive that the repairs of the chapel, allowances to a sexton and clerk, and, in particular, salary to a minister, are all necessary expenses; for without the services of the minister, the building would produce scarcely anything. 
I may further mention that the meeting-houses now rated, are exclusively appropriated to public worship. 
In England such buildings are exempted from poor-rate by the 3 & 4 Will. 
4, c. 
30, and if a different rule is to be applied to Ireland, application to Parliament will become necessary. 
I shall be glad to receive any reply on the subject which may be thought expedient, 

And remain, &c. 
William Stanley, Esq. 
(signed) Geo. 
Mathews. 

LETTER from the Commissioners to George Mathews, Esq. 
in Reply to the 

foregoing. 
(No. 
3420—D/40.) 
Sir, Poor Law Commission Office, Dublin, 23 June 1840. 
The Poor Law Commissioners have to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22d instant, complaining that the valuators of the Dublin Union had 272. 
assessed