The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1846-09-19
Anniversary of the American
Board of Missions.
Correspondence ofthe Journal of'Commerce
New HAVEN, Sept. 9th, 1876.

New HAVEN, Sept. 9th, 1876.
The American Board of Foreign Missions
convened yesterday in this city, to celebrate
its thirty seventh anniversary. Towards one
thsusand clergymen, it is supposed, are in at
tendance, besides several hundred other phi
lanthropists, chiefly from the &OrtherA and
Middle States. The meeting was opened at
4 o'clock, p. NJ, with prayer, by the Rev. DIR.
Yates oflIngsborough, N. Y, Chief Justice
Williams, ofIlnrtlord, presiding.
After the singing ola hymn, and the read
ing ofthe minutes ofthe las: meeting, Rev.
Dr.. Anderson proposed that the Board should
spend short time in devotional exercises,
previous to this important business. lie said
,aur entire dependence on Divine MD, espec-
inlly apparent in Missionary efforts, rendered
it peculiarly appropriate to seek the blessing
of Heaven; and that the great success ofmnny
of their Missions, during the past year, atfor-
dstl the highest encouragement to seek such
blessings.
Rev. DR.. Allen, of Mass, described the first
meeting of this Board, twenty FIVE years ago,
when there were but twelve persons present,
eight of whom were no longer living. Now
the Board consisted of 200 corporate mem
hers and about 500 honorary. He spoke of
the very deep interest felt in their meeting
Is years ago in this city by tho late Rev. Dr..
Pr0udiit, ofhaving met him alone in the town
hall, n little before the time Of meeting, when
the DR.. with deep emotion proposed to retire
TO an adjoining room for prayer.
At the close of these devotional exercises,
the Treasurer, Henry Hill, Esq, presented
his Report.
Rev. DR.. Halves of Hartford, delivered an
able discourse in the evening, 10 a very lnrge
and dignified audience.
The following is given as summary ofthe
operations of the Board, during the yenr end
ing 3lst August last:
There has been no deficiency of pecuniary
resources for conducting the missions on their
present scale. The amount received into the
treasury ofale Board for the year ending Jul
" 3lsr, was $3.50, 073 55--exceeding that OF
any former year. except one; aud the expendi-
lures for the same period were 1857, sos 23.
The number of missions is twenty six, en-
bracng ninety three stations, at which are l34
missionaries, ten of whom are physicians not
ordained, seven schoolmasters, seven prn-
ters and ookbinders, and fourteen other male
and 175 female assistant missonnries-in NIL,
312 laborers sent forth from this country--as-
sociated with whom, or ut stations under their
care, are twenty native preachers and l32
other native helpers, Exclusive of tho native
teachers of the free schools sustained by the
severnl mssions,) raising the whole number
of laborers at the missions, and dependent
principally on the Bonrd for support, TO 494
Gathered hy these missionaries, and Under
their pastoral care, are seventy three churches
10 which have been added, during the year
now reported more than 1900 members, and
in which are now embraced, not including
some hundreds of hopefiil converts in Yves.
tern Asia, 1881 members.
There are under the care of these missions
seven seminaries for educating native preach
ers and teachers, furnished with libraries anc
various kinds of apparatus adapted to theiI
object, and embracing 467 pupils; also thirty
four boarding schools, in which are S54 male
and 533 female pupils, making 1874 board
ing pupils brought under constant Christian
Instruction and influence in the mission fam
lilies, with reference to their being qualified
10 exert greater aud more decidedly Chris
tlnn influence among their own people; alst
9O2 free day schools, in which are 29,17l PHI
pills. including those at the Sandwich Islands
which owe their existence and efficiency Il
the mission, and are still sustained and guild
ed in part by il; making the whole numbe
.ofpupis more or less under the care of tn
inissions, l,045.
Connected with the missions are fifteel
printing establishments, having thirty tw'
presses and forty founts of type, and fur
nished for printing in twenty seven language
Five Of tho missions are also provided witt
type aud stereotype foundries. For eleve
of the other missions printing is execute
from year to year, as their wants require, q
presses not owned by the Board; making tn
whole number oflanguages, exclusive of tn
English, in which printing is done for tn
missions, thirty seven. The number of cop
. iss of works printed during the year, inclu
ding tracts, exceeds 100000, and the Who'll
uumber of pages printed during the year is
not lees than 40,OOoO00. The whole nun
Der OF pages printed since the commence
msnt of the missions, exceeds 535, 100000.