The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-05-30
INTERESTING
SESSION.
OF the United Presbyterian As.
sembIy...The Tobacco Habit.
No Action Taken.
SHOWING OF FOREIGN MISSION
So Promising That the Assembly
Voted to Increase the
Apportionment. ssr5.y

PHILADELPHIA, May 29.-At to-
days session OF the general session Of
the United Presbyterian church the re-
port OF the board OF home missions was
adopted and the report OF the board of
foreign missions was read and discuss
ed The question OF acting upon the
memorial OF the Chicago presbytery
asking for the repeal OF the section o:
the Westminster confession which pro-
hibIts marriage with deceased wife's
sister, was brought up, but postponed
for q future discussion.
The resignation OF DR.. Owens as cor
responding secretary of the board Of
missions was accepted and resolution
was adopted requesting him to
write history OF the board.
DR.. Owens. In discussing the re-
port of the board said It was
not gratifying according TO the fig
ures, but they have Increased some. and
II 1t had not been for this Increase, the
church. as Il whole would have shown a
decrease.
With reference to the use OF tobacco
being sinful and inconsistent with the
Christian profession, which was sent by
the last assembly to the presbyterfcs,
the committee on bills and overtures
to-day reported that the vote was eleven
to one In favor Of taking no action on
the subject. The vote was eight to four
In favor of similar non-action in the
matter of the prohibition of Its use by
students.
Another overture requiring church
members to promise. systematic and
proportionnte contributions was voted
down unanimously by the presbyterles.
The afternoon session was devoted to
the report of the committees or foreign
missions and women's work In church
extension.
Foreign Missions.
The report OF the foreign missions was
presented by the Rev. ]. G. Carson, of
Senia. Ohio. The report showed such
promising condition of the foreign mis-
sions for continued progress that the
assembly voted &c, increase the appor-
tionment of $4,000 to Egypt to S66Go0,
and the apportionmcnt for the work In
India was increased $4,000. to $4,000.
DR.. W. W. Barr. speaking Of the re-
port said that 167 missionaries had been
sent to foreign fields since that work
was begun. DR.. Barr recently returned
from the Egyptian missions, and speak
ing Of the work there, said that the
march of the Anglo-Egyptian forces In
the soudan Ind opened n territory con-
taininG 100000 of people to Christian
ity.
DR.. J. P. White stated that In the
Egyptian missions sustained by the
United Presbyterian church there are
1900 persons in the schools, 1900 In
churches and 1000 native Christian
workers are being sent into the homes
10 carry on the work.
The report Of women's work showed
TINT there are 954 missionary societies
with n total membership OF 23,7O7. Dur
Ing the past year sb0,733 was contrib
uted and S52.5l9 was sent TO missions.
leaving a balance Of sl4,6s6 with which
to begin the work Of the ensuing year.
Deceased WIfc's Sister.
The committee having in charge the
memorial of the Chicago presbytery
asking for the repeal of that section of
the Westminster confession which pro-
hiblts marriage with q deceased wife's
sister, held n meeting late tonight and
decided not to make report on the sub
feet to the assembly. This action OF the
committee Will prevent n discussion on
tho subject during the present assem-
bly,.
The committee on. bills md overtures
Tonight recommended and the general
assembly adopted the memorial OF
Southern Illinois presbytery in regard
to the secret societies. This provides
for the appointment OF committee
composed of one member from each
synod to revise article XIV, which pro-
hlbits members Of oatll-bound secret So
cleties from becoming members OF the
denomination and further to say
whether this should prevent members
of all secret organizations from tolnIag
the church on which there is now
such diversity of opinion.