Morning journal and courier., 1880-04-28
First Church, Fair Haven

First Church, Fair Haven. The SOcisty's Meeting Last Evening,
 which Was Not a Legal Meeting-A
 Clerical ErrOr i'm the Call.
 In pursuance to 8 call posted by the mem- bers of the First Ecclesiastical Society of Fair Haven, meeting was held last evening in the lecture room of the First Congregational church. The call announced the time of meeting at 7:30 o'clock, but it was near 8 o'clock before the members assembled. The society's clerk, MT. John c. Bradley, called the meeting to order and Henry R. Barnes was appointed chairman.
 The call for the meeting was read and stated that the nature of the business to come up was to be the matter of calling the Rev. Bur dett Hart to become pastor for the ensuing year.
 Deacon Willis Hemingway offered the fol- lowing resolution
 clesiasticRl Society, do with the church nected herewith in extending call to the Rev Bur.
 quarter of the year, commencing the first day of May, No vote was taken upon the resoluto John c. Bradley, the society's cle,k, called attention to clerical error in the posted call for the meeting. The call stated that the First Ecclesiastical Society of New Haven, Conn.,, which is the Center church of New Haven, will hold @ meeting. But the call should have read the First Ecclesiastical Soci- ety of Fair Haven. The question arises, Is this meeting a legal one? Willis Hemingway stated that the error was merely a clerical error, and he thought the members of the society present could correct it and proceed with business in legal man ner.
 Curtis S. Bushnell stated that he desired \ the business before the meeting to be con- ducted in a legal manner. According to the statutes the call for meeting should be issued ! five days previous to the meeting, and posted on the signpost and read from the pulpit. If this meeting had been called in that man ! ner and the call was properly worded, tae business of the meeting could be legally conducted, if not the business of the meeting could not be legalized.
 ! Norman A. Tanner said that if the meeting was not a legal one all that remained to be done was to adjourn. He would like MT. Bushnell to determine whether or not the E meeting was legal one. That gentleman, \ however, declined to offer any opinion upon \ the subject.
 Mr. Bradley asked MT. Bushnell if the deed I conveying the property upon which the church was built had been made out in the name of the First Ecclesiastical Society of New Haven if it would hold. l to hold
 In the meantime Mir. Hemingway had ! moved that the resolution presented by him be passed. At this time he did not wish his motion to prevail if the doings of the meet ! ing could not be legalized. ] At this point the chairman, Henry R. Barnes, said if he did not occupy the chair he | would like to ask two questions He was asked to present his questions. He asked if the society's clerk had taken
 the oath of office as prescribed by the stat utes.
 Mir. Bradley, the clerk, answered that he had never been sworn.
 Mir. Barnes then inquired whether certain members of the society had complied with the statutes which required them to present their requests to become members of the so- ciety in writing, and if said requests had been acted upon by the society. To this question MT. Bradley stated that he had entered the names of new members upon the records of the society, and after they had remained certain length of time and there had been no dissent by the church, he consid- cred that they were eligible to vote in society meetings and were members in accordance with the statutes.
 After some discussion it was finally decided by those in attendance that the meeting was illegal, and that there was no meeting at all. In compliance with this sentiment MT. Barnes declared the meeting dissolved. It was suggested that the next meeting be
 called next Monday evening, but no definite action was taken upon the subject. Before the meeting broke up there was 8 talk upon the matter of engaging the Rev.
 MT. Hart as pastor for the ensuing year. Mir.
 Bushnell declared himself Hart man, but he
 had a suggestion to make. He stated that the subject was of great importance, and as there had been some complaint as to the all legged nasty manner in which the church had brought up the matter he thought the whole had better be reconsidered and give the mem
 bers better opportunity to understand the affairs.
 MT. Willis Hemingway stated that the usual customs had been followed, and he was not aware that there had been any nasty ac = tion on the part of the church members. He society would be without a pastor next Sun day as matters now stood.
 MT. Bushnell thought there would be no difficulty on that score.
 There was some discussion as to whether the church or pastor was in duty bound to notify one or the other in case of a with drawal.
 At last the meeting dissolved and the mem
 bers quietly retired from the lecture room.
 United Workers, Sale.
 The Employment bureau having closed their work for the winter, will have a sale of ready made garments for women and children at the Art Museum, State House, Wednesday, April 2Sth, from II 8. m. to p. m. It is hoped that the sale will be we'll patronized by all those interested in the work.