Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-10-15
The United church extension.

The United Church Extension.
A copy of the circular below has been sent
to every member of the Court of Common
Council:
To the Mayor, Aldermen and Common Coun-
Gil of the City of New Haven:
In behalf of property owners residing neal
the public Green and of over 500 other cit
liens of New Haven who have signed a pro
test against the petition of the United So
ciety for leave to erect new chapel, ETC., OF
the full width and height of their church
edifce, and extending about forty feet from
its rear wall, the following reasons why such
petitions should not be granted are presented
for your consideration:
First-It would be an illegal act to grant
the desired permission. The city charter
confers no authority, expressly or by impli-
cation, which would support it; but apart
from any charter powers the Common Coun-
Gil has no legal right to give away public
property for private uses. It has no more
right to donate part of the public square
to aid in erecting a UNCONVENTIONAL chapel
than it has to appropriate money from the
city treasury for the same purpose.
Second-It would be unjust act to the
general public and especially to the adjoin-
ing property owners. The Green was dedi-
Gated to public uses and is held in trust fol
public uses only. Whatever may have been
the theory of former generations as tc
has never been claimed that society chapel
with parlors, kitchen, ETC., was a public
structure, nor has a request ever before been
made for permission to erect such building
on the Green. Such use has never been
contemplated or anticipated by the people at
large nor by the adjoining residents. Thelstte1
have bought their lots at prices based on
the assumed permanency of their open view
as against any such contingency, and have
for many years paid taxes to the city on val
ues assessed with reference to such perma-
nence. 1t would be in bad faith toward
/ them, as well as toward the general public tic
impair the rights and interests which They
have thus acquired in the Green by devotinq
it to this new and uncoHtemplated purpose
Third 1t would be dangerous precedent
for the future! If the United society is per
mitted to build q chapel on the Green NJ
good reason can be given for refusing similar
privileges to the Center and Trinity church
societies, nor to any and every other religious
society in the city. It is needless to enlarg'
upon this point, as its Importance must b.
manifest to every mind.
Fourth-It would be inexpedient. Gu,
Green is already too small, and as the siz
and compactness of our city increases, tn
l necessity for at least one large and unob
structed open space near its center of popu
I lation and business becomes more and NOR
apparent and pressing. To further incumbe
| it with buildings would be movement il
| the wrong direction. 1t is not lonl
since the city and private contribu
| tors paid large SUM of money Il
remove a church from the Green, ans
/ the question "What shall be done with tn
/ old State Housea' is even now causing grea
| embarrassment. It would be unwise to in
| crease and compicate the difficulties whicl
| are already sufficiently troublesome to our
selves and are likely to be even more SO t,
our successors. One rule at least is safe ant
should be strictly adhered to, viz: Let Their
be no farther encroachments for private pur
poses on the public square.
New Haven, October IS, 1884.