The New York herald., 1875-12-24
CHURCH TAXATION.
OPINIONS OF VIRGINIA cIERorMKx- SIMILARITY
OF VIEWS BETWEEN PRESIDENT GRANT AND
GOVERNOR KEMPER.

OPINIONS OF VIRGINIA cIEHorMKN-snuLAnTrH
OF VIEWS BETWEEN PRESIDENT GRANT AND
GOVERNOR KEMPER.
PETERSBURG Va. Dec. 10, IS7A
correspondent OF the HRRsLD desiring 10 ascertain
the views Of the Methodist ministers OF this with
respect 10 the taxation OF church property, recon-
mendcd IN the Inst Message OF President Grant called
this morning the Rev. J. A. Riddck who has been
recently assigned BY the Virginia Conference 10 the
pastoral charge OF tho Washington street Methodist
Episcopal church This Is an important and wc'o-do
stanon and pays It's pastor higher annual salary than
any other church OF the same denomination In the
State
BY happy chance Mr. Riddick was found In his
study. with three other preachers OF the same faith
Rev W Best, OF the Blandford Wesley chapel; Rev.
John Bayley, ofthe church at Etrichs and Rev j. D.
Kelley a local preacher and father OF the Hon. A. NJ.
Kelley. Mayor OF Richmond The subject was opened
without delay or ceremony, the ministers present
frank in the expression OF their opinions, and all
strange 10 say united in believing that tho principle OF
taxing church property em!nentiy poltic and
proper
VIEWS SEVERAL cLEnGrHES
Mr.. Baycy being first called on said that the Justice
OF making churches contribute their proper quota TO
the support OF the State lay In this-hat they
well able 10 bear IT, their members being made up, In
Many churches rich and ought not TO be exempt
from their equal part OF the public burthen Besides,
he continued. the experiment is being madc in the
United States, for tho hrst time in history, OF msnnin
ing Church apart from the State, and exception from
taxation In Official recognition
beyond what was necessary The Church was well able
TO take caro- Of her interest The Biblc had described
religion carrying riches ono OF her hands with
length OF days II his parishioncrs did take
OF him Il was their own ault-thcy able 10 do IT,
Mr.. Bayicy, who is Engshnian by birth, said that
his only objection the Church OF England that
IL was established and supported by government, and
he promised TO show the HERALD correspondent book
which he had written long before the question
introduced into politics and on the abstract merits OF
Rev. Mr.. Riddick said he had not given any special
thought 10 the subject; but the rst blush he could
see no good reason why churches, too. should not
be expected TO pay taxes He thought, however, that
ihero should be reasonable lmit-say Of $25 000
instead Of tho low maximum suggested by tho Prcs
dent ($3000). He thought IL would, perhaps, be best
exempt all church edi6ces from taxation. except
where they ornamcnted with pictures and other
works OF art not necessary to the purposes OF worship
IL was emincntly right that
RICH CORPORATION
like Trinity church, New York, which owned stores
corporation
question hero raised to whether the Metho-
dist Church owned anything else than the church
buildings. parsonascs, &c; and Mr.. Bayey said the
Methodist colleges Of She country belonged 10 tho
Church and wcrc held by trustees originally appointed
by the Church and acting for t. There seemed 10 bc
somc disposition TO question whether this relation
exactly constituted propretorship.
Mr. Kelley said the subject ought 10 be regarded with
reference the lights and teachings Of history Hc
believed these all tended TO prove that the Church
should claim no exemption and no privilege and owe
nothing 10 Csar or the S,ate that was his due Great
had been waged by OF the onerous and In
tolcraole burden imposed by
BESEFicED AND PRIVILEGED CLERGY.
In England the Church lands accumulnting from the
landing Of Augustine to the time OF Henry WILL,
amounted TO half the arabic OF tho Kingdom
This brought tho Reformation. In France the I'm
weight OF the priesthood and the property held
mortman for the benefit OF the Church prccpitaied
the revolution OF 1893. In Germany the same cxpe-
rencc had been undergone and tho lesson taught
Tho accumulation OF property and the excuses OF the
Orders bad strengthened the reforming fury or Luther
To-day the greatest hndrancc TO the stable peace and
good government in Italy from tho troubles
nccted with church property. Mr. Kelley in favor
both Justice the public and preserve the purity
OF the church ITSELF 10 tax church property without
exception exemption.
hr Best contentcd himself with saving that he
affirmed the views that had bccn advanced by his
brother clcrgymen.
large and nourishng congregation, believed that the
principle OF taxing churches church property
Mr. Sledd said that churches were established and
operated under tho guidance OF Providence not 10
make money, but TO save souls He said that his views
the subject expressed with great ability and
crarncss by Bishop Gibbons, Of Richmond, in com
muncaton that appeared two or three days ago In the
Your correspondent was not able 20 see Rev. H. c.
Brown pastor or the High street Methodist Episcopal
church. but learns that his views on the subject accord
with those OF Mr.. Sedd.
The Star this city came out editoriny few days
ago in opposition TO the taxation OF church property
as recommended in the Message OF Governor kcmpcr.
CURIOUS COINCIDENCE.
In this connection IL may not be inappropriate to
mention what Is regarded hero most singular
and remarkable coincidence and that IS the similarity
Of the recommendation regarding the taxation OF
church property the respective messages OF Presi
dent Grant and Governor kcnper
II had hitherto escaped public observation, but as
this subject began TO be agitated hero II
remarked that the thing looked very peculiar in po
.litical point Of view.
Governor Kempcr in his Message says
Among other subjects Of supplementary taxation that OF
church property Is entitled to fairly considered II tho
erty BY uniform xmum II 81 900, and tho
pins in zach small revenue would be derived from
MANY dcvOut hold thnt would tend awaken
stimulate into healthy exercise of the leading Chris
imposition Certainly the taxation Of this wealth in
the taxation Of those Of the laoring who
have no shAre in IL and no direct benefit from It.
This coincidence Is variously commented upon here
and somc politicians shake their heads in knowing
and significant way when the matter is discussed Ii
will be remembered that scarcely Two years ago, when
tho Governor had Just taken the executive u
charged by OF his political enemies that nc had
written letter Colonel John ;. Moeby which was
highly tncturcd with third tcrmism and in which the
Governor mad promised 10 bring 70 the Crsarc banner
or Grant 'nfty thousand Confederate braves" People
said at the time that Kcmpcr aspircd TO tho second
place the national ticket IN 1876 with Grant but per-
haps that mischcvous and unchnritabc II is but
fair stntc that Governor kempcr denied the whole
soft impeachment though the other hand, there are
many who to-day implicitly believe the story, and say
that IL hns been satisfactorily explained away.
give the whole Of II for what is worth, simply sug
gesng the question, lis Governor kcmpcr in COLLISION
with President Grant the church and school qucs-
tion with eye TO the third icrmg'