The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-12-27

E q. RUassss CAuseAs 80 y
o1AT1xNsf OF AHCHMsH0f HUeHws A 20 ~
FMANCIAL CONDITION.
Acsardin9 u s,,eunesnsnt, Args nanbsr q H.
so.srexstiou sud suhssbss Of this church ssssuhlsd
iast evening q r n, - hssr's statement Gem tbs
Most Reverend ArsAshep Hughes rsgardng ts onAaoia
aaAirs,
TIE Archbishop said:-D d little over three yeass
since he'd oeossisA pssd BY the duties Of my station
in the church, to here and call your attention TO
the situation Of its temporal affairs What hsA pest
mot under my syss ct least within ths range Of ny
knowisdgs for some yesn prsvioasly had ned with
apprehension that unlsss interfsred with or without
permission not even the wreck Of the hopes Of the cred
tors Of this church would have been preserved and on
that oceasion you will remember. 7 had NO words Of
hindness but my language Of and osnsurer
almost indscrtminstely applied. Now, thanks b to
Almighty God have ocos1on to the Language Of
cepsuie but rather to consrAate you and the Cshoo
Church In this city and In this county, upon the I'm
in the condition Of the temporal affairs Of st.
Peters church during the interval The story Of this
church has gone world wherever the Engsh
language Is spoken and known and t has been depored
as caam Dy those who have never seen the country,
short time ago had occurred would have left perma-
nent bemsh upon the Catholic name and 1t would have
been the rst time in the annals Of the Christian church
that men placing their confidence In the faith Of
church. to where the sacred temple
known TO
to have lost thereby II you read ecclesiastical history
you will not find another Instance Of Catholic church
In the same circumstances in which st. Peters but
thrse years ago. and although may not say that 1t is
entirely release from that condition nevertheless
slider II so much that henceforwsrd we need not
hang our heads when the name Of st. Peters spcci
men Of Catholic honesty Is brought under notics
Before referring to the actual condition OF the church
briefly the history and events which have brought about
ths result 1t pleased in the faith when
they we're yet few In this CITY, when they poor
had NAH IN Nh.;.
mode Of administering temporal property connected
with THEN religion according to the mode pre-
was supposed to be republican enighteAsd, and I'D
yaDageous and hence instead OF governing the church
rules Of the Catholic Churchthsy received s.tsnt
and from the State for the management
same They got Themselves incorporated and few in
dtvduas selected by themselves from their number
body perfect in law with all the prerogaves that
usually attached and also the responsibilities that
special designation. And so they continued will not
pretend to enlarge upon the advantages
OF this system in its relations to matters before
/ will not pretend to say whether 1t was in har
moDy with the spirit Of the Catholic Church. whether
1t old not tend to create species feeling
which Is not Catholic In all It's relations Of Catholic
which ought to belong to the Catholic Church in social
and religious relations as q community OF faith
dnsss
but ! have one heavy charge to bring against
In the realation that most interests present
It thistbat It gave power to the body corporate
the time being to contract debts to any amount that
public credit strengthened in those days by the
hdey OF the Catholics In connection with their church
to meet all their obligations and what made this still
Objectionable that these trustees did not
tnue from year to year the Individuals for then
consequence, their operations would accumulate and
the fame individuals could be held for them
or at least would be in situation to explain hov they
occurred, and to take to prevent them frs
becoming unmansgeabe but this trustee system changed
It's members every two or three years that every
also especially as the time went on, to manage
the obligations contracted BY their predecessors who
lest and unknown in the multitude at large
They could not say we did not contract these debts
We found them contracted they have been ensailed
time when seemed to require It. they had
the same power to contract debts and thus passing
from succession to another Of trustees the body cor
porate became but fiction. Hence. this ohurch-the
very cradle OF Cathocy the spot upon which the
altar permanently the frss time in the
State Of New York-ihs church the Oldest and the most
endearing by fond recollection Of the oldest ami
lies became at the period Of its completion and it
now h. indebted to the amount Of $l35S9; and this debt
contracted not to those persons whose province 1t is
to loan money with perfect to the security and
the faith corporate seal from the poor and the in
dustrious mechanic, who had economical and laid up
some o. bis earnings for the day nssd 1t Dor
and the this debt upon is because
they, in handing their money, and taking this
imagined in their minds they were oanipg to
the Catholic Church God-the same church which We
Ss in sssfs It Is As By
were leaning even to Divine Saviour and 1t the
fact Of the church the creed Of the church. that cons
tuted their fecuriy and net the Pigment Of corporate
right with the high seal Of sovereign State upon It.
This was condition in which the church was ut that
period need no. ray that while was made q
Bthop Of this diocess of the condition things here
never was admitted to the tbs secrets Of
that civil corporation Its requirements imposed upon
Its members tbs obligation Of inviting to their meet
ngs but the invitation never recei red did they
snltiDg him in regard to matters involving such
quences. until the period when they came to make
proposed to pas. over TO me the church. with all its
income and oil Its responsibilities. / must do myself
the Justice to say that upon that occasion told them
that they could net in COINCIDENCE borrow farthing
and that they could not in conscience increase the
amount Of their bond and mortgage because conceived
several obligations Of notes Of hand which they
had distributed among the poor and that therefore,
but vs and the ony value for notes
which they had given to persons who had claims and that
the effect of mortgage would be to cut of those
claims at least TO leave them until after the claims Of
the mortgage should be paid II upon that OCCASION my
advice had been taken all would have been solo without
pie even OF marble and gold thing to be
compared with the value of Catholic integrity In matters
Of religion was, however, overruled, and do not
greet The next thing was an assignment which was to
have taken place. but the parties who the creditors
and who supposed they had right to step in caused
injunction (the full meaning OF which really not
able to explain. to comprehsnd to be imposed
that 1874 the church governed by law the
Of charter and Afterwards it was governed by
law under another aspect and in such way that
the sacred officers Of religion seemed to be- to
tent regulated by the requirements of the ordinance. Of
law At this the church indebted $34 $751; That
continued under asgnees from November, 1eA until the
period to which ! have already referred when 1
rights bishop and in my interpretation Of my duties
70 break up the whole stem matter what should be
the for 1t had gone on long enough had
been indu ed TO acquesce in the by
the promise that during that interval inasmuch
law had put stop to certain payments Of interest
there would be an accumulation Of $4,000 or 5000 a
year to the benefit Of the poor creditors This reconced
me 10 it Jet after the four OF FIVE years up
found that only there accumu ltion for the
benefit Of creditors but the church had actually ncreas
ed M debt for to the period of 1874 interest had been
paid by the trustees, but from that period until Novem
Der, ls4e except upon the mortgage and not al upon
that no interest had been paid and yet find at this
period that the debt $135 $780, showing increase