The herald., 1896-07-08
PRESBYIERY ADJOURNED
Central Church Commend
ed for Financial Aid
OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE SITE CHOSEN
Highland Park Will Give the
Land
A GOOD NATURED STRUGGLE
Los Angeles Secures the Prize Over
Other Competitors
An Interesting Letter From the Presby terry to
Westminster Church
IT,
A GOOD NATURED STRUGGLE
Los Angeles Secures the Prize Over
Other Competitors
An Interesting Letter From the Presby terry to
Westminster Church
The Pulpit Declared Vacant and q Committee
Appolnted to Have an, Oversight Of Its
Spiritual Welfare Until Next
Meeting Of Presbytery

Meeting Of Presbytery
The hour named for the opening of the
presbytery. in Emmanuel church yester-
day morning was 9 clock. but 1t was al
most 10 before the moderator called the
meeting to order.
Some twenty minutes were spent in
devotional exercises. after which the
minutes of the last proceedings were
| read by the secretary.
Rev. Joseph A. Hanna Of the Will
annette presbytery was introduced and
invited to sit as a corresponding men,
( Der.
DR.. Chichester moved that the pres
bytery warmly commend the Central
| church of Los Angeles for financial aid.
He said that DR.. Fowler and his people
are bearing a heavy burden. and this
action would give them heart. This
| passed with a full vote, and DR.. Fowler
later expressed his gratitude to the pres
bytery. He said the church had met all
it's financial obligations in the past year
and paid a high rent for its place of
worship, and, while it was not discour-
aged, it felt sorely that it is handicapped
! and that was its sole disadvantage. A
| paper is in circulation for new building
| in the center of the city, which has pass
ed the $4,000 line. and but few of the me-
dium givers had yet been reached. He
| felt that they must have help, for the
prospect before them was two years of
! litigation ere it could enter unhampered
| into it's proper work. While an oppor-
tunity had been offered him to lay down
| the burden he had carried in the past
year, he was willing to stay by the
church if the church would stay by him.
Dr. Henderson said that there had been
SO much gush over Westminster that
| the Central church had peen WeL-hlsh
| overlooked.
AIr. johnson said he had stood by
Westminster, but he felt great soicltude
| and interest in the Central church, ana
he believed thu former would 40 justice
by their brethren of the Central.
DR.. Henderson said he had resolution
to offer that had nothing to do with
| Westminster church, but was one Whlcn
every Protestant and Catholic could en-
| dorse, the entire separation OF cLurch
and state. There was strong 1eehhe
growing in the church against the en-
croachment of corporations IN the JurlS.
diction of eccleSiactical government. II
| had been earnestly discussed In the gen
eral synod and strong sentiments eN-
| pressed against a corporation ropplns
| presbytery of it's property. lie therefore
| offered the following resolutions:
| Whereas. From the communication
| signed by George II. Stewart anu Iedu
at the meeting of this presbytery, June
%. 1896, it appears that the Congreea-
| tional meeting held June II, 1886, by the
! Westminster Presby terian church OF Los
Angeles, enormously styling itself the
| First Presbyterian church, purported TO
be a meeting of the corporation known
as the First Presbyterian church OF LOS
| Angeles; therefore
| Resolved, That the action of said con-
| gregational meeting in attempting TO
effect the withdrawal of said church
from the Presbyterian church IN the
United States of America, as well as the
other transactions of the said meeting.
! is null and void The state does not
pretend to confer ecclesiastical powers.
either directly or indirectly, upon the
corporations which it creates. The rela-
ton of a church TO the presbytery is one
over which the corporation has no juris-
| diction whatsoever. In the language
| of a former Judge of the supreme court
of California, the corporation lis mere
| convenience afforded by the law for the
convenience of the spiritual body, and is
the servant of the church, not its mas
| ter"
but pending the vote was discussed earn
estly by the stated clerk, Rev. Young
and others. Decisions of the state su
preme court were cited, and personal
| opinions of Judge Thornton given to
| those present. Mr.. Young said if the
thing kept on it would result in remodel
ing the government of the Presbyterian
| church.
1t was the generally expressed opin-
ion that the corporate body could not
| take the bit in its teeth, so to speak, and
manage its property independent of the
jurisdiction of the presbytery, the gov
erning body, At this juncture Mr.. Nc
Birney, chairman of the committee to
confer with persons representing various
sites for Occidental college, announced
that they We're ready to report. The diff
ferent places and offers were enumerat-
ed; that of Major Ben Truman at Ingle-
| wood, backed by the generous citizens
of that village, with other Inducements;
| one at GarvanZa; one at Glendale, con-
sisting of the hotel property containing
| 100 rooms. completely furnished, which
| could be purchased at reasonable rates
on easy terms. and last that of Judge
Allen at Highland park, which the COM
mittee recommended as the best location
for the institution The Highland park
people will donate tract of seven and
| a half acres of land free of encumbrance
and secure two and half acres living
A-d
pany had offered a very low rate for
| transportation, and railroads would also
give reduced rates. The advantages Of
| nearness to the city, the water and sew
| erage connections were enumerated
This called out a general discussion
and many opinions were expressed the
general sentiment prevailing being that
it would be the wisest course to select
! site for the future advantage of the
school rather than to secure the largest
| inducements for the smallest amount
of money
DR.. Compton of Inglewood made a
| brave contest for his town. The senti-
ment of the members was finally embod-
led in a resolution that the presbytery
of Los Angeles will locate Occidental
college at Highland Park, provided that
seven and one-half acres of land with
out encumbrance can be given by july
18th, and that a committee be appionted
with power to act to close the business
transaction.
BY that date $4,000 will have to be
raised to erect suitable buildings Some
members thought more time should be