The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-05
THE DAILY EVENING TELEGRAPH PHILADELPHIA. FRIDAY

compose the Assemblies (or Assembly, of 1870.
but those who will assemble in Pittsburo
next week are TO be the same persons who
were in the assemblies last May. IL is pro-
bable that the New School will sit until Satur
day or Monday, and the Old School a day or
two longer, but this is only conjecture. The
district business concerning each body will
probably be completed before reunion mat
ters shall be taken up. In the New School
the chief business remaining over is q report
concerning the propriety of clerical susten
tation fund Con the Scotch plan); another re-
lative to liturgical forms for baptismal. mar
riage, and burial services; another on unem-
ployed ministers, another on dancing. etc.
In the matter of reconstruction there are
several important features. The united AS
sembly will be so large that the ratio of rep
resentation must be altered. Presbyteries
now send one commissioner to Assembly for
every "a Minister'S this will, probably, be
raised to Sc. The boundaries of synods and
presbyteries will have to be entirely rear
ranged, as many occupy within identical, or
nearly identical, limits in the two branches
respectively. Thus the New School SYNOD of
New York and New Jersey Is upon the same
ground, mainly, with the two Old School
Synods; one of New York and the other of
New Jersey. The Presbyteries of Brooklyn
and of Long Island, New School, have the
same location with the Old School Presbytery
of Long Island; and so on throughout the
Church. Encouragement in the Western
synods and presbyteries will be of incalcu-
liable value to them. This matter will, prob
ably, be in the hands of committee of re-
construction, appointed by the united Assem-
bly, Of 1870, and to sit during its sessions
The rearrangement sometimes entire
reorganization, of the Boards and Commit
tees through which the benevolent ope-
rations are conducted, will also be
| laborious undertaking. These are identical
| in number and purpose in both bodies, only
having different titles; the Old School calling
| their agencies Boards (after a long and dry
controversy from 1855 to 1860, and the New
School, permanent committees. They are as
follows:-Foreign Missions, Home Missions,
| Freedmen, Education for Ministry, Church
Erection (N. S. }, or Extension 60. S., Publ
cation, Ministerial Relief On. s. }, or Disabled
Ministers 60. s. Fund. l. The New School
make their contributions, through their Com
mittee, to the American Board of Commits
sioners for Foreign Missions Ga corporation
chiefly of Congregationalists) but doubtless
the united Church will withdraw formally
from this connection (while leaving churches
| at liberty as hitherto, to contribute their con-
| tlibutions to the american Board, " though
desiring them to do otherwise), and endeavor
to make the present highly satisfactory Old
| School Board the chief channel of Presbyterian
aid to Foreign Missions. =. In the home
field preference seems likely to be given to
| the New-School Committee, as already ex-
pressed by Old School as well as New School
men. There will need to be, however. two
secretaries for so immense field. DR.. Henry
| Kendall is the N. S., and DR.. G.. W. Mus
grave the o. S. Secretary at present. 3. The
| Church Extension interest is at present in
| such an undetermined condition that the
whole of both bodies Will probably be recon
structed, with two secretaries, as in the case
above The Old-School Board is located in
| st. Louis. This plan will probably be broken
| up, and New York be headquarters for this
| agency, as it now is for all the New-School
committees except that of Publication. 4.
Freedmen. This is a subcommittee of Home
| Missions in both branches, and both the
present secretaries will very probably be
continued. 5. Education. 6. Ministerial
| Relief Each of these agencies will be
| consolidated, as the last two. T. Publication.
There are at present two considerable pro
perties of the United Church in the City OF
Philadelphia; the Old School Publication
House. No. S21, and that Of the New School
No. 1886 Chestnut street. A plan that has
been talked of somewhat proposes the sale OF
the former, and the application of the money
to the support of the second, which has mucl
the better location and ediice Then a new
house may be established, additionally, to be
located in this city, and be the chief centre Of
Presbyterianism. This plan proposes NJ
Western house, as the idea of locating all the
agencies of the Church at one point, rathe
than spreading them out in many cities, find
most favor.
The Presbyterian Church, when this re
union shall have been fully accomplished
will give the following statistics of it's remain
ing divisions, as reported last year,
Presby Comm,