Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1860-12-11
GEORGETOWN CORPORATION AFFAIRS
COrrypOndenoe Of The Star.
H.

COrTeSpOndeHce OF Ire Star.
GKoReKrowS, Dec. IL, 1850.
In the Board Of Common Council, on Friday
evening last, the resolution exempting from taxa
tion lot 272 (enelosed with Trinity Church burial
ground) being under confederation
Mr.. Ienney asked Mr.. stake IL he had further
Information.
Mr. stake said the understanding was that Mr..
Tenney was to bring the law repeating that 81
empting church property from all taxes.
Mr. Tenney asked II Mr. Stake would vote to
exempt that lot If be (Mr. IT, proved that 1t was
not exempt by law.
Mr. Stake -Certainly not
sIr. Tenney said he had found three laws bear
lag on the subject The first was that Of May 4,
ISL eKempting church property from all taxes.
The second that Of May 30, Isl2, exempting GER
tain church property from payment Of all taxes
except for cleaning and lighting the streets The
property thus exempted was the nunnery, los
lie to I6J valued at 5000; the Presbyterian
burial round, ourth street, $3.50; and the par
sonage Of Congress-st NJ. p. Church, 500. The
third and last was the law laying direct tax for
Ir4l, which sxemPts public burial grounds and
houses for religious worship" and repeals all acts
parts Of acts inconsistent herewith.
MIR Stake said the repeating clause evidently
applied 70 a direct or general tax not ont foot
other special tax; 50 did no. repeal 80 much Of
the law OF 1911 as exempted church property from
Mr. TcnneY said that point had just occurred to
him while he was reading the law to-nigh ht, that
IL did not apply to street taxes But" said he,
the law Of ISL exemPts all real property now
belonging to or held in trust for any church. Did
Trinity Church own this lot In ISL when the law
wa, passed ?''
NJ. Tenney said that the Presbyterian congre-
CATION had fair claim for Bridge street and Mar
ket street Improvements, as the property on both
streets was owned by the church In 1911, and
they bad paid their front foot taxes
Nr Stake thought the law Of 1911 was general,
and would apply 10 any church property until It's
Mr. Teuney asked what need of the law Of 1912
then, unless there doubt of the Nunnery be-
ing church property.
Dnnlnn all thJ. ryound To on
over again. He had thought the matter was dis
posed Of last session. He, for one, had recon-
ne, me & o. we ,esSOSn ntso,sS ON Pne
the exemption law was repealed not made no
difference TO him. Burial grounds were for the
public benefit. and the principle was a good one
TO exempt them. There were only two in town,
he believed, and he would sooner vote to ex mpt
them than churches even, because churches nigh.
invest in parsonages aud other property.
Mr.. Pearson woald call attention to the law Of
1-S, in favor Of the Pres5ytcrians exempting them
from payment Of about S25 front foot tax levied on
the Fourth street grave yard, and about the same
amount in favor Of the West Georgetown NJ f
Church for improvement Of Fayette street He
wanted no discriminating Some folks think a
Catholic is the devil, and the Virgin Mary no
more than she ought to be. He wanted all treat
ed equal. Why make an exception Of the Ca:ho-
lie Church in that has been granted to others
The fact il, said he, I" have noticed this spirit
at work here among US for many wears. spirit
of persecution. There was the Know Nothing
plank about Catholics IL we had not had that
And so on down to the great Union party, and
they had played hobbs " He went on 70 say he
was no Roman Catholic, and all his relations were
Inferred in Protestant grave-yards but he went
in for equal rights IL all were made to pay he
had no objection. We had enough uses for the
money. Here was Mr.. English wanted for the
Gas Company, there were many other wants, and
notss had to be issued to paw expenses We were
very extravagant, and yet we had no parks and
no h,dges Under Col; &c Cox, when 1a Mayor' & our on,
the Lord only knows how much more.
Mr. Tenney asked Mr.. Dunlop, as legal gen.
tleman, II the law Of 1911 would sPplY to property
acquired since!
HIr. Dunlop said IL would not.
Mr. Tennty wanted MIR. Stakes vote then. He
(Mr. T was willing to give exactly the same
privileges to Catholics as to Others Catholics
Were very polite, and though In a minority them
selves, generally managed to control a majority
They were the most successful set in the country Y
w hen this Isw Of 1911 was passed they had more
property than all the Others, but small sop OF Sl
fon;-foot tax was given TO the Presbyterians ThiI
was not sufficient; the Catholics were not yet sat
isned, but got law passed in 1872, exsmpting
the uunnery, valued at 81 ,0UO At the same time
they are exempt from taxes on this $4,000, the
Pr-sbyterians have exempted $3.50, aud the Meth
Protestants $500. A small sop thrown 10 each
and the Catholics az usual, have the best Of the
bargain. He did not blame them; they were
nority, managed to control the Democratic party
and may yet control the Republican party III,
should not be surprised TO hear Of Old Aoe''
dining at the College week after bis ineugura
tion, az James Buchanan did. He was In earnest
he did admire It. and only regre ed his own de
nomination (Presbyterian) Yves not so shrewd
property The Academy Of Visitation was ex
emPtad-a large school at high prices
Mr. stake said there was large public schoo
attached to the institution, from which they 20
SIR. Tenney knew nothing Of that. They hst
large school at large prices, and paid no taxes
lowed 10 use the French termination-Miss Eng
lish, for the same kind Of school, was taxed heav
ily he would treat Catholics exactly the sam
as Protss.ants, and the sale Of 4 few grocerie
NOR. or less would not influence him.
MI Fear.on asked II the Academy was in tn
Corporation nov:
Mr. Pearson. Then what are you talking about
Mr.. Tenney As the gentleman says, when 70
law repealed they slipped out signed
petition demonstrating against the act Of Congress
and Others did who were prescribed for It. sho
dealer in town, who used to sell sLoes to th
pupils, and who signed that petition, never sol
say to them afterwards.
Mr Tenney then spoke Of the old Dutch bur,
inc ground being lsft OF the "a bic Of the Tax Co
hector by n former clerk; when
MIR Stake said he surprised to hear th
gentleman bring charge against Mr.. Mountz.
Mr. Tenney said IL he made any charge ID wa
unint.ntionai Mr. Mountz didn't know IL w,
part Of the Presbyterian Church property.
Mr.. Tenney) did not want to make church pro-
srty a source Of revenue nor a source Of expeni
either. He was not willing TO take money out
the town treasury to improve q church ehurc
property. We migh ht a. well pay for railway
anything else a street improvement Becaul
we did wrong once Is no reason we should d
wrong again. The Catholics have had more tha
their share; more than the others. Gentlems
talk about being opposed to going in debt, an
not wanting 70 issue notes, but 1t seems they don
object TO taking money out
Mr Pearson was sorry to hear his friend ples
40 innocently. IL he had always been 30 econon
sical, we mig ht have saved $500 for opposing ca
Roberts, $50 more to Mr. Addison Tor lot
musty pa pen; and s50O-fLong Bridge excu
sIon-repcrter,l making 81 500. That's the wa
the town gets in debt. They might supPo
At n distance that we were making hne parks
building bridges You wanted to levy an enc
NOUS tar ON the Academy; their I. lends told the
you would make them pay three times they we
be imposed on; slipped out, caved in, and !,
You minus.
ar. Stake sorry the time Of the Board hi
bsen taken up with a sermon or poiitcal speec
He only asked for equal rag hts and justice and h
listened to charges, hints, and innuendoes agaiI
his Churcb-