The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-01

Cathedral BOcx on Fifth Avenue, Eiftlcsh
and Fify-Arst Streets.
To THE EDITOR OF THE HERALD,-
IN your edition OF the 2sth inst. your corresponds
ent &C." demos the truth OF the following para
graph, from the report OF the Committee on Polii.
cal Reform OF the Union League Clup, VIII
This same sect, many years ago, obtained O lease,
granted By the city for nominal rent OF the whole
nlOck oil ground exteadlng from Filtn to fourth
avenue and from Fftieh to Fifty-frst street; ana
then IN lo52 1t induced the city, Tor the sum OF
$50 49, 10 execute to II release or tue block, thus
dvestng tina citys title and giving this sect an alb
soluie title. Ia Lee simple. TO the whole block.
What are the factss The records answer:-
Fhst-In 1899 the city, for small bonus granted
lease by lndenture, IN the usual form. under the
seal OF the city, OF this block then part OF the
common lands Of the city, to one Robert Lylburn
and his assigns. The indenure required the grantee
tc Day 10 the city annually, on the LIST day or May
the rent OF four bushels Of wheat or It's value IN
money. In case OF default for ton days In paying
this annual rent the city could enter and distran
but IN case there was no distress found upon the
premises SUFFICIENT on sale thereof to produce the
ron. and costs due the city, then the city had the
right to r-enter upon It's former estate In the prem
ises and terminate absolutely and forever the lease.
This lease Is recorded In Lib. $50 Of Conyeyances ut
page 2S2.
This Is what the report means by the words, 90
reader can Judge OF the truth OF that phrase
Second-This lease by sundry assignments came
over forty years ago. into the possession OF the
trustees OF ST. PatrcKs Cathedral and OF ST. Peters
church. so that they had "obtained" legal title to
1t and possession OIL IT, THESE parties obtained II,
not Or themselves as individuals, out for the uses
OF Their set Is represented Dy those two religious
corporations.
same sect many years ago tover forty obtained a
lease, granted oy the CITY for nominal rentn The
sect did ''many years ago. obtain gam possession
OF. acquire this lease tie can thus deterplne the
TNsrd-in LAYING out the Streets of the city It was
found tnat the lines or Fl teth aud Fityrst streets
did not precissIy coincide witn the lines o. TINS
by the city, but That wedge-shaped gore ten inches
WIDE on Filth avenue ana i've feet SIX incaos on
Fourth avenue. owned ny the CITY, Cut the block or
from FIfueth street. while simlar wedge-shaped
gore, but ten inches narrower ned Dy
the block above 1T owned by che city from Fty.nrst
street. An even exchange OF the two wedges or
TINS sect the gore the ser by more IMAM u,aFier
and win fee simple title, and received In ex-
change from the sect the smaller gore. being q
being In the city; ana then by two leases, one
dated before aud The other after this exchange,
81 year Inc whole block between FIfCy-irss and
anu Flty-seco streets and Filth ana Fourth ave-
fcrred city pay the Fiftetn street gore:
tnat In fact and substance tho city got nothing
from THIS seer Lne flletQ street gore. gave
II practically as q donation to this sect
kOWtIs-kOw having squared tDer lines and got
800 feet OF street frontage Tor practically nOthILg
out oil the city, what the next mover Ii was TO
convert the leasenold title 70 tuls block into lee
simple absolute, so as 10 avoid the annual RISK oil
having the city re.enter into possession case Of
default Tor ten days Ia pay ment on May l
OF tine annual rent. THIS vas accomplished
by getting from the city reease OF
the clty's Interest 1nls release from the City
to this sect Is dated November ii, lo52, and
recorded November ~, 1867, In LlUer 62O page 3o4
OF Conveyances. For this release tnls sect PAID the
block, now two BLOCKS, was Invested. and an abso.
luse tile in Ice simple Ia TINS wn0le block became
vested IN This sect.
The reader now, having the facts before him. can
judge OF the trtnfuiness the report. The history
OF every co4nlry where religious sects have been
permitted to gct nod OF pubic land anu puolc
money shows that III The end ecclesiastical cor
pOratlons become gOrgeJ with wealth, while the
puDiic lands diSappearin the bosom OF tGe church
anu me public treasury Is aiincted WIN chronic
emptiness, fne same history shows that wherever
religion IL made an AFFAIR oil state instead OF the In.
dividual mind anu conscience, 1t grows up to be q
gigantic, tyrannical, empty smell, afflicted with q
sort vi heart anu soul ROT and oppressed with out
ward ceremonies. The Founder of Christianity
nowhere teaches us TO support our religion out OF
the public treasury, bat ra.ner 10 Keep 1t distinct
from the pOlltlca powers. In that way 1t can per-
meale al countries, exist under all forms govern.
CAESARS and u ITO Liod the things that are God,s
Wnen we devlate from Is course are prone 10
deny our Master and, ike PETER " begin TO curse
and swear. and, with your correspondent "U.,u TO
STATE tnat the truth us deliberate lalsenuod.V
FEBRUARY ~, 1872 ID. A. Ii.