The Bessemer indicator., 1893-05-27
PRESBYTERIAN AssEMsLx.

Ths l06th anaual ssssien Of the frssby.
teriAn General Assembly opened q Washing-
tea on the 18th In the New York Avenue
Church.
The building was packed On tho Daia
1oof were seated the commissioner ssd
othsrs bavlng business in connection with the
assembly. On tbs platform were the ofheefs
moderator. Rev. DR.. William c. Young o<
the DAnville, Kentucky, seminary; Rev. Dr.
William II. Roberts Of Cincinnati, Ohio, who
for nine years has exercised his remarkable
executive abilities expediting the businoss OF
the general assembly a. stated clerk; Aev
DR.. William Alvin Bartlett, the alert, able
and eloquent pastor of the church and chair
man of the executive committee in charge OF
all the arrangcments for the gathering.
At II O'Clock DR.. Bartlett announcsd that
tbs hour for the beginning Of the service had
arrived. The chorus from tho Messiah was
followed by the doxology, Rev. W. II. Rob-
erts, stated clerk, concluding with the Lords
prayer, rccited In union. William Kcthe's
hymn, IAN People That on Earth Do Dwell"
was then sung BY the entire congregation.
Rev. Herrick johnson read part Of the sixth
ohapter of Isaiah, also part of st. Matthew.
Rev. Joseph 7. Smith led the asscmblage In
prayer. The anthem from the oratorio Of
Elijah was rendered by the choir. The an-
nual sermon was then delivered by DR.. Young,
the moderator.
AT the afternoon session came the event Of
the day-the election Of moderator. The
nominations were a. follows: DIR. Charles
Dickey of Philadelphia, Rev. George A. Baker
OF Philadelphia, Rev. Willis G. Craig Of the
Mccormick University of Chicago. The lat
ter was presented as the representative OF the
great Northwest, which has never been reoog-
nized In the election of n moderator.
Rev. Alex Adair of Walia Walla presented
he name of Rev. Stewart OF Washington. In
sspeech expressing much feeling, Row DR..
Diokey withdrew his name and was followed
by DIR. Stewart. Tho vote was then proceed
ed with, with Drs Baker and Craig as the
only candidates. The result Of the ballot
WAS announced rs follows: Craig 324, Baker
| 1893; total 522.
DR.. Craig was introduced as moderator and
| Dr. Partiett, pastor OF the church, made the
| address OF welcome.
A resolution presented "Protesting In be-
| half of the Christian sentiment of the coun-
| try" against the opening Of the Columbian
Exposition on Sunday aud appealing TO the
national commission to assert its righuul
| authority In the matter, was adopted by q
| rising vote.
At the second days session the moderator
announced the committees DR.. YouEg read
the report on theological scmlnarics. 1t con-
tanned no radical suggestions.
AT the afternoon session a resolution was
adopted authorizing committee 10 invite
| President Cleveland to visit tho assembly at
| his convenience.
Upon adjournment the members of the as
sembly called at the White House, and were
| presented to the President and Mrs. Clcve-
land.
In the evening general meeting in behalf
| Of the Sunday school work OF the church wns
| held.
Various interesting reports were fled dur
Ing the day. The temperance committee
took strong position In opposition to license
laws, and denounced army canteens.
The report of the special committee on
systematic bcnifcence shows that the Ch,is-
tidn Standard has attained nm average month
ly issue OF "A, 500 copies. The local reccir =
OF all the boards during the year amounted 20
g. 100, 762, an increase over 1892 Of STE, ,7O5
The report OF the board of church erco-
tion shows that during the year there wcr.
230 applications for assistance, upon which
grants were made aggregating sl05,s0l anl
loans SB1 ,l92.
The result Of the years work of the boatl
Of aid for colleges and academies has nbt
proved disappointment to the expectations
OF the church. During the year the rcoelSs
have been s75,l3i and the donations In Ahe
shape OF aid aggregated $50, ,030. Forty h.
stitutions have been assisted and and twtAty
states occupied The aggregate enrolr knt
of students is 5000, Of whom 2,794 are en-
gagged In systematic Bible study.
The report OF the board in charge q this
missions for freedmen shows that arly
t200, 900 annually is being expended this
direction with very good results. The pen.
d!tures last year amounted to elo3 002, while
the receipts were s178,3l0 Under thi14board
there are 152 ordained ministers Nd 25s
churches, with membership of 1e, 1893 ypd 49,
472 Sunday school scholars.
During the year the report of the Board Of
Relief shows that 722 persons were offered b.
siatsnce, 04 new names being placed upon the
rolls last year TheTe are 70 ministers over
10 years OF age, retired, the Oldest being 81.
and 85 Of the number being over so. The to
tai appropriation for this work was el52, ,492
| In the branch Of the church work devoted
| to publication and Sunday schools, there has
been, according to the report, soason Of
prosperity The missionary department hai
organized 500 new schools aud reorganized
500, but Of this total 25j have ceased to exist.
into these schools about $4,000 teachers and
scholars are now gathered. The publication
department has distributed more than II 900,
600 pages Of tract and periodicals and &, ,00t
volumes Of Chinese literature. Tho yeai
closed with balance of t44,sl5 on hand.
The report Of the board OF Foreign Missionl
|
fairs, the only gloom being caused by til,
death Of four missionaries. During the yea
forty-six new missionaries were sent into tn,
field, making total In connection with til,
board OF c23 missionaries, which with nnt!v'
agents Of all grades, reaches total Of ! ,647
including lSs ordained ministers. The tota
number OF conversions reported by all mis-
slonaries for the year was 3,452, an incress,
of 10 per cent. over the preceding period. Th,
total receipts from all sources amounted Il
q, Ola, ,504, Of which the woman's socictie
and boards contributed 1896, $50.
The report on home missions shows that til.
year began with debt OF e71, 100, nearly all
of which has been cancelled, and new worl
to the amount Of s3l,44 undertaken. Tb,
total receipts Of the board were 500, ,454.
The report Of the Board Of Education show
that the demand for ministers is ahead of th,
supply. Two years ago the vacant church-,
numbered 1 ,183 and last year / ,244, OF which
1893 lave membership ranging from 100 u
over 900. The Western synods particularly
have Enthusiastically Nebraska, Kansas ant
Minnesota. Last year there graduated from
the scmlnaries 243 Students an increase Of 16
and Of these only 200 arc available for th
home field. The number of students IN
hoo RI ntoa n,