The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1870-06-01


our next General Assembly for its decision.
The above is extracted from the minutes of 1869,
p. 3l3. VIM. BANKS,
Stated Clerk of Synod of S. Carolina.
ON OVERTURE NO. 3.
The standing Committee on Education, to whom
was referred the overture touching the propriety
of dispensing with Latin thesis as part of trial
of our candidates for licensure to preach the COS
pei, would recommend the following answer on
the part of this Assembly, to.wit That it is in
expedient to make any changes in the requirements
of the Book on this subject"
J. HENRY SMITH, Chairman.
The report was adopted.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THEOLOGICAL
SUMMARIES.
The committee on Theological Seminaries beg
leave to present to the General Assembly the fol.
lowing report:
l. We learn, from the report of the Faculty Of
Union Theological Seminary, prepared at the di.
rection of the Trustees, the time of whose annual
meeting has not arrived that this institution is in
a Furnishing condition. The plan of instruction
has been fully realized by the election and naugu
ration of Rev. DR.. ID. e Alexander as Professor
of Biblical Literature and Interpretation, &c., and
by placing Rev. DR.. R. L. Dabney fully in the De.
partment of Systematic and Pastoral Theology
The number of students is now 35, of whom eight
are in the Senior class The library contains about
5000 volumes, of which 1853 have been added dur.
ing the year, including fac smile copy of Itch
endorf's Codex Sinaiticus. The Seminary will
also receive, under the will of Rev. Uurias Powers
$4,000 per annum for three years. to be expended
in the purchase of books. The finances of the
Seminary are reported to be in healthy condition
and it is gratifying to learn that they are believed
to be fully adequate to the payment OF salaries and
. toftl o ~ he
scholarships have been promptly paid, and have
been of great advantage to the Seminary.
q We have had before us the reports of the Di-
rectors and Faculty of the Theological Seminary a;
Columbia, South Carolina, showing this institu
ton to be in condition of encouraging prosperity
The number of students in attendance during the
year has been 32 of whom six have just completed
their course of study. Favorable accounts are
given of the diligence and piety of the students
and of their disposition to engage in efforts to dc
good, so far as consists with faithful attention tc
their duties in the Seminary Four of the Senior
class and five of the middle have been licensed by
their Presbyteries.
The library consists of lS, 252 volumes, of which
1875 have been received by gift and purchase dur
ing the year. The principal donation of books was
made by Mrs. Gurey, widow of Rev. p. ID. Cur
ley, d. d.
The faculty and directors present very urgent
request to the Assembly to elect at once Profes
sor of Pastoral and Evangelistic Theology and
Sacred Rhetoric, they being satisfied that the
means of his support can be provided. The finances
of the seminary have continued steadily to improve
$500 have been added to the endowment fund
during the year-gven by two persons-and the
income from the old endowment has considerably
increased We recommend that the Assembly
accede to the above request and proceed after due
notice, to elect Professor OF Pastoral and Evange
lstic Theology and Sacred Rhetoric, and that this
election be made the order of the day for 10 clock
A. NJ. on Wednesday, 25th instant. We recon.
mend the election of the following directors for the
Seminary at Columbia for the following year
Rev. J. Leighton Wilson, d. D., Rev. j. r.
Wilson, d. d., Rev. j. L. Girardeau, D. D., Rev.
ID. Mcqueen, Rev. e. M. Green. s. Il. Wilson,
Esq, j. w. Bones Esq, Hon, j. j. Gresham,
James Hemphill, Esq, Col. R. A. Fair, and Henry
Muller, Esq, Treasurer.
3. The committee have considered the memorial
of Rev. DR.. r. l.. Dabney and the report of the
directors and faculty of Columbia Seminary in re
aton to the matters contained therein, but, as no
report has been received from the directors and
faculty of Union Seminary on this subject we
respectfully recommend that, in view of the desira
bleness of uniformity in the management of our
Theological Seminaries. and of the Importance and
difficulty of the whole subject, these papers be re
ferred together with any report ON the same topic
that may be received from Union Seminary, to q
committee, whose duty it shall be to consider
whether any changes are necessary or expedient in
the general management of the Seminaries and re-
port to the next General Assembly. We further
recommend that this committee be composed of
the following persons: Rev. j. L. kirkpatrick,
d. D., Rev. j. L. Girardeau, D. D., Rev. r. l..
Dabney, ID. D., Rev. Professor James Woodrow,
Professor John l.. Campbell, Professor W. G. Kerr
and Professor Waddel, and that the committee
meet at Charlotte, N. c., at the call of the chair
man.
f. Your committee have received statement
from Hon. Jesse G. Wallace in relation to the
Maryville College, an institution founded for the
training of students for the ministry formerly un-
der the control of the United Synod, which we
herewith submit and recommend that il be referred
to the Trustees of the General Assembly, with in
structions to investigate the claim therein men
toned and to take such steps as to them may seem
expedient and proper to assert and secure the
rights of this General Assembly in the premises
Respectfully submitted by order of the commit.
tee. CA. STILLMAN,
Chairman.
MARYVILLE COLLEGE.
The undersigned would beg leave, through your
committee. to call the attention of the General As.
sembly to the fact that by article of the plan of
union agreed upon and adopted by the committees
of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
(Old School) and of the United Synod of Lynch
burg, on the Oath of July, 1863, it was provided
that all funds and other property held by the
United Synod or its committees, or other agencies
for the education of pious youths for the ministry
for missions, both home and foreign, and for circu
lating divine truth by printing &c. should be
passed over to the appropriate committees of the
General Assembly. The United Synod had an In
stitution for the first aforementioned purpose at
Maryville, in East Tennessee, and had funds for
endowment of professorships. amounting to be-
tween fifteen and twenty FIVE thousand dollars, be-
sides library and college buildings and grounds.
Upon the evacuation of that country by the Con-
federate forces in the summer of 1863, most of the
Board of Directors and the Treasurer of the Col
lege left their homes, carrying with them the funds
of the College, which they deposited for safe keep
ing at Atlanta, Ga. Very shortly thereafter the
Treasurer died, and after his death the funds Of
the College were transmitted by the auxiliary ad-
ministrator in Georgia to the administrator of the
domicil. Very few if any of the Board were ever
again able to return to their homes, and conse-
quently the existence of the Board terminated.
One Of the Professors, and perhaps one or two
members of the Board, remained in Tennessee,
and being Southern men with Northern principles
and sympathies, in the absence of quorum, and
indeed at time when no legal Board existed and
no power competent to create one, by some process
not known to the writer they constituted them
selves Board, supplied vacancies, and reorgan-
lied .e school upon n,ired basis. They are now
claiming the institution and its funds, and have
formed some kind of connection with the Presby.
terrain Church North. A portion of the funds
have been lost by the casualties of the war; but the
writer is informed that there are now in the hands
of those claiming and controlling the College,
buildings, and whatever may be remaining of the
library. There is no question but that the funds
and property thus appropriated by the usurping
boards belong to the General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church as asslgnees of the United
Synod and this statement is made with the view
and for the purpose of directing the attention of
the legal and rightful propretors to their proper
ty, that steps may be taken tor Investigation and
recovery. JESSE G. WALLACE.
louisville Ku Nav %. 1870. n