New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-18

Whatever may be the present value of the
Trinity Church landed Experimentation about
million and half of dollars as represented by the
present holders, or upward of five millions as ap
praised by the Committee Of the Senate, one thing
at least is very certain-this property, be it
or less, has within about forty years past ceased
to be held or appropriated for the benefit Of
those to whom it was originally granted. One Of
the consequences of the conquest of the Dutch
colony of New Netherlands by the En-
glisb, was the introduction into the newly
named City of New York. of public worship,
according to the forms and liturgy of the Church
of ENGLAND. At the time of the conquest the only
church in the city was which the Dutch had
erected within the Enclosure of the fort This
church was taken possession of by the cODquerors,
and divine service was celebrated in it according to
the English liturgy by the chaplain of the two or
three companies maintained in garrison, the ad
herents of the Dutch Reformed Church, who
formed the bulk of the inhabitants being driven to
build elsewhere.
So things continued for some thirty years after
the col quest, when parish church was built on
the present site Of Trinity, st the head of Wall
stlett-Luo sItc DcinS given " Luc Lu1tisu VI J"H
for 1.-The use and behalf Of the inhabitants, from
1" time to time, iDhabiting and to inbabit the City
"of New.York, in communion with the Protestant
"Church of England those inhabitants, together
with the rector, constituting the corporation in
which the property was vested. Such was the
corporation to which Queen Ann conveyed, in l7Oo,
one of the farms on Manhattan Island, which had
80 of e.. ko-,u
formerly belonged to the Dutch West India Com
psny, and which, at the time of this conveyance,
produced a rent Of thirty pounds year. The
Legislature of New York, 10 l5-4, Immediately
after the evacuation Of the Island OF Manhattan by
the British, confirmed the existence and powers of
the corporation, of which the corporate name was
so altered in l7sS as TO substitute the Protestant
Episcopal Church in the State of New. York for
the Protestant Church of England, the term
used in the original sc. nor did any further legsls
ton tale place lid 1874.
Down to 1914 the land appears to have been
hbersly used, according to the intent Of The gih
Large landed endowments were given to Kiags
(now Columbia) College and 10 Trinity School in.
situations, in connection with the Protestant Epis-
copal Church, as we'll as for several other puolic
purposes ard beside giving several lots TO such of
the o. her Episcopal Churches then existing in the
city, as well as TO several out of the city, ST.
Marks Church. Grace Church and st. Georges
were built by the Trinity Church Corporation aud
set of with competent landed endOwments as in
dependent parishes. For the purpose Of these
various endowm ents Of the 2,06S lots into which
toe original fam has been divided, there We're
previous to 1914 conveyed away 299 lots, at pres
eLt worth more than million and half Of DID,
lars.
Iwasunder color of conf rmiDg these grants, as 10
the legality Of which some question was rased, aud
of ebabirg the Corporation to pursue like
liberal policy for he future that the pssssge Of the
act Of 1914 was OBJ aiped. By ths. act the name Of
the Corporation was changed from 1.-THE Rector
and Inhabitants of the City Of Ne~.York in
communion of the Protestant Epitcoph Church
"of the State of New.York,' to 1.-THE Rector,
Church WMdens aud yestry men of Trinity Church
sin the City Of New-York," the members Of al
tAe other Episcopal parishes being excluded from