The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1892-05-25
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The Presbyterians in Session at
POrelAua.
The Proposed Amendment to the Constitutions
Relative to the Exercise OF Religious
Rights-Dr Briggs' Case Reported.

PORTLAND, Or, May 24-At this morn
ing's session of the Presbyterian general
assembly the committee on home missions
reported the work done during the year.
The showing was an excellent one and
created much enthusiasm. Nearly mill
lion dollars was contributed for the work,
of which nearly Ss5O.OOO was available.
One thousand four hundred and seventy
nine missionaries were employed in
churches, with membership Of 49, 800 and
school attendance es 1sl-000.
At the Afternoon session the committee
on the sixteenth amendment to the fed
eral constitution was presented. The
amendment as proposed by them TO be
adopted by Congress, is that neither Con-
gress nor any state shall pass any law re-
| speCting any establishment of religion or
I prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or
use its property ana credit, or any money
raised by taxation, or authorize either to
| be used for the purpose OF founding, main
/ tanning or aiding by appropriation, pay
ment for services, expenses or otherwise,
any church, religious denomination. relig-
ious society, or any institution, society OK
undertaking which is wholly or in part I'M
der sectsrian or ecclesiastical control.
The later report of the judicial committee
/ on appeal 70 the case of the trial Of DR..
"
committees resolutions are that the COM
nittee Of prosecution had the right to take
an appeal from the final Judgment of the
presbytery in dismissing the case; that
notice of appeal had been given and record
filed in accordance with the specification,
and in the judgment of the committee the
appeal should be entertained and time set
apart for g hearing of the case. The Mi
nority report was read by DR.. Frazer Of
Newark. He sets forth there are not sufh-
cient reasons for making the appeal against
the action OF the presbYtery of New York
in Diminishing Briggs case He recon-
mends that the appeal be not entertained,
and that appellants be advised to bring
their appeal before the synod of New York.
The assembly fixed 4 o'clock tomorrow
| afternoon as the time for consideration Of
the reports.
The report of the committee on co-cpera
: ton with other churches was then read by
f Dr. Thompson of New York. In view Of
: the opinion entertained by many it Is
= doubtful whether the recommendations of
the committee would have been adopted
except fer the peculiar antics of DR.. Bart
, lett of Washington. He denounced the re-
port as worthless, reminding him of q
nfJeen- volume German work written on a
flea"
The rules were then suspended and the
conference passed the resolution intro
duced by Little of Illinois, stating the
, adoption of the committees report did not
commit the church to any political party.
5 The resolution passed Sy large majority.
, The report Of tie committee on Chinese
exclusion was an earn st protest against
portions of the bill denying bail on habeaa
4 corpus proceedings, aud permitting none
but white men TO give testimony in sup
porting claims of Chinese to citizen ship
Report adopted.