Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-11-20
VOLUME XXXIII.

VOLUME XXXII
DR.. ADGER, Of South Carolina, Chairman
Of Committee on Form Of Government
stated that the Committee was prepared L
report on parliamentary laws. The ole
rules governing previous Assemblies wer,
% govern this body until the new ones arr
adopted.
The rules were then taken up seriatiB
discussed and adopted. The Rev. DIR. J
LEIGHTON WmsON, Secretary Of Committee
on Domestic Missions, presented a memorial
10 the General Assembly, in which he pro
posed, in an able manne-, a modification o
our present scheme Of missions. IL is sub
stantially the s'lfehtltioR scheme Of the Free
Church Of Scotland. There would then be
a Sustentation Committee, whose functions
should be strictly financial and advisory.
The Church will have but one treasury in
sustaining the work Of eyangelization, which
work shall be under the work Of the Pres
byteries, and not as now, under the direction
Of the Central Committee. It's design is TO
give strength and vigOr to our weaker
| churches, and unite the whole in one close,
/ compact brotherhood.
EDUcATIox.
Rev. DR.. BAIRD, Secretary to the Executive
| Committee on Education, submitted the follow
ing report:
The Executive Committee Of Education, in pre-
sentimg IT. fifth annual report TO the General As
seinby, has but a brief statement to make. The
position in which the Whole matter was left by the
last Assembly. placed the Committee in.very en-
barrassng circumstances. It will be remembered
that the question of the discOntinuance Of the
Committee Of Education, as one Of the agencies of
the church for systematic evangezation, has been
IA fhn lasf frvs, and
that the question was left undetermined Dy the
last Assembly; the whole subject having been
once more referred TO committee TO report
10 Tie present meeting. When this EX-
ecutiYe Committee was Organized last January,
the sessions OF all literary Institutions were
far advanced; and as no candidatec can be received
as a beneficiary without the Recommendation Of
his Presbytery. nothing could, in any event. have
been done previous 10 the spring meetings OF those
courts. This threw the subject beyond our reach
for the sessions Of the seminaries then current,
which Immediately thereafter came 10 their vaca-
tons, and Of the colleges, which were far ad-
Vanced m their last term.
This fall, the case even worse; for the fate
OF the Committee now IN suspense for two years,
was SO near its crisis, that our Presbyteries and
candidates would be unwilling to hang their hopes
on so slender a cord, and the Committee was re-
luetant 70 assume future obligations which it
might not be permitted 10 live long enough TO full
fiji. The consequence was that nothing could be
done. In response 70 all applications answers
was given in accordance with these facts. STU
dents were encouraged TO believe, however, that
they would receive such aid rs they would require
If not from the Committee. at all events from the
various Institutions to which they might resort.
The consequence was, they all turned away from
the precariOus terms offered them by this Com
mittee.
Another evil effect was experienced in the
efforts TO obtain information to the actual posi-
tiOn Of this whole subject Of ministerial education
throughout our bounds. circular was issued to
the Presbyteries desiring information as 70 the
number Of candidates under their care, their
stage Of advancement their necessities, etc. To
this response obtained irem only four or
five Presbyteries Again: an appeal was made for
funds, TO which a response came from only three
or four churches and the whole amount OF funds
was only about 500.
This statement does not argue that nothing
has been done this subject by our churuch, but
only shows that the situation Of the matter is un
favorable TO efforts By the committee. On the 9TH
er hand, strenuous exertions have been put forth
IN various parts Of the church. Several OF the
larger PTesbyterieries are known 10 have an unu-
sual number Of candidates under their care all of
whom they undertake to support themselves. If |
all Presbyteries were able 20 do likewise, |
there would be nothing 20 regret. But this. alas,
is not the case. Several Of the weaker PreSbyte-
ries have many applicants for aid to whom they |
are unable to render any assstanSa while the |
larger and Weather PTesbyteTieTs satisfy them
selves with diseharging their obligations 70 their |
own sons. Moreover, our two InOlogical semi /
naries, in the absence of the assured help former
Is derived from the Central COMMITTEES, have orig
mated measures for securing aid to their own stu
dents by independent agencies. 80 Tar no evil rs
seen to result from this temporary expedient, but
il does not require superior sagacity in view of
past experience to see that there Is danger Of this
system resulting IN rival institutions, presenting
themselves before the Church with antagonistic /
claims for popular favor.
This result, the courageous among us cannot /
without just alarm, that instead of /
one central agency, 10 act for the whole Church /
and harmonise its efforts, are threatened with Il
the naturalization among us of rival agencies for
this object. Our smaller and weaker Presbytertes,
in the meantime are in danger Of being left un- Il
cared for, with their asking for bread while /
they can give them nothing better than stone.
It is no part Of our purpose to discuss the ques-
tiOn Of the continuance of the Committee as an 1
agency OF the church; but we desire TO surrender /
the trust committed TO us into the hands Of the
icnernl Assembly with the simple prayer that Il
lioD would grant that venerable court the wisdom /
10 direct in deciding this important matter.
One candidate has been received under interest
ing circumstances. Col. NM. BINGHAM, Of the 4
school at Brownsville, n. c.. proposed /
10 take one student into his school and sustain
him. provided he possessed specified qualifications.
A student recommended by the Presbytery Of /
Fayetteville was placed on this liberal scholarship
and is now enjoying the benefits thereof.
BY order Of the Committee,
4. I. BAIRD, See'y OF Education,
RIcmoSD, Va, Oct 81, 1866
The report from the Theological Semi
nary at Columbia, South Carolion: 1t 1864
the solvent securities amounted to S262, 1000,
but many Of the securities becoming valuess
or deprecated, they will not now aggregate
over $4,000. IL was recommended that
the SynOds cooperate in re-endowing the
Seminary, and the ladies were requested to
raise funds in aid Of INDECENT young men
pursuing their studies They suggested for
The chair of Didaetic and Polemie Theology |
the Rev. HENRY J. VAN DYKE, d. d., of
Brooklyn, New York. The Seminary
building and the library, estimated at SlS,-
BOO, escaped the eOnaagration Of Columbia,
South Carolina.
The report from the Union Theological
Seminary at Hampden Sydney, Virginia,
showed twentry-four students during the
faculty being full-the available
unds for the sustention sof the seminary
being near $4,000. Nearly $4,000 has
been contributed during the year by ihdi-
liduals for the relief of the seminary.
DIR. JNo. II. RIcE presented a memorial
lsking change Of time from fall to spring,
or the meeting of the Assembly. The As
embly then adjourned with prayer by Rev.
Il. B. BowDE, Of Presbytery Of Nashville.
PRFsBUTEROs.