The Portland daily press., 1876-02-17
THE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
An Attempt to Drag in the
Scandal.
MR.. VESTS PROTEST
Mfr. Sherman Opens for Ply
mouth Church.

NEW YORK, Feb. 16.-When the business
session of the Plymouth Advisory Council was
called to order, the body of the church and the
galleries presented an animated appearance.
Mrs. Beecher occupied the same seat in which
she sat yesterday.
The minutes of yesterdays session were read
and, after some unimportant corrections, were
approved. One of the delegates asked if it
would not be we'll for the three members who
were not present last night to have their names
cancelled. The moderator said that if any such
were in the room they should at once give their
names to the scribes. Rev. DR.. Bell of the
Mansfield, Ohio, first church, offered the fol-
lowing resolutions:
Resolued. That it is our firm belief that the Rev
Henry Ward Beecher is innocent of the sins and
crimes, laid publicly to his charge.
"ReSoLUed, That we regard with profound admira-
ton and gratitude the mistaken and loving faith
trust and devotion of the members of Plymouth
church Brooklyn to their pastor, especially because
by these we have been enable dto arrive at all the
facts by which we know he is innocent and especially
so because they have exemplifed the beauty,
fidelity and glory of the faith it is in Christ Jesus
our Saviour and our Lord"
DIR. Bell tried to speak In favor of his resolu-
tiOns, but was called to order by a member.
DR.. Bacon decided that the point was well
taken, but DR.. Bell still continued to talk. The
moderator said that he decided DR.. Bell out of
ORDER and if he wished to appeal from the de-
cision he could do So Dr. Bell then appealed,
sired to talk, but the question was called for
from all parts of the house.
DR.. Bacon put the question and was sustain.
ed by nearly every delegate in the church.
Tie moderator then said they would listen to
report from the business committee
The chairman, Rev. Lyman Abbott, then
made report in relation to the protest pre-
sented to the council by ex Deacon VIM. f.
West. The committee recommended that the
protest be read to the council, and then re-
ferred to the special committee appointed yes
terday. They did not want to establish a
| precedent for the future. or to follow one of
| the past, but the experiences of the past must
be taken into consideration, and it would not
do to have it said that an ex-officer of Ply
mouth church had presented a protest which
was not heard On motion the report was
| adopted.
| Mr.. Vests protest was then read by Mr.. Alb
| bott. In the protest Mr.. West begins by say
ing that in the first sentence of the letter mis-
| sve Plymouth Church finds its good name
| called in question on account of the principles
| and rules adopted for many years for the regu-
laton of its internal affairs. He holds that its
| good name has not been called into question
because of its rules but that the whole cause
| is contained in its extraordinary conduct in
dropping from its rolls the name Of Theodore
| Tilton, and later the name of Mrs. Emma G.
| Moulton.
| AS member of Plymouth church, he pro
| tests against the submission to the council of
l any otner questlOnS except the guilt or lnnO-
cence of Mr.. Beecher. He thinks that he him.
l self was referred to in the fourth question
asked by the church, and says he was COMPEL
ed to adopt the course he did on account of
Congregational usage. His object was by a
council, mutually agreed. to settle the matter.
He asks if he was right in his course, and if
the church was right in calling an advisory
I council.
After the reading, Mr.. Beecher assembled tn
platform and announced that Mr. Shearm an
l would present the case for the church and sad
HE or ], or both of us, will be subject to such
minds of the council"
Mr. Sherman then went upon the platform
l and made long and exhaustive statement of
the case of Plymouth chnrch, traversing
| the pastor and Dr. Edward Beecher, and TAX
| ing up in addition the subject of the mutual
/ council.
The council then adjourned till o'clock that
the committee might have opportunity of get
| ting through with the vast amount of work
they had ON their hands,
| At the afternoon session the spectators num-
bered twice as many as in the morning. The
assistant moderator, Ex-Governor Dingley of
Maine, called the council to order. The ses
Sherman resumed He said it had been sug-
gested to him that be had not fully stated the
| case of the mutual council. He then went on
detailing at length the matter of the opposition
| offered by the committee to council in which
certain delegates should sit as members. Ply
mouth church, he said, was not governed by
any one man, nor any two men, nor even ten,
| and those who were generally supposed to rule
the church were the most frequently overruled.
He then said he would go into the consdera-
tion of the subject of the sixth question as to
| whether or not Plymouth church had gone be-
| yond its depth as church of Christ SO as to
| justly forfeit its claim to the confidence and
| fellowship of Congregational churches.
Mr.. Sherman in continuing commended that
| there never was more preposterous case than
| this one. 1t never would have stood in any
| court had it not been for the demand that an
| innocent man should be able to prove by other
| witnesses than himself that he was not guilty
of the offence with which he was charged. He
then read lengthy report of the investigation
| which was had in the matter by the committee
appointed for that purpose by the chnrch Al
though they had done everything which had
| been asked of them, it was then demanded that
there should be trial before the courts. He
then went Cd through the trial of the case and
the verdict of the jury, and held that there
was mot single bit of new evidence put forth
now. 1t was only what somebody had told
| somebody else. In closing Mr.. Shearman said
| they threw themselves upon the council and
| prayed that God would be with the latter in its
| decisions.
| After he had concluded Mr.. Sherman took
a seat on the platform near DR.. Bacon and was
in short time joined by Rossiter w. Ray
mond. A lengthy examination of the differ
ent members of the committee mainly Shear
man, was then gone through in relation to the
| different questions contained in the letter mis-
sive, during which Shearman explained the
motives of the committee in Directing to the
| churches of Drs. Storrs and Buddngton being
represented in the council. He said that sup
| posing Judge Van Colt had accepted the objec.
tions and agreed to withdraw the churches, he
| could have so represented the case to these
| churches that there would not be any apparent
| discourtesy.
Mr.. Shaw of Illinois said that he understood
| Mr.. Sherman to say that the committee of
Plymouth church agreed to withdraw the pro-
test, and Mr.. Shearman replied, "Oh, no; we
| never agreed to withdraw after once pntting in
| the protest"
A number of questions were asked by differ
| ept delegates with a view of ascertaining
whether or not the first letters sent to the
church were written as if coming from a
| church or individuals, and it was satisfactorily
| shown that they were written by Judge Van
Colt and Mr.. Sherman as individuals, Or.
Bacon testifyng that from the letter which he
received he was unable to say by whom he had
been called.
Dr. Bacon went through long and tedious
examination as to the meaning of the phrase
s'roll of the church,, as to whether a person
became member of the church before his
name was entered upon them, and the course
pursued when his name was dropped
When OcocK had arrived one of the dele
gates desired an adjournment till tomorrow
morning that the various committees might
get through THEFT work, but it being shown that
the examination then being carried on was
necessary to the completion of their labor, the
motion was voted down and it was decided
that the council continue at the regular hour
During intermission Prof. Smyth met Mr..
Butcher and asked him if letter from the An
dover church was not in the hands of Ply
mouth, at the same time denying Prof. Phelps
statement that the letter did not represent the
church aud that the meeting that adopted it
was small affair." He wanted it submitted to
the council, and Mr. Beeche- was willing it
should be, provided Prof. Phelps letter wen
with It, This Prot. Smythe would not assent
to- The discussion waxed warm till finally
Mr.. Beecher said that the letter was in the
hands of Mr. Tierney, therefore he could not
comply and once more appealed to Prof.
Smythe to state his case to the brethren. For
response Prof. Smytbe turned upon his heel
with the remark, "You have the letter. Mr..
Beecher, that will speak for ITSELF" and with
this the interview ended.
EASTERN RAILROAD.
The Relief Bill Passed,