The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-05-19
SOUTHERN PREsBYTER1ANs.
A Large Number of overtures From
the Presbyteries.

"09SAioAS VI tHS oOutheTn RreSOyLerlan
church reassembled to-day, Moderator
Graham presiding. The most important
overtures presented were from the Pres
bytery of Maryland, to unite the mis-
sionary and home missionary boards
OF the Presbytery of Louisiana,
to decline To indorse the action
OF the birmingham conference; from the
Presbytery of Ebenezer to separate col
ored workers; from the East Hanover
Presbytery to changeahe wording of the
baptismal formula; from the Presbytery
or Washburn, to make a deliverance on
the question of marriage; from the Pres
bytery of Tuscaloosa to transfer the
work of colored evangelization TO the
board of home missions and abolish
the executive committee Of the colored
eyangelization from the Presbytery Of
HoIston, asking the appointment of a
committee on organization TO meet like
committee from the northern assembly.
The last mentioned overture was referred
10 special committee of one men,
Der from each synod. There was
also presented an overture from
the Presbytery Of Augusta concerning
the case of Rev. James Woodrow, who BY
letter was transferred from Augusta. to
the Charleston Presbytery. The Charles
ton Presbytery rejected him. The uues-
tion is a constitutional one as to whether
he is entitled to the privilege Of member
snip in the Augusta Presbytery until he
has formally returned his letter
WOULDN'T DISCUSS BREoK1NRIDGE.
The assembly Knocked out memorial
Of the National Christian League
for the promotion Of social purity,
almost before it had gotten before
the body. 1t came in under the head of
overtures from other bodies and pre-
tended that the assembly recognize in
Col. Breckenridge an enemy of the
church, the home, the state and society at
large On motion Of Rev. c. F. Kyle. the
memorial was tabled. Its purport
was understood without being read
through. Among the fifty over
lures was one from the Memphis Presby-
terry, asking that the invalid fund be made
larger; from the Lexington Presbytery,
to declare unconstitutional the action Of
the last assembly providing for ordination
of American ministers in foreign fields by
other than a Presbyterian body
THE NORTHERN ASSEMBLY.
Saratoga, New York, May 18.-The
opening devotional service of the Presby-
terian general assembly was led by Elder
William Il. Worrall, OF New York. AS
usual, on the morning after the election
was felt in the committees to be ap-
pointed to attend to the details of the as
sembly's work. The chairmanship of the
committee on bills and otertures goes by
custom to the retiring moderator-Dr
Willis G. Craig.
The committee second in order is that
on Judicial business, and the leading un-
successful candidate for the moderator
ship is always named for this post. 1t
fauyg &c {
was passed by and DIR. Gardner named
for this important and difficult post
DR.. Marquis, of Chicago, was placed in
charge of the committee on church polity.
Dr. Holmes, of Pittsburg presides over
the interest of education, and DIR. Fox,
Of Brooklyn, will present the subject of
ministerial relief
Elder Franklin l.. Sheppard will have
again, for the third time, charge of the
mileage and Elder James Yereanck, of
New York, OF finance.
Other chairmen and committees are to
be named later, according to anew rule of
the body
The first report read was that on the de-
nominational periodical of the church, at
Home and Abroad, DIR. Mcintosh, of Phil
adelphia, speaking
CHURCH UNION.
DR.. Joseph T. Smith read the report of
the special committee on church union.
This is the committee which has been
conducting negotiations with the Episco-
palian church and the other denomina-
tiOns looking to a reciprocity agreement
between all the churches. Last year the
House of Bishops sent a committee
headed by Bishop Cleveland Coke, of
Western New York, which was received
and proposed an amendment to the canon
Iu~ x.FF Il.
all Presbyterian ministers could be recog-
nized by the Episcopal bishops as stand
ing on the same basis of apos-
tolic succession with themselves
Nothing has been heard of
this proposal since, and DR.. Smiths COM
mittee confined his recommendations TO a
confederation of all the churches in the
United States having a Presbyterian
form of government. These include the
United Presbyterian church, the Dutch
Reformed church and others, eight in all
The committee recommended a large
ecclesiastical assem- bly, made up of repre-
tentatives of all these churches, and ex-
ercising advisory power over the field,
but not interfering with the organic in
tegrity of each.
DR.. Samuel j. Nichols, Of St. Louis. read
dissent to the proposed ecclesiastical
assembly on council.
LIT. CDdTlGS Il. luDulpSOfi. OF NEW 7 OrK,
spoke in support OF the fedora Jion plan
proposed.
The special committee on theological
seminaries made its report to-day. This is
the committee appointed at Portland two
years ago to save the church from such
another experience as the loss of Union
seminary with its 500, 600 of endowments,
which withdrew from the control Of the
general assembly because of its dissats-
faction with the treatment OF DR. Briggs.
The committee has been at work two
years trying to devise some means of
effecting such a change in the differing
charters Of the thirteen theological semi
ma ries under its control as shall
prevent the alienation of their en-
dowments. II was found that
each Of the theological seminaries known
as Presbyterian we're actually independ-
ent of the church to which they owed
their support The control over them
being exercised by the Presbyterian
church through the general assembly was
nominal only and did not in any degree
affect the funds or property. 1t was
found that nothing can be done in the
direction desired without the consent Of
the seminaries themselves. A plan for
bringing this about was presented.