The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1867-12-18
FoR The CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
The Southern Presbyterian Review.

At the late General Assembly in Nashville,
the Committee on the Records of the Synod Of
South Carolina, in their report, referred to the
action of that body in relation to the Southern
Rresbyteriun Rerie,o, commencing it to the pa
tronage of their Presbyteries and churches;
and as, in the judgment of the committee, a.
similar commentator was due from the As
semby to that able and important work, they
appended to their report paper Of like i'm
port for the consideration and action of the AS
sembly The report was received, and that
part of it which recommended the approval Of
the records was adopted without dissenting
voice-the Assembly thus far placing implicit
faith upon the judgment and fidelity of the
committee. But on that part of their report
which related to the Reoieao, the objection was
raised, not to the Reuie,o, which the objector
protessed to hold in high estimation, but to
the legitimate province of the committee, who,
it was avowed, had no right to make the re-
cords under review, the occasion OF introduce
ing to the Assembly any extra news-matter.-
This objection was accordingly sustained, and
the paper was returned to the Chairman of the
committee, who subsequently brought before
the Assembly, on his individual responsibility,
paper containing substantially the same rea-
sons for recommending the ReUieto, as had been
given in the report of the committee. This
paper was received, and after some remarks
was referred to the Committee of Bills and
Overtures And when that committee brought
in their report, it was this
Resolred, That while this Assembly. as min
listers and elders, might cordially adopt the
paper presented. yet, as an Assembly OF the
Presbyterian Church. in its ecclesiastical char
acter, it is not competent for us to enact any
thing concerning other matters than those
which are strictly ecclesiastical.
As the object of the mover OF the overture
had been attained almost as fully as if it had
been adopted, by its calling forth from the
Committee of Bills and Overtures, and from
various other quarters, warm expressions in
favor of the Reriew, and none against it, he
suffered the report of the committee to be
adopted without debate.
But this action of the Assembly in the prem
ses furnishes grounds for inquiring:
|. Whether it is not the right and the duty
of Court of Review to exact Of their com
mittees to whom the Reviews of the inferior
courts are committed, a fall report of what is
worthy of praise and commentator, as well as
of what is deserving of correction or censure =?
If this were done, and it seems to the writer
that it should be done, such committees would
occupy an important and responsible position,
and their several reports would furnish con.
temporaneous history of the state, condition.
and enterprises OF the judicatories whose re-
cords are revised. But Us the practice now is,
the court of Review casts its vote Of approval
on the recommendation of their committees
without knowing, save in rare cases, anything
whatever of the matters which this vote Of APP
proval embraces.