The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1881-05-05
presbytery ana Chamber

The Presbytery ana Chamber
lain-H unit Academy.
At n late meeting of the Presbytery o
Mississippi at Brookhaven, a series o
resolutions was passed highly condem
natory OF the Board OF Trustees O
g. III. Academy.
These resolutions were pnblished, II
mart. in the BRooKHAvEN LEDGER, OF
April 22d. and made the pretext for the
circulation of statements extremely
damaging to q. II. Academy, If trile.
It is gratifying to know that The
Presbytery had forbidden their publ
cation, even by the proper authorities.
This offering Of the records is a matter
only between Presbytery and the guilty
party. To correct these impressions,
however, becomes the duty of the
Board. and by a resolution the under
signed was requested to discharge this
delicate duty.
We wish it distinctly understood that
it is not the purpose Of the Board to
take issue with Presbytery. But fol
the publication no public notice would
have been taken of its action. But as
the charges are before the public it is
proper that they should be attended
with q defense from the party charged.
This much is needed that'.a fair verdict
may be rendered. A committee APP,
pointed with special reference "to the
silence of the Trustees of G. H. Acad>
envy" concnrripg reports to President
from that body, introduced a set OF
resolutions with the following preamble
"Whereas, Presbytery has repeated
ly asked from the Board a minute ac'
count of the affairs of the Institution
and has tailed TO receiDe ii, and
whereas, at the last fall meeting after
another failure to render a satisfactory
account. Presbytery urged the Board to
send mp to,the spring.meeting a fnll and
comprehensive report, and they have
again failed to do o
Resolution Isl, That Presbytery CO.
press its disappointment and sorrow al
this last and OIL repeated failure to
comply with our just and legitimate de-
mands."
The false impressions are all cluster
ed in the aboye quotation. The fair
est construction put upon this language
would lead to a conclusion wide of the
truth, and / propose to let the records
of PresbytAry confute it. Have the
Trustees ever made a minute and COM
plete report to Presbytery? That is
the simple question that needs an an
swer before the public. ] submit the
following history:
The funds were turned over to The
Trustees Of G. II. Academy by the
Trustees Of Oakland College. Nov.
1877. At the next meeting of Presby-
terry, April 1878, the G. II. Board rOlUn-
tered a report. rs full and complete as
was deemed necessary. 1t was dp.
proved by Presbytery, and OH the next
day a motion was made to reconsider it,
which opened the. way o the adoption oi
the following resolutions:
''That the Board of Trustees OF
&. II. Academy be required to send NJ
to Presbytery at its annual .tdH meet
ing a minnie report of the affairs OF
the Institution. stating clearly the con'
dition of its finances: how employed
and how secured, and that a copy o.
the treasnrer's report and the minutes
of the Board for preceding year be
sent up. This was clear instructions,
and It met the views of the Board.
The first fall meeting. when this re-
port should have been rendered, occur
red in November, 1878, while yellow
fever was still prevailing in our unfor-
tunate town. 1t was impossible to have
a meeting of the Board TO furnish 6
report. However. to make good theil
intentions the Board submitted at thf
following Spring meeting, their entire
records, account books. and treasurer
reports, every note and voucher, every
thing relating to the funds and plans Of
the school. All these were vigorously
examined by the most competent com.
mittee that Presbytery could appoint
and the following is the report submit
ted by DIR Stratton, chairman:
Your Committee would submit.
THAT in addition to the report. there
has been placed in their hands tho
complete records of the Board from its
organization, which have been careful
Iy revised by your committee, =
The ~affairs of the Academy seem to
YOUR Committee to have been carefully
and judiciously administered, and VT
would recommend the adoption of the
following resolutions:
End, ~Presbytery approves of the Wig
lance manifested by the Board as tc
the sufficiency of the securities nror
which its loans were made, land es-
pecially the resolution, not to make
loans to members of its W body.")
1t is needless to quote the entire re-
port, every wordof which is most favor,
able, as only that portion is needed
which proves that a minute account
has been given. l ask any me mind,
could it have been more complete, oil
minnie, or apparently more sa~tisfacto'
nv. And how does this tally with the
Preamble which so emphaticalIy states
that DO such report has ever been made,
The next report was due in the fall
of 1879, only six months later. This
3rd report was made, and considered
BY a committee of Presbytery which,
after many words of commentator and
qualification, call attention to the fac
that the report is not exhaustive
enough, on the ground that the Treas
urers report and the records were moi
present, although the report submitted
declared that there had been ''nc
change in the finances of the Institu-
tion," consequently nothing to report
on that subject. But the committed
recommend the following resolution
-lsl ,,ou o1Nnta1.
Resolution 1st. "That the Board bt
excused for their failure in the above
mentioned particulars, on the grount
that their books were carefully in
spected by the ~Presbytery six month
ago" This third report was then Ger
traily accepted as in compliance.
The next report was due October
1880, which the Board made in compli-
ance with the original requirement, ant
the only exception taken to it was ii
reference to the Treasurers report
which was a ''copy of the annual report
submitted to the Board ITSELF" accord
ing to the above requirement.. 1t wa
not approved upon the ground that e v
cry little article was not itemized. Nee
essary purchases had been made at va
rious places. and the amounts only were
placed in the report, all the bids being
in the hands of the treasurer. 1t was
copy of the report which was made ia
the Board, which the Board examined
and found correct. and ordered ms a re-
port to Presbytery, and conscieaces nev.
er we're more clear as to the exact full
illment of the requirements. So much
then for tho fourth report.