The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-05-29
FINISH WORK
 AT BUFFALO Presbyterian General AS- Sembly AdjOurnS. THE SESSION
Preliminary Steps Toward the
 AmalgamatiOn of Churches.
A Resolution Adopted Favoring the Reading of the Bible in the Public schoois--The Pass
 tor. and the weed.

terian General Assembly brougnt US sessions to a close tonight TsN" ses- sions, 1t Is believed, are the prelude to union of all branches of the Pres byterian denomination in the United states. The question of ynion with the Cumberlands will now be submit ted to the Presbyteries and on ap- proval by two-thirds, the plans of un- ion will be consummated.
 Vote of thanks to the officers of the assembly and the various committees were adopted and the closing session ended with the singing of God be With You Till We Meet Again." the reading of the final minutes, and farewell prayer.
 The. membership of the committee on church co-operation and union of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of the United States has been increased from eight to fifteen, the new members being Moderator Henry of Philadelphia; Dr. r. l.. Patton of Princeton; President Moffat of Wash ington and Jefferson College; s. F. Niccolls of St. Louis; Professor John Dewitt of Princeton Seminary; l.. H. Severance of Cleveland, and H. c. Ga- rard of Philadelphia Drs. Moffat. Johnson and Coyle were appointed a committee to reply to a protest signed
 by pr. John Fox of New York. and six other members of the General Assem- bly against the action of the assembly
 in adopting the report on church un- ion.
 The assembly convened to-day with
 the intention of possibly finishing its
 business session, even if night ses- sion were necessary.
 New Tribunal Proposed. The report of the committee on judi =. x~1.. 4 pointment of permanent tribunal
 which win be a Supreme Court for the
 General Assembly, to which the as-.
 sembly could refer all cases involving church law and the report of the tenn perance committee were among the or dsrs of the day. The latter calls for advanced grounds on the temperance ,Question and incidentally strikes at
 the uAe of tobacco by ministers of the
 denomination. It recommends total
 abstinence on the part of the ministers and elders from the use of intoxicants
 and the use of their influence on the
 members of the congregations to the
 same. It recommends the raising of $10,000 with which to prosecute the
 work of the year and the establishing of offices with headquarters in Pitts
 burg,
 The last resolution deals with the tobacco question. It simply recom-
 mends that ministers and those seek
 ing the ministry be advised against the use of tobacco.
 The report of the committee on va 1 cancY and supply was read hy the chairman, Dr. William Fl. Roberts
 The committee recommended that the goard of education be charged to in- quire into conditions prevalent in the church as to candidates for the minis kHxr aI fn hA xnxnt u6a
 be adpoted to increase their number; | that the sated clerk be authorized to communicate with the presbyteries | with a view to presenting to the next assembly definite statements setting forth Presbyterian methods or dealing with vacant churches and of securing employment for unemployed preachers,
 and finally that the committee on va caney and supply be discharged. Got Together Again. The members of the committee got together again and 1t was agred that
 a committee of five ministers and four | laymen be apointed to investigate and
 report on the whole subject This was
 offered as an amendment and the ma l jorlty report was then adopt0l. A resolution in favor of the reading
 of the Bible in the public schools was adopted. The permanent committee
 was authorized, if 1t deemed 1t wise
 to memorabilia congress to insert in the enabling act for the admission of Okla homa and Indian Territory to State
 hood, a provision for the maintenance of the prohibition law of the Indian
 Territory.
 An incident occurred during the af-
 ternoon indicating that the colored | commissioners are not altogether rec | onciled to the action of the assembly In regard to separate, presbyteries l whereby a separate church can be es-
 tablished by the white inhabitants of the Southern States in regions where they are in the minority.
 l The stated clerk read a communlca- ton from President Saunders of Biddle University of Charlotte, N. C., saying
 that in view of the guarantees which | had been given by the leaders of the l church who had proved true friends of | the colored race in the past, the col-
 ored commissioners will continue to
 trust the Presbyterian church and are
 prepared to go forward with their l work seeking for those things which
 make for peace and prosperity"
 .'This is one of the noblest papers l
 have ever heard in this assembly," re-
 marked the moderator.
 A motion by colored commissioner
 to table the communication had the support of only a few votes It failed 10 go on the records, however, on a technical objection raised as to the
 status of the letter before the assem-