Daily globe., 1879-05-25
FREEDMEN'S RELlEF..

A Discussion In the Presbyterian General
Assembly on the Transfer OF the Freed
" mans Bureau to the Home Missions De-
partment. @a q -ttttsf 5dr IaNt
sARAroaA, May 24.-The report Of the COM
mittee on systematic benefcence was placed on
the docket. The transfer Of the freedmen's
committee to the board of home missions, was
taken up and discussed. Elder and Rev. w.
Curtiss, of thei synod of the Atlantic, colored,
favored the retention of the freedmen's COM
mittee. Rev. DR.. J. P. Wilson, one Of the
freedmen's board, would Ike to know what
could be expected from the home mission board
for freedmen, if the consolidation was made.
His organization had been under kind of
sentence of death for five years, yet their work
has been noticeable. The board of home mis-
sion has already absorbed some boards. and If
they go on there will be only two boards in the
church. Elder Thompson. Of Cincinnati,
spoke for the retention Of the freedmen's
board, and said the only reason given
for transfer the resolution
of the general assembly in 1874. He did
not believe if the transfer is made collection
for home missions will be at all increased, and
work among the freedmen will be stopped.
The freedmen's board have an important work
to do, and if they are not kept up there will be
great loss. Rev. George j.. Smith, of Santa Fe.
favored the transfer. Rev. Joseph r. II. Waite,
of the presbytery Of Knox, Georgia, white
man, favored the retention of the freedmen 8
board. Here comes the home mission board
with q load of debt after cutting down the ap-
preparations. What prospect does that give
that freedmen will be cared for by them as
well as by separate board. The school work
is the bottom fact of the freedmen's board
work, and there will be small prospects for its
continuance by the home mission board. Rev.
DR.. Beatty, of Pittsburgh, favored the contin-
| uance of the board, and defended the freed
| mems board from the charge of bad faith.
Rev. B. R. Allison, treasurer of the freedmen s
board, said the Congregationalists, Methodists,
Baptists and Episcopalians sustained freed
mans board. The United Presbyterians once
dropped special committee for freedmen,
and after four years reinstated the work. Last
year the freedmen's board gave the home mis-
sions eighty churches. and the result is that
contributions from the Northwest heretofore
given to the Presbyterian freedmen board, were
turned over to the Congregationalists' freed
mems committee, and the latter watched the
vote to go in and occupy the land of the freed
mems board, abolished. Rev. DR.. Wolcott
Calkins, of Buffalo, asked if the secretary Of
the home mission board would pledge the
board to continue the schools. Rev. DR.. Dick
son, secretary, said he could not pledge tht
home mission board for schools, still it wa'
near his heart In reply to questions regard
care they had cleared it from debt and put i
in funds. Rev. DR.. Calkins said he favored
transfer. Rev. DR.. Jones, chairman Of tn
freedman's board, said he had no end to gail
by continuance except the benefit of tn
} church. The question of transfer was lost
Il ayes 109, nays l34. The report of the com
4 mittee on freedmen was adopted. The repor
of the committee on education was adopted
Adjourned to Monday.