The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-30
commencement Exercises Of the Epis'
copal Theological Seminary
rcn-usno,d.n,o of rho PirhmOnh Disnotch

| Correspondence OIL tne hlcHInohu DlsIatct.I
| ALEXANDRIA, Va, June q, 1874.
Commencement season, in the raldst o
which we now are, has been marked Thu
week not only by the closing exercises OF st
Johns Academy and other Well-knoWn IN
s,itullons in this city, but by those OF tn
Episcopal Theological Seminary and OF TIT
High School (neighboring though dlstlnc
institutions in our vicinity. some nollc'
iu this connection will, it is supposed, pos
se>s interest to your readers.
The trustees Of the Seminary met OF
Tuesday. The Rev. DR.. Norton, rector
ST. Paul's church, Alexandria, having uh
condiiionaliy declined the vacant professor
ship TO which he was chosen Dy the Boart
lin Charlottesville in May, it was supposed
another election would be made. Such anti
c,pa'ion was, however, not gratltled, as tint
trustees adjourned without designating any
successor to the late DR.. Sparrow, though
distinctly ayowing their intention to 40 sc
at an early day. Their session was shor
one, and, except in this failure to act on
question which it was supposed would be
finally disposed of, appears to have beer
| without interest to the public.
| On Tuesday night the final celebration o.
the Fairfax Literary Society of the Episcopa
| High School took place. Mr.. j. w. ware
Jr., of Clarke. presided: Mr. D. Thompson
Cole. of Cupeper. was va!cdIctor!an ano
| Mr. Lancelot NJ. Kean, of Lynchburg, re-
ceiyed the dcbater's medal. After these cN
| ercses the invited orator of the Society,
William Kilgour, Esq, Of Alexandria, de-
| liyered an address. \ good band OF music
was in attendance, and the occasion passed
of pleasantly.
| On Wednesday the annual meeting OF the
Society of Alumni of the Seminary took
place. The preacher Of the year, the Rev.
| q. A. kinsolying, of Halifax, as well as the
alternate being unfortunately absent, the an
n,al sermon was not had; the time assigned
for it being occupied instead by mission.
arv address from the Rev. Robert Nelson,
ID. D., of the China Mission.
| The afternoon Of the same day was occl-
nied by the closing exercises of the session
| at the High School, which was well attended.
The usual certificates were distributed and
various prizes presented Those for scholar
s!ip were won by Messrs. J. T. Cole, of
| CuIpeper; r. w. Moore, of Fairfax; j. S.
spencer, of West Virginia, and J. II. Var
! nalI, of Georgetown, d. C.. The Barclay
nrize medal. for excellence in mathematics,
| was taken by Samuel Porcher, Of South
| Carolina; and the Blackford prize medal, for
| English composition. by Charles Slaughter,
OF Lynchburg. The annual address before
the students, which closed the evening,
was delivered by Charles NJ. Blackford,
Ed OF the Lynchburg bar.
"Wednesday night at S O'Clock the annual
sermon before the Students Missionary So
ciety of the Seminary was preached by the
Rev. Il. 3. Duane, D. D., Of New York, Sec
Ieiary Of the Domestic Committee OF the
| Board of Missions Of the General Church.
Thursday was commencement day proper
at the Seminary. At 10 O'Clock the gradua-
ting class read their essays in the chapel.
The rames of the graduates and the titles of
their respective papers are as follows:
Melville Boyd, Of New York: " The Full.
ness Of Time.
Richard ElIerby, of Rhode Island: "The
Recantation Of Cranmer."
Charles J. Holt, Of West Virginia: 'Unity
Consistent with Diversity"
George Herbert Kinsolving, of Halifax
"F. w. Robertson and his Theological
George Washington Nelson, of Jefferson
| :. Reason in Matters of Religion"
Theodore Reed, of Winchester: "saya'
narola. the first Old Catholic"
f. G.. Scott, Of Orange: characteristics
! of ElIicott as Commentator"
| James w. Shields, of Richmond "The
Old Catholic Movement"
| Edward Wall, of Richmond: "Origin and
| Nature Of Jesuitism."
! 1t was generally remarked that the select
| ion of topics was more felicitous and the
ESSAYS more interesting than for many years,
| though it is constant subject Of regret to
| those who attend these occasions that the
best part of the day should be assigned to
| what is at best an element of minor interest,
and the middle of sultry summer afternoon,
when drowsiness and dizziness must attack
the most virtuous, assigned for hearing the
sermon of the day and the Bishops address
to the graduates. Such custom were more
honored in the breach than the observance
The reading of the essays occupied some
two hours, when recess was had and ar
elegant collation., provided by the trustees
was partaken OF by the congregation. Al
halfpa 3 memorial sermon on his late
colleague, the Rev. DR.. Sparrow, wa:
preached by the Rev. Professor Walker.
This was followed by the delivery o.
diplomas by Bishop Johns to the graduates
and an address. The absence Of Bishop
Whittle, who is understood to be detained
at home by the illness of his son, was uni
versally regretted, and detracted materially
from the interest of the occasion.
Friday, according to custom, was the da.
for the ordination Of such of the graduate
of the year as belong to the diocese OF Wiz
ginia. To this number belong the min
named above as reading essays.
The class included two Others ENessrs
William A. Fair, of New York, and Georg
W. Williams, of Ohio) who had returned t
= their respective dioceses to be ordalne
, there.
Morning prayer having been said befor
breakfast, the service at IL O'Clock in tn
Seminary chapel begun with exercises NOR
r Immediately incident to the occasion. /
large congregation was in attendance
Among the clergy present were observe
the Revs. T. U. Dudley, P. n. Meade, c.
Peuick, G. w. Peterkin, and X. R. Mason
Of Baltimore; L. G. Newman, of Philadel
phia; w. W. Williams, D. D., and A. B. Al
kins, D. D, of Georgetown, D. C.; Thoma
r Duncan, William f. Gardner, and j
: Owen Dorsey, of Maryland; Thoma
e E. Locke, Of Albemarle; W. {
Meredith, D. D., of Winchester job
McGil, of Fairfax; Landon R. Masor
of Charlotte w. L. Braddoek, Of Monroe
E E. c. Murdaugh, D. D., of Fredericksburg
e and George A. Smith and R. FL. McKim, D
D., Of Alexandria.
The ordination sermon was preached b
the Rev. Philip Slaughter, of Culpeper, o
S the text: eco We into all the world an
= preach the gospel to every creature"
Il The nine graduates of yesterday wer
: then ordained deacons Ivy Bishop Johns, b
whose appointment the Rev. Melville Boy
t read the gospel. The following deacon
? were then advanced to the priesthood 9TH