732 



UNITARIANS. 



without charge, and unwilling to settle. Be- 

 sides the National Conference, and in connec- 

 tion with it, there are fourteen local confer- 

 ences in different parts of the country. Of Sun- 

 day-school societies there are seven. There 

 are thirteen ministerial associations, three theo- 

 logical schools, with sixty-seven students, and 

 six publications. Three Conferences are or- 

 ganized, under the name of Liberal Christian 

 (embracing Unitarians and Universalists), one 

 in Central New York, one in Vermont, and 

 one in Maine ; and there are five Christian 

 Unions, one in each of the cities of Boston, 

 New York, Brooklyn, "Washington, and Chi- 

 cago. 



The National Conference of Unitarian and 

 other Christian Churches (organized 1865) is 

 composed of such delegates, elected once in 

 two years, not to exceed three from any one 

 church, including the minister, who shall 

 officially be one as any of the churches may 

 accredit to it by a certificate of their appoint- 

 ment. The "American Unitarian Associa- 

 tion " of Boston, the " Conference of the 

 Western Churches," and other Unitarian or- 

 ganizations, are also entitled to representation 

 in it. The first meeting of the Conference was 

 held at New York, in 1865, the second in 

 Syracuse, in 1866. The third meeting will be 

 held in 1868. 



The forty-second annual meeting of the 

 American Unitarian Association was held at 

 Boston, on the 28th of May. The treasurer's 

 report showed receipts and disbursements to 

 the amount of $177,526.22. The amounts of 

 the trust fund are as follows: General fund, 

 $26,400; Hay ward fund, $20,060; Kendall 

 fund, $2,000; Lienow trust fund, $3,300; Per- 

 kins fund, $8,000; balance of temporary in- 

 vestments, $23,000. During the year, the 

 Association had aided 58 organized societies 

 with money, had afforded preaching in 126 

 towns and cities where no Unitarian organiza- 

 tion existed, employed 18 missionaries for three 

 months or more, and 86 ministers for shorter 

 periods, formed permanent organizations in 8 

 places, and had good prospects in 30 more. A 

 mission has been opened at Wilmington, N. 0., 

 with a school of 112 pupils, an industrial school 

 of 54 pupils, and a Sunday-school of 98 pupils. 

 The Indian mission has been aided by a general 

 bequest, and is doing well, and a missionary 

 has been commissioned to Buenos Ayres. The 

 mission in India is under the charge of Mr. 

 Dall, who superintends five schools a school 

 for useful arts, a vernacular school, a native 

 girls' school (40 pupils), the Mary Carpenter or 

 ragged school, and another mission school (260 

 boys) and the Eev. Mr. Roberts, who is labor- 

 ing at Madras. There are also schools at Salem 

 and Secunderabad, receiving assistance from 

 the Unitarian Association. The Association 

 has published several new works, circulated 

 53,000 tracts, and given its publications to 38 

 public libraries. All the branches of its work 

 were reported in a healthful condition. 



The "Annual Conference of the Western Uni- 

 tarian Churches " was held at Chicago, on the 

 23d of October. The report of the executive 

 committee made the following statement on the 

 operations of the past year : 



We have assisted in the support of twelve pastors 

 and missionaries, and one theological student. Three 

 new church edifices have been erected and paid for, 

 in part, by our contributions. Preaching has been 

 commenced at a number of new points, iii several of 

 which new churches have already been organized. 

 In no year of our existence has there been so much gen- 

 eral missionary labor performed within our bounds, 

 so many books; tracts, and papers sold and distributed, 

 and so large an amount of money collected for the va- 

 rious objects demanding our attention. 



Last year's Conference at Buffalo had voted 

 to raise $6,000 for the missionary fund during 

 the year, but nothing has been contributed 

 toward it. A resolution was adopted to raise 

 $5,000 for the organization of societies in vari- 

 ous parts of the West. A resolution for com- 

 bining the Conference, for missionary purposes, 

 with the American Unitarian Association, was 

 reported by the committee on that subject, and 

 laid over for consideration till next year. 

 Cheering reports were received from the Mead- 

 ville Theological School and Antioch College, 

 and from most of the churches. The Con- 

 ference adopted resolutions expressing grati- 

 fication at emancipation, recommending the 

 education of the freedmen, and approving the 

 objects and action of the American Freedmen's 

 Union Commission. Another resolution recom- 

 mended the holding a Sunday-school conven- 

 tion in each State. A committee was appointed 

 to see what opportunity there may be for or- 

 ganizing liberal religious thought and feeling 

 among the Germans, and, in connection with 

 the executive committee, to carry on whatever 

 work may be deemed necessary till the next 

 meeting of the Conference. 



In England there are about 300 Unitarian 

 ministers who have charge of congregations. 

 In Ireland there are three Presbyterian bodies 

 which in point of doctrine are regarded as Uni- 

 tarians, namely: the Presbyterian Synod of 

 Antrim, the Remonstrant Synod of Ulster, and 

 the Synod of Munster. Together they form 

 the "Non-Subscribing Presbyterian Associa- 

 tion of Ireland," which meets annually. In the 

 English colonies the Unitarians had, in 1860, 

 seven chapels. On the Continent of Europe the 

 Unitarians exist as a separate denomination 

 only in the Austrian province of Transylvania, 

 where they number a population of over 50,000. 



The British and Foreign Unitarian Associa- 

 tion held, in 1867. its forty-second annual meet- 

 ing. A prosperous condition of the denomina- 

 tion was reported. The Unitarian churches of 

 Transylvania annually send over a student to 

 complete his education at Manchester New 

 College. The report gave an encouraging ac- 

 count of the condition of missions connected 

 with the Association in the north of England 

 and Scotland, referred to the formation of a 

 theological library for the use of members and 



