Birmingham state herald., 1896-05-27
AFTERNOON SESSION.

H. H. Norman was called by the moder-
 ator to the chair.
 The Presbyterian general assembly at
 Memphis sent greetings. sss,- z.aH-.
 The third item of the report on educa-
 tion was read. It recommended that the
 charge of $5 per term for tuition in the
 theological school be discontinued at
 once.
 Judge Nathan Green moved that the re-
 port be made to recommend that the
 charge be discontinued as soon as possi-
 ble. He took exception to the use of the
 word instruct" the board of trustees
 was an independent corporation; the as- sembly was not corporation; the com pact on which the seminary was founded gave the assembly no power to order the
 action of the board of trustees. How could the assembly enforce such an or der? Judge Green spoke, he said, as a
 member of the assembly, and was not member of the board of trustees, but he desired the assembly not to issue or ders which 1t could not enforce, but rather use the word recommend" The Question of Authority. Rev. w. c. Denson confessed himself not the equal of Judge Green on legal questions, but said that in the present case there was little opportunity for mis- understanding. The charge of $5 per term for tuition was an indirect viola ton of the laws of the institution. The compact was binding on both parties from a moral standpoint, whether it could be enforced by legal proceedings or not. The theological school had been created by the whole church, and the voice of the assembly speaking for the church ought to be obeyed without ques- tion.
 Rev. pr. Dewitt thought that the milder language of the amendment would secure the same result and so favored it. Rev. H. A. Jones called for the read | ing of the report and the amendment. Ruling Elder F. M. McDavid of Spring | field, Mo-, thought the assembly pos sessed authority if it chose to exercise it. Rev. J. A. McDonald deprecated the possibility of disagreement on the ques- ton.
 Rev. J. H. Morton and Rev. P. R. Dan- | ley called attention to the words "as soon as possible" By consent of Judge Green | the words were stricken from the amend l ment. s3'H~a3 a3t1 Rev. A. H. Whatley spoke against the | idea of any reflection upon the board of trustees, and his sentiments were evil dently agreed with by all Rev. w. c. Denson warmly denied any intention such as that spoken of by Rev. MT Whatley. On motion debate on the amendment was closed. The amendment passed by a considerable majority andsthes item as amended was adopteds a --A Item4 Adopted.
 Item of the report concerned the course of study for oreprobatienefs, mot in school, recommended by the educational society. The course was rec commended to be placed under the control of)the educational society and the facul- tyr of Cumberland University 50 far as change of books is concerned. AS it was feared by some that the requirements of any particular course of study other than that laid down in tlie eonstitution
 would not stand, the report was made,
 by amendment, to merely recommend the
 course of study to the presby yteries.
 Rev. J. E. Clark, vice president of the
 educational society, pointed outthat the
 course of study was only an explanation
 of the requirements of the heseopstitution,
 and involved no addition to those require
 ments or subtraction from them. The
 item was adopted
 A Sad Announcements ,E A telegram whs received announcing
 the death of Rev. R. s. Thomas, D. D.,
 at Coffeeville. Miss. and requesting the
 immediate presence of Rev. R. A. Binkiey
 to conduct the funeral of the veteran sol-