Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-17
Report on Their Control Submitted
to the General Assembly.
TIE COMMITTEE WAS UNANIMOUS
Effect of the Recommendations of
Last Year.
MUCH INTEREST MANIFESTED


business meeting was largely attended in
anticipation of the report Of the COM
mittee on control of seminaries, which is
one Of the principal subjects to come be-
fore the assembly. DR.. w. L. McEwan of
Pittshurg. for the committee on arrange
ments, delivered an address of welcome,
in which he said that for the eighth time
Pittsburg welcomes the general assembly
of the Presbyterian Church. He spoke of
the synod CT Pennsylvania being the larg-
est in the church, and referred to the fact
that 1t has more members, sends out more
missionaries and contributes more money
for their support than any other Presby-
terian synod. He then presented the mod
orator with the gavel, made from wood
frcm the Holy Land
Moderator Booth then responded, ac-
ceptlng the gavel with pleasing address,
The business of the session was then taken
up, and the standing committees We're an
nounced as far as they have been made up
w men the report of the committee on
seminary control was announced every
commissioner was in his seat, and there
was great interest manifested, as no one
vas given any idea beforehand as to the
nature of the report. The report was read
by the stated clerk.
Control of Semfnnrics.
The committee of conference with the
general assembly of 1894 presented the
following report:
The committee was constituted as fol-
lows:
Ministers, William c. Young, D. D.; Sam
uel A. Mutchmore, d. D.; Charles T. Haley
D. D.; Alexander G. Wilson, d. D.; Will
liam A. Bartlett d. D.; George d. Baker
D. p; John Dixon, d. D.; T. Ralston
Smith, u. D.. Richard S. Holmes d, d.
Elders. Thomas McDougall, Samuel A.
Bonner. John j. McCook, David Wills, Geo.
H. Shields, Charles Geddes. John Heeb-
nsr.
During the year, Judge Davis Willis of
Gettysburg. Pa, died.
The committee held two meetings. one at
Saratoga, N. Y, in August, 1894, and ~one
at Pittsburg, May IA and 10. 1888 BY
subcommittee it has held conferences
with the following seminaries: Two with
the Princeton boards. two with the Nc
Cormick boards, and one with each of the
following: Auburn, Western, Lane, Dan
vile, San Francisco, Newark and Lincoln
University. Immediately after the meet
ing of the committee at Saratoga it ad-
dressed letter through its chairman to
each of the boards of the SeminarieS; and
the answers received are appended to the
report.
Simply n Declaration.
At the said conferences the committee, in
expressing the meaning and effect of the
recommendations, said that "a" which is
as follows: THAT all Of their funds and
property, subject to the terms and condi-
tions of existing or specified trusts, shall
be declared to be held by them in trust for
the Presbyterian Church in the United
States of America, for the purposes of
theological education according to the
standards of said church, and that no part
of the funds and property SO held shall be
used for any other purpose than for theo
logical education in the doctrines set forth
-, ,1pr dc 0f phn sI1yfa av-;p
Church in the United States of America"
involved no change of title, trust. owner
ship, management or disposition of the
property held by the various seminarieS;
conferred no trust, title, ownership or pow
er on the general assembly directly or in
directly or to any of it's agencies; and con-
ferred no right of control, management or
interference in any way, directly or in
directly, with any of the said semnaries.
1t was simply declaration of the use and
purpose for which the funds and property
were held by the respective civil corpora
tons holding the same; and its adoption
was to make plain that the funds and
property of the respective civil corporations
were held by them and them alone and eX-
cluS.vely for no other purpose than for
theological education according to the
standards of the Presbyterian Church in
the United States of America.
Officers of Seminuries.
AS to 3D." which is as follows ''Tnat
commissioners, or whatever the bodies gov
erning the teaching or property shall be
named, shall be subject to the approval of
the next succeeding general assembly, and
that no election shall take effect until ap-
prov ed by the general assembly; failure of
the general assembly to which said cleo
tions are reported for approval to act
thereon shall be regarded as approval of
said elections, the committee stated that
substantially the powers here sought to be
conferred on the general assembly are now
possess ed by it over majority OF the SEM
inaries; and that the adoption of 'B' SIM
ply made plain by charter provision and
effective by charter power the right of the
general assembly to protect what she thus
p assesses.
Transfers In Seminaries.
AS to &C. which is as follows: THAT
the election, appointment or transfer of all
professors and teachers in all seminaries
shall be submitted to the succeeding gen.
eral assembly for it's approval, and that
no such election, appointment or transfer
shall take effect, nor shall any professor
or teacher be inducted into office, until his
lection, appointment transfer shall have
been approved by the said general assem-
bly,; failure of the general assembly. to
which the said elections, appointments or
transfers are reported for approval, to act
thereon shall be regarded approval
thereof, and that all of said professors and
teachers shall be either ministers men,
bers in good standing with the Presby-
terian Church in the United States of
America the committee stated that this
was, in substance and in effect, what is
known as the agreement of 1870.
1t was informed that two questions as to
the legality of the agreement of 1870 had
been raised-one to the power of GER
tain of the seminaries to make the agree
ment, ard the other as to the power of the
general assembly, which is not a legal en-
tty, to make any such agreement.
Seminary Funds.
AS to d. which is as follows: THAT
in the event of the violation of any of the
terms of said amendments or the misuse
or diversion of the funds property held
by them, then the general assembly shall
be empowered to provide against such
viola ton of the provisions of said charters
before the enforcement of the same, and
fer the protection of the trusts on which
sad property and funds are held, in such
manner and in the name of such pers on
or corporation as it may direct by resolu-
ton. certified by its clerk, in any civil
court having jurisdiction over the corpora
tons whose charters are so amended"
your committee stated that this conveys
no title in the property and vests no trust
in the general assembly; that it does rot