Kansas City daily journal., 1895-05-19
SEMINARY CONTROL.
rRLSBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
WILL TAkE II Up TOMORROW
The Delegates Are So Much Interested In
the subject That DIR. Briggs Has
Scarcely Been Mentioned-Uis
Case VIII Come Up.

Pittsburg. Pa, May 1S-Assembly con
troll Of the seminarIes has possession of tn,
Presbyterian general assembly, even If tn,
assembly has not the possession of thC
semlnaries, which 1t desires. At the Close
Of the morning session adjournment was
taken till Monday morning and at thai
time the debate on the proposed plan OF
gathering in the seminaries into a clos,
and guarded fold VIII be resumed. The ner
result thus far attc!ned has been 10 divide
the assembly into two clearly marked par,
ties and it is judged that the line of cleaV.
age IS near the numerical center of the
body. II seems probable the vote Of fou
TO one that was recorded last year will be
wiped out in large part and the dispropor.
ton greatly reduced.
The committee which is urging the adop-
tloE Of the plan providing for closer re-
!at!OAs between the assembly and the sem
inaries saw itself compelled by the strength
OF the opposition which has developed Il
import Thomas McDOugal. of Cincinnati
a member Of the committee. to present the
legal side OF the case This he did In a
speech or an hour and q quarter, but he
labored under a heavy handicap on ac-
count Of the pamphlet which he recently
published attaching the integrity and faith
1ulness OF the boards Of home and foreign
missions In New York for using funds
gwen Tor missionary purposes in the cree
lion of a large building on Fifth avenue.
The peroratIoH OF his speech was devoted
10 reviewing prejudices created by his
Pamphlet and the degree Of his success
Will only be shown by the final vote
Lhtte IS a pan on FOOT 10 Secure the
adoption Of an alternative report, replace
iE ~ tat ot T., re & &coiamittee Il is proposed
made by the directors OF the existing semi
tarlesi setting forth their unwillingness
70 make any charter changes, these semi
naries be let alone, and that the restric-
tiQns that have been devised by the com
mittee Will be applied only 10 instifutions
mat may hereafter ne chartered
VIII nave strong backing ana will meet
with good support. Those who have had
ever, entertain some doubts of its adoption,
bGt II Is certain the support which ii will
The assembly has not yet learned the value
Of time, and instead of holding an after
2S akan sT'S m Mond9y e &ad94rnment fr p
case will be deferred n week hence The
rush Of business will startle those who are
semblies and legislatures.
In view Of the resolutions adopted yes
the Suggestion Of Mr' Mebougai iS1hsaiiibs thst he
commissioners spend their spare time ON
Sunday n reading. and pondering the re-
nate and II served to prejudice his case
sun further in the eyes Of some Of the
Union seminary in New York is the
bete noir Of the conservative elements in
this assembly This was shown in the
morning session, when it was referred to
as the cause of all this disturbance. Or.
Briggs has scarcely been mentioned and
the odium which attached to him has been
transferred to the seminary directors in
New York one Of the speakers declared
that when they repudlated their agree
ment with the assembly, they took out
valuable endowments which belonged prop
erly TO the church as such.
one of the strong objections'to the plan
of the committee on seminary control is
that II involves recourse TO the civil courts
for the settlement Of ecclesiastical differ
ences. The answer 10 this made by a
lawyer ike Mr.. McDougal was regarded by
his reference 10 creatures of Caesar ap-
pealing TO Caesar failed TO carry convic-
ton to all.
Thus. far nothing has been heard of the
plans for the deposing Of DIR. Briggs which
were said to be under serious con sidera-
ton. But the assembly Is young yet and
those who wsre active In the condemna-