The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-06-16


rounds; and also to pastors, and others, to
instruct the inquiring, and to stimulate the
Christian during seasons of special interest
or to use chance opportunity. Though it
is no part of the plan which our Church
adopts to require reports from the parties
to whom grants have been made of the eff
fects produced thereby, but the work of the
Committee is done when the books and
tracts freighted with the doctrines of saliva
ton leave our shelves; yet we have heard
enough to satisfy us that we ought not to
despise the day of small things; and to give
US fresh assurance that bread cast upon the
waters will return again.
Amongst the most interesting and labo.
rious parts of our gratuitous work, has been
the stereotyping and publishing of the West
minister Shorter Catechism, in the Choctaw
language, and also the Choctaw Spelling
Book, for the use of cur Missionary breth-
rem laboring among the Choctsw Indians.
This work was made the more difficult by a
sudden affliction WHICH befel our late beloved
Missionary, the Rev. Cyrus Byington, and
which su sequently caused his removal from
the Church militant, to the Church tridm-
phant. He was aiding us by reading the
revised proofs. and bad made some progress
therein, when he was struck with paralysis,
which disabled him from further service,
and eventually removed him from all the
tolls and trials of earth. The laborious and
difficult task then fell on the Secretary,
who compared the latest edition of these
books with the present one, word by word,
and letter by letter. 1t is believed that
thew will be found as free from errors as
any former edition. This work has been
fully accomplished, and 1000 copies of each
of these publications have been printed and
bound, and now only await proper directions
for shipment.
Moreover, the Committee has granted to
each of our Foreign Missionary Stations
full set of our publications, and to each
of our Missionaries who have sailed, or are
about to sail this spring and summer, sup
ply of tracts and small volumes for distri-
button on their journey.
The whole amount of our grants has been
1856 60. Every application for aid which
has been regularly presented, has been
granted.
In addition to the above, the Committee
has the pleasure of acknowledging dona-
ton of Bibles and Testaments in the Por-
tuguese language, granted by the American
Bible Society, on our application, for the
use of our Missionaries about to sail for
Brazil. The value of the grant was $153
The box containing this donation has been
transferred to the missionaries.
We have also to acknowledge the donation
to us of so copies of DR.. Stuart Robinson's
Discourses of Redemption, made by the au-
thor from the recent Scotch edition of 7.
& T. Clark, of Edinburgh The box con-
tanning these books has been shipped to us,
but has not yet reached our ware-rsoms.
cOLPoRTEURs OR BOOK AGENTS.
The report we have to make on the sub
ject of colportage is more hopeful this year
than at any previous time. More has been
done the colporteurs have accomplished
better results.
The embarrassments mentioned in previous
reports have gradually diminished, and will,
from year to year, become still less. we have
reason to hope, as the business interests of
the South improve and our catalogue of
books becomes more extended. On inquiry
from those who have the care of similar in-
stitutions, and are engagedin the same kind of
work, we feel confident that our success has
been equal to any others, in proportion to
the time and money employed.
Our chief embarrassment arises from the
lack of capital, which has increased by little
during the past year. From almost every
part of the Church applications come to US
for the appointment of colporteurs; some
of the Presbyteries, urging the appointment
of two, three, and even four of their stu.
dents to operate during the summer months.
1t would be desirable for US to crafty these
wishes. But it requires no argument to
show, how utterly inadequate our capital is
for any such great demand as this. The
whole amount yet given us by the Church,
which is subject to investment in stock, is
S3O,322 10. But were we to appoint only
one colporteur in every Presbytery, and limit
him to 5000 as his maximum allowance, it
would require $1,000 worth of books to
give these colporteurs their first supply; a
sum entirely too large to be diverted from
our ordinary business. But our experience
is, that it requires at least $500 worth of
books for the supply of successful active
colporteur. The Presbytery of Central
Ohio has inaugurated land the Presbytery
of Montgomery is preparing to adopt a plan
which the Committee considers much bet
ter one, and can be introduced into all parts
of the Church with great advantage, except
in the frontier regions, where help from the
whole Church should be given. That Pres
bytery has raised the funds, purchased the
books at the wholesale price, and employed
its own colporteur. He is paid by COM
mission on his sales; and the main capital
is used to replenish his stock. Thus, for
from $500 to $4OO, or even less amount,
every Presbytery in our bounds can put a
colporteur in the field and if the fund be
judiciously managed, it can be preserved in
tact without additional expense to the Pres
bytery, and our books can thus be brought
to the door of every member of our Church,
or at all events placed within his reach every
year. This plan was recommended to the
General Assembly by this Committee in our
last annual report, and we now respectfully
renew that recommendation.
In conclusion, the Committee mas only
to recall the attention of the General As
sembly to the subject of the need of capital.
The work given US to do is one of great
magnitude, and requires, as its minimum
amount the full endowment proposed by the
Assembly of 1865. OF the amount of $780,
600, there was secured at the time of the
last report, the sum of $28,O31 o. There
has been added to it, during the past year,
S2.291 90. making the present amount