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

| ties. 2. We must change the method OF our
work. 3. Wemt1st exercise great prudence
in selecting man to take charge OF this
business.
Hfr. w. Fl. Davis desired to be under
stood. He was not understood last night.
He desired to define his position. he knew
| the men on that committee were honorable
men, but let us look Mt thugs in the clear
light. They were good businessmen, put
have they attended to our business? My
| calculations were based on the facts Delore
us, and were correct. II has been said am
In favor OF adicalisn-cutting up by the
root all our. enterprises. No, sir; the en-
deavor Of my heart is to cut on the unlrult-
full branches OF our orchard-not to cut up
all the trees. | do not underrate the I'M
portance of sound literature, Dut my desire
is to secure the diffusion OF that literature
i. on the best terms possible. There is deep
= conviction in nv country that this commit
tee are not the men to conduct this business.
There are two things to be done IN this
work: One to review the books to be gwen
to our Church; let these men do this WORK
thew can do that and do it we'll. But a Sc
cond part is the business part-to uo Tue
publishing OF the books. want the house
sold; not now, but as soon as possible;
ought not to have 5000 in mouse. Even
if it is a good business scheme we nave noC
the right to do this. 1t is said the Assembly
endorsed this purchase. Mr. DAVIS then
read how that came to be done; that past
Assemblies have distinctly stated that they
considered II an incumbrance, and seemed
to doubt the propriety OF holding it further.
His ;dea. then. was to sell this house and
give this business into the hands OF business
men. ,
General Prince, of North Carolina, said
he did not desire to be heard on ACCOUNT OF
himself, but great principle, and his Pres-
bytery had sent him with q memorial en-
bodving those principles. 1t is not his pur-
pose to assail the committee ut Rlchmond.
Their only fault was that Of all OF us, to
trust too much to one man. We should re-
/ uuire the men entrusted with all Church
funds to give bond and security. He loVed
the Church Of his fathers above ms nigneSt
jovs, and it was because he loved 1t that ne
desired to do all he could to extend her EN-
cheney. He represented minority OF the
committee, and he desired to present the
Views OF memorialists in his own State, VINO
should be heard. He spoke OF those memo
riaIists as men OF soundneSs and learning.
They ask YOU not to uproot all the tree, but
r. do what is best in an economical view by
changing the method OF carrying on the
work. In the report OF the committee he
differed only in two or three things. 1t Is
proposed to carry on the publishing busl-
ness by contract. 1t is said this has been
! done. in fact, all the time. But think too
much is left to the discretion OF the COM
mittcc: not that I have not confidence in
them, but that they should not have so
much left them. In the next place,
he was in favor of selling the house
in Richmond without any proviso. Where
is the use of the house? 1t is said it is a
good investment; but il so. the Church has
no right to enter into any such speculation.
Besides, he thought instead OF being so. it
can be shown, we think, that the house Is
expensive. He thought the house ought
never to have been bought. Again, there
is debt on it, and the Church ought not to
be in debt. Whatever be the result reached,
I do not doubt we shall all go home resolved
to do the best we can to sustain that action.
Dr.. B. NJ. Smith asked the Assembly's at
. tention TO few facts in explanation OF tbs
matter. One difficulty is want OF popula'
, ton. There must always be certain
; agency in all these matters, and it can at
, tend to great amount OF business. Ine
old Board, with three times the business,
onlv cost a few hundred dollars more than
| our committee. The difficulty is, there is
not sufficient demand OIL the house; hence
the criticism on the commercial status OIL
the house is not called for. This committee
confesses too much confidence in one man
that is not unusual It has been done over
, and over again in banks and banking lnstl.
tutions, and, under rigid examination, there
have been defaults and defauiters. Tie
, thought we ought have to warm sympathy
towards this committee rather than carp.
ing criticism.
Mr. Daniels, Of Memphis, spoke on an
amendment he offered asking that the thiro
resolution should require the committee tc
sell the house as soon rs possible without
great loss. His part OF the Church had
sympathy with this cause, but not with the
purchase or holding of this house. Yet ne
thought that discretion should be used in
the sale of this house lest great loss shoulf
ensue.
DR.. Beall, OF North Carolina, desired tc
, correct any apprehension in the MINDS o.
this Assembly that his Synod was agalns
this cause. North Carolina stands 1ourth IL
the list in contributions. 1t is not want o.
confidence that we object. There are twt
aspects to view this mattcr-one Is CONNER
cial, the other moral. Even IN CONNER
, cial view he did not believe this cause Is
; failure: he thought the figures would bcal
Qlm Out. Dun LII iAiO'ei PoAAo eAA' NoAA-
mttee has been great success.
Colonel Billups wanted to throw out {
few general thoughts OR the general sub
iect. He thought our fears were the cause
of our difficulties in ninetY-nine cases IL
q hundred. We should take hold OF thing!
courapeously. This committee had done
this. In the midst of all their troubles they
: went to work with manly courage, ant
, their success has been great. The same
thing is evident here in the standing com
, mittee. They have met the case with cour
age, and their report will be adopted almos
! unanimously. He was glad, too, that Thu
debate had been carried on without acri
| mony or bitterness. He thought the com.
mittee did not deserve censure. Their trust
! Ii ing DR.. Baird was natural. Any man wbt
comes to me with commission from thi
Assembly has an entrance into all our hearts
: Colonel Anderson, of Mobile, said th'
t great power Of tue Church is moral. Bu
some had said no, it costs too much money
This publication cause is one whose oblec
is to get hold of the hearts of the people
, Now, the best method Of doing this is by {
. good religious literature. We must take
, into consideration the value Of this agency
[ The strength and power Of our Church i:
involved in this question. Many OF th'
. arguments used here have been merely OF
t the dollars and cents The moral question
| is the greatest one involved. We represen
, part of the Church. The other parts
, Baptist and Methodist-haye their publica
; tion-houses, and we ought not to lay be
hind. Our. Sabbath schools, whence grea
2 power flows, should be reached by our lite
, nature. Now, this defalcation has not caused
loss OF confidence in the committee. The
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