The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-05-20
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| meeting OF the oIu anu Now bth""h
Presby teries-Reyiew Of the Busi-
ness TO be Transncted-The CUES
| tion OF Reuntop-Interestipg ses.
sions Anticipated. /
The General Assemblies Of the Presbyte-
riau Church (oi and New schools) both
meet in New York today, and In view Of the
questions relating to the union Of tho two
bodies, much interest Is manifested in their
deliberations.
The Old School Assembly, which meets In
the Brick church, corner Of Fifth avenue
and Thirty -seyeuth street, has the following
| permanent officers, nancy; A stated clerk,
the Rev. DR.. A. T. McGill, and q permanent
clerk, the Rev. DR.. W. 4. schenck. After
the election Of moderator and temporary
clerk, Ii will proceed TO consider the matters
before Ii, many OF which are referred to
standing committees appointed by the mod
orator. A committee was raised by the last
assembly, which Is to report now of which
DR.. Humphrey, Of Kentucky, Is the chair.
man, and DR.. Paxton, Of New York, Is
member-to consider the whole work OF the
Church among the freedmen, and decide
whether It Is best to do 1t through the pres
ent separate organization as mission by
itself or to merge It with the other home
| operations. An instructive debate may be
expected on this question. With reference
to this subject II is also unders stood that
there has been some conference with the
New Schools Committee on Freedmen, and
also with the secretary Of the instruction
fund Of the Southern Presbyterian Church,
the results of which will be awaited with
interest.
An important Committee Of Conference
was raised by the last assembly, to report to
the coming one, Of which the chairman Is the
Rev. DR.. Musgrave, the moderator. It was
ordered to meet representatives from the
various Presbyterian bodies beside the new
school body-such, for example, as the DIFF
ferent branches Of the Scotch, and other
Presbyterians-a to confer with them upon
plan Of union or confederation.
The number Of baptized children In the
entire church was made a subject OF inquiry
by the last assembly, and 1t was ordered that
1t be reported the present year by the Presby-
teries.
Besides these points OF general interest,
each one OF the assembly's boards and per-
manent committees will present an annual
| report. A committee was also appointed TO
devise plan by which the inadequate sala-
rics OF the more poorly paid ministers can be
supplemented by the whole church, through
the Board of Domestic Missions.
There are four theological seminaries
amenable to the Old School General Assem-.
bly,, namely, Princeton, Western, Danyille
and Northwest. All that pertains to the
J success and welfare Of these seminaries for
the training Of ministers Is intrusted to
standing committees, which report upon
their progress and submit their conclusions
to the assembly.
The New School Assembly has, like the
| Old School, many interesting Items Of busl
1 ness. Its stated clerk Is the Rev. DR.. Z. 7
Hatfield, and Its permanent clerk the Rev
= DR.. J. &. Butler. The permanent Commit
n tee on Foreign Missions Is to report upoI
T the whole subject of monthly concerts o.
| PRAYER for the success OF foreign missions
The whole subject of the collections Of
the churches and revision OF the subjects
r and objects Of their benevolence is also re-
ferred to q committee, of which the chair
man Is the stated clerk.
There are three theological seminaries t
: report their condition 10 the New Schoo
Assembly, namely: Union, In New York city
l
: NJ Y, with four professors, and Lane, ncal
Cincinnati, Ohio, with five professors.
The most important subject, however, ant
G that In which there will be most to awakei
q public attention, Is common TO both bodies
and occupied the larger part of the time o
the last assemblies. 1t Is the great matte
Of a reunion of the whole Church, separates
~ since 1887.
In 1868 the Old School Assembly, whicl
&c | r,at I'd pooria III adnnted n Der in whic
IT fratcrnal correspondence then subsisting be
tween the Old and New School Churches
. recognized as the initiative OF securing
better understanding between them and th
IN means of preparing the way for union.
to 1864 the New School Assembly, meeting Q
A. Dayton, Ohio, adopted communication
the other branch, which, while 1t did nc
!, ask for a committee Of conference betwee
ID tho two, suggested Ii, aud paved the wa
for its appointment. Such Joint commltte
was accordingly formed In 1866, on the pal
Of both assemblies, which both met tina
year In st. Louis, as they will this year !
o New York.
This committee consisted Of nine mini
n tiers from each, and six elders from each al
sembly-thirty In all; and with great indul
try, patience and ChriAtian courtesy thss
J. gentlemen framed series OF articles know
r as "The Basis Of Union" Want OF spaC
only forbids us to mention all their name
destined to become historical In the record
~ of the Presbyterian Church. DR.. G. c
/" Beatty, of the Old School body, was chose
their chairman, and DR.. Z. +. Hatfield, @
# the New School, secretary. Their able r.
port was brought to the assemblies whic
% met in 1867; was still further amended, an
again was presented to the assemblies las
e year. One Of these bodies-the Old schoc
If met at Albany, N. Y; the New School q
Harrisburg, Pa; and II any Of our reader
should follow us in looking through the
proceedings he will notice that, as we hay
said, most OF their time was taken up In Il
IS consideration of what both seemed to dee
st the most important matter that could con
q. before them.
ny The basis reported by the committee W
he then sent down to the presbyteries for the
Is. vote, which was deemed necessary II al
,, other than the simple unchanged constit
=, ton Of the Church were proposed as Il
on bond Of union. A vote Of three fourths
the presbyteries is necessary 10 adopt t
las committees plan, and the reports from
I'd the presbyteries, two hundred and afty-thI
D in number, are to come up to the prese
'aa assemblies.
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