The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-04-12

church sunday night, April 10, 1881.
Rev. DR.. Sledd, the president, being pro.
videntlally absent, the Rev. DR.. Read. first
vice president, presided.
The choir opened the exercises with very
appropriate music, and the Rev. Dr. Mimi
gerode read portion OF the 119lh Psalm,
| offered prayer, and gave out the hymn.
The report OF the Board OF Managers was
then read by the secretary, Rev. NJ. w. Sta.
| pies, which was listened TO with deep inter.
est. as every word and sentence could be
distinctly heard in every part Of the vast
coBgre CATION.
DR.. Read then introduced the Rev. Dr.
Conrad, Of Philadelphia. The theme OF his
address was, "The Bible is the expression
OF the thoughts Of God" which he dis
cussed aud elucidated IN a style which en-
listed and held the attention OF the vast
| audience faom the beginning 10 the end
A second hymn was then sung by the
! choir, and the Rev. DR.. Mclean, one Of the
I secretaries OF the American Bible Society.
was introduced by DR.. Read. DR.. Mclean
has paid several visits to our State and held
several interviews with our Board IN the in
teroSt of The Bible work in the State. In
his very admirable and prac' icll address he
alluded TO the great work which had been
done in Bible distribution in our State, and
then. in his genial manner, pressed home
the question of personal responsibility.
I His remarks seemed to produce q deer, and
II is TO be hoped n lasting, impression.
DR.. IOge was then requested by the rec
tor. Rev. Er. MlnnieerOde, to make an ap-
peal for 4 libera, contribution to the Virgil
MIA Bible Society 10 enable it TO continue
the canvass now IN progress.
DR.. Hoee, in his own peculiar and happy
Z II a q gathered
up the most striking points in the addresses
ana enforced them with an eioquence and
pathOs which made all present feel that he
bad responsibility 10 bear and a part to
act in this work Of disseminating the Bible
among the destitute OF all lands.
\ collection was then taken, but the
amount was not made known.
After singing the DoXolOgy and bCnedic.
tion by Dr. Mclean, The large congregation
was dismissed.
Taken a. a whole, this was one Of the
most interesting and most argely.attended
anniversaries that ha, been held for years
past.
The report, which we publish in full,
speaks for Itself and must be read by the
friends Of the Bible cause 10 be appreciated.
The Report.
We are met to-day to celebrate the sixty
eighth anniversary OF the Virginia Bible
Society.
In submitting a report Of lis work to its
friends and patrons, we feel, as a Board Of
Managers. that we should acknowledge,
with grateful hearts, our indebteneSS TO the
God Of tue Bible not onv for His Watchiul
clre over the interests Of the Society, but
also for the measure OF success which has
crowned its labOrS.
Il f,,l fiAta rf
the continued friendship and generous aid
Of the American Bible Society. Having, in
former years. when our people were re-
duced to state OF financial ruin and de-
pendence by the calamiieS Of war, made
very liberal grants OF Bibles to aid this
Society in supplying the great desiituti0n
in our wealth, that Society has
again, by its timely and generous help,
brought us under renewed obligations.
LEARNING Of the continued depI eSs0n
OF our finances; the inability OF the
several operating churches, with the
heavy burdens OF church debts and
the pressing calls to support church
work, to furnish the means necessary to
supply the dtstitution at an early day,
especially the de>tiutiOn in mountain Sec
tiOnS and in counties where the colored
population was very numerous. that Board,
Of iis own motion, commissioned one OF us
secretaries, the Rev. DR.. Mclean, to com
municate with this Beard touching re-
canvass OF the whole State and the imme-
dilte supply OF all the destituton. AT
meeting held early in March, 1880, after an
interchange Of views, Secretary Mclean
made The generous proposition that the
American Bible Society would, in co0pera'
ton with this Board, undertake this recan-
fpr NJ
supplement the salaries Of missionaries en-
ployed by them laboring IN parts OF the
state where, by reason Of the extreme pov'
erty Of the people, the proceeds OF the
sales OF Bibles would not meet the necessary
expenses.
After due consultation this Board unani'
mOu,ly and most gratefully accepted the
very generous proposal. Preliminarles were
early arranged for the prosecution OF the
work
But little, however, could be done until
the 1t or middle Of May. PlOus men, rep
resulting the several coo perating churches,
were recommended by this and employed
by that Society. Counties were assigned TO
them and the work entered upon.
That Board early in April made a grant
Of Bibles 10 the amount OF $4,000 worth to
thi. Society 10 enable it TO continue the can"
ya>s already in progress. with this addcd
TO our very limited resources we were ena-
bled to 90 forward with the work with, III
some respects, gratifying success. Limited
in means. we could not employ as many men
a. the work seemed to demand. In October
another grant Of $1,000 worth was made,
but too late TO accomplish much, as early In
November the Seyeieties OF an almost un.
Drecedentod winter opened upon Us, and
I,a i,pp n
the work successfully it was in great mea-
sure Discontinued by the American Bible
Society as we'll a. by this.
Ii was the purpose Of the American Bible
Society, in cO0peratiCn with this Society, to
the entiIe recanvasS OF the Stale
by the close of the present fiscal year, ana
had IL not been for the protractt q iDclement
weather this desirable end would doubtless
have been accomplished. The results
reached, however, as whole by the TWO
societies have been most gratifying, ana
ought TO commend this great cause 10 the
confidence and material support OF ali the
friends Of The Bible.
THE COLPORTAGE SYSTEM.
10 State like ouIs, with large extent
Of territory so sparsely settled as our ruraI
districts are, we have found by experience |
hat the system OF colportage which our
Board adopted some six years ago IS the
only plan whereby we can reach and supply |
the destituton. The auxiliary system,
which had been maintained successfully for |
many wears in the more densely-P0pulaied
sections by the American Bible Society, we
Iried in this State. But that system failed
10 accomplish satisfactory results: In
1872 and 1878 We organized Bible
Society in every county in the state,