Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-05-27

to rule only, and of the deacon only to dis
tribute. The deacon cannot rule, but no
opposition is made to joint meetings of ell
ders and deacons for mutual conference
and advice.
RETRENCHMENT AND REFORM.
DIR. Girardeau is regarded as the leader
of this important movement which has at
tracted more interest in the church than
any matter that has been mooted for years.
The subject was first agitated at the as
sembly of 1878, and laid on the table after
discussion. 1t was brought up again in
1879, but not disposed of. Again at Charles
ton, in 1880, it was generally discuss
ed. The committee of eight, into whose
hands it was then placed, presented ma
iority report, recommending that the pres
ent system had more marks of excellence
than any other, and recommending that
the Assembly should adhere to the present
constitution and number of its commit
tees. 1t reported some notifications of
the system, recommending that the COM
mittees on publication and education shall
publish monthly Acknowledgements of
their receipts, and that the General As
sembly shall exert its influence upon
the lower church courts to bring about
their rigid inspection of all accounts, and
systematic and exact management of mon
ey matters by all DIAGONAL officers of the
congress. This report was brought in to
that Assembly signed by the chairman,
Rev. A. c. Hopkins, of Charlestown, W.
Va, and six others Of the committee.
Rev. S. Taylor Martin, of North Caro-
lima, presented an able minority report
proposing most radical changes, mainly
these: That the whole work of the five
boards be committed to two secretaries
and treasurer, (who shall be deacon,
that the Tuscaloosa Colored Theological
Seminary be abandoned, and the sessions
Of the General Assembly be made biennial
instead of annual; to remove the head
quarters from Baltimore to less expen-
sive inland locality. Both these reports
were referred to this assembly of 1881.
There was strong inclination on the
part of members to postpone the discus
sion of this question until next session of
the Assembly, Drs. Adger, of S. c., Will
son, of Baltimore, Hoyt of Nashville, and
Pratt, of S. C. favored the discussion now,
while DIR. Lefevre and Rev. j. A. Scott
advocated postponement. 1t was finally
decided to 90 into the discussion at once.
The question was upon the adoption of the
following recommendations of the majority
report offered at the Charleston Assembly
and referred to this:
LIST. That the five Executive Commit
tees of the Assembly be continued as at
present and that the Publication and Ed
ucation Committees shall hereafter publish
monthly Acknowledgements Of all receipts
into their treasures in the Earnest Wor-
kerr
I'd. That the General Assembly shall ex
ert it's influence upon the lower courts to
bring about their rigid inspection OF all
accounts and systematic and exact man
agement of money matters by all DIAGONAL
officers of our congregations.
ReY. A. c. Hopkins, the able chairman,
made strong speech in support OF his
views He showed that in 1879 the cost
under the present system of managing the
home missions was per cent, foreign
missions 81, education less than 16, publ
cation less than Is per cent. In 1880 the
cost of home and foreign missions was
less than 8, and education less than IL per
cent. From 1866 to 1879 the cost Of home
missions was less than per cent, foreign
less than 10, and education 10. The aver
age in these years was per cent. Not
withstanding the troubles that had cloud
ed the work of this committee, 20 per cent.
of the money invested had been donated in
books, and other publications, to needy OBJ.
iects. Illustrating the cheapness with
which the Assembly's work is done, he
showed that in the Methodist Church
South. twice as much had been spent for
travelling expenses of one secretary as for
all the secretaries of the Presbyterian
Church; also that the same proportion ex-
listed between the expenses of the North
ern Presbyterian Church's committees.
GREETING FROM THE NORTHERN
ASSEMBLY.
After Mr.. Hopkins had closed his ar
gument, the clerk read the following dis
patch just received from the Northern AS
.sembly in reply to the one sent yesterday:
"BUFFALo, N. Y, May 2o.-To Rev.
DIR. Rob't P. Farri5, Moderator: The Cen
eral Assembly of the Presbyterian Church
in session at Buffalo, N. Y, gratefully ac-
knowledges the greeting of the Assembly
met at Staunton, Va, and invoke upon it's
officers and members, grace, mercy and
peace from God, the Father and our Lord
Jesus Christ.
HENRY DAZZLING, Moderator"
THE THANKS
Of the Assembly were rendered to Miss
Mary Julia Baldwin for an invitation to
attend the closing exercises of the Angus
ia Female Seminary.
FOURTH DAY.
A message of fraternal greeting was re-
ceiyed from the General Conference Of
United Brethren in session at Lisbon,
Iowa.
PERSONAL EXPLANATION.
DR.. Pratt of S. G., rose to personal ex-
PLANTATION and to apologize for inadvertent-
" wounding the feelings of brother from
Missouri in the discussions of Saturday.
DR.. Mutually of Lexington, rose to dis
claim the idea as attributed to him in a
newspaper report of having felt any ''bit-
ternesss' in opposing taking the initiative
in sending the salutation to the Northern
General Assembly. He solemnly declared
that his heart was free from any sort of
feeling that could possibly be called bitter
ness.
REPORT OF THE JUDICIAL COMMITTEE
The judicial Committee reported in ia.
yor of dismissing the appeal of Rev. J. s.
White from decision of the South Caro-
ina SYNOD. which Recommendation was