242 NEGRO CLERGYMAN. [CHAP. XXXVIII. 



of the money to be raised chiefly by city rates. Some of rny 

 friends here are opposed to the measure, declaring that such pub 

 lic works are never executed with economy, nor thriftily man 

 aged. The taxation always falls on some districts, which derive 

 no profit from the enterprise, and they demand other grants of 

 public money as a compensation, and these are laid out with equal 

 extravagance. The good sense of the New Englanders, say they, 

 has almost invariably checked them from entering upon such un 

 dertakings, and in one of the few instances in which they have 

 deviated from sound policy, they have repented. For when, in 

 opposition to the richer inhabitants, a branch railway was made 

 to connect Bridgeport, in Connecticut, with the main line of road, 

 the bonds of that small inland town were pledged as security for 

 the money borrowed. The traffic proved insufficient to meet 

 their liabilities, and a majority of the citizens then determined to 

 repudiate. The rich alleged that they had opposed the project, 

 and the poor, who had voted away their money, were quite will 

 ing that no new taxes should be imposed. The creditors, how 

 ever, went to law, and, by aid of the courts, compelled payment, 

 as the Supreme Court might have done in the case of the delin 

 quent states (had not the original constitution of the Union been 

 altered before any of them repudiated), which might have given 

 a wholesome check to rash enterprises guaranteed by state bonds. 



The booksellers tell me that their trade is injured by the war- 

 panic, arid I observe that most of the halfpenny, or cent papers, 

 are still very belligerent on the Oregon question. 



On Sunday, I attended service, for the first time, in a free 

 black Episcopal church. Prayers were read well by a negro 

 clergyman, who was evidently an educated man. The congre 

 gation consisted wholly of the colored race. Where there is a 

 liturgy, and where written sermons are read, there is small oppor 

 tunity of comparing the relative capabilities of Africans and Euro 

 peans for the discharge of such functions. In the Baptist, Meth 

 odist, and Presbyterian services, the success of the minister depends 

 much more on his individual ability. I was glad, however, to 

 see a negro officiating in a church which confers so much social 

 rank on its clergyman, and in no city more than Philadelphia 



