The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-05-15
Archbishop Hughes' Letter ON the Church
Property Law-Amount or Real Estate In
the Hands or the Bishop.

Archbishop Hughes' Letter ON the Church
Property Law-Amount OF Real Estate In
tho Hands or the Bishop.
,o Mater vssi.atis dies non gsrnissura sit
Light, the mother Of Truth, will not
permit deception to enjoy long reign"
TO THE PUBLIC.
During the last session Of the New York Legislature
petition was presented by the trustees Of st. Louis
Church, Buffalo, complaining Of pretended grievances
which they had suffered they alleged at the hands
their ecclesiastical superior and praying for an act Of
civil Legislation the part Of the State by which their
religious grievances might be brought to an end and
similar ones henceforth prevented in other congrega.
tions In that petition they avowed among other
erous falsehoods, that Bishop Hughes had attempted
Ito compel them (he trusrees to make the title of their
church over to him." The Hon Mr. Putnam drafted
pill Of contingents, conAscatons and penalties against
the Catholics Of this State unless their bishops should
henceforth govern and regulate all matters affecting
property according to the provisions of the act
Fhe undersigned denied that there word sy
Fable, or letter of truth in the statement quotsd
rom the petition, and Mr.. William B. Ls Coutsuisx
has since admitted its entire falsehood even while at
tempting to vindcate his course and that of his
is fellow trustees. Notwithstanding the falsehoods of
statement In the petition they entirely adopted
Py Mr Putnam, and the one already mentioned is spe-
ay incorporated In his speech In favor Of the BILL
here 10 NO evidence that Mr.. Putnam then aware
the fasehood which he had adopted from the text Of
be petition. But he must be aware of il now
Mr. Senator Brooks of this city also made speech on
be same side By him the falsehood or fasehoods of
no Buffalo petition, adopted by Mr. Senator Putnam
entirely thrown in the shade by the gigantic scale
which he projected his According to him Bishop
ughea the owner, in his personal right of an
immense amount Of real estate in the city of New York
q vQlua IN no ahork oe 4 mn
consisted, according to him, of no lsss than afty-
ght distinct parcels of real esste-some Of them COW
ring "whole squares of land - and all recorded in the
gisters Office, to the number of fifty eight entries OF
s property there were according to Mr.. Brooks nu.
erous transfers from trustees and lest any senator
ould doubt his veracity, he sported pre- tended
renee as from the records in the Registers Office Civ
book, number and page for the correctness of his
htements.
One s ut loss whether to be surprised more at the
dness Of this mans fasehoods, at the mbece era
lity Of public calling itself enlightened VINO never.
eless seemed to receive his statements as SO many
/zpel truths.
Shortly after my return from Europe called the al.
ption of Senator Brooks to the wantonness and OK.
kvagance of his assertions. My letter written in
rft OF PLAY yfuness ntms ted that after resery wing
!myself, against the wants Of old age, out Of this
perty Little short of S. 900 00O as Mr. Bro oks had
erted the sum of 81 COO 600 should appropriate all
balance, say g. ,0Co to the founding of magnid
At library, which should be worthy Of New York and
was indebted to ths Senator for my immense for
be 1t should bear his name, and be called "The Eras
n Brooks Library"
intimated, however, in tone su siepty serious to
scact hisattenton, that his statements were untrue
called upon him either to prove retract them. He
SO the alternative of proof, and the public will see
sv desperate is the condition Of q man who under
hes to prove felsehood since truth will scorn to
~ handmad in such enterprise and will leave him
irely dependant his ingenuity for the nventng of
|Npndary falsehoods in support of those which were
mary.
ut Of this grew the late controversy between Me-
4 'oks and myself 1t was not my business to prove
the statements Of his speech were false It was his
rove them true. 1t but fair that be shouli have
! scope to accomplish this awful task in his own
and the public have witnessed the industry with
llch he has prosecuted the work.
has been matter of surprise to some that shsuli
i have had At any moment my proofs at haud to re-
both the primary and secondary falseaoods Of Mr..
pks; in other words, that was not prepared to
1 Re . negative which man has done By direct
q ilment, and which can ever do. The proof
H which is positive; and ho could bring nv proofs
negative through the me 'ium of positive facts TO
q lose until Mr. Brooks should have com plet.d his
lie winding and tortuous of mendacity. be.
he has done this at least, and now Is time for
ring my positive facts to bear upoo his positive
hOOdB, scatter tn0m 10 the windS and leave htm
4 ding before the community = self-dsgraded self
t before commence, it is proper to state that what
n property may be found the records Of the Regis
y books in the city Of New York, in my is in
ty and truth though not in legal form the propery
e several congrea atoms, to be hereafter
4 the management OF this property has been by rule
he diocess, dating far back 1S43, in the hands
respective pastors of each congregation, who are
ired to associate with them tSo respectable
competent aymen, to assist them in the administra
Eof the temporaties of their charch-to keep regu-
and publish, from time to time, at least once
q report of the condition OF the church, to be dis
ted among their pew halders and copy ofthe
forwarded to the arcniepxcopal residence In order
I've IL inserted in diocesan register kept for that
ose The title o; these church lots vested nom
in the bishop. But he considered this
g him any right to the ownership 10 the
Brooks than he would have to regsr a. his
ing of charity handed to hn tor the benefit of the
4 asylum. Neither has he ever received go much as
srthing Of revenue income from this property, in
squeeze Of his nominal ownership. Neither has he
)ied himself with the management Of the temporah
these congregations except in so tar as to prevent
hurch property from being mortgsgsd or exposed
lienation, as had been the case undsr the ire
5ible management of lay trustees. Whenever the
yman and his advisers reported TO the Bishop the
= 1iency Of their doing something in regard to such
X ,rty, he acquiesced IS often his judgment ap
I'D of their proposal In this way deeds, and titlss
\ transfers. and mortgages &c, were brought - him
1 time TO time for signature, and as m stter Of
anne. So also when new lots were purchased for
rection OF churches required oy the increasing
OF the tne ueed was mace out In tne
BPS Dame and the local pastor and his associates
|, aged all the rest.
e hardly to be wondered at, therefore, that the
( BY the display OF documents exhibited by Nc
purportng 70 be extracts from the records the
tiers office. The Archbishop perfectly ware,
General way, that Mr.. Brooks had entered boldly
eer of fasehood; but he was not prepared TO sup
that Senator Of the State of New York, in order
azen IL out against him, would have dared to fell
;he public records. 1his however, ar. Brooks has
tore proceeding to exhibit the secondary fssshoods
!. BROOKS more at length shall give staemeot OF
he property recorded in my nsme In the Registers
on the day Of the Senator's speech 1t IS the same
", as nothing has bsen added to taken from 1t
ri D.
70 property then, which is recorded in my ,me is
aggregate OF lots on which fifteen different Catholic
lrgatons have their places Of worship their priests
lences, and in some instances their schools. The
her OF these lots is seventy (7 giviog frac
over i've lots each for the church edihces OF tJese
en- congregations ! am told by competent jnd, es
Y these lots were to be sola tas buildings them
sh exceedingly valuable to t5e Catholics as aces for
purposes Of Divine public Worship would NOT .aa 70