The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-05-27
THE PRESBYTERIANS.
Report of tho Various Church Boards TO
the General Assembly-A Call pom the
President.

Report of tho Various Church Boards to
the General Assembly-A Call Upon the
President.
WASHINGTON, May 2O.-The annual re-
ports of the various church boards made
public to-day, to be taken up by the
Presbyterian assembly from time to
time, show encouraging results in every
branch of the work. The report of the
permanent committee on temperance,
referring to the worlds fair, says:
We cannot contemplate except with feelings
OF shame the proposed spectacle to be placed
before all the world Of vast national grog
shop and vast national exhibition of the
trampling down Of law.
The establishment by congress of an
impartial commission of inquiry con-
cerning the liquor traffic is favored.
Local option is not regarded as the best
and ultimate solution of the liquor
problem, but most of the presbyteries
favor 1T as stepping stone toward
general prohibition. Among all the
reports of presbyteries the license sys-
tenn has no advocate or apologist. The
report emphasizes the statement that
the church is not political organiza-
tion, but owes it to God and humanity
to give unequivocal utterance on such
moral questions. The institution of
the army canteen, in which it claims
soldiers are detailed as saloon keepers,
is protested against.
The report of the special committee
on systematic benefcence shows that
the Christian Standard has attained an
average monthly circulation of 24,24a
copies. The receipts of all the boards
during the year amounted to 80, 990, ,652,
an increase over 1892 of S17S, 765. -..-
The report of the board of church
erection funds shows that during the
year there were 329 applications for as
sistance upon which grants were made
aggregating $685. 1881 and loans s61, ,102.
This total exceeds any previous year in
the history of the board. More than
one half the churches on the roll do not
contribute to this fund and the board
begins the new year with an empty
treasury and many pressing demands.
The results of tue board of aid for
colleges has not proved a disappoint-
ment to the expectations of the church.
During the year the receipts have been
SIS, 460 and the sums paid out aggre-
gate S63, $50. Forty institutions have
been assisted and twenty states occu-
pied. The aggregate enrolment of
students is 4,002, of whom Q, 795 are en-
gagged in systematic Bible study.
The report of the board in charge of
the missions for freemen shows that
nearly 100000 annually is being ex-
pended in this direction with good re-
suits. The expenditures last year
amounted to sl9S, 002 while the receipts
were s17S,313. Under this board there
are 152 ordained ministers and 259
churches with membership of 1928
and 1912 Sunday school scholars.
During the year the report of the
board of relief shows that 722 persons
were afforded assistance, ninety-four
new names being placed upon the rolls.
There are seventy-six ministers over 70
years of age retired, the oldest being
81 and thirty-fve of the number being
over so The total appropriation for
this work was s152, ,492.
The missionary department has or
ganized 992 schools and reorganized
299, but of this total 255 have ceased to
exist. Into these about 45, 900 teachers
and scholars are now gathered.
The publication department has dis
trlbuted more than 100000 pages of
tracts and periodicals and IS, 900 vol
umes of Chinese literature. The year
closed with balance of s44,S15 on
hand.
CALLED ON THE PRESIDENT.
WASHINGTON, May 20-After listen.
ing to the reports OF numerous commit
tees the general assembly of the Pres
byterian church. now in session here,
adjourned yesterday afternoon and
proceeded in body to the White house
to call upon the president. President
and Mrs. Cleveland received the visitors
in the East room. Mrs. Cleveland wore
gray gown of soft, clinging material
trimmed with black velvet, and looked
the embodiment of good health.
DR.. Craig, the moderator, was pre-
sented to the president by Dr. Bartlett,
chairman of the committee of arrange
ments, and made a brief, felicitous ad-
dress, to which the president responded
In a pleasant style. The visitors were
formally presented by name to Mr.
Cleveland by DR.. Bartlett and to Mrs
Cleveland by Col. j. M. Wilson.