Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-21
TIE SOUTHERN PaeseYTERIANs.
fif'h Days Session of the Assembly-The
temperance Oncstlon.
by telaaraph In a.. nieno..h

fif'h Days Session of the Assembly--The
Temperance Oncstion.
by telegraph to The Dlspaich.i
AsaEvILLE, N. C., May 2Q--Tho NTH days ses-
sion Of the Presbyterian General Assembly was
opened with prayer by the Rev. }. Rumplc y.
D., OF Salisbury. n. c.
Tho reniing Of the report Of tho Committee On
Temperance. appointed In 1898. haf been made
the special order for to-day. II WIS Immediately
takon up. II required nearly an hour for ia
Ica1ing. j. July covered tho entire question.
no 'cport consisted Of papers written by br.
william Brown, ~ Florida chairman Of the
Ieinperanco Committee accompanied By papers
IRON Dr. Hodge, u Princeton, and DR.. Thorn
wal. OF south Carolina, both Of whom arc now
occea9ed, taxing eub-taUtially tho same view OF
lnN question AZ that advanced by ur
brown, who argued against the inter
feronco OF tho Church IN matters ~ social
government ~ concoding the right Of the
thurch 10 legslato on such questions there was
10 telling where 70 would lead. IN fact Is would
ultimately resolve itself into Church and State
GospOilsm, aud was, therefore, inlmical 20 inC-
yidual liberty and the rights Of conscience. Az
10 the scrlpiural Interpretation o: temperance,
II was held TO consist in the moderate use Of
both food and drink. The wines OF Scripture
were OF an Intoxicating character, but were re-
gafded as hlessluRs ia their proper aud mode
rate use The modern dOgmA that tho Greek
ana Hebrew translgtions signify unfermentcd
wine AZ the winos IA use Is clearly refGied by
overwhelming authority, many passages Of
scripture being cited.
The question 10 whether the use OF ard
oeaiing In intoxicating ltquOis debars from COM
munion "a the Presbyterian Church was the
noin point iu tho papers Of DR. bOdgo. lie held
lhai u W8s matter u eXpcGiency, and cited H.
iueifaiions ~ tha, principle Ia tho teaching Of
the Apostcs
10 sum up tho purport Of The address aud ac-
c1npanying pHpors WIS recommendation that
u.
for license
The assembly listened with interest The con
cluslOn arrived a. ny the authors Of the papers
did not seem 10 meet with fun approval. From
the votes On motions as 20 The disposal Of the 70
port and the amendments thereto u was clearly
81 licatnd that tho commissioners Wer0 not
agreed On tho question.
Az me conclusion Of the reading Rev. W. J..
Lowfance moved that tho report DO placed on
tho 0Ockefunfu the next assembly and that the
report De published and sent % the different
prosbyiores Ia order that they might be pre-
pared 10 discusait ~ the sOssiOn Of 1891. Adopt
"a. During The discussion Il was proposed 20
print the report, which did not recommend total
abstinence, and circulate u among the prosby-
tcrics 4 commissioner thcreupon inguroI,
" VINO VIII pay for The printing!" Another re
sponded. "Ihe whiskey-men will pay tho bill."
Dr. wilson read a tolegam from tho assembly
a Saratoga ~ ropiy 10 tho greeting sent satur-
dry ltrCHi:
"The General Assembly IN session NJ Saratoga
tlnks ft~ lOl.lt tNFQlAl4y 10 your ht ulN-
sage and ingokes upon you the grace, mercy, and
pCaco from the 1riune Cod
rigneIl WILLIAM +. MOORE, Moderator.
D. n. E0beTfs. Stated Clork.
lr. ". 4. Campbell read the report Of the
Committee on Society and Tthes. The commit
teo presented both a majority and minority re-
port. Tho former was signed by ". II. Groves G.
W. Sub.r. and &. /. Hague, and stated that with
b gard 80 the overture ASKING the assembly 70
take some action ON the question OF uthos they
recommended that The matter be referred 70 the
special committee to meet in 1891.
Tho minority report was signed by W. a.
Campbell and +. y. McAuley, and asked that
the present session attend 20 mo matter IN
case the minority report should De accepted tho
committee furnished some nSures for the assem-
lily 10 consider. out Of seyenty-One presby-
tories which had been written % ana asked Tor
papers ON TIE laws o. tiiho, sixty-cight had re-
su0udtL. Out 81 this number nfty-Oue had
written that under The New Testament they did
not consider the law o. uthe binding. Teu wrote
that ey did regard 10 a. binding; ono was nom
comm ital. and six had no opinion TO express.
The C'mmittoe would recommend that these
fac t' spread upon the minutes and no further
acuou he taken by The assembly.
Ur. Davies move that the minority report Do
adopted
1hls motion was seconded. and Mr.. W. II.
Graves. whO had sign0d tho majority report. rose
o. spoat no n, but not combining himself 10 tho
matter uIdcr discussion, storm OF objections
forced him 20 retire.
Dr. Mcrheeters moved as a substitute 20 the
mo ion OF DR.. Davies that the majority report be
accepted, and that a special committee be ep-
pointed Go report AT the next General Assembly.
10 was seconded, and Dr.. Hill said he favored
ilc minority report because Ii would admit OF
discussion "a the question before this assembly.
Dr. Hague explained az a reason why be would
vote for the majority that /: had not been suni-
,isutly considered by The people. He thought
another year o. discussion through the nows-
papers would find tho people better able 10
landle the subject Rev. H. HI. Fleming appeal
.lu mott Nftf4a -
report TO that the newspapers might discuss Il.
Dr. Ncbu made strong speech, In which he
expressed himself "a heartily In favor Of the
las Of titho. aud Rov. K. y. Nhaley, VINO fol-
lowed, echoed his remarks.
Dr. Davies also spoke against the motion. In
hr IA c Of the vote OF 81 presDyterie5 against 10
.hat tho law was not binding 1t did not seem 10
lim that the assembly would say That they were
lO; prepared % discuss the question
Dr. Shearcr sad tho Church had no right 20
provide Tor or against the tithe-laW. There was
bot an article IN tho Profession of Faith on that
'uhloct.
Rev. j. K. jacobs roso 10 speak, but call for
nc question prevented him, and u vote on the
substitute resulted I'm Il tio-65 10 GA. The mode /
.ator cast e deciding vote IN the negative.
Rev j. ID. Thomas moved 20 reconsider the !
oio. ami after some delay u WAS carried.
The yeas ana nays were called Tor. Lost-3y
or o. against
The original question was called ON tho ma
GRITTY report kcjccted70 for, - against
Tho paper was then READ by the Chairman OF |
ne Committee on Iihes. Tho committee re-
Commend that the assembly simply enter upon |
Is minutes replies 10 the question, as sent down
% the prosbyteries on tho subject Of tthos, |
which Was accepted.
An overture from the Presbytery Of Abingdon |
skiing the assembly not 20 let the general sub |
oct Of giving and Of raising funds for the Lord |
drop" at this stage but That they DO pleased |
% nuke a deliyerance as 10 what arc the tunda- |
mental principles laid down In the sacred Scrip
urcs Tor the government aud guidance OF |
ioI's people In giving Of their substance 20 the !
advancement of His glngdom. The committee |
eported that d sufficient answer IS found IN the
cuon already taken on The papers reported |
rom the presbyteries Adopted.
The report Of the committee on licensing can
idates was made the second order Of business |
or To- morrow.
Ina accordance with tho wish expressed In her |
VIII the body II Mrs. v :. NJ. Chapman, who !
ied here, was to-day taken TO Philadelphia 70 |
"a crclaated. she was the widow of "a Presbyte- |
ian minister.