ADVENTISTS, SEVENTH-DAY. 



Britain. Austria-Hungary, and Spain declared 

 the capitulations inapplicable to Massowah. 



Annexation of ZnUa. One of the grounds for 

 French remonstrances against the Italian pol- 

 icy in Africa was that France had some vague 

 claims under old treaties to portions of the 

 coast south of Massowah that Italy iu 1888 

 added to her possessions. Italian irregulars 

 occupied Zulla, which was nominally still sub- 

 ject to Egypt, and in like manner established 

 themselves at Disse and Adulis. In the begin- 

 ning of August the Italian flag was unfurled at 

 Zulla, and a protectorate was formally pro- 

 claimed over the district. The Italian Gov- 

 ernment, in a note to the signatories of the 

 general act of the Berlin Conference, notified 

 them of its action, which it declared to be only 

 an official confirmation of a previously existing 

 fact, and a step that was taken in compliance 

 with the demands of the local sheikhs. The 

 Italian flag was raised also at Adulis and Disse. 



ADVEXTISTS, SEVENTH-DAY. The statistics 

 of the Seventh-Pay Adventist Church, as given 

 in the " Year-Book "for 1888, show that it con- 

 sists of thirty conferences, with the Australian, 

 British, Central American, General Southern, 

 NewZealand, Pacific Islands, South African, and 

 South American missions. They returned, in 

 all. 227 ministers, 182 licentiates, 889 churches, 

 and 25,841 members. The whole amount of 

 tithes received during the year was $172,721. 

 The General Conference Association is a body 

 which has been incorporated under the laws 

 of the State of Michigan to act as the business 

 and financial agent of the General Conference. 

 It will guard the financial interests of the Gen- 

 eral Conference, and is expected to furnish pro- 

 visions for the care of the property, deeds, be- 

 quests, and wills that may accrue to that body, 

 and to keep its accounts. The object of the 

 association is in its constitution declared to be 

 to diffuse moral and religious knowledge and 

 instruction by means of publishing-houses tor 

 such purpose, publications therefrom, mission- 

 aries, missionary agencies, and other appropri- 

 ate and available instrumentalities and meth- 

 ods. Being wholly benevolent, charitable, and 

 philanthropic in its character, the payment of 

 dividends on any of its funds is prohibited, and 

 its property may only be used for carrying into 

 effect the legitimate ends and aims of its being. 

 As reported to the General Conference the re- 

 ceipts of the Tract and Missionary Society for 

 the year 1887 were $10,181, and the expendi- 

 tures, $3,118. Besides missionary labor in the 

 United States and other countries, tracts and 

 publications had been sent by the society to 

 South and West Africa, British and Dutch Gui- 

 ana, Brazil, the West Indies, British Honduras, 

 several places in Russia, some of the islands of 

 the Pacific Ocean, to different points in the 

 Southern States, and to city missions under the 

 control of the General Conference, The socie- 

 ty at its annual meeting recommended the cir- 

 culation of a particular newspaper, the purpose 

 of which is to oppose the " National Reform " 



movement for the incorporation of a recognition 

 of the Christian religion into the Constitution 

 of the United States. The International Sab- 

 bath-school Association returned an income of 

 $6,446, and expenditures of $6,038. Provis- 

 ions were made at its annual meeting for the 

 preparation of series of lessons for the years 

 1888-'89 on Old Testament history, "The 

 United States in Prophecy,'' " The Third An- 

 gel's Message," on the leading doctrines of the 

 Bible " for the use of those newly come to the 

 faith," and, for little children, on the life of 

 Christ, with special lessons on '' God's Love to 

 Man " for the camp-meeting Sabbath-schools. 



The receipts of the Central Publishing Asso- 

 ciation had been $412,416. The Pacific Pub- 

 lishing Association returned property and as- 

 sets to the value of $246,949. 



The accounts of the Education Society were 

 balanced at $86,664, and its assets were valued 

 at $58,017. The organization of departments 

 of manual training in the schools of the denom- 

 ination was approved : and the preparation of 

 a pamphlet was directed to explain the pur- 

 pose and nature of that branch of instruction. 



The Health and Temperance Association had 

 enjoyed a large increase of activity. The Ru- 

 ral Health Retreat Association reported a fund 

 amounting to $21,372. 



General Conference. The General Conference 

 of Seventh-Day Adventists met in its twenty- 

 sixth annual session at Oakland, CaL. Xov. 13, 

 1887. Elder George I. Butler presided. The 

 conference in Norway was admitted, constitut- 

 ing the third conference in the Scandinavian 

 field. The conference lately organized in West 

 Virginia wa< received. The president made 

 an address in which he spoke of the work of 

 the denomination as advancing, notwithstand- 

 ing increasing opposition. Remarkable suc- 

 cesa had attended the movements in Holland, 

 nnd fields were opening, besides the United 

 States, in South Africa, South America, and the 

 West Indies. Immediate acts of prosecution 

 against members for violation of the Sunday 

 laws of some of the States had been restrained', 

 so that none were now embarassed by them, 

 but the current in favor of making those law.T 

 more stringent was increasing, and greater 

 difficulties in that direction were to be antici- 

 pated. Delegates from foreign fields reported 

 concerning the condition of their work ; from 

 the Scandinavian countries that there were in 

 Denmark, 9, in Norway, 4, and in Sweden, 

 10 churches, with an aggregate membership 

 of 810 in the three conferences. It had been 

 difficult to furnish from the office of publica- 

 tion books enough to meet the demands of can- 

 vassers. The work in this branch was self- 

 sustaining. The mission in England had been 

 in progress for about nine years, and now re- 

 turned four churches and about 185 members. 

 In Australia there were three churches and 

 150 observers of the seventh day. The plan of 

 holding mission schools in Central Europe, 

 Scandinavia, and Great Britain for the purpose 



