Evening star., 1901-06-12
IN FAVORlOF MOVING
First Presbyterian Church Votes ito
Seek Nsw Location.
ACTION OFO9NGKEGATIONAL MEETING
Possible Union With Proposed
Church oa Washington Heights.
COM ITTEE APPOINT ID

The congregation of the First Presby-
| terian Church last night declared itself in
| favor of moving to any suitable location
that might present itself farther out in the
! northwest section of the city. A committee
of seven was authorized by the meeting
and appointed by the presiding officer, A.
r. l.. Leckie, to make inquiries and investi-
cation and report back to the church. This
action was not taken until the whole ques-
ton had been thoroughly discussed, and in
its adoption a proposition for definite ac-
ton at once, well a third motion that
the whole matter should be dropped, were
disposed Of.
AS soon as the meeting was called to
order two resolutions were introduced, the
first by F. G. Coldren declaring that it
would advance the future interests of the
church by removing it to the northwest sec
ton of the city. T. F. Sargent Immediate
ly presented a substitute, which began by
saying: 1t Is not now deemed eXpedient to
! remove the church.. Mr.. Coldren was rec
ognlzed by the chair and spoke briefly to
his resolution. He denied at the outset
that there was any intention, SO far his
resolution went, to force a juncture with
the Presbyterian Church that is to be or
ganlZed next Sunday Washington
Heights. He said however, there was
bare possibility that things might shape
themselves to this end in the future. Mr.
Coldren said there was diScouraging out
| look financially for the church in it's pres
| ent location, and he thought removal
| would infuse new life and new material
| into the organization In any event, he
could see no way in which harm could
| come from his resolution, no matter what
action might be taken on 1t.
Speaks of the Finances.
Mr.. Sargent then took the floor, saying
| as he rose, that he was somewhat amazed
| at the financial report which Mr.. Coldren
| had just made. He said there was no de-
| ficit, and that the church had grown more
| III membership during the past year than
| 1t had for several years and was in Il
| better financial condition than it had been
| for ten years. Mr.. Sergeant predicted that
| even II the church should vote to change
| it's location, the presbytery would not give
| its consent. The continual agitation for ii
! change of location, he declared to be most
disastrous to the good of the organization.
! Mr.. Sargent was just remarking that It
| was not right for the First Church to force
! itself on the church to be established OH
Washington Heights, when he was inter
rupted by the chair. who ruled him 'out of
| order" *
There is mo proposition of that kind be-
fore the meeting.' said Chairman Leckie,
rather warmly.
w: H. Fletcher here asked that the call
| OF the meeting be read, but the chair said
| he had not a copy of it. An attempt was
| then made by Mr.. Fletcher to show that the
| agitation for removing the church only
started as result Of the organization OF a
| new church. Chairman Lecke at once re-
| quested him to be in order" whereupon
| Mr.. Fletcher claimed the right to talk as
| he pleased. He had been a member of the
| church for more than thirty years, and
| thought that ought to entitle him to the
| right to express himself regarding it's fu-
| ture. Chairman Leckie, however, remained
firm in his decision, and said that unless
| Mr. Fletcher obtained the unanimous con-
| sent of the meeting to continue ne could
| not allow him to proceed. AT this point
| unanimous consent was asked, but objec-
| ton was promptly made, and Mr.. Fletcher
| took his seat.
Substitute Adopted.
Charles l.. Dubois sent to the chairman's S
table what he termed an amendment to
| Mr. Sargents resolution. He afterward
| substituted it for that resolution in which
| form it was adopted the sense of the
meeting by vote of 80 to 9. 1t provided
| that If at any time in the future the way
| be clear for this church to remove to a
| more unoccupied field in the northwest we
! believe it to be the part Of wisdom to enter
tain favorably proposals from that section
| looking to the removal of the First Church
| to that locality, should it be decided that
| the best interests of the church at that
time call for action; that lookout COM
/ mittee of seven be named by the chair for
| Vest1gat1on, to report back to the church.
In speaking of his resolution Mr.. Dubois
| SAID the agitation for removal had been
| going on to his Knowledge for at least
year, and he believed it would do no
| harm to have a committee appointed and
| on the lookout for suitable location. Any
| definite action need not be taken now or
In the near future but he believed ia
| vorable opportunities would present them
selves and should be taken advantage Of
| W. H. White followed with the sugges-
tion that the meeting had been prematurely
called. He reviewed at some length the
| financial condition Of the church, in which
| he declared it to be no more than holding
| Its own without counting the interest on
| the $4,000 mortgage which it was carry
| ing on the building. He said no one knew
what the building was actually worth, and
no one knew what a new location would
cost. He was not opposed to removal If
1t could be shown that it would be of bene-
fit. AT the conclusion Of his remarks he
made motion to adjourn. The chair
| promptly declared that he hoped that mo-
ton would be voted down, which was done
30 to 13.
| Chairman Leckie, after requesting Rev
DR.. Mcleod to take the chair, spoke at
| some length in favor of the proposition for
removal He was asked if conferences had
| not been held with a view to forming q
combination with the new church, but de-
| clined to give any information on that point
| beyond saying that there had been some in
| formal talk between representa- tives of the
| two organizati tions. However, he was more
| intent on getting a standing committee to
receive propositions from various localities
he said, than upon any specific proposition
| He predicted that the First Church would
receive invitations to go to many places
| when it had put itself on record as being
| willing to move.
FavOrs Appointment of Committee.