The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-09-03
(By Rev. A. F. Watkins, D. d.

| ference But, since the General Con-
ference is in session only once in four
years, the right to confirm the cleo
ton of trustees was delegated to the
General Board of Education of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
A Suspicion Aroused.
In the course of few years the
suspicion was aroused in the minds
of some of the Bishops and other
prominent members of the Church
that those charged with the admins
tration of the affairs of the Universe
ty, were endeavoring to weaken the
control of the Church over the insti-
tuition and to cast doubt upon the
Church ownership of the property.
Such was supposed to be the mo-
tive that actuated the Board of Trust
in 1906 in the repeal of the Bylaw
by which all of the Bishops were rec
ognized as ex-officio members of the
Board, and the election of five of the
Bishops to membership on the Board,
and the proposal to amend the exist
ing charter or, as was charged, to
secure an entirely new charter.
"The Vanderbilt Commission"
This led the General Conference,
which met in Birmingham in May,
1906, to create a commission, known
as 1.-THE Vanderbilt Commission" con-
sisting of five eminent jurists, whose
duties were:
1. To inquire into and determine
the present relations of the Wander
bilt University to the Methodist Epis-
copal Church, South.
2. To take legal steps, if necessary,
to perfect the transfer of the Universe
ty from the patronizing Conferences
to the General Conference Of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
3. To define the charter rights of
the bishops of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church, South and, when so de-
fined, the bishops are instructed to
enter on the same.
Report of Commission.
In due time the report of the Com
mission was published, affirming, I'M
qualifiedly, the ownership Of the
Church in the property, declaring that
no additional steps were necessary to
perfect the transfer of the property
from the patronizing Conferences to
the General Conference, and defining
the relation of the Bishops to be that
of Common Law Visitors" This re-
port was presented to the Bishops at
their next sitting, and by them its
findings were heartily accepted and
endorsed, and the Bishops entered
upon the discharge of their visitorial
duties. At the meeting Of the Board
of Trust in June 1907 the report was
presented, and, after discussion, res
olution: THAT we cordially receive
the same, and direct that it be filed
with the records of this Board" was
adopted. An amendment to substi-
tute the word accept" for the word
receive" was offered, but not favor
ably considered.
The DsquIerude Grows.
The failure of the Board to give
their explicit assent to the findings
of the Commission and to declare
their purpose to be guided by its de-
cisions added to the feeling of dis
quietude and suspicion, already ex-
cited in the minds of many of the
ministers and members of the Church
and to this was added the fact that
about this time an act, thought to be
unfriendly to the rights of the Church
and supposed to have originated with
the authorities of the University, was
presented for passage by the Tennes
see Legislature, and defeated by the
efforts of certain prominent church
men, who believed that by their &C
ton in the matter they were defeat
ing an effort to ALLEVIATE the property
from the Church.
Definite Action Called For.
By the time of the session Of the
recent General Conference in Ashe
vile, the conviction had become very
prevalent that something must be
, done to settle, definitely and forever
| the question of the Church ownership
and control of the University. Ac
cordingly, this Conference adopted q
resolution, claiming for the Church
the absolute right of property and con
troll in the institution and providing
for the election of three trustees to
fill vacancies then existing In the
: Board and those trustees were elected
h. Aftnr thfc