The Jersey City news., 1899-10-24

War STILL ON.
Uptown Trustees Refuse
Tabernaclers All They
Request.
A MISUNDERSTANDING
Downtown People Claim They
Do Not Ask for Tabernacle
Draft of Letter.
A MISUNDERSTANDING

Brick mortar, stone, sanctity without
any ossifcation whatever, the Taper-
nacle is still the bone of contention Inc
Tabernacle still stands a little the worse
for wear and tear, just as it did IN the
time of the War of the Rebellion, Wnen
1t gave shelter to prosecuted slaves, and
the Tabernaclers, just where they DID al
the beginning of the separation proceed
ings. save that they. are now provisional
society. The war is still on between Pas
tor Scudder's two churches, but the tu-
multi of the first outbreak is over, ana
they. or one, at least-the downtown
branch-is now suing for peace.
last night another independence meet
ing was held. Evidently something un-
usual was expected The Tabernacle lee
ture room was filled, and there was a
large delegation from the uptown brancn'
but the crisis has not yet come. was
one of those quiet meetings the Taner-
naclers are in the habit OF noioins
late, where any tendency toward war
of words is quickly, judiciousiy ana oeAt-
ly suppressed. The meeting referred 70
was simply to hear the decision OF the
uptown branch upon the proposition maze
by the downtown branch In ITS artlcies
of separation.
1t seems that, according to the request
made by the uptown branch, commit.
tee from the downtown branch OF pro-
yisional church, waited upon the Boyo
Avenue Trustees on October y, present
ing a petition, which has been reiuseo'
in a communication, dated October -
as follows:-
..To the Members of the ProvislonaIa la
Congregational Society
"Gentlemen-In RESPONSE to your re-
auest that we take action upon the peelss
afon which has been in the possession i,o o.
our secretary for some time w 800 ne
fiiied IN going into the subject az so!ne
length IN order that you may iuiis ~
ssThfs petition. as you know, was nor
directed To our board, but to commlItee
Of the Congregational Union OF NeW Se.- 81.
sey- NO one representing & lhs ~ peit'iJil # until
July g. 1899, when two OF tns ssltaeiiS1' ssltI,..S5
connected with the Tabernacle apPeai p4 ~ 80
stating that they did not represent s,,t o,,t
signers of the petitions, but were ptessnr $50,
a. jndividlIais simply 10 learn WntlneA
any action had been taken on the pelleloil,
AS soon after this as we coulo aiiaist "a .
mestingaof our menlsers was Ts,sssy
Cftv who. in good fa.tn, desired 20 loiAl1
81, inderendent church. Should appoint
committee who. would ae autAorlzeu .u -
assume the same responsibility on uuS
mart OF such members as We were oDllssu
ID assume on the part OF the Whole ~
eiety. This communication was SEM on
July 1s 1879. From asar saas aaas M I5efobsr
q iusRa9lf no one has come DsIofe ~ y
officiallys present the petltlen Agr si, We
there any one to whom we couiu lis olisSs S,.s5 Z
reply. We have therefore not conslaereq G
rhe netition as officially before our poaI9
for our action, until the last mentionea @
date, when your committee stared a. ina a.
they then presented u, ts sn9 Tea,ests.s Wes1 ~
in conclusion we WIZ state snat ~ - ,,sso.
eomuittee is prepared to enter into nego-
tiations with a view OF many - sa,,5 ,,,55
a plan by which q new sociely anu
church, when formed. may nave the irss
use of the TaIbernacle for such tune as can
be agreed tp0n.
.sTakiaf lrS then the petition. 1t IS pQy
right thafs VIVA ever action we take snouio
be such as we can feel reasonably CERTAIN
would be acceptable to the sociesy "n.S.i L.s
we represent. This society, py me vse1 s.ss1s
whelming vote of 260 TO 43 mas put ltsetl
upon record as emphatically opposing those
requests of the petition Whlcn ASK enae
the petitioners be set apart as an ll9e-
pendent CONGREGATIONAL Church ana 30
ciety. = that copies of ALI the records OF me
First iCongrega ational Society up 10 union
Of the two churches shall be given to sucn
new society, and that the lsoo;afv' fis''is
with this preliminary statement Liner g
fore. our reply to the petition Isl
seThat We cannot approve the request
that the petitioners be set apart as am
.sThat If a new society and church be
formed we have no objection 10 It's Pc
5ugE known as the, Tabernacle Congrega-
tional Church; and Society OF Jersey CITY
''That we cannot see any reason why q
sister church should be In possession OF
copies of the records of the First Con-
gregationaf Church and Society Of Jersey
give certified copies of such records TO the
new society and church if formed.
THAT we refuse OUT consent to any plan
which has for its object the absolute dis
posal of any of the property of the First
Congregational Society of Jersey CITY,
either by deed to the new society II form
ed or by deed to an outside organization
to be held by 1t ig trust for such society
and upon the failure of that new society
to become the property of such outside
organization.
'And, finally, that we also refuse the
request that the new society If formed be
the Tabernacle for an indefinite period,
the determination of such being contin-
gent upon the judgment of an outside
person, the property meanwhile to re-
main under the control of the First
Congregational Society. Our Board will
fx upon such early date as may be con-
venient when a conference can be had"
BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
"Of the First Congregational
Chureh Of Jersey City.
FRANK H, HALL
Secretary
Just prior to the public meeting last
night. private conference of the Pro-
visional Board of Trustees was held, when
the following was drawn ups