New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-02-11
NR. BOUEN'S PROPOSITION.

WHAT He THINKS 4 PROPER Tribunal.
MIR. BowEN PROPOSES 10 1Hf Lx.MINING COMMIT
TEE 10 Buu UIs TESTIMONY To ulRFE
PROMINENT CoNGREGATIONALIoIs-IHE OYER
REJrcTED-HE 1HFS ASKS FOR TEN DAYS IL
WHICH To PREPARE HIMSELF, AND FOR sTAfE-
MfNr or MR.. WHITES GhIEv,NCEs.
In answer 10 the summons sont 10 him by The Ex-
aiming Commute of rlymouth Church that lac
should present before il tho proofs of his charges
against Nh. Brcch>r. Henry G.. Bowen met tl'e Com
miltee last evening az the residence of tG-
Rev. ). Il. Halliday, nt Willow and Oraugc-st'.,
Brooklyn. There were present tho Rev. Dr.
Edward Beecher, the Rev. ). Is. Halliday,
Henry NJ. Cleveland. 5. V. White, Mr.
Robinson. Mr.. Iair Mr. 1iuey. and Dr. W. n.
Ward. Henry {. Bowen appeared with his Two
sOrs, II. T.. B"wel and J.. A. Bowen, ac-
compani,d by q strnoEaphor. The presence OF Mr.
Bowen, scnogapheI objected to, and after some
discussion the rule adopted at the previous meeting
was enforced and the reporter excluded. Dir. IilDcy
then told Mr.. Bowen that the Committee MAS ready
to hear him in l. florence - the charges made BY him
AGAINST Mr.. Bccch,r Mr. Bowen III reply read the
following letter: $500
oie FJamininy COMMITTEE of f'gAouh ChUvch
GtNTLENtN: lV,u communication ot Cd = received
y. st.riav informs mo tnat YOUR culnnit"' arr clearly
the opinion thni the of'nso CHARGED IN Mr. Whte,
ana furtu,r add tlnt have WltIou pretending t.
hnvr rcr ,onAl know ledge" made IN Lannon'S allegations
f. ia nam that YOU n,r, N lror.e Nh Whites grievances
ard adj I'm fn'ther charge 81 your OWL Indeed,
white assuming 10 sit q, primary judi cal body, %Hch
can only receive charges made by Oiheis and de- idc
upon them. yuu assume the junction of piniin 0f
prosecuting attorney hesitate ochar1cteii asst scrns
10 ilr To tie position OF court ~hcn before
beginning IT, ttAl a-suDics uy gdt and decides SKA nat
proper ribbaL" mignt also Justly protest AGAINST
your acton sunm"nih- me bci"r your n't without
i'm a.
Distinctly formulated r17rSe-' WIN spc',hedt"t on
winch am To- ot ui-d lou tell me ma AN Oh i'a''
atf inform ne you have ali cadJ preudSed my ci-c,
~ ,i,.r.'. an a, i,h son u,,r ur,i convicted aud now
vi-h 10 II, ne. Ts does not appear 10 mo 10 bc The
position th.t would Doe taken 10y proper tribunal
fancy in ciung nae to appear FOR ,ral on hut
single days notice. bon VIII ma dy assert
that tins n-rcc- with civil or ecrlesl'ict usage.
We're pIr.hytrIiHu should b. allowed az least ten
duy after being ruiuoh,d to appear IN zen 10 pre-
thins mat nothing less than tins -irgio justice would
bee allowed by any "W"prr uihinhL' ! do not. now
ryrr take adyaniar" OF what Appears Ia me {" b.
In any W., avoid al the investigation which you may
dc,-. Indeed wound as-ist You to make II more thor
Oulh md coucu-b IA, ro;ure now appear before yoh
to make proposition which VIII, tuNi please io'l =,
proyid,ng Tor mon" ON Ietr ,'d"h ih"b 'o""
De uad, before uittcc constituted - yours H.
You VIII remember thgi IN referring portion ~ the
evidence "hich ad Itn ur I" ~ nhit,"itht Jlt h'h'
of hr pastor OF Plymouth Church. SAID: 81 never cen
viii lee base enough t. allow single name 10 hr
hrut"d before ia" world II - 'in"7l 'r'an MAJ iHe
questions which might h." isk'd h. 'otc toaf t'HH Tee
would l,sd {" the Identification 81 ne names ltlrifrl TO-
AMI I" mon hrins Ultimately ht"tht !" l"l, w, Phnh'
10 ths cannot consent. wnt"'"r may b" th' conse-
qurncr- to personally. FrIiing therefore "'i m N
,r-ti aiinu hriurv yonf Cor nitl"r sLond % h'Nli5
incgnr'rr aud una'I,ac%ry pr"''e ihat tirr nm
gu'ird Tor Their wisdom ana lmi"iih,' 'u'n ior .h
ainpl. 49, President Woo,cy, President A,a -. smith,
President Fnrchiid Judge Lafayette :. Poster. the Hon"
hl,.h,,, HafJ, or ne ton. julius II se~yr. men ia
Do.r dr..lo ttc world VIII feel coihd"uce who shall
III, Pledged tu keep u such ekhirnrr spcir hrlore whom
ony Nj lrrrIcr and mIsrlf shan appear without WI
nr-~,s and before whom viii consent. without any r.
wnatcycr and as soon ~ they can meet t. CAV" IN
I'M III" o. dence when IA, lei me !" sly lal nave no
doubt Mr B,rrh,T T. guilty of adultery. perjury, ana
hypocrisy. ask nothing more than thit iHry shall iuiy
consider ihe qnt 'i"ns Nh,h you seem To hi,e ".m'
you. whether deserve ccc 'lrsl "n'nre Tor my pre-
jusrd bl ne facts ~ my lohSr>N'n ~ making
whn. you call my "minnous allegations and in-lnla
fpr reply to Mr.. whites grievances | am willing Ia
abide b The approval of snch body of men,
thrir lion rc.nrrn everything hy, stated about
Henry ward rcech"r ~ nay p"'ious communication to
yoi. and ready 10 -ubstaniilic II bci"r slrh
tribunal. Very respectfully, Ill>Rf {. BoWt>.
1hcprocccdings OF the Committee afterthe reading
of the letter. as related by Mr.. Bowen, are u. fol
lows:
Mr. 1ilney then said, addressing Mr. Bowen We
are not here To hear suggestions from Hol. The
Examining Committee consider tho proper
tribunal to act on your ease, and We ask yen now
TO repeat all facts known To y0u against the pastor
Nh Blair then moved that tie Committee decline
10 accedo to Mr.. BOwcn's proposition. lie said this
was moi a case between Bowen and Bccchcr, but
between Bowen aud the Church. and that il should
not be Withdrawn from the Church and carried
before strangers
:. V. White SAID That. speaking not Is par
tisan OF Mir. Bowen Mr. Beecher, but With
desire to know the character of his pastor he did
not wish tho church to go ont of the church IN this
Investigation. I'VE want to know he said. the
truc character Of orr a,tor and do not want TO go
before strangers
The Committee retired and at the end of ten MN
utes returned and read the following
Fird: tn. Committee drcn- to accsde Ia Mr.. Bowers
r.uUo-t for futtbcr adjournment
Second That they now urge him TO state any facts In
his pO>-ssoD IN support Of the allegations mat liz mas
Iulir uit ting the character r the pastor.
Ihi,d Thai II he 5- declines to state such facts we
shall tomorrow evening report Ia Tie huieh the action
which has been taken, and ash hT INSTRUCTIONS
Mr. Blair read Matthew xviii II. TO show that the
regular steps had been taken. Mr.. Bowen replied
that he had had only ~ hours to prepare for tins
meeting that his engagements were such that IL
was utterly impossible for HIM 10 give III" tiIne
necessary 20 prepare for this meeting lie wa1 Ie1dS
ri "A moments NOTICE to answer any qut'ion a. 10
the essential facts only, hut was not ready then LOT
- formal trial. >, -,
Sir. Bowen then retired. stating that in all tho
wears ic had been in Plymouth Chuich no charges
had ever before been brought against MN, ana no
was entitled to the time necessary To prepare ior
the trial. NJ,
reporter last evening that tho Committee would re-
port the church this evening all that occurred nc
iii. meeting. lilo gave 1t ~ ms opinion tnat !he
church would vote TO refer tho matter back To the
Examining Committee, with instructions TO nll0w
Mr. Bowen the ten days asked for III which to tell the
COMM bee all the facts he WAS possessed OF, II any,
NJ an leicriing upon tho moral character OF Alr
Rcecher.