CONGREGATIOXALISTS. 



183 



Finance*. The revenue is derived from a sub- 

 sidy granted by the King of the Belgians. The 

 expenditures are estimated at $350,000. 



Commerce. The chief articles of export are 

 palm-oil, ivory, India-rubber, coffee, gum co- 

 pal, peanuts, orchil, and cam-wood. The prin- 

 cipal imports are cotton cloth, gunpowder, 

 spirits, and tobacco. The rubber exported in 

 1887 was valued at 2,000,000 francs; ivory, 

 1.500.000 francs; coffee, 1,497, 000 francs; pea- 

 nuts, 701,870 francs; palm-oil, 648,560 francs. 

 The total exports were about 7,000,000 francs, 

 and the imports of equal value. By a decree 

 that was published in November, 1888, the 

 transport and sale of firearms aud ammunition 

 is prohibited on the Upper Congo and its tribu- 

 taries. The survey for a railroad from the 

 coast to Stanley Pool has been completed. The 

 line is to run from Matadi to Stanley Pool, 350 

 kilometres, starting at a level of 7 metres above 

 the sea, and gradually rising to 60 metres. 



The French Possessions. The French acquisi- 

 tions in the Congo region, about 250,000 square 

 miles in extent, have not yet been commer- 

 cially developed. The frontier question be- 

 tween France and the Free State was finally 

 settled in the summer of 1888 by the evacua- 

 tion of the post of Kundja that the French oc- 

 cupied on Ubangi river. 



COXGREGATIOXALISTS. Statistics. The fol- 

 lowing is a summary of the statistics of the 

 Congregational churches in the United States, 

 as they are given in the " Congregational Year- 

 Book " for 1888. The additions, removals, and 

 gains cover a period extending in several of 

 the States to two years, and in others to various 

 fractional parts of more than one year : 



Churches, whole number 4.404 



Members, whole number 457.5 ; 4 



Members added on confession 41.150 



Members, gain (actual, comparing totals) 



Baptisms, adult 2o.i23 



Baptisms, infant 11,966 



Families reported 2>'-\775 



Sunday-schools, members 551.691 



Sunday-schools, gain in members 2'.'.7 |J 4 



Sunday -schools, average attendance 3.4.719 



Sunday-schools, united with the Church from 1S.399 



Sunday-schools, benevolent contributions of $162,012 



BENEVOLENT CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE CHURCHES. 



For the year 1S57 only $2.095.485 



Of which for foreign missions 319.4(4 



Of which for education 



Of which for church building 122.590 



Of which for home missions 



Of which for A. M. A 151.698 



Of which for Sunday-schools 



Of which for ^ew West 4S.fTx) 



Of which for ministerial aid 9.1*3 



Of which for other objects 737.731 



Legacies paid 329.663 



Home expenditures '. 



Home expenditures, increase 1,169,755 



The seven theological seminaries of Andover, 

 Bangor, Chicago, Hartford, Oberlin, Pacific, 

 and Yale, returned in all 46 professors, 21 in- 

 structors or lecturers, 23 advanced or graduate 

 students, and 420 undergraduate students. 



The American Congregational Association 

 has for its object to preserve, improve, and 



promote the best use of the Congregational 

 Library ; to care for the Congregational House 

 (in Boston), and remove the incumbrances upon 

 it ; and to further the general interests of Con- 

 trri.-irationalism. It owns the Congregational 

 House, which is valued at about $425,000 and 

 is liable in funded obligations of $184,500. The 

 Library includes 34,000 volumes and more than 

 140,000 pamphlets, and is housed in a fire-proof 

 structure. 



Educational Societies. The receipts of the 

 American College and Education Society for 

 the year ending April 30, 1887, weit- $57,994. 

 Two hundred and ninety-one students were 

 assisted during the year, and 7,237 since 1816. 

 In both departments, of aid to colleges and 

 assistance to students fitting for the ministry, 

 the society bad a large agency in social organ- 

 ization throughout the West. 



The Xe\v West Education Commission seeks 

 to promote Christian civilization in Utah and 

 adjacent States and Territories by the educa- 

 tion of children and youth and other kindred 

 agencies. Its total income for the year ending 

 July 1, 1887, was $61,318, or $3,956 more than 

 the receipts of any previous year ; and its in- 

 debtedness was returned at $10,000, $5,000 

 having been paid off during the year. It had 

 sustained 28 schools of all grades, with which 

 59 teachers and 2,383 pupils were connect- 

 ed. It had erected four new buildings and 

 had made additions to two others, at a total 

 cost of $30,475. 



American Congregational Union. The thirty- 

 fourth annual meeting of the American Con- 

 gregational Union was held in New York city, 

 January 12. The Rev. Dr. William M. Taylor 

 presided. The date of closing the financial 

 year having been changed from April 30 to 

 December 31, the report was for only eight 

 months. The total receipts for this term had 

 been $81,200, which, with $48,394 in the 

 treasury on May 1, appropriated but not called 

 for, made the total available resources for 

 the year 1887 $129,584. The total expendi- 

 tures for eight months had been $85,031 ; and 

 there remained in the treasury, mostly of 

 moneys appropriated but not paid, $129,595. 

 Grants of $45,008 had been made to 59 churches, 

 and loans of 13,650 to 17 churches, 3 churches 

 receiving both grants and loans ; 35 parsonages 

 had been added, at an average cost to the 

 Union of 347 T making a total of 140 parson- 

 ages completed under the auspices of the Union, 

 while 19 more were in building. The report 

 of the treasurer showed that $102.223 had 

 been contributed back by the churches that 

 had been aided by the Union during its career, 

 and $76,704 had been returned on loans, in- 

 surance on buildings burned, and houses sold. 

 It was thus shown that u the only difference 

 between a loan and a grant is the time al- 

 lowed for payment." All aid irom the Union 

 is in the form of temporary relief. The aided 

 churches reported additions by profession of 

 8,213 members. 



