The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-23
THE BRIGGSSKIRMISH
A NOT BATTLE IN THE GENERAL As-
sEABLF FORECAsTED.
The Alleged Heretic's Friends Determined
to Give No "Qoarter r"-Proceed-
ings of the Body.

WASHINGTON, d. C., May 2.-Rev.
Thomas Bracken. Of Wakeny. Ky, con-
Quoted the half-hour's devotional exer-
cises when the second weeks session
OF the Presbyterian General Assembly
was ushered in this morning. Promptly
at $3.50 Moderator Craig opened the as
sembly with prayer.
The special committee on Sabbath OBJ
servance. Of which the late Colonel
Elliott +. Shepard was chairman. sub
| mitted its fifth annual report
| The Briggs question then came to the
front at a bound and II did not mitigate
the results Of short struggle 10 be
| known when II was over that Il was
| chiefly the result Of a misunderstanding
Or. Young, chairman Of the committee
on bills and overtures, announced what
| had been done with a number OF over
| lures from Presbyteries. twelve Of them
! relating TO the Briggs case having been
| referred to the committee on judiciary.
DR. Young had scarcely ceased speaking
when DIR. Herrick Johnson, OF Chicago,
inquired what had become OF the over
ture from his Presbytery I'm the Briggs
case in which overture he sought the
assembly to refer the celebrated case
back 10 the Synod Of New York
Dr. Thomas g. Han, Of Chicago, I'm
! sympathy with DR.. Briggs. made a speech
! in favor Of sending all the resolutions
! in the Briggs case TO the judiciary COM
! mittee first, as all would eventually go
! there.
Fielder Eudaly. Of Cincinnati. rot the
| floor and stated that the assembly had
| 10 do simply with the law as # is. and
! not as II ought 10 be. There was "a gen
eral parliamentary confusion. various
commissioners attempting TO get the
floor, amid which announcement was
made that the Chicago overture had
gone TO the judiciary committee.
While the moderator was ATTEMPTING
TO put the question Dr. Johnson remained
upon his fedt, calling repeatedly: "I
claim the right 10 be heard" his words
being received with applause
Commissioner Cutchcon, Of Detroit.
stated that there was an overture from
his Presbytery, and. i'm view Of that fact
he supported the motion TO refer all the
Briggs overtures to the judiciary COM
mittee. He complained that the mod
orator had not permitted him t0 spealJ
although he had been repeatedly upon
his feet. Mr.. CutcheOn said that he
would appeal from the decision Of the
chair. and was applauded.
Dr. Young from the platform. asserted
that the moderator could not see every
man who ought 10 be seen. and this |
of the anti-Brlggs people.
Mr. Cutcheon, who Is physically one Of |
the largest men on the floor. retorted that /
the failure 10 see him was possibly due /
to the fact that he was so small.
Moderator Craig, in reply said il made |
no difference how many times Mr. Cutch- /
con had been ON his feet, so long as he /
had not caught the eye Of the chair. /
He added: II never knew such an out \
break while vote was beng taken
and this remark was received with loud /
applause.
The reference Of the overtures 10 the
judiciary committee was carried. and
thCn Dr. Craig stepped 10 the front Of
the platform What he said was short !
and sharp: Don't you try 10 overwhelm
us with such points az this stage of the
game" he said. emphasizing his re-
marks by a flourish Of the gavel. which he
held i'm his hand. This was greeted with
cheers. and the incident ended for the
time
Rev George I. Spinning Of New York
read the report Of the committee on
board Of missions among freedmen. The
report showed that the receipts We're less
than those Of the previous year. and
$4,000 less than the expenditures which
were $4,000. II stated that the chief
agency I'm the education Of the cOlOred
race was Biddle University, which has
a faculty OF eleven professors. ten OF
whom were colored. and 2}7 pupils last
year. The committee recommended "a
revision Of assignment of church funds
among the several boards with view
to increasing the amount TO De given %
freedmen. The assembly was asked 90
approve the boards request for $4,000 !
for work: also, 10 approve measures 10
be taken for raising 100000 for the Bid
die University
Rev. Savage. Of Cape Fear Presby-
terry described the work Of the board
among the people of his race, which he
said could not be told or cOmprehended |
I'm a report upon the subject. Speaking
to the criticism that negroes i'm the South
do not come into the Presbyterian church
as numerously as they do into the Meth
odist or Baptist churches. he said that
as many colored people
I'm the South went into the Presbyterian
church as white people went into 1t In
the North The cOlored people, he said
in conclusion. had plenty of grit and
grace to make their churches truly effec- s
tive; they needed greenbacks and these
they asked from the church
The recommendations of the committee 7
were adopted. /
Another outbreak on the Briggs case :
occurred just before the morning adj G.
lournment DIR. Young. chairman Of the y
on bfifS ana tNtftuffNf fttufhtN | {
10 the platform and stated that two n
)vertures from the Presbyteries Of Chi "a
'ago and Detroit, which. he said, had j
been described by DR. Johnson and Elder f
Tatchings as bearing directly upon the {
Briggs case, had been found upon exam
nation, to contain no reference whatever
10 any special case likely 10 come before
he assembly, but referred wholly 10 the
proposed changes I'm the standards of the 9
'hurCh. He, therefore, recommended
hat the former recommendation OF the
be adhered 10 and the two over !
ures sent to the committee on church I
,olity. Rev. DR.. Charles l.. Thompson. j
# New York, claimed the floor. and | y
tated with great earuestness of manner i
nat the paIer might be designed for a u
pecial committee. though on fits face II did / y
lot say SO. Two Of the provisions OF the y
verture from the Chicago Presbvterv y
afcrred manifestly 20 the judicial case "
low before the assembly, view I'm which -
e was sustained by two members OF the 81
'resbytery which brought the oyertures
o this house The intention Of that
asbytery was that II should bear upon
judicial case before the house. The 81
iscus sion was rather warm. and fore 81
asted a pretty hot time when the Bricgs o.
ase comes regularly before the assembly. M
,ventually Dr. Young was sustained. al
be assembly holding that Il would not be -
oyerned by intentions not expressed In an
he papers before IL. and the papers II
'ent TO the committee on church polity er
The report Of the special committee on W