St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-06-05
THE MINNESOTA SYNOD.
The General Assembly's Action on
DIR. Vests Complaint Against
the Synod and Presbytery of st.

the Synod anu PreSDytery OF 81.
Paul.
A reporter for the GLOBE called yes
terday upon the Rev. DR.. West. who has
just returned from the Presbyterian
General Assembly at New York. to
learn from the reverend gentleman
what was done at the assembly with his
complaint against the synod of Mime
sofa. The doctor produced the COM
plant he had taken to the assembly,
and allowed the reporter to copy off the
first two counts on which the assembly
acted, the others being reserved for
future use. These counts were against
the synod.
For throwing out of synod thelappeal and
complaint of the undersigned against the
Presbytery of st. Paul, on the ground that it
was mot in order" when it was in ORDER"
and SO reported by the judicial committee to
the synod, said.appeal and complaint having
been lodged in constitutional time, both IN
the Presbytery and in the synod, three copies
of the same being IN possession OF the synod,
and involving three separate Judicial de-
cisions by the Presbytery. as also an appeal
from an injunction of the Presbytery." 90
For refusing to keep full and fair record
of its proceedings as required by the law of
the church, SO depriving, not only the under
signed of his right to legal record, but also
the assembly itself, the clerk refusing to
state in his minutes, the synod refusing to
request him to state that the undersigned had
passed to his hands any papers in constltu-
tional time, or that the clerk had passed
them to the judicial committee; and refusing,
moreover to correct and amend Its minutes
SO as to give the reason for its action"
Ibid it throw your case out of court?" was
asked.
mo, SIR" was the reply. Several efforts
were made by certain persons and parties to
do so, but they failed. l do not want to
speak of these now. An effort was made to
of its being in order was not before the jul
dicial committee, whose sole business was to
call for the evidence and report it to the as
sembly. took the precaution to get an
synod and assembly that ii was in order and
the return duly made, and read 1t to the as
sembly, and so the first plan was defeated.
The second plan was to plead defective
record made unintentially by the synod last
fall, and on that ground throw it out. This
also failed. No action, because of defective
record, was the argument. 1t was alleged
that the record made in the synod last fall,
and whereby both myself and the assembly
were deprived Of the legal evidence necessary
in the case. was unintentional. The repre-
sentative of the synod so Informed the as
sembly.''
s'And was it unintentional!' asked the re-
porter.
you must not ask me to answer that now:
1t will be answered in time from the record
ITSELF the documents in my hands and the
published accounts of that transaction
And was there no action taken in assem-
bly, in the case?"
''Oh, yes'' A motion was made to hear the
complaint in open court, and another to refer
it for trial to commission Of the assembly,
but the last day Of the assembly's session
was almost gone, and the assembly was i'm
patient to go home. What the assembly did
~, tori of h q
word and amend the Judicial committees re-
port, and hold the case over for trial next
year. The violation of the law by the synod
was made reason for deferrlng the hearing
Of the complaint for year. Here is the the
chairman Of the judicial committee accepted
as his report:
'In view of the fact that the synod Of Min
nesota has failed to record the reasons for
rejecting the complaint of DR.. West and
also that the records in the case are other
wise incomplete, your committee recon-
mend that the hearing of the complaint be
deferred to the next general assembly. and
that in the meantime the synod OF Minnesota
be directed to perfect their records ana TO
forward to the next general assembly the
reasons for their action in the matters COM
planned of by DR.. West and that the synod
of Minnesota furnish him with copy of all
new matter in the case.
WILLIAM II. ROBERTS, State Clerk"
ssYour support and field of labor have been
taken from you. while in good standing by
your brethren?'
Eyes SIR
And where is the legal corporation of the
First Church?''
81 must decline answering any questions
as to legal matters I am free TO speak on
ecclesiastical matters, but not on legal ques-
lions. You must excuse me-"
1t thus appears that what the assem-
bly, did was to order the completion of
the record. and the trial of the synod
and the hearing of the whole complaint
as to the presbytery's proceedings which
the synod approved last fall. Notwith-
standing vexatious delays it is certain
now that the acts of the synod and the
presbytery will be thoroughly canvassed
by the assembly next year, and the i'm
portant issues be no longer evaded.