PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 18

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

A STORMY MEETING-. MELBOURNE, November 22. There was a stormy scene in the Presbyi terian General Assembly when the report of t-e Public Questions Committee came up, and recommended that an address be presented to the Duke and Duchess of York. Professor Rentoul, of Peace Humanity Society fame, is the convener of the Committee, and in a speech bristling with, loyalty he pointed out that the responsibility for drafting the address rested on him. The Rev. Dr Marshall moved for a special J committee, in order to prevent the responsibility resting on one man, and especially such a gentleman as Dr Rentoul, who on the Transvaal question was hopelessly out of sympathy with the church, and had grossly misrepresented it. A man who , had spoken about the National Anthem as Dr Rentoul had done made- it look as if the church were making professions of w loyalty with her tongue in her cheek, and to accept Dr Rentoul's proposals would do a gross and serious injury to the church. Dr Rentoul replied that the « present was the most extraordinary state of things that he had ever known in the P,resbyterian Church. He felt ashamed of being a Presbyterian. All this trouble was wholly unnecessary, and arose thrpugh -the attack so rashly, rudely, and ignorantly flung at him by Dr Marshall. This attack had done far' more harm to the church than anything he (Dr Rentoul) had done, as on Mafeking. Day all that could be seen of Dr Marshall, if reports could be believed, was " a big red fist in the midst of a mass of halfdrunken people." (At this point of the i address there were loud cries of " Shame ! iShame ! " followed by hisses, confusion, and disorder.) * Eventually Dr Marshall's amendment was lost by four votes. Dr Marshall then announced that there was no alternative for him but to resign all his official positions in connection with the assembly.