Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-10-27


Tbe public exercises in connection w.ih the
anDua, meeting Of the Vermont Bible Society
were held in the White Street Congregational
Church in Darlington, Wednesday e7eninr, Oa-
18th.
After reading Of the Scriptures, and prayer ty
ev sherborn, the report Of the Treasurer, Hon.
/ J. A. Page, WAS read (in lis stsenoe) by the
Secretary, Rev. E. l. Carpenter. The report;
showed that the receipts FROM contributions had
been over $1,000 and from books cod about
sl,400. Something over $1,000 was paid for
salary and expenses O. agent ; over $4,000 re-
mitte5 to the American Bible Society, All about
$1,000 remain in the treasury.
The Corresponding Secretary, 5lr Carpenter,
rcsI his report lie has preached during The
rlst year in l02 churches; ,934 families have
been visited, over GOO found destitute Of the
bible. and over 800 supplied. Il had been found
impossible to find suitable person 90 labor
among our population Of foreign birth; but it
vas hoped one would be found The total con-
trbutious, lsst year, including sums RENTED
directly to the American Bible Society, were So
G42ll, averaging about SO 20 church, and
shout l3 cents to each church member IN the
/ State The contributions Of lie whole country
to the American Bible Society are about $780,
o01
The report was accepted.
The President of the Society, Hon Frederick
Billings Of Woodstock, next addressed the S.
ciety.
MR.. BILLINGS Address
Mr.. Billings, after lemarkin- that this vas
the first occasion when he had occupied the
chair, said that when be considered the press-
dents, eight in number, who had preceded him
in the Office, commencing with Hon. Charles
Marsh Of Woodstock, and ending with Ex-Gov-
ernor Dillingham;. be said that be had been in
vited into an ilustrious line Looking ~ the
/ character Of the office, and Of the Society, he
felt still more highly honorei. Magnify all
other Christian work as We may. is yet clear
that before pulpit, preacher, teacher, tract dis
tributer, missionary and sA other agencies,
comes the work Of providing and distributing
the Bible. No grsuder work ever summoned
man, thar that of aiding to give TO every NOR
tai soul the word Of God. Thus approaching
I the honor done him, in selecting him TO pre-
side over the the Society, be had accepted the
position and was ready to DO what he could to in
/ crease Its usefulness
The Vermont Bible Society. in one year more
will have reached the age o. three score The
fathers Of the Society have all passed away.
4 Though never denominations! body, and origi-
nslly formed Of men Of all the leading denomlns-
tions in the State it owed its origin 10 the action
Of 4 State Convention Of Congregational Minis
/ tiers and Churches, at Westminster, 10 Septem
Der, 1872 That convention appointed a
committee to digest and report plan for
State Bible Society. A grand committee
was appointed, for the purpose no grander
could have beer selected. Among its members
were the chief executive Of the State, and the
most notable Nermon;ers Of thst time, At bench
aad bar, in the pulpit, in civil Office, snd in
private life At its head wss His E,.cellency
Jonss Gsufha, for nine yesrs Governor Of Yer
mont then came Hon. Ezra Butler, 7ubse-
quently Governor and Representative in Con-
gress ; and Elijah Paine. who had been Chief
Justice If the Supreme Court and to- two
terms United States Senator and Moses robin
son. the first Chief Justice OF the Supreme
Court, and the first United States Sens1or from
Vermont and President Sanders. Of the Uni
versity Of Vermont, aad President Davis, Of
Midilebury College Honora5les Daniel Adams
anu hlllilu - al-t ALu Illus hutchinson. sDl
Asa Adds and Willism c. Bradley with Gen
eral Forbes, and four or five Colonels--the list
ending with Captain Elisha Dewey. These
we're the choicest men in Vermont. They ne:
at Rutland in the next month. With them met
such men as Cornelius p. Van Ness and Peter
Starr, and from their deliberations came the
Constitution OF this Society. 1t held its fret
meeting in Montpelier, when Hoa. Charles
Marsh, Of Woodstock, was elected its Presi-
dent. and for eleven years he was successfully
reelected.
Ii may be supposed that the enterprise so
inaugursted was prompted by some message or
influence from the National Bible Society but
that was not the case The American Bible So
ciety wss not then in existence, nor until four
years later, when it WAS founded by Representa-
tives from the half dozen existing State socie-
ties-Governor GslushR being the representative
ofths Society. The Society was thus one Of the pi
oneer Bible Societies. II was formed because these
fathers Of the Society and forming minds in our
State were Bible men, reveTencing the Sacred
Book, and recognizing It's priceless value to
mankind.
Mr.. Billings went on to say that he had