The Virginia Gazette

April 20. By the last ships from London, we are agreeably informed of the determination of a cause before the House of Lords, between the city of London and the Dissenters, respecting the Sheriffs. The case was as follows: Allan Evans, Esq; a Dissenting Gentleman, was elected by the city of London one of the Sheriffs; he refused to serve in that office, and plead that the city had not a right to choose him, nor he a right to officiate therein, as by act of Parliament he was disqualified; for that he had not within the space of twelve months before his election partook of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, according to the rites of the Church of England, which the act of Parliament required all persons chose into, and serving in that office, should do: That he could not conscientiously comply with that requisition, and therefore was not obliged to serve in that office, nor was he subject to any fine for not serving. Upon this an action was brought by the Chamberlain of the city against him for the recovery of six hundred pounds sterling, suggested to be forfeited by his refusal; which, after various trials, was at length unanimously determined in favour of Mr. Evans, upon a writ of error in the House of Lords.

This having been a case of great expectation, and long contested, we have, to gratify our readers, obtained an extract of a letter upon this subject, wrote by a Gentleman of distinction in London to his correspondent in this town, which is as follows:

SIR,
London, February 10, 1767.

I SHOULD have acknowledged the receipt of your favours October 14th past sooner, but that my time and mind have been fully employed for some months past, in a publick affair, which most nearly concerned the civil and religious interests of every Dissenter in England. By the force of truth, which is always an overmatch for cunning, and by the grace of God, supporting at this time, by his providence, that glorious cause, we found the whole House of Lords, as it were, born in a day to countenance, and also to give judgment as one man, in favour of the Dissenters, against that great power the City of London, and all that art we have contested with in the Sheriff's cause for more than fourteen years; and even in this last signal defeat, to use their own expression, they died very hard. When the counsel on both sides had done, and the judges who were summoned to attend had given their opinions verbatim on a point of law which was stated, my Lord Mansfield, in a most nervous and eloquent speech, amongst other things, declared that the mode of religious worship amongst Protestant Dissenters was established by law; and further, that, according to his apprehension, it would be sin in a conscientious Dissenter to conform to the Church of England. He concluded by moving the House that the judgment be affirmed, which the House agreed to immediately.