New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-17

allow all the members OF tle cCn n ,; "e a'
present The floor Of the House duIhS Ihe oi,cu'>'
Memler-lf that is offered 10 an amendment
second it. - A.. iu NOT ,,rc.oii
l., vii, involve u i'm an endless discussion. IL never
has been The custom of this Assembly to Sivc tDe
Vii tbcy piogte II is giving them rare oppor-
tunity OF passing particular measure nc ~,
ourhf 10 tpcaa for itsc and any one VINO NaH 10
sneak for tEa committee should be able so 10 epresen
them that the other members OF the comm Tee need
~ TIe stated Ccrk-I would state tina Is not the
purpOse of the committee TO nave Judge Wilson
rruiesent them on he floor OF this Assembly. u
Is smnly 10 give him opportunity To be heaTd.
Two members OF the committee are commissioners IN
Dr. Johnson-And of course they have The right
- Thc stated Clcrk-The only other person who has
a ri-b+ 10 sneak is ex.Iudgc william strong of the
Tni'cd states supreme Court, if lie should happen to
10 Ncmber-Judge Strong IS not present and all
the members of that committee having right 10 the
noor are prcscnt-they all have right to ne moor
'NI Dr. Joh6,on~Iudse Wilson, then, includes every
member who can speak consequently we GO, "" ,
liberty Of the floor but request Judge Wilson to make
statement and then all the rest OF them shall have
inc r6 HPp NSodcror-Those in favor Of allowing judge
Wilson speak on this subject when 1t comes up VIII
say Aye. Carried
The following is the committee selected by The
Moderator: President Patton. chairman. Conserva
tive: Vice Chancellor MacCrackcn. Radical; DR.. Ed
wards Rad cal: judge shanln. Radical. and J. \.
Thornton. Conservative. The committee j. to digest
the one hundred and ninety nine answers, and {"
submit a report upon them to the Assembly.
After Dr. Roberts had Informed the Assembly
that the committee had endeaVOrl 10 AVOID The dis
cusson Of the constitutional questions which have
beon raised in connection with the Adopting act and
other provisions now in force for the amendment of
thc Constitution and the Confession. Or. Patton rose 10
onpose the report which provides among other things
that " Amendments alterations OF the Form OF
Governments Book Of Discipline and Dircc-
tory for Worship may be proposed hy the
General Assembly to the TNsbytericS, but shall not
he Obligatory on the Church. unless majority Of all
the Pre,bytercs approve thereof in writing ana
that amendments or alterations Of the Confession OF
Faith and the Longer and shorter Catechisms may
be proposed to the Trcsbytcries by the General As
semlly, but shall not be obligatory on the 'hur'h'
unles, approved in writing by two-thrdS of all the
Prcsbyterics," and that il shall be obligatory on
the General Assembly 10 transmit to the lrcsbl tories
for approval or dsapproval any overture overture
submitted to 1t concuuenty by one third Of all the
Presbytercs. In such the overture ovcrturcs
shall be formulated and Transmitted by the General
Assembly receiving the same
DR.. Patton. after compmenting some portions Of
the report said in part:
Considering the fact that different opinions repre-
scented committee considering the fact that the cone
mittee desired unanimou, report j., perhaps.
difficult imagine how they could have made any
other report than tho they have submitted Thor"
Is great deal therefore. this report recommend u
the fairness consideration had for all parties and Oh"
desire 70 harmonic conflicting views. and O. present
report which, features. shall De consecutive"
these say features Of tho report worthy 81 COM
.idcration. the time here this afternoon
to present objections this report Some 81 these
objections based upon what lies the sunac" OF th
report ITSELF and Of these objections are b.-'N
upon what lie, back Of the report ana is h"'
referred TO in To speak only - those otJrc-
I,vft wit "a
the report Itself. / viii not 70 into details WI"
not raise any question with respect IN the "l"u'h'l
Of tho provision that the committee, when appoint a. '"4.
not have Of 10, members in any "n" synod
There are two features in this report prospective ~
the other matters which shall refer presently, uat
make thi, report Objectionable 10 no.
in the place. report in explicit terms denies
TO the Assembly all function in leg lation IL takes
away absolutely the legislative reht, q this
Assembly. Now l admit that thor, have been
differences Of opinion In the Church with respect to t'
very matter admit there ar those who say Tat the
Assembly has. there those who That the A.
,cublv has not legislative function. The committee
paGcny they could not harmonic this conflict
opinion. and they crt the knot they they could not
unite and they have wiped out forever aI I'grs'" unc
tiou, the Assembly. 1h9 most that the Assembly can
when II shall suhIu't' overture, 10 tn
PIc,by tcrlc-, and the FIesbytcr.e' 100 concurrent
vote Of thlec.fourths, have sad th'iu-el,e, what
they wished 70 have done-is 20 count the No1s
and g., lars the result. Sow. I would Ike 90 hno"
II this = not revolutionary. would IKE % know
4 there ever before stated publicly. or under confi-
ton, that demand the sanction q tn, Assembly, t ica
tina. the Assembly not legislative powers and is TO have
none hereafter II IS proposed 10 PVT into legislative
lom 70 eubody in the very organic law u the Church
the proposition that this General Assembly ha,
no legislative power. What .rc 80 for Hero wr
are gathered from every part Of the country supposed
TO be representative body; supro-ed to represent ia
measure the srgreqae wisdom Of the Church and wla
are We foil Simply Listen to the report q the -tn
clerk 70 the effect that smother overtime having been
submitted the Prc,bytelles has been approved by two
| third, q their number.
Now thl, rcpor, not only denies the legislative lov,r
~ the Assembly but 10 denies the Lucrative power o.
| the Assembly. use the word adYls"fly. taf ua,
il a- away from ta, Assembly 10, delucrtyc functions.
IL b., popo-d cont.4dl,t dtF, tpln o.t ~ doors
and forever eliminate organic law under whose sane
tons We live and through the expectations Of which $50
have come into possession Il all the franchises and vested
| llcAts that date since lies (AppSu,eJ
wish H. u this General Assembly, On u" csc ~ o
discussion touching the revision Of creed. with iarr
minority determined That. revision takes place. %
,h,i De only within restricted AID only upon con-t
tutional grounds wish 30 know Il this General Assembly
consider, chi, the time 10 Boz ampcrng win h"i organic
law and placing in position whore. in the event %
litigation vested rsh- may fan into the hands Of Dis
| affected minority.
have laid enough trust 10 convince some. 81 a.t
that the present tuot cannot be- taken ~ ID" iri' q
electing change, n form Il government but especially
in our Confo. ION Of Faith. have said enough, trust
10 show that tgcr. great Ir in t'mp'rinr with our
constitutional provisions ana 90 HHl"'i' '' "-''i'
to move slowly those critical Times, when 'Inri" fails
ton may end We know where. and lead Ms Into di7
| cultic, Tat wc dare not anticipate. ApDlau-eJ
Dr. Van Dyke, OF Brooklyn, in replying 10 Dr. Pat
ton made this point among others:
| In regard to this Adopting act, Brother Pait"n-who
was generous in making not only lis speech bu. tho
.u.ccles Of some 81 d us, and who kindly
told Won what would s1ytcl- TINT II viii Dc n"ip
ailcd here That Adopting a.. IS Of no binding author
rs. Who says hatl 1 do not it. II any other
man should 10Y l. would contend with him great d'a
stronger than do against brother Patton Dos t
riu,rt Of tl. committee say sD7 Why, sir the ADOPT
Inc act Mcs at :he foundation Of the Church Both'i
Patton, exposition that point grand lie !, grand
gr,ays when he i. on the right side. IauchtcrJ Tho
sion Of Faith the Form " Government, hc Booa
u Discipline. the Directory for Worship, all ue act
y the General Assembly, all the acts Of u'
| Prcsbyteries rest upon hat Adopting act The
uo,oi Won abolish that the moment you set aside d.
Confession Of Faith tine Form Of Government. or th
Book Of Dl-cpliu.-nind you. to amend Is not to sr