The General Assembly [pp. 545-580]

The General Assembly.
Transfer of the Theological Seminaries to the care of
Synods.-A memorial was presented from the Synod of South
Carolina recommending such transfer, was referred to the Committee on Seminaries. That Committee reported to the House
a resolution declaring the transfer proposed was inconsistent
with the legal and moral obligations which the Assembly had
assumed in relation to its Theological Institutions.
The Rev. Dr. Kirkpatrick said that the Synod to which he
belonged would not desire to urge this measure in the face of
legal and moral obligations, but he thought something ought
to be done to relieve the Assembly of this burden. Dr. Adger
said there was no zeal in South Carolina on this subject; that
his own views on the subject had undergone a change. Mr.
Armstrong, and Mr. Wilson, of Virginia, said that much discussion had been had in their part of the Church, in relation to
the necessity of some such measure. Dr. Breckinridge showed
that some $400,000 or $500,000 had been given to our Theological Seminaries on the expressed or implied condition that they
should be under the control of the General Assembly, and
therefore to transfer them to the Synods within whose bounds
they happened to be placed, would be an obvious breach of trust.
The recommendation of the Committee was adopted by the
Assembly.
Election of Professors in Theological Seminaries by the 1)Directors.-The Rev. Dr. Kirkpatrick presented a resolution,
which was referred to the Committee on Seminaries, inquiring
into the expediency of so altering the plan of our Theological
Seminaries as to give the right of the election of professors to
their several Boards of Directors. That Committee subsequently reported, " That in the present stage of the sessions of
the Assembly, and the present state of its business, the questions
involved in this overture cannot receive mature consideration,"
and therefore, "recommend that no further action be taken
with regard to this subject," which was agreed to.
This is a very different proposition from the preceding. The
Assembly might retain the absolute control of the Seminaries,
so as to fulfil all conditions of the trust assumed in their management. The Synod of Kentucky retains the control of Centre College, though the Trustees appoint the Professors, because
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