Evening journal., 1893-05-23
THEY GOT UP STEAM. "
Presbyterian Brethren Shout
for Recognition.
BRIGGS HAS MANY FOLLOWERS.

brought 10 severe. rests By the Anti
BrIggsItes Eminent Judges Who Are
Commissioners. Compare the Action In
Question with transactions OF the
Courts.
WASHINGTON, May 23.-"Let me get
mp steam first, was the sentence with
which the semi.diurnal outbreak contro-
versey was introduced into the General
Assembly to day.
half hours devotion, previous to the
beginning of the business of the day had
been conducted by Rev. A N. Hatfield,
of Newark, N. j., and DR.. Bartlett had
made one of the necessarily frequent
announcements respecting the enter
tainment of the commissioners.
Under the rules, DIR. Young, chairman
of the committee on bills and overtures,
took the floor to present a report from
that committee distributing a number
of bills and overtures to the several com
mittees of the assembly. Among them
were nine bearing directly or indirectly
upon the case before the judicial com
mittee (the Briggs case) and these were
recommended TO be sent to that commit
tee.
He Did Get Up steam.
Rev. DIR. Charles R. Booth, of New
York, secured the floor and, in low tone
of voice, began to speak to the question.
There We're cries of louder from all
parts of the house, to which he re-
sponded, apologetically, as he took the
platform, LET me get up steam first. &"
Having onffnn he fofa faa l,,A
he desired to enter his protest against
the obvious attempt to influence the
judicial committee, sort of trial court
by pouring in these ovsrtures for and
against the case which it was consider
ing Il believe it to be false in principle,
and fatal in policy"
Clamor Availed Nothing.
AS he took his seat dozen lusty.
lunged commissioners vociferously
claimed the right to succession to his
place, but Moderator Craigs attention
was given to Professor Brown, Professor
Briggs's cO-laborer and sympathizer in
the Union Theological Seminary.
The Committee is Not the Church. ~
'There are some of us here, he said
who are glad to know that there are fifty
or sixty of these overtures that have been
sent to the committee on judiciary, but
think that DR.. Booth mistakes the
function of that committee. 1t is the
business of the committee not to decide
questions bnttp report business to the
assembly for disposition here. We have
q right to know the sentiment Of the
church upon any subject before it, and
the only proper way to secure a knowl
edge Of that sentiment is through the
committees Of the assembly.
DIR. Young desired to correct DR.
Booths figures, aad stated that instead
of fifty or sixty overtures already before
the committee there were but twelve or
fifteen. The action of the committee
upon this question was not unanimous,
he explained but, an overwhelming z
majority had voted that way.
No Court in the Land would Do So.
Judge Wills, of Gettysburg, was next
recognized, and addressed the assembly
with great earnestness. He said that in
his opinion it was the duty Of the com
mittee on bills and overtures to take
these documents which come up from
the presby bearing upon both sides
of the case in question to remand them
back to the presbyteries with rebuke.
No court in the land, he said, wsuld
permit itself to be influenced by briefs,
appeals and petitions, from coun.
sci and friend of the parties
in thes case. Should such at
tempts be made to influence a court they
would be turned down with scorn. And
any court which entertained and consid
cred such instrumsntalities would be
condemned by the whole community.
An Outrage Upon Justice.
"That is just what is being done by
the presbytsriss in this case with theii
overtures on one side or the other, anC
the committee on bills and overturei
ought to pigeonhole them or openly re
port them to the general assembly where
the seal of condemnation might be placed
upon them, so that no display of thil
kind should ever again come before it
feel that it is an outrage upon justice.
applause
The moderators even and exact Judi
cial eye next fell upon DR.. Herricl
johnson, of Mccormick Theological Sem
nary, Chicago. one Of the foremost Briggl
leaders in the body.
"It is not a question of Interpretation
of law, he said, "that these overtures
present. They only ask a reference Il
the synod Of the case il it is found to b,
advisable. This determination may b.
properly reached by consideration o
these overtures.
Elder Eudaly of Cincinnati-"I risl
to point Of order. There is no case o.
reference before the assembly"
The moderator was loath to enforc
the point of order, stating that it di,
not seem to bear upon the matter whicl
DR.. johnson was discussing and tn
latter proceeded He said it was
question Of Judgment to be determined
by the assembly upon the question o
expediency in the case.
Elder Eudaly-"What case2"
DR.. Johnson-"Any case that ma
come before it. These petitions give u
light as to the voice of the churcl
whether we shall issue the case or sen
1t TO the synod.
Making Precedents Serious.
Judge Purnell, of Baltimore, was til
next lucky recipient of the moderator
favor He said, supposing a case this