Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-02
GOSSIPFROM GOTHAM
Legislature Empowers the City to
Build Another Tunnel.
TIE SLOANE BELMONT WEDDING
Tax Board Decides to Exempt
William Waldorf Astor.
OVER DIR. BRIGGS
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
NEW YORK, May /, 1890
The state Legislature in it's closing hours
at Albany brought joy to the citizens of
Brooklyn by the passage of the Atlantic
avenue tunnel bill. The bill is really in the
interest of corporation composed of stock
holders of the Long Island railroad. Will
liam H. Baldwin. jr., president Of that
corporation, and also member of the At
lantic avenue tunnel commission, says:
The bill will now have to go to the mayor
for his approval and will then have to be
signed by the governor. We are ready to
begin the construction as soon as the mu-
nicipal assembly gives us the authority.
We have had our plans fully perfected for
two years The tunnel will cost in the
neighborhood of S6oUu,uo0, and will require
about two and a half years to build
Both the North and East rivers will
therefore be tunneled within the next few
years The sale of the Hudson river tun-
mel property was announced to take place
next Tuesday, but it is now learned that
1t has been postponed Indefinitely, and it
is asserted that English capital will finish
the tunnel
Gossip Concerning Mrs. Perry belmont
Now that the former Mrs. Henry T.
Sloane has become Mrs. Perry Belmont
the query Is going the rounds of clubs and
drawing rooms, VIII she be rehabilitated
socially? The general verdict seems to be
that she will. The business and political
influence Of Perry Belmont, it is thought,
will be sufficient to accomplish this. 1t is
well known that Perry Belmont made
strenuous objections to the marriage of his
brother. Oliver H. z. Belmont, to Mrs VIM
K. Vanderbilt. 1t is recalled that he gave
his long-contnued friendship for the va
rious members of the Vanderbilt family as
ms reasons for not resuming friendly rela-
tons with his sister-in-law. The circum-
stances of his own courtshp and marriage
are Identical, though the former Mrs
Henry Sloane's connection with the Van
derbiit family Is more remote, Henry r.
Sloane brother having married Miss
vanderbilt 1t will be nearly four months be-
lore the social question is really put to the
test at Newport. Nj. and Mrs Perry Belmont
VIII meanwhile pass some time abroad
Mr. and Mrs. Elbridge T. Gerry were
among those who extended invitations to
Mrs. Hehry L. Sloane last winter. They are
gong to Europe next Saturday and may
there set the fashion of entertaining Mrs
Belmont Mr.. Belmont has renewed his
lease of the 9Th avenue house for another
year His Newport establishment which
came TO MIN from his parents he has been
gradually improving for years By the
Time Mr. and Mrs. Perry Belmont reach
, nro, sue late IN August. society will have
piopaoly settled the matter of Mrs. Bel
mont standing. Mrs. Astor is one of the
society people who are very much aversa
5 70 squa9bles and in Mrs, Astor and Mrs.
powerful social allies. wv
speaking of Newport the finishing toucb
20 the program for the season has been
gwen by the completion Of the essential
sboa, o! me third annual Newport horse
SOW. Inc snow, which is to be one of
Lhe most important events of the season
mas Deen set for September a. < ana a nj
eAiioltiohs are to be held in the grounds If
the Newport Casino. VI
hr. Aston Escapes Taxes.
because of advice received from the cor-
: ~ o'tio'i counsel by the tax department 1t
10 piooaoie mat William Waldorf Aston will
navy 10 pay any tax on his personal
property for 1898 and 1899. The amo,nt +hat
vas inEoi'eo was about $4,000 Mr. Astor
sent from London to President Feitner ~
inc tax commission declaration tho ~
was resident of London, and therefore
shouia not be assessed for personal nronero
~ III tiiIs country He admitted for years
sIia a. nus personal property was worth
S@'"p,oD Mr.. Feitner insisted thar the nar
sonal appearance of Mr. Aster was neces-
sary. ana when Mr. Aston came to this citv
recently ne went before the tax COMMITS
sion and swore off his personal assessman+
ollii the board would give no decision II
was stated that special private investiga
rion was necessary. and such investigation
" as mace The results We're reporfed 10
me corporation counsel for an opinion and
ne decided that Mr., Astor should be eysmnt
me tax board has not acted in the CASE
YET. put probably will do so in a few GaVS
MI Astor personal tax for 1893 announced
10 ABOUT 10000, and for 1899 If is esti
$500 0 1e'9 'iia4i
Trouble Over DIR. Briggs,
one OF the most embarrassing questions
that has troubled the Episcopal Church IN
America for many years has arisen over tho
proposed ordination Of the Rev. DR.. Charles
a. Briggs as a priest in that church. DR.
Briggs, who became famous through heine
tried FOR heresy by the general assembly Of
the Presbyterian Church left that cono
munion and took orders In the fTn;s.,naI
church year ago. He is to be ordained
AS a priest of the Episcopal Church hv
blshop Potter some time in the early part
OF next month. 1t was the Intention of
Bishop Potter to ordain DR. Briggs in St
Peters Church, in Westchester On Sunday
May IA. but this brought forth storm, Of
protest protest, from II the rector and wealthy par
lshloners OF st. Peters The Rev. DR..
Frank NJ. Clendenin, rector of the church.
wrote an open letter to Bishop Potter re-
questing him to withdraw the ordination
ana protesting against the reception of DR.
Briggs into the Episcopal Church at ali
HIS stand is upheld not only by his own par
ishioners, but by prominent Episcopalians
throughout the country. In accordance
ter has withdrawn his plan to ordain DR..
Briggs in st. Peters. 1t Is practically as
sured, however. that DR.. Briggs will be Or
dained although he has not announced
where the ceremony will take place. The
Rev. DIR. William r. Huntington has cffer-
ed the use Of Grace Church for Dr. Briggs
ordination, but that offer has been declined
Home of Sailors.
Rear Admiral J. w. Philip is at the head
of the international committee of the Naval
Young Mems Christian Association, which
is planning to build a home or club for jack
tars when out on liberty in the vicinity of
the navy yard and which will cost about
500. 900. good deal of this amount has
already been subscribed, and during last
week the committee was notified that just
as soon as the $108, 900 Is in hand "a donation
of $4,000 would be given by friend. One
condition OF the promised gift is that the
name of the person Offering it be kept a
secret. The nucleus of the home or club
was started two months ago. In fact, the
temporary building was formally opened on
March /. The house Is within a short dis
lance of the entrance to the navy yard 1t
is in charge of Chaplain R. E. Steele, u S.
NJ, who is also secretary of the interna-
tional committee. During the two months
the house has been open-that is from
March / to April 27-the men of the navy
y,ox, lar cd