Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-05-10
DIVORCE FOR ADULTERY.
BROWNS RESOLUTION ADOPTED
BUT RECONSIDERED.

DOI lNfNANNSl lDEkGNAl.
Present Practices Declared on a Par
With Those Prevalent in Utah-A
Ringing Arrsignment of New England
Women Excluded from Membership
in Coming Conventions.
AUGUSTA, GA, May 9.-The fourth
days session Of the Southern Baptist Con-
yention to-day was called to order by
President Nell on motion of DR.. II. A.
Tupper. The report of the Committee on
WOman's Work and the substitute Offer
ed for the same were recommitted to the
committee.
A resolution Of sympathy for Rev. j. p.
Graves, Of Tennessee, in his physical
atlliction was adopted.
On motion OF DR.. Link, Of Texas, a COM
mittee on obituary, with DR.. Reddirg
Andrews. of Texas, as chairman, was ap-
pointed to take appropriate action on the
deaths of the officers of the convention
during the past year.
The discussion on home missions was
participated in by DR.. Ellis, j. Levering,
and Rev. A. Q. Dixon. of Baltimore, and
a resolution was adopted pledging the
members of the convention 10 individual
efforts to extend the work OF home mis-
sions.
DIR. Hawthorn, of Georgia; Rev. 0. p.
SchOfield and Rev. A. +. Gregory adj
dressed the convention on the New
Orleans mission.
Various committees and boards for the
ensuing year were appointed.
WOMEN NOT WANTED.
The committee on representation by
women in conventions reported, recon-
r,,s. IA el.
used in place of the word ''mem bers" in
the constitution, thus restricting men,
bership to men only. The report was
adopted.
Senator Joseph e. Brown appeared be-
fore the body at the afternoon session and
delivered an address on the resolution
which he had introduced, to the effect
that IN the opinion of the convention
an act Of fornicatiOn committed
by a married person is the only cause for
absolute divorce, and that in the opinion
of the convention no minister of the gos-
pei is authorizedyby the New Testament
to join parties together when either one
has a living wife or a living husband from
whom said party has been divorced for
any other than the cause aforesaid. Sem
ator Brown insisted that the sacredness
OF the marriage relation was too little re-
garded. The doctrine Of mOnOgamy was
laid down by Christ and no excuse for dis
solving the marriage relation should be
accepted. Ii He is law in one case
He must be in the other.
LIKENED TO NORNIONIsNI.
No man could put away his wife,
save for fdrnication, and man who
married when divorced for other
cause, was no better than a Nor
man in Utah. The laws of the United
State punished the latter offense. The
laws Of the State too often sanctioned the
former. Both are bigamists, and each
upon second marriage is living in a state
of adultery. He advised Baptist minis
ters to refuse to marry people who had
been divorced on inadmIssable grounds.
He called on Baptist and all Protestant
churches to follow the lead of the CathO.
lie church on the question of divorce, and
preserve the sanctity Of the marriage re-
latiOn.
NEW ENGLAND'S WICKEDNEss.
Senator Brown gave some startling
statistics In regard to divorce in New
England. and said that South Carolina
had wiped out all divorce laws and New
ENGLAND ideas brought to her by carpet
baggers from her statute books. Senator
Browns resolution was Overwhelmingly
adopted with applause.
Montgomery, Ala, was selected as the
next place of meeting.
Geo. w. Morton, of Kentucky, was
elected Treasurer Of the cOnven ton, and
Nimrod Long, OF Kentucky, Auditor.
The committee then adjourned to
O'Clock tonight All the local pulpits
tomorrow Will be filled with Baptist
ministers.
THE ACTION RECONsIDERED.
At the night session OF the convention
the action taken on the resolution on
divorce, offered by Hon. Joseph Il. Brown,
was recOnsiderod, and the resolution
tabled.
A resolution passed indOrsing the
policy of the American Baptist Publica-
ton Society in prosecuting Bible work.
Resolutions by the WOmen's Mission
meeting were reported stating that they
did not desire TO prosecute mission work
separately and they desired 10 be repre-
sented in the convention as formerly.
Delegates were appointed TO the North
ern Baptist anniversary at Saratoga.
A quilt worked by ladies of Spartan
burg, $. c., and sent to the convention for
the benefit of missions was bought
for so, raised by collection, and
the quilt was sent to the wife
Of Rev. W. ID. Powell, missionary
to Mexico with the greetings of the con-
VentiOn and sympathy in herillness. The
money raised on the quiet goes 10 foreign
missions. The sum Of BLOB was raised
for the New Orleans mission.
The convention adjourned sine die at
l 1 80 O'Clock, after passing the customary
thanks 10 the officers, local hosts and the
press.