National Republican., 1883-06-01
Sixtieth Annual Session Of the Association in
Richmond.
Report Of the Secretay-CanVassing
Work Of the Faithful Colpoteurs.
Dsstihtion Throughout the State Reported Upon
Measures For Relief
Increase I'm the Number Of Churches
Energetic Sunday School Work.
Snecini Disndtch.

Norfolk, calling the meeting to order Rev. |
J. b. Hawthorne delivered tho welcome adj
dress, which was responded TO by Rev. ]. @.
Hidden, d. D. of Charlottesville.
The following officers were elected: Presi- |
dent, Rev. J. lansing Burrows, ID. D.; vice
presidents, Revs s. G.. Mason, ]. B. Haw-
thorne, j. L. Borum and j. G.. Field secre-
tary, Rev. L. j. Haley, of Louisa treasurer,
Norvell Ryland auditor, james b. Winston
assistant secretary, II. Theo. Ellyson.
The convention reassembled this morning,
Gen. Field in the chair.
Mr.. L. j. Starke presented tho following
II gives mo pleasure in this my first report as
president to greet the general association
of Virginia with the assurance that the agency
established by their wisdom for tho relief of
our INDECENT ministers and their families is
still growing in public favor and slowly
but surely accumulating permanent fund
such as was contemplated in its institution.
The receipts for the present year have been
little in excess of those of the previous
year, and have enabled us to add to the
permanent fund of 81 40 in Richmond city
bonds after expending $1,144.90 in the relief
of twenty-one necessitous applicants. Our
permanent fund now amounts to Sc, sos in Sc
cure Investments, and $452.S6 of income was
derived from interest on the same during the
year. The balance in the hands of the treas
urer is $77316. While the contributions to
UnlS ODJeCb HTC Un6 ldTReSU eNcT TeCelNeu III
any one year, still they do not show as large
q proportionate increase as in many of tho
previous years.
1t is hoped that while our gifts to oil the
objects that claim our benefactions evince
growing liberality and interest among tho
people, that there will be no diminution of
the generous support heretofore given to this
clause that appeals so strongly to our SYM
pathy and sense of duty. But that with an
| earnest purpose to place this fund upon a firm
and stable footing at the earliest practicable
moment, our gifts will be enlarged until this
result is attained.
The report of Mr.. Norvell Ryland, treasurer,
shows total disbursements to have been $780,
5i73s. This amount was distributed among
| the following boards !: State mission, Sunday
| school and Bible, education, foreign mission,
home mission, and ministers relief fund.
Mr.. Pitcher presented the following report:
Our constantly changing and steadily grow
| ing population demands of us constantly in
creasing work to relieve the destitution that
even partial canvass of the state discloses.
Our information is that about 200 of our
| churches have no Sunday schools.
Innumerable neighborhoods are thus
destitute and nearly ono hundred
churches are pastorless $40 families
have been found without the Bible and 93S
families without any religious book except
the Bible. These have been supplied by gift
or sale so far as it was practicable. We give
afew instances selected from reports of col
porteurs. In the southern portion of Bedford
county our colporteui, Brother w. G.. Quesen-
berry, visited thirty -four families comprising
27R souls, who were entirely destitute Of the
WORD of God.
Brother j. T. Lacy found startling desti-
tuition in the county of Halifax, and in one
neighborhood gave Bible to woman who
begged with tears in vain that her husband
would buy it for her. eras
| Joa .t,.2s
and general state of apathy" among the
churches of Lee, Scott, and Wise counties.
Rev. W. II. Webb thoroughly canvassed the
counties of Warwick Elizabeth City, and q
part Of York. He found and relieved great
destitution, and baptized seven persons.
Brother j. V. Dickerson reports coasidera-
BILE illiteracy, destitution, and irreligion in
Princess Anne and Norfolk counties.
Rev. j. w. Meadors labored in section
that lies along the Blue Ridge 1000 square
miles in extent, where there is no preaching
except an occasional sermon from an anti
mission Baptist. We have had much en-
couragement in our work.
Brother M. X. Grimsley, after severa
months labor in destitute country. reports
"There are more Sunday schools in Kappa
hammock county than ever before, and are In
fourishing condition"
Rev. G. f. Fry has labored with success In
the valley of Virginia and in Allegheny
county, among the new populations of the
iron mines and furnaces. A Presbyterian
brother, Mr.. B. M. Ellis, gave us through him
$25 as an expression of his appreciation o.
Brother Fry's work.
Rev. A. N. Grimsley says: "I feel that if
, have ever done any good for my Master, Il
has been in the colportage work. Twenty
four years:ago l was colporteur, and now
often meet persons who tell me of some boob
that / sold them, or some word spoken t.
them that by the blessing God was the means O
bringing them to a sense of their lost condi
ton" He baptized twelve persons.
Rev. j. T. Skinner did not lose day from
the work. His labors have been greatly
blessed, and several counties of Piedmont
Virginia offer to him field that Is as pressing
as it is needy.
OF Patrick, Carroll, Henry, and Floyt
counties our colporteur says "The peopl,
are strongly Baptistic and are susceptible o
} teaching. l think great work could bt
done for the Baptist cause if you would senC
in laborers and possess the field before IL il
occupied by some other denomination. Will
enlightenment the anti-mission spirit Il
bound TO give way"
Brother White baptized eighteen persons
Q He says: Il learned yesterday that copy
a of 'Remington's Reasons for Becoming Bap
list, which presented to a young man las
!. : year. had led him to rcnounce his errors, ant
3 having joined the Baptists, he was last montl
I. ordained" The steady increase in the mum
: ber Of churches which contribute to thi
: board is truly encouraging. Here are tn
. figures. In ls79-s0, 1854 in lsS0-'9l, 232
/. in 1Ssl-'S2, 3ll in 1898, to this date, Al
: with months receipts to be noticed.
4 coLPoRTAGE WORK.
i We have painful recollection Of the pas
winter, especially of its excessive bitterness
Coportage is nothing without canvassing
Our colporteurs were greatly hindered some o
7 them suspending work during the extrem
5 inclemency. Still great work has been don
. lsby the 90 colpOrteurs and one general superin
/. tendent, who were employed 3,4O9 days, tray
eled 34,6iS miles, visited 11,764 families
3 prayed or conversed on the subject of religion
Q with 4,li4 families, found 1,032 per
sons habitually neglecting preaching, 81
families destitute of the Bible, 9S5 fami
. lies destitute of religious books excep
; the Bible, preached 624 sermons, mad
$ $3.50 addresses 222 Sunday school addresses
: conducted 1870 prayer meeting, and organize
% Sunday schools. They report 32S CONVEX
sions. They baptized 43 persons. They sol
1890 Bibles for $l,27i.20, 1854 Testament
> for Si0552, 4,474 books for $2,234,51, 4330
II pages of tracts for 1885, total Of sale
Is S3,95309. They gave away 267 Bibles, value
q at $780, 3i7 Testam 'nts, at $32 06; II
q books, at $17S71, aud 33,476 pages of tracts, d
s $30.s1 total of grants, S3l0.67 Total {
J. sales and grants, Si,272,76.
It SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK.
9 In addition to the organization of twenty
eight Sunday schools we have aided larl