The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1893-05-20
CALLED ON THE PRESIDENT.
The Presbyterian Assembly Visit
the White House.
SECOND DAYS SESSION.
Report of the Committee Regarding
Theological Summaries.
The Judiciary Committee Made Up
Largely of Conservative or Anti
Briggs Men. with Rev. DR..
Baker as Chairman.


late an expression of opinion on the
Chinese exclusion act, as it affects foreign
missionary work. Adopted.
Rev. DR.. Duncan, of the Episcopal
church was introduced. He is member
of the joint committee on church unity,
and said the committee had been in ses-
sion two days. There were four points
the Episcopal church deemed essential to
assist the union. On three of these they
had practically agreed, and the fourth in
volved large differences in terms. He
prophesied, therefore, unity in the lot
distant future.
After the routine business was disposed
of, ex-Moderator Young projected into
the proceedings; the first of the import
ant questions before their assembly in the
report of the committee upon the relation
of the assembly and theological semin-
aries.
The committee says it was evidenced at
the time of the information of the First
Theological seminary of the Presbyterian
church that it was the purpose of the
church to maintain, direct and com
pletely Econtrol by tits general assembly
the teachings and property OF its theolog-
ical seminaries. As the church grew in
numbers with the growth of the country
other seminaries and schools were formed,
some of them on. substantially the same
plan as Princeton. The seminaries organ
lied substantially under this plan were
Princeton, Western, Mccormick, Dan
vile and Omaha. Other seminaries
organized under differe MT plans and be-
came connected with the church. Union
and Lane are typical of two classes /;
! Auburn and San Francisco the other
classes.
While Union and Lane are regarded as
seminaries in connection with the Presby
terrain church, the church has no control
| of any kind over the teaching or property
of these seminaries, and can afford to do
nors of funds to them no protection in the
matter of applying their gifts to the pur-
poses for which they were made. Auburn
is controlled by certain presbyteries and
| San Francisco b. certain Synods. The
committee says it has come to no conclu-
sion as to what method should be adopted
by the church either by securing more
effective control over the property and
| teachings OF existing seminaries or of Sc
curing control of the teachings and prop
erty of future seminaries.
Elder Thomos W. @. Dougal, of Gin
cinnati, who largely drafted the report,
said he believed the time had come in the
matter of control of theological seminal
ries when the genius of the Presbyterian
church should be at least equal to the
executive ability displayed in ordinary
business, and if any teacher employed for
specific purpose at specific salary,
should for any reason become unfit to dis
charge his duties, a way might be found
to dispense with his services without
splitting up the church. Applause The
report was approved and the committee
continued.
Rev. Charles A. Dickey, chairman of
the special committee of judicial commits
sions, reported in favor of sending over
lures down to Presbyterians for changing
chapter Is, section 11S, so as to provide
that the general assembly of each synod
and presbytery shall have power to ap-
point judicial commissions from their re-
spective bodies in numbers not less than
eighteen from the general assembly,
twelve from any synod and seven from
any presbytery, all judicial cases to be
su omitted to such commissions, and their
decisions shall be subject to reversal only
by a superior judiciatory, except in mat
tiers of law, which shall be referred to the
appointing judiciatory for adjudi-
of constitution and doctrine may
be received in the appointing body and by
a superior judiciatory. The assembly
adopted the report and ordered the over
lures sent down.
Rev. DR.. Smith, chairman of the COM
mittee of church unity, reported that it
had been deemed best to drop for the
present the differences between the two
churches and leaving to the future the
work of securing the organic external
union desired, Correspondence between
the committee and the Episcopal COM
mission in the past year was read, to the
great interest of the assembly.
Rev. Charles l.. Thompson, chairman
OF the committee on cooperation with
other churches, recommended that no
church be established in field fully oc-
cupied and properly cared for by evan
geIical organizations. Without action
adjourned until tomorrow morning and
proceeded In body to call at the White
house.
The president and Mrs. Cleveland re-
ceived the visitors in the east room. DIR.
Craig, moderator, was presented to the
president by DR.. Bartlett, chairman OF
the committee of arrangements, and made
brief address, closing with an invitation
to the president to attend the assembly.
President Cleveland said in response:
I assure you that it affords me such personal
qualification to meet on this occasion repreSen-
tatives of that great religious denomination
which has done so much to make our people
better and happier and which is associated
with so many tender and pleasing incidents OF
my individual experience. We still profess to be
christian people this means to public officers
OF high or low degree. that they should not be
unmindful Of the restraints or religious senti-
ment. It means that the religious teaching OF
our people should lead them to exact from
those who make and execute laws recognition
of the restraint. You therefore will l hope
permit me to say though you do well to insist
upon the Observation-Disclosures of official obi
CATIONS, and though you ought never to shrink
from the exposure of official shortcomings
the contribution you owe towards accomplish
ing good government Will not be fully made
ample that they Will find safety and welfare in
enforcing upon public servants the observance
Of the mandates of christianity and morality.
The visitors were then presented by
name to the president and Mrs. Cleveland
and then strolled through the parlors and
conservatory, and afterwards took their
departure.
This evening general meeting in be-
half of Sunday school work in the church
was held.
In the general assembly today perhaps
the most interest clustered about the
names of members of the judiciary COM
mittee, for this is the committee that will
pass upon the appeal in the case OF DR..
Briggs, and will report to the assembly
upon the question OF the propriety of that
body entertaining the appeal. Rev. George
D. Baker, selected to act as chairman, is
classed among the conservatives, and as
such his appointment gave the greatest
satisfaction to that faction Of the assem-
bly,, by all odds the largest. The COM