The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-10-28
EVENING SESSION.
Synod reassembled at 81 o'clock.
The report OH Systematic Bencvolcfee, nav
ING been amended, was adopted.
DEM1ssIoN FROM THE MINISTRY.

The time having arrived for the discussion o
this subject, Rev. J. Rice Bowman explained
that Presbytery ha6 not permitted DR.. Ruffne
to lenit his office. as seemed to be the impress
sion of some members of the Syloa, but thu
Presbytery had deposed him and he is now lii
longer a minister. Presbytery had dcposed DR.
Rutfner and that was all it had done. He tool
the position that there was no law on the sub
Jet. That the decisions of the General Assem-
bly, were not law. for there was no law on the
subject and the General Assembly cannot Makt
a law it merely interprets the laws already
made. The Presbytery, in ehquirag into thi.
matter, had found that minister could be dc
posed in two ways: LIST, for crime; I'd. for cause
nferring no c~ime. Lexington Presbytery had
deposed DR.. R,lfiner for cause iferring nc
crime, and he maintained further TINT Presby-
terry had the right to depose minister in this
way even without Ills consent thereto.
Rev. r. B. Whit, argued that those opposed
to the action of Lexington Presbytery were
eontendng against al. unconstitutional action.
That the decisions of the General Assembly
we're laws of The church IN I us binding us the
constitution. He claimed IT, ut demlsslon was
unconstitutional, because it Was not allowed by
the constitution.
Rev. w. Il. Richardson citeSi cases from the
General Assembly, which, he claim I'd, justified
and authorized the action of Lexington I resDy-
terry.
Elder VIM. w. Henry said the onlg' question
before Synod was whether it should approVe OF
disapprove the action of Lexington PresS)ytrry.
The enquiry was whether this action is n &C
cordance with the constitution of the church as
it now stands, and not whether the constitution
shall hereafter be so altered as to suit the cir.
cumstances of this case. He then argued earn
cstly and forcibly against the consttutonality
of this action, and his learned argument was
listened to with much attention by the advo-
Gates of both sides.
Pending the discussion Of this subject, Synod
took a recess to meet again at o'clock in the
lecture-room Of the church.
NIGHT SESSION.
Synod re- assembled in the lecture-room at
O'Clock, and, rs previously arranged, DR.. c. Ii.
Reid, OF Richmond, read the narrative on the
state of Religion, which was, in many respects,
a very favorable one. The report was adopted
DEMIssIoN FROM THE MINISTRY.
The discussion on this subject was again ia
ken mp, and on motion the speeches were linli-
ted theoretically to ten minutes, but practically
the Synod was very liberal in extending the
time, and for over two hours a very animated
debate ensucd, enliveDed now and then with
stray strokes of humOr.
The debate was participated in by Rcvs. d.
G. Irwin, of Lexington Presbytery, II. c. AL
eXander, d. D., of Union Theological Semna-
ry, C. S. NJ. See, of Lexington Presbytery, Mr..
Woods, of Norfolk, r. c. Walker, of Licking
ton Presbytery, Mr.. Lepps, of Greenbrier. Ell
der j. B. Logan, of Montgomery, L. E. Con-
verse, of Woodstock, Il. D. Bell, of West Han
over Presby terry, E. Thomas, of Lexington
Presbytery, Theo. Pryor, D. D., VIM. Brown,
D. d., I. W. X. Handy, D. D.
Pending the discussion, the Synod took a re-
cess to meet again in five minutes in the body
OF the church. where public service had been
held by DR.. DabEey.
On re-assembling, DR.. Dabney, by permits
sion previously given, addressed the Synod OIL
behalf of DIR. j. z. Wadlell, chairman of the
Board Of Education at Memphis, urging the
churches to turn their attention to this inpor
tant subject.
On motion of DR.. Pryor. DR.. Dabney was au-
thorzed to prepare minute on this subject,
which was adopted, and the following commit
tee appointed: Revs. r. L. Dabney. D. D., J.
Nj. P. Atkinson, d. D., and Dr. L. j. Spencer,
Elder.
The committee on Leave of Absence made
their report, which was adopted and the COM
mittee complimented for their diligence and
liberality.
The vote was taken on the first resolution of
the substitute offered by DR.. Brown, which on
motion had been divided, and was lost by a vote
of 96 to 26. The second part of this substitute
was then laid on the table, and the majority
report was adopted.
Rev. E. Thomas gave notice of an appeal on
the part of Lexington Presbytery to the Gen.
eral Assembly. On motion. the Moderator ap-
pointed Drs. Pryor and Lefevre a committee to
defend the action Of Synod before the General
Assembly.
On motion. hearty thanks were returned to
the citizens of Staunton for their kind hospital
ity to the railroad corporations for transporta-
ton at reduced fare, to the Principal of the Au-
gusta Female Seminary and of the D., D. & B.
Institution for the Interesting entertainments
given Synod and to the other denominations
Of the city for the use Of their churches
The Synod then adjourned with the usual re-
ligious exercises.
THE SYNOD.
The Virginia Synod was formed in 1883 by
New York and Philadel phia Synod 1t has met
in Staunton as follows: in 1906 with D. Lacy,
Moderator; 1908, Morris Hoge, Moderator; 1909,
Saml. Brown, Moderator 1911, Moses Hoge,
Moderator; 1915, Saml. Brown, Moderator; 1918,
VIM. Hill, Moderator; 1922, S. B. Wilson, Mod
orator 1928, Jno. Matthews Moderator 1888,
S. B. Wilson, Moderator 1847, Peyton Harri-
son, Moderator; 1862. w. j. Hoge, Moderator
A STOLEN HORSE RECovERED.-Several
weeks since, an enteiprising pedestrian
grabbed up an old horse belonging to Mr. W..
A. Mann, and travelled as far as the stables of
w. II. Peyton, about miles from town, where
he left her, and appropriated to his use two Of
Mr.. P's best horses, taking with him Mr.
Mann's saddle. kilograms and posters were
sent in every direction and horse back riders
dispatched to the four cardinal points to inter-
ccpt the fleeing thief and animals. A few days
ago the wires flashed the intelligence to Mr.
Peyton that one of the horses was i'll the custo-
dy of an officer in Danville, Va, and few
days thereafter the animal was deposited at
Mr.. P's farm, and the reward claimed.
1t appeared from the statement OF the gen.
tleman in charge cf the animal, that the man
who had stolen the horse, appeared in the
streets of Danville, riding one of the animals
and leading the ether. While answering some
questions propounded to the thief by the officer.
the led horse got lose and made off. The off,
Ger thoughtlessly started after it, and as he
turned his back on the rogue, he put spurs to
the fleetfooted steed remaining, escaping, with
out difficulty with the animal. The horse not
yet recovered, is valuable one, and we pre-
sumo the owner has heard the last of him, as,
by this time, he and his rider are in the pine
hills of North Carolina. The thief is believed
to be the man who WAS selling the ''Granger
grip" through this part of the country
That Danyille officer ought to have Il leather