The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1877-07-04
THE WORK OF THE LAST ASSEMBLY.
The Action on the Committee of Publication.

the "COmmittee of Publication" before that
of the other Executive Committees.
The Standing Committee, to which the
Annual Report of the Committee of Publica-
ton was referred, was composed of members
representing, perhaps, every shade of opinion
on the many important, and (some) very del
icate questions presented in that Report
They also represented very fairly the several
geographical sections of the church, being
distributed through eight SynOds. This
committee entered on its duties with very
slender hopes of securing harmonious action.
Their lsbors were protracted and arduous.
Nearly every hour of the vacations of duty,
attending the meetings of the Assembly,
were occupied by the members of the COM
mittee, either together or separately, 10 the
effort to find solution of the difficulties by
which their work was embarrassed. They
aimed not to secure the adoption of the views
of any one man or party of men, but to as
certain how nearly they could agree. Their
differences could hardly be called differences
of fundamental principle, but were rather
those respecting various methods and expe
dents, by which the important work of the
Church, in using the press for disseminating
the truth, might be relieved of the perplexi-
ties and obstacles which recent events had
unexpectedly occasioned. Eminent success
crowned their faithful efforts, and they
gave in, on the seventh day of the Assem-
bly's sessions, unanimous Report, SO sue
cessfulry drawn, as to allow no important
change in its passage through the Assembly;
that body having only substituted more
general direction to the Executive Commit
tee for special declarations, reported by the
Standing Committee, respecting some details
of its work, by renting them to its di8cre-
ton.
There was a most hearty declaration of
the confidence of the Church in the fidelity
of the Publication Committee, and the ex-
preston of deep sympathy with it, in the
great trials to which it has been recently sub
jected. While all admired the frankness and
freeness with which the chairman of the
Committee had acknowledged the one fault
of the past, repOsiNg Of too much confidence,
the Assembly forebOre to enter on its records,
any recognition of the fact. In truth, the
Assembly itself must have rather reflected
on It's predecessors, by such recognition,
each of which had, annually, been doing
Just what the Committee had done.
The distinct feature of the action of the
Assembly, indicative of "new departure"
in the course of the Executive Committee, is
the instruction to "eOnduct the sale as we'll
as publishing of books, by contract" twas
well to guard this positive form of declaring
the determination of the Assembly, by add
ing " if it be found practicable to effect such
contract" Any one who will consider our
sparse Presbyterian population, scattered
through fourteen States and the impoverished
condition of our people, must at once feel
some apprehensions of the practicabeness"
of the proposed measure. Then there must
be considered the fact, that there are pub
fishing houses, which, by extensive patron
age, can issue works of the same general
character, even in denominstionsl relations,
in some cases, by which our publications are
distinguished, not only with more Ornamen-
tai embellishments, but on more moderate
terms than we can afford. It is too, very
obvious, that great difficulty may arise in the
practical working of the proposed scheme
We, by no means, throw out these sugges-
tons as criticisms on the action of the AS
sembly; nor as indicating any purpose of
throwing obstacles in the way of its efficiency.
We merely desire, in this mode, to awaken
our people, wherever this paper may reach
them, to more earnest zeal and energy, in
secouding the work of the Executive Com
mittee. Let parents and Sabbath School
teachers be more careful, that our pu0lica-
tiOns have the advantage of first choice, in
contributing volumes to the libraries for chill
dren and youth, both in the family and Sab
bath School.
We have reason to know that the Com
mittee and the Secretary are, earnestly and
eOnseiendously, endeaVoriug to carry out in
good faith the instructions of the Assembly.
AS much depends on the liberal patronage
of the churches and people, as on the wise
measures of the Assembly and the energetic
and judiciOus efforts of the Secretary and
Committee. The sale of the Publication
House is, by the action of the Assembly,
made contingent on the result of securing
means for hquidating the debt due on the
purchase, and on the commercial aspect of
the matter, as to time and price of SALE
Whether originally desirable or necessary,
that such house situated in just such
place, ought to be procured, need not now be
discussed. Buff the work of the Committee |
is deemed worthy Of active prosecution, the
owning of it's place of business somewhere in
the city, rust be regarded as most impOr-
tsnt element of success, and it may be, in
deed, of iudispeG sable Importance in the
commercial aspects O. the enterprise.
1t is most earnestly hopcd that the "mOre
liberal patronage" Of the mCnit'ee's {" Pc
as well as Of its other lore per-
manent publications., will echo the common
datiOns Of the Assembly, so strongly wOrdsd |