SCANDALOUS BEHAVIOR OF A CLERGYMAN IN MELBOURNE.

Southland Times, Issue 1047, 30 October 1868, Page 3

SCANDALOUS BEHAVIOR O F A CLERGYMAN IN MELBOURNE.

. ' -T * (From the 'Argus,' 2lst October.) At last the Taylor scandal has been fathomed, and sufficient factß haye now ' been made Jmown to warrant something like* a verdict. Unfortunately, the worst suspicions have been realised, and now that the authorities of the Baptist congregation of Collins-street have abandoned 1 their long-preserved affectation of secresy, the most distressing details have become public. As we indicated in yesterday's issue, the meeting of the members of the church resulted in a full development of the case, Which, but for a silly attempt at. further seereßy, might have been published the next morning. The following were the proceedings : — lt was known that the whole question would be ventilated, and consequently the attendance was very large, vt one time including over 200 persons. The .first discussion arose about the appointment of chairman. It •was thought that the chairman on the last occasion had conducted himself reprehensibly, and hot words were used; but, eventually, Mr Blackwell was suffered to preside. It was then urged by several members that the deacons "^(Messrs M'Earlane and Hetherington) who had obtained Mr Taylor's confession should at least reply at once to four questions. These were — 1. Whether the ' promise of secresy was made to Mr Taylor before or alter his confession. 2. Whether he had confessed to being guilty of adulterous intercourse with a married woman, a member of his church. 3. Whether it was in his confession that adulterous intercourse had extended over a series of years. And 4. What was the j ■ woman's name with whom he had had connexion. At first, both deacons refused .to give the required information. Their pledge was, they said, that they would not reveal the details of the confession, even to their wives. They had asked Mr Taylor if he had been guilty of certain . transgressions, and he had confessed, charging them to secresy, lest ground be .given for an action it the • -Divorce Court. Another warm debate

- followed, and was ended by the appoinfci ment of two gentlemen (Messrs Templeton and Gourlay) to wait at once upon Mr Taylor, and ask him to release the deacous from their promise. . After abcfut twenty minutes' absence, the deputation returned. They had, they said, seen Mr Taylor, and put the question to him, but were met by tin absolute refusal. Mf R. ' Jack tiit n urged that the deacons were not justified in adhering to a promise which they had no right to make. It was, he said, as the representatives' of the congregation that they had communicated with Mr Taylor, and the information they obtained was the property of the church, and not to be alieriated by a promise which they had no authority to give. Besides, he contended that secrecy was impossible, as proceedings could be taken in the Supreme Court, which would compel publicity. Other speakers followed ,in the same Btrain, and finally it was t moved by Mr Templeton, and seconded j by Mr Green, that the "church" insist ' upon answers to the questions put. This resolution was put to the vote, and carried by a majority .of 128 votes against 36. Upon this Mr M'Farlane made the desired communication. Mr Taylor, he said, had extorted the promise after confessing to the adulterous intercourse, which had been carried on for more than six years past. The name was then demanded, and some objection raised to its being given. The lady had sisters, it was said, and there was no need for exposure. It was evident that the meeting thought differently, and at last the name was given. It was the name of a lady who has been freely mentioned in connexion with this unhappy affair, and it was dis- j tinctly stated that she is the only lady j whose character is affected. It was not the least painful circumstance connected with the proceedings that the lady's hus-. band was present at the meeting, that he was till then unaware of his wife's guilt ; and that his knowledge thereof so affected him that he was removed from the chapel in a semi-fainting condition. Mr R. Jack gave notice that, at the next meeting of the church, he would move — " That the resolution adopted at a meeting of the church held on 21st September last; accepting Mr Taylor's resignation, be rescinded, and that he, having been shown by his own confession to be guilty of gross immorality, extending over a series of years, be expelled from the church." It was afterwards decided that the lady compromised should be informed of what had come to the knowledge of the " church," and asked whether the same was true. This was, it may be pre- j sumed, a step preliminary to her too, being expelled. It is not a very creditable circumstance that during the whole of these proceedings, which lasted till | past midnight, a strong partisan spirit j led to extreme violence of language. | Epithets of a very strong kind were exchanged, and it was at times difficult to suppose that those present were professed Christians. It was mooted that ! the Rev. John Handells, a distinguished l Baptist minister, now engaged at Regent's Park Chapel in London, should be invited to take charge of the Collinsstreet church.