The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-26
GETTING DOWN TO WORK
MTCH DISCUSSION rs 10 JH 4 Ell
GIBILITf or RULING LLDLHs
Not Members of Their Presbytcry as Com
Dissioners TO the General Assembly,
Missionary unss-NIcoting.

! .HOuS exercises were conuuct'u ny is'f'
y. Nan of Virginia, the Oldest coin-
missioner present The Moderator In a
! graceful speech reminded the Assembly
OF the parliamentary rules OF order,
I which he promised should be strictly en-
! forced The proposition TO dispense VITA
/ his afternoons session met with rtu
/ siderable opposition. but was adopted
/ Several reports and Overtures were then
/ read ana referred. Or. Nass, chaplain
/ Of the University Of Virginia, rendersd
I q report on theological scminarics. IL
| couhrtuGc6 tho progress made and ap-
proved the election of Dr. Stricken and
Dr. Hall 70 chairs i'm Union ana Column
/ bia Scminarics adopted Or. Burkitts re-
port from the Foreign Correspondence
Committee. and recommended $50 instead
I OF SiNi az the annual appropriation FOR the
ran-fresbyterian Alliance. II was hot
| lyi debated by De. Woodrow, Vance.
I,mI hiE, and others. Probably the
best speech of this hot debate was made
| by Hon. W. NJ. Cox. a member of the
Mississippi legislature from Prcntiss
count who opposed any decrease IN the
/ appropriation. IL was finally settled thas
/ the delegates appointed last year TO ai-
( tend tho coming Glasgow meeting Of the
Alliance should ask Tor an Investigation
Of the basis of representation and as
scsemontH The chaplain Of the New
Steele. then addressed the Assembly on
the subject of The work among the sea-
men. lie spoke of the good work being
done az M0Hle. Charleston, Savannah
Norfolk and other Southern ports. as well
as at New Orleans Ills remarks were
brief ana received close attention.
special committee viii be appointed to
make a report on this subject.
The Moderator appointed Rev. p +.
! Brown and Elder =. $. Upton CONF
mittoc on the Bethel Address.
The Committee on Bills and Overtures
through Chairman Hcmph.ll. reported in
regard 20 the overture 20 the Iresby-
tory of Memphis asking that regular re-
| ports De- ordered from the churches rec
sarding their Westminster Leagues. and
/ that the Committee ON Publication De
ordered 20 furnish suitable blanks for
this purpose. that the committee Tecom-
mend that the petition Doe granted. Adopt
ed.
RULING ELDERS.
Dr. Homphin further reported that his
committee recommend that The overture
from the same Preslytery. asking inter
probation ass 10 whether 10 DE lawful 10
elect as commissioner go tie General AS
scmhly ruling elder in active service ~
! "a church under its jurisdiction, Who Isl not
Of election, be answered thus.
That IL is competent for a. presDytcry TO
! choose as their delegate 10 the General
| Assembly any ruling elder under lis
| jurisdiction.
The Committee on Bills ana OvertIres
| fl ON the presbytcries of rCuth Carolina
and Of Enorce, asking amendments 10
| the form 0f government that the assem-
| bly, decline 10 ccnd down 10 the presDy-
! tegies the propohed amendments TO the
| book Of church order. Adopted.
The committee reported as 10 the over
ure Of the Presbytcry of Wilmington.
asking TIC assembly 90 30 amend the
constitution as TO make 10 possible for
two or more weak churches 10 combine
under one pastoral government. that they
were unable TO frame au Amendment 10
meet the case which would Lot Doe an
infringement upon the inherent rights oil
the congregations. The negative power OF
the committee was adopted.
Several Overturcs OF minor Importance
were then q spo-cd OF without debate.
DRAGONS AUTHORITY.
| As TO thc overture from the 1resbytery
| OF South Alabama, asking the assembly 20
state whether the government Of the tenn
roral affairs of the church irheres 90 the
| doacous Of the church by virtue of their
ordination or by special act OF The
church session. the committee recon-
mpnd.d that an answer DE sent saying
that the administration OF the temporal
affairs of the church does not inhere to
tine dcacons by virtue of their orlina-
/ tion. but may properly De committed 10
thcp.
| The object of this overture was 10
ascertain whether in the opinion of the
| Assembly the diac0uatc received 3D.. au-
| th0rity over the Temporal Affairs ~
the church. from the session or because
| of ordination. Dr. praig suggested the
defining of what was meant hy temporal
| affairs. as am amendment tO the motion
/ which had been made 60 adopt the COM
mitteo's report. There was some dee
| bate and upon the vote the amendment
! was lost. Dr. Woodrow offered suo-
| sutute for Dr. Homphills answer 10 the
overture. and this prccipitated lively
! little three-couorcd fight between Dr.
| Hemphil. Or. Woodrow and Dr. J.. g.
! Nass. In the course ~ which there were
| two threatened appeals from The modela-
| tors decision. neither Of which, hoW-
| ever, could get a second.
There was evidently % little disposition
10 take advantage az the extreme AHA
| bilitv Of Moderator Nalard but when he
realized that the house was getting into
! q hopeless tanele through this debate
! ON points of ORDER. he brought his strong
| common sense 20 bear brushing away
| an the 0uib1ios. and summarly choking
! on further debate. Dr. Noolro" suo-
.f,l. was lost and the report OF the
/ committee was adopted.
/ II is understood. however. that this
/ is not the end 81 the matter. as one OF
| the elders. Mr.. Dean. of Opelba Ala,
SAYS Doe Will move for the appointment or
| n succial committee 20 whom this mat
D ID DID. H.. u f.II 3D.
| TO the book PREPARED u Doe sent 10 tue
/ prosbyteries for their approval. After
/ some unimportant announcements The
| Assembly took recess at 1850 until y. VI.
MISSIONARY MAsS-M-EWNG.
The massmeeung i'm favor of Foreign
| Missions was caller 20 order promptly at
( O'Clock 10y Modedrat"r -iAilard' VINO an
! nouncod some changes in the commit
! tees owing TO the departure OF some Of
/ The commissioners, Rev. l',. far, OI
| Richmond Va. lol In prayer.
! The nlst speaker was kcv. j. i.
! Smith. -. d.. who spoke fechnsiy oi the
! missionaries who have died during tAe
/ wear. Dr. Smith Is chairman OF the
/ Standing committee on fOrcisn Missions
and was I'm charge Of The meeting.
The next speaker was Rev. John l..
Stuart. a missionary from emma, VINO
/ described the work in that land. Tie
mission was naugurafed i'm l5. II now
I has eleven stations. hfty-clght mission
aries. and two hundred and thiriy-ive
| converts. His aldrts. was very inter-
/ e~tiug. He was followed ny Rev II. i.
Price Of Japan. who spoke gratefully OF
/ the kind treatment he and the other mis-
| sionanes have always received from the
| japanese government and people. There
are now three hundrl and aNty-four