The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-20
WORK OF THE ASSEMBLY.
Business Transacted by the Presby-
toFianS yesterday.
THE CHURCH UNITY DISCUSSION.
Sunday Opening OF the Worlds Fair Con-
demned-An Expression of Opinion
ON Chinese Exclusion Asked for
from the Assembly.

WASHINGTON, May 90. -Devotional exer-
cises, with which was opened the second
days session Of the Presbyterian General
assembly, were conducted by Rev. DIR.
Smith of Baltimore. Rev. Mr.. McCauley
of Dayton, o., moved a reconsideration of
the vote on the Worlds fair Sunday open
ing, for the purpose of offering a substi-
tute for that resolution going more into
detail. Reconsideration was refused by
m almost unanimous vote, and Mr.. Nc
Cauley then moved to add the substitute
70 the resolution, but the assembly refused
to adopt 1t or to consider it.
DR.. Harsha of Nebraska moved the ap-
pointment of a committee to formulate an
Expression OF opinion upon the
Chinese Exclusion Act,
as II affects the foreign missionary work.
With one vote in the negative, the motion
was adopted, and the moderator announced
that the committee would be appointed in
due time.
DIR. Smith of Baltimore introduced to the
moderator and through him to the assem-
bly,, Rev. DIR. Duncan of the Episcopal
church, who represented the joint COM
mittee which was
Considering the Question of Church Unity.
This committee has been in session for
the past two days and DIR. Duncan was So
lected to represent the Episcopal branch
before this assembly. He was received in
an appropriate speech by DIR. Craige and
replied in the same vein, predicting great
good as the outcome OF the committees
work. He said that there were four points
which the Episcopal church believed to be
Essential In n Basis Of Union,
and upon three of them they had prac-
tlcally agreed. The fourth, upon which no
conclusion had been reached, involved
largely a difference in terms. As the final
outcome Of the committees work, DIR.
Duncan ~prophesied practical and harmo-
NOUS unity Of the churches, and that in
the not very far distant future instead of
two church organizations there shall be
but one.
The Annual Reports
Of the various church boards made public
and to be taken up by the assembly from
time to time show encouraging results in
every branch of the work. The report of
the permanent committee on temperance
enters into that subject largely In detail,
will come before the assembly. Referring
W tho Vofiu > iuiTs tuc fcpOIt says Wc
cannot contemplate except with feelings
Of shame the proposed spectacle to be
placed before all the world of a vast ma
tional grog-shop and a vast national ex-
hibition Of the trampling down of law"
The establishment by congress of M i'm
partial commission of inquiry concerning
the liquor traffic Is favored.
Local option Is not regarded as the best
and ultimate solution of the liquor prob
lem, but most Of the p~resbyteries favor it
as q stepping stone toward general prohi-
bition. Among all the reports of pres
byteries the license system has no advocate
or a~polcgist.
Worlds Fair Resolution.
I. J.. Foster Of Newark, N. j., presented
a resolution against the opening OF the
Worlds fair On Sundays, which was I'M
animously adopted by a rising vote. with
a subsequent understanding that it should
be amended or made more comprehensive
today. ~