CORRESPONDENCE.

TAXATION OF CHURCH PROPERTY.

MR. EDITOR,-I would bring to your notice the immense influence which will connect itself with religious incorporations of great wealth, and the great aid indirectly granted by this State to corporate acquisition. Nothing can be more true, than the proposition that large bodies attract smaller ones; and where there is very great wealth, it represents a large body, and gives weight and consequence to it. This is most singularly illustrated in this city, where the Episcopal Church has an influence infinitely beyond her numerical force, and always has had, independent of her reflected glory. Her immense property originally was the gift of royalty, at the expense of the whole people. The accumulation is now immense, and is daily increasing in value. The State has contributed largely to her advancement, by exempting such portions of her property as she chooses to convert into Seminaries, Colleges, or Churches, with the grounds annexed, from taxation. Now this may not be supporting a religious establishment, in a prohibited sense, but it is supporting a religious society at the expense of the people. suppose Trinity Church, if assessed as other property is assessed, would pay a tax of $3,000 per year, upon the building alone. I put this case as a strong one, and to show what is going on in our midst, and what part the people are taking in it. Now suppose the question should be put to popular vote, whether we should remit to Trinity Church a debt of $3,000 per year; or, suppose we should ask a vote to remit a $20,000 per year debt of John Hughes; is it probable they would have a majority vote? But suppose the actual amount remitted, or asked to be remitted, throughout the State, was more than equal to the education of all the poor children in this State, do you think such request would be granted? But, sir, the evil is as yet in its infancy: the introduction of foreign devotees and foreign capital, and the increase of native superstition, will undoubtedly increase and multiply religious sects and establishments, to an extent not easily estimated. Already the most commanding spots on New-York Island, are bought up by John Hughes, and converted into untaxable property. We understand a religious house sanctifies all the ground attached to it-the mark of blood is on the lintels-the assessors, seeing it, pass it by. Under this precious influence, the property can be held, until it becomes the centre of a dense population, free of taxes; then the most of it can be sold at enormous prices, and the proceeds locked up in some gorgeous cathedral, or distributed according to the pleasure of John Hughes, or his successors. In old Catholic England, it became necessary to limit these excesses, and statutes were passed curtailing sacerdotal greediness. I do not propose any such measure; all I wish is, that the government shall leave religion alone. They profess to do so; but do not, as I have shown. If all property were taxed for the support of government, it would prevent so much extravagance in Churches; it would prevent the erection of costly buildings upon credit; it would prevent the display of so much sacerdotal pretension as is now exhibited; it would prevent the growth of a money aristoeracy in religious establishments, and cause the

erection of moderate houses of worship, in which the poor might venture to pray without offence; and, above all things, it would prevent the occupation of real estate for speculative motives, and millions of property, with which she can transhinder a dangerous power from accumulating port Rome and St. Peter's to North America; and, lastly, it would take the burden of taxation from the poor and middle men, and put it where it belongs, upon those who can afford it.

I have read your funeral service with great satisfaction; it is impressive and beautiful, and about long enough. I cannot praise the pomp and parade prescribed. I consider such occasions should be void of all the fardels of human pride; the service is solemn--the occasion is solemn--why divert holy thoughts or pious aspirations, by meretricious display of power or place? I fear we are too much in the habit of substituting show for real feeling. But I am not finding fault with the main drift of your Order, which I hope will grow in wisdom and knowledge, which will, of course, remove all errors from among you.

CEPHAS.

Washington, D. C., Feb. 28th, 1851. COL. THOS. R. WHITNEY:

MY DEAR COL.,-I avail myself of the occasion of my sojourn in this city of "magnificent distances," and magnificent intentions, to drop you a line. I have been here for a week, now, and in pretty constant attendance upon Congress, and I am forced to say I see little-too little-in our national legislature to gratify my pride as an American. Sectional and selfish feelings, developed in the pettiest party manœuvres, characterize the proceedings of Congress. The whole session is frittered away in wrangling and quarreling, or making speeches to Buncombe, and when the end draws near there is scarcely time left for the transaction of such business as is absolutely necessary to carry on the government, while the private calendar must lie over from session to session, until the injustice of the government becomes a by-word and reproach upon Republican institutions. I tell you, that these abuses will yet create revolution in our midst, and the chorus of Reform! will swell through the land, until party politicians are swept off the stage. There is something-ay! and great things, yet for the O. U. A. to do. Yours, &c., J. B. Philadelphia, March, 1851.

DEAR SIR:

As my letter of last month appears to have met your approbation, I venture to intrude upon your notice again, with such items as I think will be acceptable to your readers.,

I have the pleasure of informing you, that an application for a charter to the Chancery of the State of New-York O. U. A. is now preparing, and has already received a large number of signatures, among whom are many of our most respectable and influential citizens. We shall have, no doubt, ere long, a Chapter in operation here, which will vie with any of its older sisters in that influence which intelligence and honor always command in an association of Americans, and it will no doubt reflect credit on the Order abroad, as well as at home.

You have, I suppose, perused the reports of

the contested election for District Attorney in this county, and will readily coincide with me when I say that the most glaring frauds have been perpetrated by one of the parties; and as we have the promise of a still greater exposure on the part of the other, it becomes our duty as freemen who cherish the ballot-box as a something in "governments divine," a thing sacred, and not to be polluted by unholy touch, in this manner, to inquire into the facts, and ascertain who is guilty of this sacrilege. To your readers, therefore, who are unacquainted with our petty localities, I beg leave to say, that, in every case where the fraud has been so conclusively proved before our judicial tribunals, it has been where foreigners outnumber the American-born citizens and in most of these wards, not a native born can receive a ward office; while, in others,

when citizens of the ward are urged to place

an American ticket in the field, without distinction of party, the reply is, "Were I to electioneer such a ticket, my life would not be safe an hour after sunset:" and yet these foreigners, who, by force of arms and corruption, thus pervert the privilege of the elective franchise are praised by the parties to whom they render such good service, as the "better citizens," on this, the soil where "first we drew our breath." The party on whom the frauds have so far been irrevocably fixed, endeavor in vain to shake off the impression that it is party politics to wrong their fellow-citizens of their expression of opinions by the constitutional means; the odium will cling to them until they condemn the measure, discountenance the guilty practices of their partisans, and assist the people to protect the purity of the ballot-box.

In connection with this, I will mention another instance of foreign interference to prevent the exercise of another great right we claim, to wit, hberty of speech, which has been infringed in the following manner: The ladies of our city, having called a meeting to express their indignation at the abduction from home and friends of a young lady in the District of Spring Garden, by a Roman Catholic priest, were not able to proceed with their business, owing to the continual interruption and incessant noise of a number of " Irish ladies" present. Such was the tumult occasioned by them, that a police force had to be sent for, and they were forcibly ejected from the hall before quiet could be obtained. Although this scene was enacted in the presence of between two and three thousand ladies, and has been publicly discussed, yet the press generally is so muzzled that but three of our numerous papers mentioned it, and one of these only to publish an infamous tissue of falsehoods and tirade of abuse against as respectable a body of women as ever assembled for any purpose.

The General Camp of the State of Pennsylvania, of the benevolent and patriotic Order of the United Sons of America, at its stated meeting, held since my former letter, granted a charter for two new Camps,-one to be located in Passyunk, and the other in Harrisburg, both of which have since been instituted under very favorable circumstances. In the cause of God and my native land.

I remain yours truly,

THIRTEEN.

MOVEMENTS OF THE ORDER. NEW CHAPTERS.--A charter was granted at the March session of the Hon, Chancery of New-York, for a Chapter to be located at Port Chester, Westchester County, N. Y. We learn, also, that a new Chapter has been chartered by the Hon. Chancery of New Jersey, but have not the particulars.

Worth Chapter of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., has been merged into the Oneachta Chapter, recently instituted at that place.

BROTHER WHEELER'S ADDRESS.--The Chan cery of New-York, at its last meeting, appointed delivered by Brother David E. Wheeler, at a committee to obtain a copy of the address Tripler Hall, on the 22d of February, in order that the same may be placed in the hands of the Grand Executive Committee, for publication. We shali, probably, issue it as a supplement to No. 5 of the Republic.