The young Mr. Hodgson was a lawyer. After carefully studying the legal documents governing the matter (3 Will: IV Cap. 20) he reported that it was his opinion that there was nothing in them which interfered with "the Clergyman's undoubted right to have the services when and conducted as he pleases provided the provisions of the Act of Uniformity are complied with."7 He went on to explain the major obstacle as he saw it to any changes proposed for St. Paul's Church. What especially worried him was the proposal that the new church should be free of the "pew rent" system: All the members of the Vestry with two exceptions are very much in favour of the proprietary plan and opposed to the free system as evidenced by their speeches at the late Church meetings. I believe they are quite sincere and conscientious in this, and would feel it their duty to put their foot upon any plan which would strike such a blow as this would be at the pew system. "8 In his final letter to his rector on the subject, Hodgson summarized his reasons for first bringing up the matter as being concern for the welfare of the church rather than it being an attack on the low church' practices of the Reverend Mr. Fitzgerald . Hodgson felt that his objections were well founded as were his proposals for changes in the form of worship, "not one of which was an objection to the Church's E .J. Hodgson , Master of the Rolls — St. Peter 's Cathedral Archiives Hodgson , E.J. Letter to the Reverend D. Fitzgerald , December 7th, 1867. St. Peter 's Cathedral Archives. Ibid.