486 



MAINE. 



theran Almanac," of Chicago, there are 3,17V 

 ministers, 5,693 congregations, and 703,382 

 communicants. 



" The Church Almanac " gives lists of four 

 theological institutions under the care of the 

 General Council, four under the care of the 

 General Synod, North, five under the care of 

 the Synodical Conference, one under the care 

 of the General Synod, South, one Norwegian- 

 Danish, and one Swedish seminary ; three col- 

 leges connected with the General Council, four 

 with the General Synod, North, four with the 

 Synodical Conference, two with the General 

 Synod, South, and four with individual Synods ; 

 thirteen classical schools, and nine seminaries 

 for young ladies. 



The General Council met at Greensburg, 

 Pennsylvania, in October. The Rev. D. A. 

 Spaeth was chosen President. The business 

 was almost entirely transacted in English, al- 

 though the German language had heretofore 

 been considerably used in the proceedings of 

 the Council. The Constitution for congrega- 

 tions, which had been under consideration for 

 several years, was completed and was adopted, 

 and recommended to the churches. The con- 

 tinued discussion of the theses on pulpit and al- 

 tar fellowship, which had been likewise under 

 consideration for several years, was deferred. 

 A plan for the reorganization of the mission 

 work was adopted, although it was not con- 

 sidered wholly satisfactory, as the best arrange- 

 ment that could be made at present. It directs 

 that home missionary operations within the 

 territory of the several synods shall continue 

 to be under the care and control of such syn- 

 ods ; makes provision for the special care of 

 several missions, which it names by particular 

 synods; authorizes the Executive Committee 

 on Home Missions to assign unoccupied terri- 

 tory to any other district synod able to do 

 work beyond its own bounds ; directs that the 

 reports of all missionary operations be sent to 



the Executive Committee, and that the com- 

 mittee have regard to all demands for home 

 missionary labor beyond the bounds cared for 

 in the plan, and endeavor to make provision 

 for the supply of it ; and withdraws the recom- 

 mendation formerly made by the Council that 

 the district synods transmit to the Council's 

 Treasurer of Home Missions one fifth of all the 

 moneys collected for home missions. A silver 

 medal which had been prepared in commemo- 

 ration of the seventh Jubilee of the adoption 

 of the Augsburg Confession and the third cen- 

 tenary of the publication of the Book of Con- 

 cord was approved. The receipts for the Home 

 Mission Fund were reported to have been 

 $3,385. 



The General Synod, South, met in its twelfth 

 Convention in Richmond, Virginia, May 6th. 

 The district synods of South Carolina, Vir- 

 ginia, Southwest Virginia, and Georgia, were 

 represented, and a commissioner was present 

 from the North Carolina Synod. The Rev. J. 

 Hawkins was chosen President. A propo- 

 sition was made, in which was included the 

 offer of a considerable gift of property, for 

 the removal of the Theological Seminary from 

 Salem, Virginia, to Charlotte, North Carolina. 

 The Synod decided that, inasmuch as the semi- 

 nary had been recently removed from Lexing- 

 ton, Virginia, to Columbia, South Carolina, and 

 again from Columbia to Salem, Virginia, it 

 was inexpedient at the present time to remove 

 it again. The North Carolina Synod having 

 sent a commissioner to inquire into the doc- 

 trinal position of the body with a view to or- 

 ganic union with it, the Synod recorded a 

 declaration that it regarded the symbols and 

 testimonies of faith which were adopted sub- 

 sequently to the Augsburg Confession as in 

 accord with, and an unfolding of, its teachings, 

 and invited the North Carolina Synod to con- 

 summate the contemplated union as soon as 

 possible. 



M 



MAINE. The decision of the Supreme Court 

 of Maine, by which the organization of the 

 Legislature by the Republicans was sustained, 

 was rendered on the 16th of January. (See 

 "Annual Cyclopasdia" for 1879.) On the 

 17th Daniel F. Davis formally notified Gen- 

 eral Chamberlain that he had that day been 

 " legally elected to the office of Governor 

 and Commander-in-Chief," and "duly quali- 

 fied to perform the duties of that office." He 

 submitted at the same time a copy of the 

 opinion of the Judges. In acknowledging the 

 receipt of this communication, General Cham- 

 berlain said : " As it is manifest that this opin- 

 ion establishes the legality of your election, and 

 that you are duly qualified as Governor, 1 have 

 the honor to report to you that I consider my 

 trust under Special Order No. 45 as at an end." 



On the 20th the following resolution, offered 

 by Mr. Eugene Hale, of Ellsworth, was adopt- 

 ed in the House of Representatives, eighty-live 

 votes being recorded in its favor, and sixty- 

 four members being recorded as absent : 



Whereas. The Fifty-ninth Legislature of the State 

 of Maine, as elected by the people of the State at its 

 last annual election, has met and has legally organ- 

 ized with a full quorum in each House, under the opin- 

 ion of the Justices of the Supreme Judicial Court, and 

 has duly and legally proceeded to elect a Governor 

 and Executive Council and other State officers, all of 

 whom have been duly qualified, and have entered 

 upon their respective duties in the customary places 

 ot the State-House where the business of the State 

 is transacted : therefore be it 



Resolved, That the Senate and House of Keprcscnt- 

 atives will forthwith proceed to legislative business 

 touching the varied interests of the people of Maine, 

 their finances, their courts, their public schools, tho 



