The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-09
CHURCH OF TIE MESSIAH.
Annual Meeting o. tho Society Financial Con-
Naturalization OF Trustess-Sharp Tactics in
Regard to Mr.. Hepworths Resignation.

cred In the pei last evening Tine fsiends OF Mr..
Hepworth were out In good force. and the common
conversation or members before the orgaulzation or
the meeting evidenced that an exciting lime was
before the society. Tue first buslneSs was
to elect a chairman OF the meeting, and
the two parties measured their strength
on this. Mr.. Olmstead was the nominee
OF the church party, and Judge Stirring or the Hep
worth party The former was elected by q vote OF
81 to 20. pewowners and renters only, male or
female, being allow ed to vote. Mr. Newton. one Of
the trustees, being sick, gave his wife power OF
attorney to vote for him. but the proxy refused
Notwithstanding Messrs. Van Schaick and Brush aoly
defended the lady's right. Tie clerk ana Mr.. ID. A.
1t would inyadate the entire action OF tue meeting.
The chapel being found loo small the society adj
journed to the audience. room OF the church and
Continued ITS business. The minutes having been
read aud approved the annual report OF the trustees
, read bv Mr.. John BabcOck. the president, hrar
In bulk and afterwards Dy Items. The total
RECEIPTS FOR THE YEAR
were shown TO be $2730O 55 ana The expenditures
So. 75l 25 leaving balance In the treasury or
$500 20 But as an offset to this balance there Is an
unadjusted claim OF $4,000. The treasurer's report:
which was read, was more detailed repetition or
the financial condition OF the church. by which 1t
appeared that Its pastor was paid 600 per annum.
care about $4,000, and the current expenses are
about $4,000, while the rents oil pews. &C., realize
only about $lsooo and the rest Is raised by tax and
The Charity Committee reported that It's re-.
ceipts durn. the year were 1882 Az disbursements,
The PASTORS report showed the church and con-
gregation ana sunday school TO be III a very excel
lent condition. and that the utmost harmony pre-
There is, according to the Chairman Of the Board
OF Trustees, ne floating debt on the church, but
THERE ARE MORTGAGE DEBTS
or 500 900, ned ~ the Mutual Insurance Company.
Cabot Ward, trustees, together with certain scrip
owing to twelve persons amounting TO $4,000, or
total OF $780, 000 together with interest annually on
4.
for $780, aud thore a"e but eighty out VI l94 pews
IN the cnurcn either owned or rented Dy members r
| trustees recommend reduction OF expenses, while
retaining the assessments upon pew owners at
fourteen and upon renters at twenty-five per cent
| Of he valuation thereof.
The reports having been disposed or the election
then came the tug OF war. Mr.. DExTER A. HAw-
KINs said that the Unitarian Society had received
very large portion OF which was given by the late
Leonard j. Wyatt, whose son was still with them
and whom he nominated. And for other and simi.
lar reasons he also nominated Messrs Amos Binney
aud Elliot Bowdoln These men had been con-
nected with the lchurch Tor many years.
Judge STIRLING had three good and true and live
men to nominate, but In doing so ne would not go
into his own biography, tLaughter.) he noml.
mated Messrs. Charles l.. Anthony, Francis II.
Macy and George Savory.
MIR. WARREN, A BITTER OPPONENT OF Mr.. HEPwORTH,
earnestly opposed the last nomination and insisted
that they had joined the church not because they
Even Judge Surfing would not deny that he is not
a iJnttariaa ana Mr. Savory wants the church sold
now TO pay him back the money paid ior nus pew pew
toraie who said he was Unitarian then, but Is not
now and seven out Of eight Of the committee who
invised him are now opposed TO him, Judge Stir.
ling being the only one friendly TO MIN.
Judge Hm1oN arose TO defend Mr.. Hepwortn, but
on his own motion TO vote on the trustees named:
Mr.. sinclair Tousey, Mr.. Miller and others opposed
q previous question. Judge Hilton repealed with
scorn the charges and destinations that Mr.. Hep
from the Untarians. lie read q letter from MIR.
Hepworlh to Mr.. Anthony. In which the former
the unity Of the Uoihcad. but decidedly changed
| as regards the negative Unitarianlsm OF the day
worth had in any way changed his religious views
| during the last two years. He is the same man to-
as he was two afE; we @ o was as
! again in the Church OF the Messiah 80 long as Il
remains affiliated with the UnitarIansm OF the day.
Neither Mr.. HepwOrth nor his friends had any de-
sign to do anything 10 turn the Church from It's
proper course, but with q debt or 100000 on 1t
LESS THAN HALF OF THE PEws RENTED,
ne did not but It would have to 20 into the mar.
ket, and then Mr.. Hepworth's friends proposed to
step in. like any one eIse as purchasers. After
some further discussion the vote was taken on
Wystt Co. Bnnev. 49, anu Bowdoa 3d. as
IS for Messrs. Anthony and Savory. and IS for Mr.
Judge STIRLING next moved that the taxes and
for the current year be ten per cent
pewOwners ana twelve per cent on renters on the
's Mr. HAwx ms asked what recommendations the
trustees had made on this point. to which Mr.: Bah
cock replied fourteen per cent tor owners ana twen'
"Judge HiEToN insisted that the trustees had no
TO ocS Sa ra sSows Very they
could not rent 0nehalf their pews at the present
He therefore, S sudgs s
was One-had taken any 0fcial action on this mat
ter, either last year or this.
MIR. BROWN moved to amend by approving tue
recommendation OF Mr.. BabcOck.
Mr.. WARREN was III favor or
REDUCING THE RENTS,
but he thought renters should pay more than two
per cent more than owners. He therefore moved
That the tax be relatively eight and fifteen. This
| was subsequently amenueu W teu anu ulteeu, anu
| was then adopted. -
Then came the reading OF a letter from Mr.. Hep;
worth to the society, telling them OF his changed
religious views. AMI the Official note OF Mr.. Babcock
to him. together with private note, which placed
| lister than he appeared on sunday. But MIR. Bah
COCK insisted That his letter was designed mercy
s Ave society ns f rU% tho oDs
| ton OF another years salary for Mr.. Hepworth:
which would have done VA ne ot,c me r n
claimed that Mr.. hepwOrth could not resign as pas
tor his relation to the church as such having ceasea
on the last day Of the year 1871 and no new enRage
ment having been made with him.. on this point
whether no his letter was reslgnauVa y, , mot
Won Would be accepting his resignation also considers.
BILE debate was had between Messrs. IA" NuiS VA
ren t anu and Srn% on the other Mr.. Warren said
| that before that letter had been reau -
Hh CONSIDERED MR. HEPwoEIIH &, GoSTEmpT,SLE
but now he considered hlm many III S T S .na
tS ne WI Inc ao ACCEPTANCE Of the would the
| church liable for the pastors salary; But Jauge
| ii,,tnn hnrIed back the nslnuati0n that Mr.. Hep
wnr,h or MA friends would take any such mean al
vantage Of tecnnicaity he considered der o such
| thcm, so faithfully for two years past. applause
Judge Strung guaranteed that the church should
not nave claim Of ten cents presented to 1t by Mr.
| HenwOrfh or his friends. me discussion was still
IN when the reporter lett, afer eleven O'Clock T. NJ