Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-02-05

lands On October 50, 1924, two acts wcrl
passed by the Legislature of Vermont
one granting the globes to the rcspectlv,
towns in which they were situated fol
the support of religious worship in suci
town forever. The second act gave thu
land rights of the Propagation society &c
the towns in which they were situated
and empowered the sclectmen OF SAID
towns to take possession of and lease tho
same for the us, and SUI port of public
schools in said towns.
The lrst act was held to be unconsti'
tutional and void by the court in the
following year which led to the repeal OF
the act in 1899 The subject of the glebes
continued to be. however, one of contro-
versy at the sessions of 1922 and 4, and
in 1865 a bill was introduced in the Leg
isiaturo to grant the several glchc rights
TO the towns in which they We're situated
and appropriatlng their rentals to the
Use Of publ, s,hools. The hill was pass
ed by vote of % In favor to IS against.
The constitutionality of the act was up-
held by the United Statcs tilcuit court
IN 1919 the court holding Nat those rights
were in the nature of pubic reservations,
and as suclI became vested by the Revo-
tuition in the sovereignty OF the state;
that there was no party to receive for
tho reason that the State government, as
successors of Great Britain, might re-
sumo and Inappropriate the reservation
at pleasure.
Meanwhile the Church of England mem
bors were unwilling to he deprived of the
use of the land rights which they insisted
still belonged to the Propagation society.
body polite and corporate. and of which
they claimed to be the SUCCESSORS and
legal representatives Two courses were
suggested for their action: the first was
for the LEGISLATURE to incorporate So
ciety to which the English Propa cation
society could convey by deed the lands
donated to 1t under the New Hampshire
charters. and to hold the same for the
uses therein specified. This the Legisla-
ture refused to do.
The second plan was to ask the English
society t. place its charter rights in the
hands of n board of la nd agents in Ameri-
ca, by power of attorney. This plan was
finally agreed upon, and on December 5.
lSld, the power of attorney was executed
by The English society. This covered the
society rights in l96 towns in the State Of
Vermont This action was sustained by
the United States Circuit Court in 1919
and 1873 The result reached in those
test cases has since been acQuiescod in
The board Of land agents thus authorized.
proceeded to recover, take charge of and
lease the land in question and use the
rents for the benefit Of the church in the
diocese Of Vermont. Last year the land
agents reported the recovery of iG1 differ
eat lots, situated in II counties, all leased,
with an aggregate yearly rental Of
So, IS. Nnety-fvc por cent Of tho
leases are perpetual ana Of the remainder
more than onc-half arc uucxprcd leases
The income is devoted to the support of
diocesan missions and to the payment ~"
a portion Of the bishops salary.
MINISTERIAL r -HTs.
Generally the settlement o. the minis
tcrial rights in the several towns was not
difficult, for the reason that there was
rarely any question as to who was the
first settled minister Of the gospel" The
exceptions were where two or more de-
were organized at about the
salT" time. For ar example Of this we
need not look beyond the town of Bur
lirston. IN 1910 there was some excite
ment and no little bitterness of feeling
between the First CongreE; tional : 'iety,
lCntarianJ, and the First Calvlnistic Con-
srtgauonal society, (thc present NYinooski
Avenue Congregational Church,. Prof
J. T.. Goodrich in his Historical! address,
delivered at the centennial of the latter
'hurch in 1865, says: ut is to the praise
IF both parties that before the ordination
IF either minister in April, 1896. an
inicahe agreement was reached on this
question. Each candidate rclinGulshed to
he town his claim on all over 81 600 worth
If land and the town was to hold and
rent the residue ana apply the proceeds
10 the support Of the regular ConGrega-
-ional clergy Of tho place Hence comes
-h' recent m'"'sto'' ru-f az. IT,,
lands which contribute to #. The amcant
IF the annual rental of the rights in this
city is Sass, and this sum- since the set
Element, is equally divided between the
two societies.