The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1870-10-08
DAILY PRESS.
ND
Saturday Morning, 0o.oby. 8, 1870.
PORTLAND
nc american BOARD.

sne american BOurd
lFrom our own R-polter.l
BROOKLYN, N. Y, Oct, s. 1870.
Serene and summer-like skies this morn;no
a yesterday, greeted the five thousand and
more visitors gathered from far and near, at
this 61st annual meeting. The hospitality of
this city of nearly half million people is
ample and courtly. The topics now in con-
sideration are important and the sessions are
attracting special attention from the repre-
sentatives OF the press. The Academy of
Music, a theatre holding 1900, furnished with
an eye to comfort and elegance, is well adapt
ed Tor the business of the Board. The floor
Is hlled with "baek coats" and the galleries
with ladies, while staid d. DIS sit in the cav
and gilded boxes on either side of the
stage. There are three or four other places
opened Tor meetings for addresses, conference
and prayer, for mothers ard for children. so
tnat one hardly knows which to choose on so
varied programme, and reporters need to be
multiplied. DR.. Hopkins presned at the
opening session, p. m, yesterday, at which
the reports OF the Treasurer and DIR. Treat
were read, and also a survey OF the years
WORK by DIR. Wellmand. Eighteen new mis-
sionarles have been sent out and twelve others
returned to their work; the present member
ship OF the churches is 24.142, an Increase of
ll49 since last year. The sermon by Rev. Dr.
J. f. Stearns of Newark, N. j., in the even.
ing, was delivered at the Church of the Pill
grms. DR.. Stearns' people have but recently
moved to their enlarged and newly decorated
house. The profilsion of tinsel and showy
gliding is in better keeping with an opera
house than house OF worship, and to many
eyes appears cheap and tawdry rather than
chaste AMI really elegant. A lengthy anthem
was sung, whether in English or Choctaw we
were unable to tell. One hymn was sung by
the congregation and another by the choir to
that amatory air, "When the swallows home
wnd fly" The discourse of DR.. Stearns
what little we could catch of it in the rear of
the crowded house, was timely and earnest.
The work, and the way OF doing it, and the
encouragement offered were the points pre-
sented.
The same place was again crowded at this
mornings prayer meeting Rev. DR.. Alden
led. Messrs. Snow, Grout and Sturgis, re-
turned missionaries spoke DIR. N. Clark urg-
ed the need of prayer and DR.. Storer ilIust1a
ted the u lbeliet OF The church by the case of
Peter who found it easier to get out OF prison
than into the circle of saints praying at Mary's
house.
At $50 the business session was resumed in
the Academy of Music. !Dr. Treat read pa
per embodyins resolutions in reference to the
changes occasioned by the removal of the
Presbyterians from the Board. One third of
the missionaries are expected to change their
relations. II all in given station as at West
Africa are transferred the property also is
transferred.
The reception of Rev. DR.. Mullen of LONDON,
Henry Allen editor Of the British Quarterly
Reriew and Mr.. Wright, also of the London
Missionary Society took up the next hour.
President Hopkins responded to their saluta
tions.
This afternoon several churches were
open. The mothers met at DR.. Eddy's, the
children at DR.. Storr's and the n E. Church
was also open. Messrs. Shedd, Cobb and Bliss
spoke at the church of the Pilgrims. Gov.
Page is to preside at the evening meeting in
Henry Ward Seecber's church while this dis
tinguisbed speaker and others are 10 be heard
in the Academy n, Mnsic