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in their hands, then no special committee of ministerial relief will be needed.

As this corporation is ancillary to the National Council, it seems proper that its moderator, secretary, and treasurer should be trustees ex-officiis, and that additional trustees should be chosen by the Council to act with them in this work.

Your committee therefore recommend (1) that fifteen trustees be chosen at each triennial session of the National Council, of whom its moderator, secretary, and treasurer shall be three, who shall together be the corporators under this charter for three years and until their successors are chosen; (2) that these trustees be instructed to devise and vigorously prosecute the best methods for increasing the permanent funds, the income of which shall be used for ministerial aid, by receiving legacies and special donations, while not neglecting the present needs of disabled ministers, and the widows and children of deceased ministers; (3) that such donations and legacies should be specially sought from individuals and from churches that are self-supporting, rather than from the weaker churches, and that the expenses of administration be reduced to the lowest possible terms consistent with the efficient prosecution of the work.

Committees.

The following committees were appointed:

Provisional Charles A. Hull, of New York; Rev. Amory H. Bradford, of New Jersey; Rev. Francis J. Van Horn, of Iowa; William H. Wanamaker, of Pennsylvania; Rev. Michael Burnham, of Missouri; E. H. Pitkin, of Illinois; Rev. Cyrus Richardson, of New Hampshire; Rev. Edward C. Moore, of Rhode Island; and the registrar, secretary, and treasurer, ex-officiis.

Publishing-Thomas Todd, of Massachusetts; Rev. George A. Hood, of Massachusetts; and the registrar, secretary, and treasurer, ex-officiis.

Trustees Edward H. Baker, of Connecticut; H. Clark Ford, of Ohio; Rev. Elijah Horr, of Massachusetts; Rev. Thomas B. McLeod, of New York; Rev. George R. Merrill, of Minnesota; Robert W. Patton, of Illinois; Rev. Charles H. Richards, of Pennsylvania; Rev. Henry A. Stimson, of New York; Rev. Amory H. Bradford, of New Jersey; William H. Strong, of Michigan; Arthur H. Wellman, of Massachusetts; Lucien C. Warner, of New York; Edward Whitin, of Massachusetts; Rev. Asher Anderson, of Massachusetts; Rev. Samuel B. Forbes, of Connecticut.

It was Voted, That the paper by Rev. William D. McKenzie, of Illinois, in his absence, be printed and not read.

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Rev. George M. Boynton, of Massachusetts, spoke for the Congregational Sunday School and Publishing Society.

Congregational Education Society.

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Rev. DeWitt S. Clark, of Massachusetts, spoke for the Congregational Education Society.

Paper.

Rev. Horace Bumstead, of Georgia, read a paper on Congregational teaching as to the right use of wealth.

The moderator pronounced the benediction, and a recess was taken till 2 P. M.

THURSDAY AFTERNOON.

At 2, Rev. Alexander Lewis, of Massachusetts, led in prayer.

Deaconess Association.

Rev. Edward F. Williams, of Illinois, reported upon the Deaconess Association in Chicago, and it was voted to appoint a committee of three upon the work. They were later appointed as follows: Rev. Edward F. Williams, of Illinois; Henry M. Moore, of Massachusetts; Rev. George E. Hall, of New Hampshire.

Finances. 6

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The Finance Committee made the following recommendations : Ist. That the treasurer of the National Council be instructed to call for one and one-half cents per member from the churches for each of the three following years, instead of two cents per annum as heretofore.

2d. That the provisional committee and the trustees of the National Council of Congregational Churches of the United States take into consideration the matter of increasing the salary of the treasurer. The committee feel that, while economy should always be used, the officers of the council should receive adequate compensation.

3d. That the provisional committee, in arranging for future

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councils, should pay speakers nothing as compensation, and that the payment of their expenses be left to the discretion of the provisional committee.

Address.

Rev. Frank E. Jenkins, of Georgia, spoke upon the changed conditions in the South.

Expenses of Delegates.

A resolution regarding the attendance of delegates and the payment of their expenses was adopted, and a committee of five, to report at the next council, were appointed as follows: Rev. Charles E. Jefferson, of New York; Joseph W. Rice, of Rhode Island; Rev. Henry Hopkins, of Missouri; Rev. E. Payson Hood, of New York; Rev. John W. Bradshaw, of Ohio.

Whereas, The attendance of delegates in this session indicates that only a small portion of the full complement called for by the constitution (estimated at seven hundred) is present; and

Whereas, More than two hundred delegates, known to be elected to this session, are not present; and

Whereas, The provincialism resulting therefrom is a weakness, which should be overcome if possible; therefore,

Resolved, That a committee of five be elected (to report at the next session), and that it be requested to communicate by correspondence or otherwise with the several State and district associations and conferences, urging upon them the wisdom of providing some plan or plans by which a part, or the whole, of the expenses of the delegates may be met.

Sunday School Instruction.

The following committee were appointed to secure, in connection with the Congregational Sunday School and Publishing Society, better results in Sunday-school instruction: Frank K. Sanders, of Connecticut; Rev. James A. Blaisdell, of Michigan; Henry A. King, of Massachusetts; Rev. Glenn A. Taylor, of Iowa; Samuel T. Dutton, of New York; Rev. Rockwell H. Potter, of Connecticut; George F. West, of Maine.

Papers.

1 Rev. T. Calvin McClelland, of Rhode Island, read a paper on Woman's Work in our Churches; and Rev. Stephen M. Newman, of Washington, D. C., on The Spiritual Mission of Congregationalism. 2 Page 355.

1 Page 342.

Thanks.

It was Voted, That the thanks of the Council be extended to Rev. William J. Tucker, of New Hampshire, for his sermon, and that a copy be requested for publication.

Printing.

It was Voted, That the minutes, sermon, reports, papers, and other documents presented be issued by the publishing committee; and also, the Year-Books of 1902, 1903, and 1904, and that said committee be allowed to contract for the Year- Book of 1905.

Church Extension.

It was Voted, That the Council, while recognizing the fact that good work in the line of Church Extension is being done in many States, believes that in every State this important matter should receive systematic and constant attention.

We therefore recommend that in every State where no definite plan of Church Extension is now in operation, the General Conference or General Association of such State adopt such plan and take measures to make it effective.

Protection of Church Property.

It was Voted, That the secretaries of the Congregational Church Building Society and of the Congregational Home Missionary Society, together with a committee of three to be appointed by this Council, be requested, as a joint committee,

Ist. To ascertain the facts in each State as to church property now idle or lost, whether or not such property was secured in part by or through the agency of such societies; that such joint committee be requested to initiate such legal or other action as may save for Congregational uses such property.

2d. That where property or funds so secured cannot now be wisely used in the localities where they were originally given, the money be placed in the treasuries of these two societies for the general church building and home missionary work of the denomination.

3d. We also suggest the inquiry whether it is practicable and wise for our national and state home missionary societies, in granting aid to churches, to secure some legal claim to the property of

such aided churches, so that a part or all of the money thus granted may be returned to the societies, if the churches shall disband.

4th. We urge upon individuals making specific gifts directly to churches, which also receive aid from the Church Building Society, to provide that those gifts be included in the society's trust mortgage.

5th. We ask this joint committee to report at the next meeting of the National Council what shall have been done in response to these recommendations.

There were later appointed: Rev. Irving W. Metcalf, of Ohio; Rev. Henry A. Stimson, of New York; H. Clark Ford, of Ohio.

Temperance.

David M. Camp, of Vermont, introduced the question of passing a resolution on temperance, and, after discussion, the following was adopted:

Believing that the saloon is one of the strongest forces of evil now existing in our nation, hindering the progress of Christian work and a constant menace to our Christian civilization,

Resolved 1st, That we again express our unqualified condemnation of it, its work, and all forms and methods by which its power is being exerted to seize upon and destroy the youth of the nation.

2d. That we heartily commend all legitimate measures for the suppression and entire abolition of this great evil, and to this end would recommend to all our churches a continuance in well-doing, a more faithful presentation of temperance truths from the pulpit, more thorough instruction in Sabbath schools and young people's societies, a more general use of pledges, personal work, and all other available means by which the children may be trained for lives of sobriety, virtue, and usefulness.

3d. That in the Anti-Saloon League, now thoroughly organized and doing a grand work in some twenty-five of our states, we recognize a strong ally in the work of needed reform; we rejoice in the success already attained by these organizations and bespeak for them the prayerful sympathy, aid, and co-operation, so far as practicable, of all our churches.

Auditor.

David N. Camp, of Connecticut, was elected auditor.

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