The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-05-30

tee had raised by sneclaiS eHoTt auouS ~
600. The committee were to be commenueu
for thcir special efforts to retrieve the losses.
The committee, recommend no one ioi We.
.cammittee In the main. They recoinmeno
a chanpe In the method OF conducting Tue
business. 80 that it shall not be done by tne
committee itself. but by an agent OF seer.
tarv They recommend that the Ea,m .ssa
Workey be published nonthly, aad tnat .ue
nnhlishing.housc be sold unless tIele a 1J
sa;r nrosnect OF speedily paying the dcpe
on It. North Carolina,
n.. saa,,ng sbe Presbytcry which brougnt
.,,a,,,nria1 TO abolish this whole busi-
' W - nnblication, said his Presbytery had
hsen nil along opposed to this comm,t1ee,
but co,,id never before get the attention OF
the Church. 1t is not matter OF rhetorlc,
hut OF business, OF dollars and Genus. HIS
reasons were-first, that this committee con-
fessed that they could not give the exact
state OF the matter Again, take the RECORD
from the start and see what benent II mas
been to us. Since the publication began IL
has issued over one million bound volumes,
tracts, &c. To enable them to do TINS we
have given them over S42,02s. DIVIDE tnls
up, you have over four cents perVoiume.
We have paid for every catechlsm, trsct,
&c. and then four cents apiece Tor buying
them. The committee has been magnif-
cent failure. For every tract worth one
cent we have paid four cents ior Tue priv
Iere Of buyinp. We have been paying more
Tor hooks at Richmond than we could get
elsewhere. When in the seminary he found
that It would cost $50 or $50 more year TO
buy in Richmond than in Philadelphia. we
have always been paying some ten per cent.
more in Richmond than elsewhere. Inc
fnnds OF the committee are gone TO the
winds: the evidence is too plain. Can we
conscientiously leave this matter IN the
hands OF men who either could not or ala
not take better care OF the funds OF the
Church? ... ..........
Governor Marye said he was not mem
Der Of the Publication Committee NJ kich-
mond, but he knew all the men. Among
them was the Auditor Of our State, q man
of eminent financial ability; two OF our
Judges. successful and eminent in their pro-
fession: two lawyers who are also eminent.
He did not think anything should be secret.
The statements'of assets were not conjectu-
ral-they were based on facts like any other
commercial business. The committee did
not scrutinize behind the accounts TO de-
tect fraud. They accepted the statements
of the secretary as true. Mr. Gennet anu
Mr.. Sleight were pure and immaculate, but
the secretary, with autocratic power, acted
on his own authority, and the papers ne
brought were accepted as vouchers. Even
in banks there may be overreachlng and de-
ception with all the vigilance OF bank OIL
GERS. He was not here TO say whether the
salary paid the secretary and the other ON
GERS was too large or not. None OF the
1xoS. fhnt ,rhf
| do away with observation-disclosures, and we
cannot afford to cut loose. On the hymn
| hooks we have compelled the committee to
sell less than other religious bodies do.
This committee has borne the burden, and
TO-DAY by the energy and activity OF them
and other noble Christian hearts the loss
has been repaired.
Professor Campbell desired that the his
tory of this subject should be laid before
the house. In the first place the committee
took great pains to get the facts not only
from the books, but from all the witnesses
thew could get. The committee here had at
first very wide diversity OF sentiment.
Some were like Mr.. Davis; others were
friends OF the committee, and knew some
thing of their difficulties and complications.
After getting all the facts we worked along
in compromising spirit, for all were Will
ing to listen and compare views; and when
these views were put together we found we
were not so wide apart. 1t was agreed at
first that each should write down his views
on each topic. By taking the good in each
and the half way on each side, the res
olutions presented are the result OF all our
deliberations. Now, after all these discus.
sions, the committee has, with one excep'
ton, come to a unanimous vote. We have
not been hasty. Now we wish to see this
Assembly come together Just as the commit
tee has done.
Governor Patton, OF Alabama, said that
although the financial difficulty was great,
vet we must look it squarely in the face.
He fully concurred in the report OF the
committee. The Executive Committee knew
best and could be best entrusted with the
business in hand. We need not hang down
our heads. Let us be encouraged. We
have already raised $4,000, and now let us
90 on. The committee has done large
amount of good. Let us all feel that we
have something to do to save this branch OF
our Church and put it again on its feet. He
was willing to trust the matter to the com
mittee. BY the aid of our Lord good will
come out Of this great misfortune. he has
been mixed up with financial matters In
| past, but was not discouraged. The good
Presbyterians will come forward and help
us in future.
MIR. sorley, OF Texas, said if we remove
this committee. where will we find men to
| do it as we'll, men as honest and as capable.
This report meets the matter. Some years
! ago he voted in the Assembly against the buy
ing Of the publishing-house. he was now
in favor of selling this house. He was in
favor Of the proposition to DO the printing
by contract. He thought the hymn-books
| ought to be sold at reasonable profit.
Colonel Billups asked why the proviso
should be introduced into the resolution to
sell the house il there is not fair prospect
OF paying the debt.
| DR.. Hoge said he thought this very pro-
per and pertinent question. He was ready
to answer any question or be interrupted.
He would recapitulate little. fayolcano
had broken out there would not have been
greater surprise. With regard to the late
Secretary he had not an unkind word. He
would tomorrow morning set out to walk
to Richmond il he could restore peace to
that brother. The committee felt that 1t was
not their affair, they were only the hand OF
the Church. They then sent kilograms to
brethren in distant parts to come; all came
as LOYAL sons of the Church. We then spent
an entire day considering what was to be
done, We saw then that this was SHOCK
to all elements in the Church. The trst
thing to be done was to repair the material
damage. Fifteen thousand dollars OF notes
were rapidly maturing, and must he met
DR.. Brown and himself had to go out. DR.
| Brown went to the Valley. He found
ready and responsive listeners. I went tc
G eorgia and told them all. The reception
| was generous and kind. In Augusta one Of