Evening star., 1895-06-03
DING INTO COURT
A Friendly Suit to Settle St. Marks Vestry
r.. Trouble
Bishop Paret Approves q Plan by
viewed by n Court of Equity.

new developments in the st. Marks Church
embroglio. Since the action of the recent
diocesan convention in refusing to settle
the question at issue between the two fac
ticns speculation has been keen and IN
cessant as to what the next happening
might be- Both sides are naturally OBJ
serving a discreet silence, especially since
1t became clear to all concerned that moth
ing short of an adjudication by a court of
equity could be relied on to produce peace
and bring about legal reorganization of the
church. Mr.. Bennett, the delegate chosen
by the de facto vestry to go to the diocesan
convention. said today that everything was
going along smooth enough. He did not
regard the failure of the convention to
adopt the report of the elections committee
as at all inveighfng or rejecting on the
position of himself and mis- associates.
All Progressing Satisfactorily.
"As a cool matter of fact" said Mr.. Ben
nett, 'if anything can be cool today, we
are going on In peace good order and
brotherly love. the collections yesterday
were nearly fifteen dollars more than they
were for the same Sabbath last year. That
speaks well for a church that is divided
within ITSELF doesn't it? And they do say
that there were some who refrained from
giving on account of the trouble over the
vestry. Yet in the main the church is go
ing forward, pretty much as well Off as If
nothing at all had happened
did Bishop Paret during the recent con-
vention vouchsafe any opinion on the Pc
culiar situation in st. Marks Church,
None whatever to my knowledge"
TT was apparent in the convention that
the bishop did not consider any action the
convention might take as absolutely bind
ing, or as precedent. l think he was sat
isfied not to have the convention act on
the report. but he stated that the decision
of the committee went on record and so far
had its force"
A Settlement Likely.
well, is this the end of It, or is there a
movement on foot to settle the controversy
authoritativeIy?
'I think 1 may say that we hope to ar
range the whole matter amicably. That
is all can now say about it,
1t is rumored that the acting vestry have
elected vestrymen to fill the places of those
who were recently declared not 20 be
vestryKnen in regular and active perform
ance Of their duties. This report. however,
still lacks confirmation. and it is believed
that while the de factC vestry may have
taken this step In view of possible ad-
justment of the difficulty In court of law.
their action has been arrested and held In
allegiance until 1t may appear what COM
promise or settlement may be proposed
and agreed upon. 1t Is understood that the
bishop has suggested to both sides that
they agree to plan proposed by Mr. Me
10y, who acted as attorney for the de 1ure
party before the committee on elections in
the recent convention. This is to make up
friendly case and bring it before some
court in equity for decision.
The Question to BE Decided.
This seems feasible, because the main
question to be passed upon is whether the
communicates at the mission could be
taken into the Easter election at the parent
church and permitted to vote as If they
were stated worshipers there, and upon
this question there is little. II any, differ
ence to the facts. The one side claims
sary church contributions paid. and their
votes secured, and this, they claim. was
Illegal. The other side admits having done
this, and insists 1t had right to do 1t.
The Meloy plan could it is thought. be car
ried out promptly, without any further
clash, and both sides would be obliged to
abide by It,
What is a Churchs
There Is another point that would nee
essarly be forced into consideration, and
that is the proper character or bounds of
a church. The other day before the COM
mittee in the convention Mr.. Graham, the
rector of St. Marks, was questioned by
member of the committee as to who the
imported voters were. 1t appeared, from
his answer, that the names of these voters
d y,
said, IL answer to a question, he regarded
as one of the books of the parish. He had
entered these names in the index of the
parish book because, he said, he thought
some question might come up about the
right of these people to vote. The law re-
quires that they should be regularly enter
ed in the book thirty days before the cleo
ton. This he had done only with a few,
but he thought the right to vote ought not
to be taken from them on this account.
The RectOr's Construction.
Some one-one Of the ushers OF the
church-asked him If these voters were
stated wcrshipers. Mr.. Graham said they
were. "At our church," continued the
questioner. They are stated worshipers
In the church." replied the rector. This
answer created surprise, for it was known
that many of them were wholly strangers
in the church and did not attend there. 1t
has since occurred to several who knew
this circumstance that the rector said some
thing like this in his statement to the
church at the outbreak of the trouble He
then said he regarded the church not as
the building, but the people, and 1t includ-
ed the whole parish. the mission communi
cants as we'll as those Of the parent
church. Any decision of the matter will
doubtless have to include definition of a
church. so as to make it clear who are to
control and be responsible for the MAIN
tenance and prosperity of the church.