Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-05-19
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY,,
flrst pays Session of the Prc,byteriau Co
SreSS.

AusAo "ssS AOS ony d large numOCr OF
commissioners at the opening of the
general assembly of the Presbyterian
church in the United States at the First
Presbyterian church, Springfield, ILL.,. on
Thursday morning, but Of the citizens of
Springfield. Upon the pulpit platform,
and assisting in the opening religious ex
ercises, were Rev. DR.. J. McHolmes, Rev.
DR.. Herrick johnson, and the Rev. Dr.
James A. Reed, pastor of the church.
Rev. DR.. Darling. the retiring mOt!er-
atOr, delivered the annual sermon. His
text was from Acts 10, 10, and 20, au-
nouncing rs his subject: The RecOnstruc-
ton of our evangclis:ic agencies, viz, the
duty of giving the ordained ministry its
proper place Is the great agency Of Cod
for the conversion Of the world; the
preaching Of the grand old doctrines Of the
Gospel, clearly and forcibly, and enlarged
and cOnsecrated work by all Christians for
Christ and his cause in subjectiou to the
church. In passing he discountcnanced
the introduction Of liturgy. and con-
demned the public preaching OF the Cos
pei and administration Of its ordinances by
self-appointed lay evangelists.
In the afternoon the assembly met in
the hall of the House of Representatives,. a
largo and beautiful chamber. Rev. DR..
Darling, moderator, Rev. DR.. Reed, pas
tor of the First Presbyterian church in
Springfield, made brief speech welcoming
the commissioners, aud concluded by in
Producing the governor Of the state, Hon.
s. NJ. Callum.
The governor extended hearty vel
come to the delegates to the assembly, and
dwelt at some length upon the significance
Of the gathering. He was responded to
by DR.. Darling.
The nomination of candidates for mod.
orator being in order. Rev. DIR. Nicolls
nominated tho Rev. DR.. &. a. Dickey, Of
Philadelphia, ut the same time stating
that it was proper now to select 4 eandi
date not particularly identified with the
old or new school branches Of the
churches. DR.. Dickey. he said, had been
connected with the United Presbyterian
church for many years, and his selection
ut tho present time would do much to still
further destroy the sentiment in reference
to the two branches of tho churches long
since united. Rev. DR.. IIerrick johnson,
of Chicago, and Rev. DR.. Hammet, Of
Pennsylvania, were also nominated. Tho
vote resulted as follows Rev DIR. John
son, 35l Rev. DR.. Dickey, Gs DR..
Hammct, %. Total vote, 444. Rev. DR..
johnson, the new moderator, is we'll
known in Philadelphia. having been
called to the First Presbyterian church in
Philadelphia after the death of the Rev.
Albert Barnes.
DR., johnson, on being conducted to the
chair. was welcomed by Rev. DR.. Darling.
who said the assembly had EOnored itself
in the selection offs distinguished Il Chris
tian and SO able champion Of Christian
morals.
DR.. Johnson in reply, said that his elec-
tiOn by SO large majority was an evidence
that the last vestige of what was know:
as tho different schools in PIesbyteranisn
had been forever wiped out, and from this
time no notice should DO given that any
such distinction ever existed.
The announcement of the death of the
late permanent clerk having been read,
the Rev. W. ii. Roberts was elected to fill
the vacancy.
Rev. DR.. Prime, of the New York o.
serrer, offered resolutions of cOngratula-
tiOn to be sent to Presbyterian assemblies
in session in other places.
In the evening the assembly met ut the
second church and celebrated tho Lords
supper. The church was very crowded.
That COnestosn Flying Fish.
Ed. INTELLIGENCER: In regard to the
rumor of flying fish having been caught
in the Conestoga, at Wabank, last week,
il not a canard, it has, at least, turned out
to be "gurnard." Before the week was
out handled three specimens, and that
"settled it," Now, it is not impossible
that the fish in question should have been
caught in the ConestOga, but it is alto
gethcr improbable. About forty years
ago genuine sturgeon was caught in the
Susquehanna, above Marietta, in q " fish
basket" and, think, is still extant, in
possession of Judge Libhart, of Marietta
and just here l would suggest. that that
specimen ought to be in the museum Of
tho Linnran society. This supposed
Conestoga fish is a species Of the Flying
Gurnard" PriOnotus carOlinus Of Dekay,
also called "Sea- Robin " and Grunter,"
from a grunting noise it makes when taken
out of the water. 1t belongs to Cuvier's
first order, and second family of Bony-
Fishes. the first family (Preida) being
typitied by the common perch; The
family to which this subject belongs
includes the "hard- checked" fishes.
and the attempt to "palm it off, as i
COnestOga fish smacks very much of
hard-cheeked adventure. have now two
specimens of it, obtained from second per-
sons, who could not tell whence they
originally came, and, representing them to
have been caught in tho COncstoga AMI
the Susquehanna, may have been more to
enhance the value of the fishes, than to
"selP' tho naturalists. They arc an At
lantic coast fish, and abound from the
CarOliiias as far north east rs Nantucket,
feeding according to Dekay, Oh small mol
lusks and crustaceans. They have the power
of making q short flight by the aid of their
large pectOral fius, when pursued by their
enemies, but they are not the true flying
fish (ErOcetus H0lotaus) and do not belong
either to the same family, or the same
order. The pcctOraI fins Of the true flying
fish are longer than the body of the fish,
but in this subject they arc only about
one third the length of the body. These
fishes attain length Of from twelve to
eighteen inches, and their edible qualities
are not Of I very high Ordsr-tOo dry and
insipid. r.
The fOrty-seventh anniversary of the
Diagnothian literary society Of Franklin
and Marshall college will be celebrated at
Fulton opera house this evening. The
following programme Of exercises bespaaks
thoroughly delightful occasion:
Music-March-" Gambrinus " (ZikOT)
Prayer-Isev. e. N. Spalding.
Music-SchOttish (Neibis.I
SalutatOry--" Superstition" Charles W.
Cremer, Chambersburg, Pa.
Music-March-"J Jubelklangc (Reicher;.)
OratiOn-" A Century's Progress" Charlie,
X. Ferncr, Jenncr = Roads, Pa.
Ia ku