REFORMED CHURCH. 



RHODE ISLAND. 



noV known aa "The Synod of Ohio and Ad- 

 j:ir ( 'iit States." The third Synod was organ- 

 s'/. -.1 in 1807, and is called "The Synod of the 

 Kt formed Church in the Northwest." The 

 fourth and last Synod was organized -in Feb- 

 ruary, 1870, and called "The Pittsburg Synod 

 of the Reformed Church in the United States." 

 Its territory is the western parts of Pennsyl- 

 vania and New York. The General Synod 

 iiiret.s only every three years. It met the first 

 time in Pittsburg, Pa., in 1863 ; in Dayton, O., 

 in I860; in Philadelphia, Pa., in 1869; nnd 

 will meet in Cincinnati, O., in 1872. The 

 Eastern Synod and Pittsburg Synod always 

 meet in October or November of every year ,- 

 while their Classes meet in the spring. The 

 Synod of Ohio and the Synod of the North- 

 west meet annually in the spring, and their 

 Classes in the fall. 



The publications of this Church are two 

 weekly, three monthly, and one quarterly 

 in all, six periodicals, in English, two week- 

 ly, one semi-monthly, two monthly, and one 

 quarterly, in German. Its literary, theologi- 

 cal, and other institutes, consist of seven col- 

 leges, three collegiate institutes, one female 

 college, one mission-house, one select school, 

 two theological seminaries, and two orphan- 

 houses the last taking care of one hundred 

 and thirty-eight orphans. One hundred and 

 eighty ministers preach in German, and two 

 hundred and twenty-five preach in English. 



The following table gives the number of 

 ministers, congregations, and members in the 

 Church in the United States for the year end- 

 ing June, 1870 : 



The number reported under the head of " com- 

 municants" is 96,728; the number reported 

 under the head of "unconfirmed members " is 



68,362; baptisms reported, 12,776, confirma- 

 tions, 7,068 ; Sunday-schools, 1,019 ; scholars, 

 49.960; benevolent contributions, $76,453.15. 

 III. The following statement gives the num- 

 ber of members of the Reformed Church in Eu- 

 rope, exclusive of those in England, and of the 

 Reformed congregations which have been ab- 

 sorbed in the United Church of Germany : 



In Switzerland 1,418,000 



In Germany 600.000 



In France 400,000 



In Holland 1,860,000 



In Kussia 200 000 



In Hungary 1,453,000 



In Siebenbilrgen (Transylvania) 297,400 



In Austria 119,000 



Total 6,247,400 



RHODE ISLAND. The people of Rhode 

 Island manifest an active solicitude for their 

 State interests. At both sessions of the Gen- 

 eral Assembly the debates upon important 

 measures were full and animated ; the fifteenth 

 amendment was adopted by a vote of 57 to 9, 

 during the discussion of which there arose the 

 question of a necessity for an amendment to 

 the State constitution to place it in accordance 

 with the fourteenth amendment of the Con- 

 stitution of the United States ; as in the present 

 form it discriminates against naturalized citi- 

 zens in their qualifications as voters, and it was 

 also held to be a grievance that there should 

 be a distinction made between native-born citi- 

 zens in the matter of property. 



An amendment of the constitution was pre- 

 sented in the General Assembly. It was dis- 

 cussed whether the adoption of such alteration 

 in the State constitution should be referred to 

 a convention, or to the votes of the people ; 

 but no conclusion was reached, and the amend- 

 ment was foiled. 



The vexed question of the Cove Lands re- 

 ceived much attention before final adjustment. 

 These are water-lands valued at about $2,000,- 

 000, which the colony ceded to the towns, May 

 28, 1707. By common law, however, the title 

 to such soil covered by tide-water vests in the 

 State, where it still remained for want of ex- 

 plicit terms of conveyance. There had there- 

 fore been a considerable contest as to the par- 

 ticular ownership between the State and the 

 city of Providence, and, as in their present con- 

 dition they are of value to neither, and in order 

 to rescue them from their unimproved state, 

 the matter was at last settled by the following 

 resolution : 



Sesolved, That the General Treasurer of the State 

 be, nnd hereby is, instructed to execute a conveyance 

 to the city of Providence of all the right, title, and 

 interest that the State has in and to the Cove Lands 

 (so called) in said city, being the lands now or here- 

 tofore flowed by tide-water above Weybossct Bridge 

 in said city ; said conveyance to be made and exe- 

 cuted under the direction and to the satisfaction of 

 the Attorney-General of this State, whenever the 

 city of Providence shall pay to the State the sum of 

 two hundred thousand dollars in a satisfactory bond 

 to be approved by the Governor, payable in five years 

 without interest, provided that said bond be executed 

 within six months from the passage of this resolu- 

 tion. 



