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The Convention of the Southern New School Presbyterians.
RICHMOND, Va. Saturday, Aug. 29
The new school of Presbyterians met here in Convention yesterday. The usual officers were chosen, and a Committee on resolutions was appointed.
It was stated in debating a resolution on organization, that a number of churches which sympathized with the Convention were not represented from motives of delicacy, because they were presided over by a New-England clergyman, but that these, notwithstanding, had sent members to express sympathy with the objects of the Convention.
After a debate of an unimportant character the Convention adjourned till evening.
EVENING SESSION.
The Committee on Resolutions reported in effect that whereas the relation of master and servant does not properly belong to church judicatories as a subject of discussion or inquiry, therefore that is it resolved by this Convention that the General Assembly of the Church has no power to pronounce a sentence of condemnation on a lower judicatory, or individuals, for any cause, unless they have been before the Assembly in the way prescribed by the Constitution; that the Convention recommends all Presbyterians opposed to the agitation of Slavery to appoint delegates to the Assembly to meet at Knoxville, on the third Tuesday in May next, for the purpose of organizing a General Synod under the name of the United Synod Presbyterian Church of America.
After some discussion on the resolutions, action upon them was postponed until today.
RICHMOND, Sunday, Aug. 30.
The Presbyterian Convention, on Saturday, perfected and passed three resolutions of the series reported from the committee declaring in substance as follows, viz: That the Presbyterians sympathizing with the objects of this Convention be invited to withdraw from their present ecclesiastical relations; that nothing can be made a basis for discipline in the Presbyterian Church, which is not specifically referred to in the constitution as a crime or heresy.
The proposition to organize a general Synod led to an exciting debate, but the proceedings thus far were very harmonious.
The Convention adjourned till Monday.