Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1865-10-19
ANNUAL MEETING OF THE pRESRYTE.
RIAN SYNOD OF BALTIMORE.

This religious body, composed of ministers and cid
tion i'm NarHIanT fnp u .ne iesoytepln denomna
portion OF West Virginia and the District of Coum-
m bia assembled Yesterday morning at nine o'clock at
and lloyd streets wi tn Rev. J. n. Hays of Carlisle
Preshytery in the chair as moderator and MessrS G.
Ill. Numno and W. A. West as clerks. The opening
| or synodical sermon haYing been preached ON the
evening previous BY the Rev JOS T. Smith pastor of
lgiOus services by Rev. Dr. Creigh, of Carlisle pro-
| ceeded to business.
The resignation of Rev. R. c. Galbraith as Trea-
Surer was received and accepted and Rev. Geo. p.
Hays elected in his stead
The Moderator announced the following committees
On the narrative for 1s65-Revs DR.. Backus and D.
1. Car1ahan; Elder R. Trach. On Bills and Over
qrJfsEeEs 6nJ EarIo Dr. s IusP 4 B. GFon H. e m Greer
Slough Judicial-Reys. DR.. J. I. Smith. James T.
Kennedy and J. Chester; Elders ]. NJ. Means and v.
ecSl Be i1s and Elder " Blair
On Records of Carlisle Presbytery-Rev. j. L. Polk
and Elder ID. A. HollingShead.
i. Williams, and Elder Alexander Gordon,
Snd on RseNrd FaG of Of fs4mae H. MoTEy
Minutes of the Assembly-Reys. DIR. T. Creigh and
yc Gyrqs e. PsksoP Elder R. MeGeravy On Nara
@ it M raSir and 9P sPE8 EdeF
]. Beyliss; Elder W. A. Mackay.
Rev. DIR; Coe, OF st. Louis was invited to act
corresponding member, and also address the Synod
upon the subject of Foreign Missions, which he did
at some length
Reports from various Presbyteres, from the
representatives present received and accepted
The question of arranging for the time and place
of holding the next annual Synod was next taken up,
when Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Frederick Maryland:
and Dover, DelaTare, were named. Upon vote
being taken, Carlisle was determined upon, and the
third Thursday in October next selected the time
for meeting
A number of visitors from other cities, comprising
ministers of different denominations who were
present. were invited to act as corresponding
Rev Andrew L. Gross presented report of the
Finance Committee, which was read accepted and
filed.
The list of absentees at the opening of the Synod
was next called, each one being called upon to give
n reason FOR his absence. The reasons offered by
Revs. q. ID. Purviance, Il. Owens and j. Il. Hughes
were accepted as satisfactory. number of others,
whose names were called, failed to respond.
Upon the name of Rev: i. A. Lefcyre being called
that gentleman announced that lie Ait attend last
year because he did not believe after mature delib-
eration that his attendance would he to the alvan-
tage or edifcation Of either himself the Synod.
lie had been led +" that conclusion by the action of
to be still in force, and he had therefore desire to
participate in the proceedings. In remaining away
he had done only what he conscicntiousy believed to
notion TO sustain him in his reason for absence
was offered which was strongly opposed by DIR.
Backus.
DIR. Lefcvre responded. by saying that for bc past
four years he had acted in a way which, as he sup
posed, was best calculated to preserve the unity of
the church. All over the country ecclesiastical courts
had been taking certain action which he could not
approve. He remembered the oath he had taken.
and wished TO respect it, without single doubt of his
correctness of opinion.
Rev. Dir. Bullock favored the excuse offered, and
hoped it would he sustained
Upon vote being taken there found to be a
tie. there being 26 for and 26 against the question.
The Moderator voted aye, but before the vote could
be announced Il call for the order of the day the Sy
nodical Conference Churches was made, and the
matter laid over for a short time.
The call of abScnt"eS again resumed after an
hour spent in speaking to the business set down the
order of the day and the of Dr. etevrc taken up
Rev. DIR. Bullock again spoke in favor of sustain
ing the gentleman in his reasons. claiming that tho
reverend gentleman ShoUd himself be his conScien-
tiOuS judge of what he deemed right ard wrong. Ii
the gentleman did not deem it right to come, then
and Presbyterian, and rs such was entitled to en-
tire confidence in the expression of his honest
victons. In conclusion he suggested that the vote
ot the entire hc. be taken, and Lex each intiI iUui
member vote to accept reject, Or il they chose, to
consurc the gentleman.
Dr. Gurleg proposed that the Synod proceed TO vote
to accept his excuse which did not convey ccnSure
but not sustain his reasons discuss them at all
leaving them entirely between himself and his God.
The iuterpreati OF the note having been acccp
ted by the members present, the Synod voted unani
mOusly 10 ,rGent his reason for absence.
The list was then gone through with. and the cX-
cuSes offered either accepted OF sustained.
The Synod will probably be in scs, II during the
remainder of the week