National Republican., 1880-09-24
N-PRESBYTERIANS.
Opening Session at the Philadelphia
Academy Of Music.
Business Session Opened in horticultural
Hall-Eeprosentntivas OF Thirty
Millions of People.
Tho pan-rr.sbylorlan Conference.

PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 23.-Thc delegates to
the pan.prcsbyterian council assembled this
morning IN the Chambers presbyterian church,
Broad aud Sinsom Streets aud forming In
couples marched to the academy Of music,
about square below, where tho opening scr.
mon was preached by Rov. William VI. Pax.
ton, D. d., of New York. General IIarlranft
and Colonel A. Loudcn Snowdcu assisted in
arranging the procession from the church to
the academy. The latter building was
crowded from parquot 60 dome, and marked
attention was paid to tho remarks of DIR. Pax
ton, who took his text from Matthew viii, ..
Til speaker, after an eloquent opening, dwclt
at length upon the past history and future
mission Of presbyterianism, and closed with a
feeling reference to the death of Rev. Mr..
Adams, ID. d., who delivered the last prayer
and pronounced the last be- ption at the
close Of the first meeting Of the alliance in
Edinburgh iu 1877.
At tho conclusion of DR.. Paxton's address
prayer was ollorol by Rev. DR.. Jonkin of
Canada and hymn sung by the audience
after which Rev. DIR. Paxton closed with the
bonediction and the meeting adjourned until
, p. m.
1t was not until nearly o'clock that tho
vast audience that packed the academy of
music vacated that builling. Subsequently
the delegates assembled In Horticultural hall,
adjacent to the academy, aud there organized
the business sessions Of the council. The
formal address Of welcome to the delegates
was made by Rev. DIR. William p. Breed OF
this city. 1t is worthy of rGmari that the
late Rov. Dr. Ueadlc WAS originally selected
| tn deliver the Nddrcss of welcome, and upon
his death Rev. DE. ii. A.. Boardmsn was chosen.
DIR. Boardman alAO died and Rev. DR.. Breed
was then selected. In his address this after
noon the latter mado fitting alusion to this
fact in welcoming tho council, which,
he said, collectively represented "a great
crowd Of witnesses. 10000 0O0-yes, 10000
000-of them, In every land aud in every
cline" After successfully welcoming tho
several foreign delegations and making fitting
nllusion TO memorable features of the re-
! ligious history OF their several countricI DR..
| Breed referred to the fact that tho frat Amer.
| lean prcsbytcry was formed In Philadelphia
175 years ago, aud to-day" he said, "out Of
the s5OOOO people of Philadelphia nearly 80
presby tcran ministers, 100 presbyterian con.
grcgations, with n communion roll reaching to
900 and an adherence of some 100000, join
in giving you genuine presbyterian wei
come"
Upon tho conclusion OF DR.. Breeds address
Rev. DR.. Caldorwood of Edinburgh was elected
chairman of tho session, and Rev. Drs
Mathews aud Blaiklc were elected clerks of
the conncil. Rev. DR.. Primo of Now York
referred to the deaths of Rvs William Adams
d. d., of New York, E Il. Doadle and H. A.
Boardman Of this city since tho last council
and offered suitable minute, which was
adopted, expressive Of the regret of the counci
and its sense Of loss at the deaths of those
mentioned. Rev DR.. Jcnkin OF Montreal
Canada, suggested that IL might be well 10
shorten the programme, as he folt that an at
tempt TO carry II out in its fullness would de-
prve the delegates OF time that could be
valuably spent in consulting together on mat
ters dear TO their hearts. Aftcr an extended
discussion pro and con, participated
Ia by Drs. Knox Of Belfast, Murray
Mitchell of Edinburgh aud Dr. Prime
of New York, the amendment was withdrawn
and the report of the committee, with its sug.
gcstioms, was adopted.
DIR. Blalkio, from the committee on stats.
ties, reported that he had u tabuateA stale
mont which 1t woull bs impraclicdblc to read
to the council, but which would be published
in the journal of tho proceedings. The stute
ment covered statistics OF thirty -four churches,
of which thirteen are on tho continent OF
Europe, nine in the United Kingdom, six in
the United States and six in the British colo.
nies.
After this report had been submitted and
adopted the council adjourned until 1880 p. IN.