The New York herald., 1870-01-14
'BEECHER'S PENCE.
Plymouth Church and the Pastors
Salary.
Increase Of $7,500-A Good Stroke Of
Policy by the Prince Gf Erie's Law.
yer - Mr.. Beecher's Retirement
from Public Life---piymOuth
Church In Debt.

A meeting OF the members OF Plymouth cnurch
was held last night in the lecture room. Ihe at
tendance was not large, the meeting not numbering
at any time during Its short session more than
seventy or eighty persons. including about thirty
ladies'.
Though the attendance was small, In comparison
with the roll Of church members which numbers
nearly 1000, the object OF the meeting was
very important one Tor 1t was the voting on the
question OF large addition to the PASTORS
salary. The result, after debate, which is given
below, was tpat Mr.. Beecher's salary Is increased
$1,000, instead OF 5000. as originally proposed.
For this very handsome vote Mr.. Beecber is manly
indebted TO the manipulation OF the meeting by Mr..
Shearman, the attorney OF the Er1e Railway and the
legal adviser OF the Prince OF Erie, VINO accom-
pllshed this somewhat delicate matter with skill
that was quite equal to his reputation az lawyer.
After the meeting had been called to order by the
clerk Of the church Mr.. Howard was voted to the
chair. The minutes Of the meeting Of the trustees,
held last Thursday evening, when the proposal 10 in-
crease the pastors salary $1,000 Tor this year
referred for consideration ana decision thereupon
10 this meeting, were read and confirmed
Mr.. BEACH then moved tnat the salary be in
creased 5000, as recommended by the trustees.
Deacon HUTCHINSON then formally seconded this
motion.
IL was about 10 be put 70 the meeting for vote,
when
Mr. Ct.rLrN moved that the salary be increased
1880, which would make the salary $4,000. He
urged that there could doubt that Mr.. Beecher
earned every cent OF IT, and he had doubt that 1t
could be paid by the church. They were all aureed
that Mr.. Beecher was worthy OF 1t, for without him
1T would be Impossible to raise the large sums OF
money that had Oeen raised.
Deacon HUTCHINSON said that his friend, Mr..
Claffn, was not present when the estimates Of ex-
pendlture were prepared for the ensuing year at 4
recent meeting OF the Board Of Trustees Strictly
speaking the church was not out OF debt yet, and
the Board had made careful estimate OF wnat their
expenses were likely TO be, and they found that they
would have clear $4,000 surplus. Ever since he
lMr. Hutcninson) had been on the Board there had
been debt and the 900 was all tnat they would
have TO spare
There was . general short conversation as to
whether the S., 900 should be donation or an n
for the present year or permanent Increase
III which there did not seem to be any thing very
clear N the minds & q any N.Y. OF In dae E speaker
to the form Of the resolution which was recon-.
mendatiOn to the trustees. Ine society had only a
mat mat relanng % | 10 the pastors salary, and he
thought the church sh0nld be careful IN keeping
that within their own disposition end not allow the
trustees to nx the salary. He also thought that TINS
should not be put in the form Of donation, for If
any man MAD earned .ns money @ M beecner had
present let them subscribe for that purpose. This
money ought not to be disposed OF to Mr. Beecher
ucular favor. II was earned by Mr. Beecher
and nor by the church, and with the
disposuloh ol @ @.mas nioney, mns'ior ~ was
more less Than he required, was not,
he thought, the question. He was OF opinion
Inat the salary vi 81. 500 should be raised 81, 900
and that would make the salary $40 00O MIR. Beecher
could obtain that elsewhere; ne was getting on III
life, and 1t was known that he intended to retire
from more prominent public iiie as early as he could
In Of these lacts he thought 1t was tue duty OF
the church TO give as nuc1 as It was possible for
them 10 give TO the PASTOR
Deacon HUTCHINSON said that he must not be un-
derstood obectng TO an increase OF Mr.. Beechers
salary, but he wished the meeting 10 under stand
that the church was IN debt 81, 800 already
MIR. CAFLIN said he smiled ct the idea or the
ton Of tins two thousand i've hundred dollars DEBT.
The church had been in debt since he MEM
Der OF the board IN amounts varying from thou
sand to seventy live thousand dollars, and certainly
Two thousand five hundred dollars was not likely TO
T1ghten them
< standing vote was taken, and the result was
that a resolution was passed, virtually unanimously
tnat the salary or the pastor be $20,0 ,000.
The meetlnR then broke up, all the young people
adjourming to the .'sociablC" which was gong on
In the scnO0roOm.