The Saint Paul globe., 1904-05-29
ASKS MINISTER'S
TO SHUN CIGARS
Presbyterian General Assembly
Completes Its Yearly
Tasks.

BUFFALO. N. Y. May 28.-The
Presbyterian general assembly brought
its sessions to a close tonight. The
sessions, it is believed, are the prelude
20 union of all branches of the Presby-
terian denomination in the United
States. The question of union will now
be submitted to the presbyterieS. The
relations between the mother church
snd the Presbyterian church south and
the United Presbyterians also tend to-
ward unity.
The membership of the committee on
church cooperation and union was in
creased from eight to fifteen, the new
members being Moderator Henry, Of
Philadelphia; DIR. F. L. Patton, of
Princeton; President Moffatt of Wash
ington and Jefferson college; S. p
Nicolls, of st. Louis; Prof. John De
Witt. Of Princeton seminary; l.. P.
Severance, of Cleveland, and H. G.
Cara of Philadelphia.
Against Whisky and Tobacco.
The report of the committee on ju-
dicial commissions, proposing the es-
tabliShment of a permanent tribunal
which would 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
ders of the day The latter calls for
advanced grounds on the temperance
question and strikes at the use of to-
baccO by ministers. 1t recommends to-
tai abstinence on the part of the minis
ters and elders from the use of intoXi-
cants, and the use of their influence on
the members of the congregations to
the same end. 1t recommends the
raising of $4,000 with which to prose-
cute the work of the year, and the es-
tablishing of offices, with headquarters
in Pittsburg. The last resolution sim
ply recommends that ministers and
those seeking the ministry be advised
against the use of tobacco.
The report of the committee on judi
ciaI commissions was adopted, as was
the report Of the committee on church
polity.
Liberty Bell Comes Up.
A recommendation objecting to the
removal of the Liberty bell from Phil
adelphia to st. Louis and it's eXhibi
tion on Sunday was carried unani-
mously The committee on bills and
oYertures reported a memorial to the
United States senate praying for the
expulsion of Senator Reed Smoot and
the enactment of more stringent laws
against polygamy.
John l. Platt, lay commissioner of
Poughkeepsie, threw the assembly into
a temporary uproar by opposing the
report. He held that it was political
question with which the assembly, had
nothing to do. The vote was taken
and but five commissioners opposed
the adoption of the report.
The assembly placed itself on record
against the protest of seven commits
sioneTs to the action of the assembly
on the question of union with the
Cumberland Presbyterian church by
adopting the report of the committee
appointed to reply to the Protestants.
Vacancy and Supply.
The report of the committee on va
.caney and supply was read by the
chairman, DR.. William H Roberts The
committee recommended that the
board of education be charged to in
quire into conditions prevalent in the
church as to candidates for the minis
try and the methods which should be
adopted to Increase their number; that
the stated clerk be authorized to COM
municate with the presbyteries, with
q view to presenting to the next assem-
bly, definite statements setting forth
Presbyterian methods of dealing with
vacant churches and of securing en-
ployment for unemployed preachers
and that the committee on vacancy and
supply be discharged.
1t was afterward recommended that
a committee of five ministers and four
Iaymen be appointed to investigate and
report on the whole subject This was
oHered as an amendment and the
whole report was then adopted A
Recommendation that the Bible be read
In public schools was adopted
An incident which occurred during
the afternoon indicated that the COL
ored members are not altogether rec
onclled to the action of the assembly
IN regard to separate presbyteries.
whereby a separate church can be es-
tablished by the white inhabitants Of
the Southern states where they are in
the minority.