The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-23
A FURRY OVER BRIGGS.
The General Assembly Given a Pre-
mature Shaking Up,

Washington, May 22.-Rev. Thomas
Bracken of Wa Keeny, Kan, conducted
the half hours devotional exercises with
which the second weeks session of the
Presbyterian general assembly was
ushered in this morning Promptly at
$3.50 O'Clock Moderator Craig opened the
assembly with prayer. The special com
mittee on Sabbath observance, Of which
the late Col. Elliott F. Shepard was chair
man, submitted its fifth annual report.
The Briggs question then came to the
front at a bound and it did not mitigate
the results of the short struggle to know
when it was over that it was chiefly the
result of a misunderstanding.
DR.. Young, chairman of the committee
on bills and ovcrtures, announced what
had been done with a nuembcr of over
lures from the presbYteries, twelve Of
them relating to the Briggs case having
been referred to the committee ON the
judiciary.
DIR. Young had scarcely ceased speak
ing when Dr. Herrick Johnson of Chicago
inquired what had become of the overture
from his presbytery in the Briggs case
which overture besought the assembly to
refer this celebrated case back to the
synod OF New YORK.
DR.. Thomas Q. Hall of Chicago, in sym
pathy with DR.. Briggs, made a speech in
favor of sending all resolutions i'm the
Briggs case to the judiciary committee
first, as all would eventually go there.
Elder Eudaly of Cincinnati got the floor
and stated that the assembly had to do
simply with the law as it is, not as it
ought to be.
There was general parliamentary con-
fusion, 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
feet calling repeatedly, II claim the
right TO be heard" his words being re-
ceived with applause
Commissioner Cutcheon of Detroit
stated that there was an overture from
his presbytery, and in view of that fact
he supported the motion to refer all the
Briggs OVcrturcs to the judiciary commit
tee. He complained that the moderator
had not permitted him TO speak, although
he had been repeatedly upon his feet.
Mr. Cutcheon said he would appeal from
the decision of the chair, and was ap-
plauded
DR.. Young, from the platform, asserted
that the moderator could not see every
man who ought to be seen, and this state
ment received the vigorous applause of
the anti-Briggs people.
Mr.. Cutchcon, who IS physically one of
the largest men on the floor, retorted that
the failure to see him was possibly due to
the fact that he was so small.
Moderator Craig, in reply, said it made
no difference how many times Mr.
Cutcheon had been on his feet so long as
he had not caught the eye of the cheir
He added: 81 never knew such an out
break while vote was being taken, f." and
this remark was received with loud ap-
plause.
The reference of the overtures to the
judiciary committee are carried out, and
then DR.. Craig stepped 10 the front Of the
platform. What he said was short and
sharp. Don't you try to overwhelm us
with such points at this stage of the
game" he said, emphasizing his remarks
by "A flourish Of the gayel, which he held
in his hand. This was greeted with
cheers, and the incident ended for the
time.
MISSIONS AMONG THE FREEDMEN
Rev. George L. Spinning of New York
read the report Of the committee on the
board Of missions among the freedmen.
The report showed that the receipts were
less than those Of the previous year, and
5000 less than the expenditures, which
were Sl93,000 1t stated that the chief
agency in the education Of the colored
race was Biddle University, which has
faculty of eleven professors, ten of
whom were cOlored, and 237 pupils last
year The committee recommended re-
vision Of the assignment of the church
fund among the several boards, with
view to increasing the amount TO be given
to the freedmen. The assembly was
asked TO approve the board s request for
$3.50 600 for the work, also to approve
measures to be taken for raising $400, 600
for Biddle University.
Rev. Mr.. Savage of the Cape Fear Pres
byterian described the work of the board
among the people of his race, which, he
said, could not be told or comprehended
in a report upon the subject. Speaking to
the criticism that negroes in the south do
not come into the Presbyterian church as
numerously as they do into the Methodist
or Baptist churches, he said that proper
tionately as many cOlOred people In the
south went into the Presbyterian church
as white people went into it in the north.
The colored people, he said in conclusion,
had plenty Of grit and some grace,
but to make their churches
truly effective they needed greenbacks,
and these they asked from the church.
The recommendations of the committee
were adopted
SECOND OUTBREAK.
Another outbreak on the Briggs case
occurred just before the morning adjourn
mcnt. DR. Young, chairman Of the COM
mittee on bills and overtures, returned TO
the platform and stated that two over
lures from the presbyteries Of Chicago
and Detroit which, he said, had been de-
scrib6d by DR.. johnson and Elder Catch
ings as bearing directly upon the Briggs
case, had been found. upon examination
10 contain no reference whatever to any
special case likely to come before the
assembly, but referred wholly 20 proposed
changes in the standards Of the church.
He therefore recommended that the
former recommendation Of the committee
be adhered TO and the two Overtures sent
10 the committee on church pOlity
Rev. DR. Charles L. Thompson Of New
York claimed the floor and stated with
great carnestncss Of manner that the
paper might bc designed for o special
committee, though on It's faco 10 did not
say 20. Two Of the provisions OF the
overture from Chicago presbytery re-
ferred manifestly 20 the judicial case now
before the assembly, 20 view I'm which be
Was sustained bV two members Of the
presbytcry which brought the Oycrtures
10 the house Ihe intention Of that pres
sytery was that it should boar upon the
judicial caae before the house. Tho dis
cuesiOn Was rather warm aBd i0rccasted
3 pretty h0t NWe WhCu thc NftNns case
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