The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-05-18
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Representatives of Nearly Every
Southern Presbytery Present.
MP oRTANT MATTERS BEFORE THE BODY
Among Them Are Christian Education, Veto
Power Of the General Assembly, Com
piIaiion of Another Hymn Book, Etc.
Prominent Men There.
Prominent Men There.
(By the Associated Press

Atlanta, Ca, May 17.--Judge ]. W. Mar
tin, of Little Rock Ark. was elected
Moderator today by the Southern Pres
byterian General Assembly to preside dur
ing the ensuing year. Two ballots were
required to elect him. In the first, DR.. G.
W. Finley of Baskerville, Va, and DR.. c.
Reed, of Columbia. S. c., were candi-
dates for the Offices DR.. Finley received
the lowest number of votes in the ballot
and his name was not in the second hall
lot. Judge Martin was elected on the
second ballot by vote of SO to TO-
Judge Martin was escorted to the chair.
Retiring Moderator J. f. Canton deliver
ed the gavel to him and the assembly
then went into the election of assistants
to the permanent stated clerk.
Nearly 200 commissioners representing
nearly every Presbytery included in the
Southern General Assembly of the Pres
byterian church were present when The
retiring moderator, Rev j. +. Cannon, of
st. Louis, opened the thirty ninth annual
session of the General Assembly this
morning. The session was begun with the
devotional exercises, the feature of which
was the excellent sermon preached by Or.
Cannon, it being the custom of the As
sembly for the retiring moderator to de-
liver the opening sermon.
No business was transacted at the af-
ternoon session, the time being devoted
by the secretaries to making an arrange
ment of their work and by the newly
elected moderator to the appointment IF
committees.
Tonight at s o'clock, the commissioners
to the assembly were rendered a recep-
ton at the Central Presbyterian church
on Washington street, where the session
are being held. At this time a formal
welcome was extended the commissioners.
The transaction of business will begin
actively tomorrow. The following per-
manent officers are here with interesting
reports to make:
Rev. j. II. Lumpkin, Memphis. Tenn;
Secretary; Rev. ]. n. Craigg, d. r.. At
lanta, Ga, Secretary of Home Missions;
Rev. S. Fl. Chester. d. d., Nashville.
Tenn. Secretary of Foreign Missions;
Rev. j. j. Hazen, CT Richmond. Secreta-
ry of Publication; Rev. d. C. J4ilty, Tusca-
loosa. Ala, Secretary of Colored Evan
gelizaton; Rev. r. p Farrs. St. Louis,
Alexander, GAINESVILLE, Tenn, Stated
Clerk.
Several important matters will acone
up before the General Assembly for Gis-
cission, such as Christian Education, the
veto power of the General Assembly, Inc
compilation of another hymn look, the
duties of the editor of coloced evangeli-
cation and others.
From present indications there will be
no effort made to revise the creed of the
church.
Among the prominent members who are
here On special missions are:
Rev. John Fox, of New York, Secreta-
ry of American Bible Society; Rev. F. r.
Beattie d. D., Louisville, Ky; Rev. ThoS.
H. Law d. D., Spartanburg, S. c.; R4Y.
T. w. Raymond, Holly Springs, Miss.
Rev r. j. Shaw, Eureka Springs Miss,
| and W. II. Neel, d. D., Memphis, Tenn.