, 1875-10-05

THE GREAT M19610NARY GATHERING.
Chicago welcomes to-tlny tho American
Doazd of Commissioners for Foreign Mis-
sions, which commences at 2 p. H., in Far
we'll Hall, its sixty-sixth annual neating.
This is tho Oldest foreign missionary orgAni-
zation in Tho iand, and one Of the most i'm
portant In Christendo,n. Its missions long
since girtlled the globe, and its afTairs have
been conducted with such aagacity that the
results Of its experience hre consulted with
caro by nll similar bodies, wllile its financial
credit Is e1ual to that Of the BAn1Sos i'll every
commercial mart to which its bills Of ex-
change may so. beginning with tho anlall
receipts of $999.62 during the first yenr Of
It's history, it now laeks bllt few thousands
Of reaching M annual income Of hnlf MILL
ion. Its composition is peculiar. It is in
eorporated by tho State Of Massachusetts,
and has its headquarters at Boston but it
holds its annual meetings in NIL parts of the
country, usually alternating botweon the East
md the West. There arc two classes of
membcrs, corporate and honorary. The
corporate members form tho legnl Donrd, and
alone have right to vote on tho businoBs
questions. They aro elected, n few at n time,
by the previous members, on report Of n
Nominating Committee, and tho aim il to OBJ
tain persons of prominence and character,
who ars in n sense representative men. Some
hare thought tint, in past years, too much
consideration WIS given to social md ecc1e-
siastical distinction in this respect. These
members number POT, of whom 11G are
clergymon and o1 nro laymen, and among
them will ho found mon conspicuous for
character and ability as well Ms for position.
Tho honorary members are constituted such
for life by the payment Of $50 for clergymen
(usually paid by the chnrches) and 500 for
laymon. These have every right enjoyed by
tho corporate members, except TINT of yot-
ing. They offer motions, they mako speeches,
they serve on committees, and they exercise
d powerful moral influence in shaping tho nc
ton of the board. This feature docs much
to sAvo the organization from the usual evils
Of n close corporation
The President of the American Board Is
the Rov. MARX HOPKINS, D. D., LII. D., for
many years President Of Williams College,
and the author Of widely known works on
moral philosophy. At presout, tho Board
represents only tho Congregational churches,
though its charter is uudenominational, and
at first, and for many years, 1t included also
the Presbyterian and tho Reformed Dutch)
Churches. These latter In the course Of timo
withdrew and organized UNCONVENTIONAL co.
cieties, which they now support, leaving the
congregationalists to fall heir to the old Or
ganization. A few fndiyiduals Of tho Presby-
teEians atill contribute to It's treasury. On
tha first evening of each annual meeting a
dsscousas is delivered by some minister Of
eminonco. This year the preacher will be
tho Rev, J. W. ANDREWS, b. D., President of
Marietta College, Ohio. President HOPKINS
will mako his annual address on Thurs
de-, evening. While the business meet
ines during the day will be ut For.
well Hall, there will also DO additional
meetings for missionary addresses Wednesday
and Thursday evenings at churches moro re-
mde from the business part Of the city. The
las meeting OF the American Board in Chi
caeo was in 1865, at which time the New
School PresbyterianB were also ita support
ors. It Ia expected that botwoen 1000 and
1900 persons will attend the e1eroises from
distance, besides our own citizens, OF course
1.1 }paas OF snese VIII Do ito" tn's anu 'no
adt'snlng states, but VIC learn that three
hundred expected guests have sont In their
Names from New England alone, allowing tho
deeE Interest folt in tho meeting. The Con.
greg.tsonalists Of Chicago and ita suburbs
will keep open house this week, aud, under
the efficient and untiring personal aupefin-
tendsnce OF E. W. bLAToaFoap, Esq, pro.
vision has been made to entertain oil who
come, even to the furnishing OF dinner and
supper to those whose lodging quarters ass
at too great distance to bs reached In the
intermissions between the exercises during