The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-05-25
Richmond, Va, "Wednesday, May 25.
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Editorial Correspondence


sembly has met once before in Virginia.
In 1872 it met in Richmond, when DIR.
7. R. Welch, of Arkansas, was the Mod
orator. This court of the Church has
always received most cordial welcome
wherever it has gone, and sometimes
there is no little contention for the honor
of entertaining it. Formerly it was
thought that none but the larger cities
could have this privilege, but it has been
shown that Charlotte, Columbus, Macon,
and Staunton can not only give the AS
sembly welcome, but offer also special
inducements to meet in their churches
Staunton is in the very heart of the great
Valley of Virginia, and not far from the
geographical centre of the State, and is a
representative city of section that will
compare favorably with the most pros
porous and beautiful in any Southern
State. 1t is also the centre of the most
compact Presbyterian population in the
South, and the place was well chosen for
the meeting of the Assembly. Besides
the delegates to the Assembly large
number of visitors are in attendance and
all have been welcomed and most hospi-
tably entertained.
The Assembly got to work yesterday
without the slightest delay. Punctually
at IL o'clock the Moderator, DR.. 7. A.
Hoyt, was in the pulpit. He preached
the opening sermon Can abstract of which
is given elsewhere) from Gal. i: 81. His
subject was "The Gospel" He spoke
without notes in we'll chosen words, and
the sermon was in every respect happy
illustration of the subject. DIR. Hoyt
presided at the last Assembly in Charles
ton with eminent dignity and grace. In
this Assembly he is chairman of the COM
mittee of Bills and Overtures and will
have more difficult task than that of
presiding over the Assembly, as the
>Presbyteries and Synods have sent an
unusual number of overtures, some OF
which will give trouble to answer salts
factorily.
The Assembly paid the unusual COM
pliment to DR.. R. P. Farris, editor of the
So. Louis Presbyterian, of electing him
Moderator, without any opposition, by a
unanimous vote. Very few of the COM
missioners appointed have failed to at
tend. All regret the absence of DR..
Stuart Robinson, who had been appointed
from the Presbytery of Louisville, but he
deemed it imprudent in his present state
of health to be exposed to the fatigues of
the journey and the sessions of the AS
sembly. There is large number of the
ablest and most noted men in the Church
present either as members OF the Assem-
bly, or as visitors, and we may expect an
interesting and profitable meeting of this
the highest court of our Church. AL
ready much of the routine business has
been accomplished. The reports from
the Executive Committees have been read,
and they all, especially that on Foreign
Missions, are encouraging to the Church.
A motion made to-day to send the
Christian salutations of this Assembly to
the Northern Assembly was opposed by
some on the ground that we should await
the action of that body in the matter.
There was very general regret that any
discussion should have been elected by
this motion, which passed the body by an
almost unanimous vote.
The subject Of RetrenchmeDt and Re-
form has been made the order of the day
for 10 o'clock tomorrow Saturday..
This will no doubt lead to thorough dis
cussion as the matters at issue are of the
first Importance, and it is supposed that
they will be now finally settled. We
hope to give the result of this discussion
in time for the next issue Of the paper.
The Revised Directory Of Worship is
also exciting good deal Of interest, and
there is by no means uniformity of views
in regard to the question Of adopting
even for discretionary use any forms
whatever-for burial service, or for bap-
tism, or marriage. But this remark is
based rather upon the action taken by
the Presbyteries than upon any thing de-
veloped in the Assembly, before which