New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-29
DIR. BRIGGS WAS ABSENT.
OFFICIAL KNOWLEDGE FOR DIR. PATTON
DE. HASTINGS SPEAKS FOR UNION SEMINARY TO

DR. HASTINGS SPEAKS FOR UNION SEMINARY TO
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE.
"Gentlemen: The Board is in session in the library
and shall be glad to meet you there The speaker
was the Rev Dr. Thomas S. Hastings, president Oh the
Union Theological seminary; the members OF tns
Board were the seminary directors; the gente
men" the fifteen members of the COMMITTEES ap-
ponted by the General Assembly OF the Presbyterian
Church confer with the directors in regard 10 e
relation OF the said seminary TO the General Assembly,
While this the first official greeting which "ie
visitors received, II not their first greeuns As
each man entered the seminary building, MS name was
sshed by the librarian of the seminary ana I'M
mediately checked of from typewriter SIP ohen
he was conducted u tie presidents room, Whch hao
seen placed at the disposal of the committee
In addition to the seminary directors ana tne
librarian, the committee found several members "a
the faculty and stenog1apher present "leh "o9
vera conducted 10 the library. Dr. John Hail. OF the
r,f,, Avenne Church offered prayer, and Charles
pp,er the president of the Board OF Directors ana
the founder of the new chair Of Biblical IheoUs!' ga
tended welcome TO the representatives OF Tue "eeia'
Assembly among whom were no last lour eA--nOu
srators In his brief address, MI BuUier s'u 'N"' ~
obedience 10 the invitation Of the committee lhe
s;rec,ors had gathered to hear what the committee ad
40 cav IN them The suggestion that the committee
should unfold its plans at once did not meet VIII S
approva and in his response to MT buuer' Dr r"'on
sald that officially the committee had no kho"fuso
NJ any action that the Board may have taken since s
report 10 the Assembly in May. The committee had
-, amounted in accordance with the resolution to
which reference had already been made, ana IL hao
received no in;mation of change OF attitude to"agu
the Assembly on the part Of the directors
President Hastings spoke 1t presenting state
pnent prepared 1t is said by the Executive Oonin''1
Of the Board which consists of DR.. Hastings MI but
Ier DR.. F. n White Dr. c. H. ParkhDrst, John CROSBY
Brown. d. Wills James, Henry Day ana Ezra NJ
K,ngsler This statement was historical reVie" oi
the transfer of Dir. Briggs from the heore" ci"I "
that of biblical theology Two minutes aoopVeu o3 0
Board were read one passed at the meeting III '.'S
before the Assembly and the other in June, aiter te
veto had been declared Tho first was to the eneet
that under the compact entered into twenty hve years
ago the General Assembly had no night TO interfere
with the internal workings of the seminary, anu Vo
second was the in which 1t was resolved IndV "n
Board Of Directors. after having taken legal aoVice anu
after due consideration no reason to change 'hei
views on the subject of the transfer OF Dr. Briggs ana
feel bound in the discharge Of their duty uhoer uio
charter and constitution to adhere 10 tlie same. "
Hastings then recited the history OF the TRANSFER lo
lowing the foundation Of the new CHAIR Ills vie" 10
that while the compact gives the Assembly tle Iish
of Veto 1t in no gives the Assembly the ng' 10
dictate to the seminary whether professor once IN
stalled shall serve in one chair or another
The two bodies separated after hearing the sem
inary's position which resolves the question al issue
into simple Interpretation Of the nav famous com
tanned they have the right to transfer any professor
from one chair TO another at pleasure, and the Asaem
by has nothing to say about 1t; the transfer OF Dr
Briggs purely local as the hinhg o
ianitor The seminary directors remained In session
nearly an hour after the Assembly Committee retired
TO a classroom to discuss the situation. Both bodies
adjourned about O'clock the committee meeting
again at the Park Avenue Hotel in the evening The
conference will be continued at tie seminary THIS
morning.
The reporers are not allowed at the conference and
nothing official was told to them they were as ignorant
GoniciaIlys rs Dr. Patton's committee before Dr.
Hastings smoke being told either: "Wait until We
reached some conclusion" Nothing whatever has
been Done" 81 so far it has only been preliminary
taxi While the remarks varied somewhat. they AL
meant that the Board Of Directors decided last week
that the reporters should be excluded from the con
ference and the visitors concluded that 1t would not
no courteous while in their building to violate the
Wishes Of their hosts
After the somewhat informal greeting given to the
committee as a whole before the conference began
President Hastings spoke to Dr. Patton inc Piesueh'
of Princeton University, and the chairman OF thc CONF
,sttaa whose report at Detroit called for the meeting
Yesterday and walked with him to the room whcre 'ue
directors and the members OF The faculty were aS'
sembled. Professor Briggs was not present IL was
said. "unoficlally," but Dr. scfnf' Dr. Brown, Dr'
Vincent and Mr. Gates among those seen 10 @sVo
the room late in the afternoon DR.. Roberts Oh Lane
seminary the muchdiscussed stated clerk OF the AS
semby. and Dr. Moore the permanent clerk had come
from Ohio; Dr. Herrck johnson. from Chicaso' pr'
6 Nicco,ls from 81. Louis; DR.. Macintosh. Mr.
Jnndn and others from Philadelphia, TO serve the
church: the directors Of the seminary were ALSO
prcsent in full force for the same purpose
DR. John Hall in somewhat peculiar pouuon
Yesterday He is the pastor OF one oil the largest anu
most influential churches in tho General AssemDE' anu
hie church was represented by two elders DOM aDo
iayvers One a fellowdirector and the 0ter tnen
Ia" - fhe Conference Committee and ALSO an oiIcn
SToscutor Of DR. Briggs in the Presbytery henIy pay
Z one of the strongest Briggs men III Le uciol cb
,rbilo Colonel McCoOk delivered ringing sPecn
~ Dctt in favor OF DR.. Patton's report dsappToVn
the transfer Of the professor to fne n nsM onn the con
seeneo with an earnest prayer for guidance