Belgravia.
_Bells in Churches_ (Vol. ii., p. 326.).--In reply to the inquiry
whether there is still a law against the use of bells as a summons to
divine services, except in churches, which has not been answered, permit
me to quote the following sentences from a judgment of Lord Chief
Justice Campbell, as reported in the _Times_ of August 14.
"First, with regard to the right of using bells at all. By the
common law, churches of every denomination had a full right to use
bells, and it was a vulgar error to suppose that there was any
distinction at the present time in this respect. At the same time,
those bells might undoubtedly be made use of in such a manner as
to create a nuisance; and in that case a Protestant church and a
Roman Catholic one were equally liable."
The case (Soltan _v._ De Weld) from the judgment in which the above
remarks are extracted was tried at the Croydon Assizes, and related to
the use of bells by a Romanist community in such a manner as was alleged
to be a nuisance.