262 



EVENTS OF 1887. 



years had been $496,613, and the total expen- 

 ditures $520,851. The indebtedness of the so- 

 ciety had increased in four years $19,710, and 

 was now $40,319. The society possessed funds 

 and real estate to the value of $112,846. It 

 sustained 542 missions, which were served by 

 552 missionaries, and returned 45,531 mem- 

 bers, with 9,904 officers and teachers, and 63,- 

 733 pupils in Sunday-schools. The conferences 

 in Germany and Switzerland reported a joint 

 net increase of 400 members. The mission in 

 Japan returned 8 itinerant preachers, 2 local 

 preachers, 4 churches with 150 members, 7 

 Sunday-schools with 33 officers and teachers, 

 and an average attendance of 280 pupils, and 

 18 baptisms during the year. The Woman's 

 Missionary Society was sustained by 77 aux- 

 iliaries, with 2,012 members, and had received 

 during the year $1,825. 



The General Conference met in Buffalo, N. Y., 

 September 1. The bishops in their quadrennial 

 address reviewed the condition and growth of 

 the church during the past four years, showing 

 increase in every department, particularly in 

 the building of churches, which, with a few 

 local exceptions, had involved no additional 

 debts, and progress in the cause of higher edu- 

 cation. The business transacted related chieily 

 to the special interests of the funds and benev- 

 olent enterprises of the church, and to cases 

 of discipline. A motion to permit an extension 

 of the time during which a preacher may re- 

 main on a single charge was disapproved. Reso- 

 lutions passed by the preceding General Con- 

 ference respecting changes in certain of the ar- 

 ticles of faith were rescinded. Regulations 

 were adopted for procuring more exact statis- 

 tical returns of the denomination. They in- 

 clude provisions for the appointment of a sta- 

 tistical secretary by each annual conference, 

 and a general statistical secretary by the Gen- 

 eral Conference, and directions to the minis- 

 ters, regularly and properly to fill out the statis- 

 tical blanks, and deliver them to the statistical 

 secretary of their conference. The blanks in- 

 clude tables of membership, property, collec- 

 tions, Sunday-schools, and periodicals, and of 

 financial returns. The sense of the Conference 

 was expressed as in favor of more stringent 

 sanctions of marriage, and ministers were ad- 

 vised " not to marry persons who, in conse- 

 quence of the existing laxity of the divorce 

 laws of the different States, have been di- 

 vorced." The formation of a stock company 

 in the Germany Conference for improving the 

 security cf the church property was approved. 



EVENTS OF 188T. A glance at the following 

 list of the events of the year presents in strong 

 contrast the divided interests of Europe and 

 the comparative harmony of the Western Con- 

 tinent. Riot and bloodshed have marked the 

 history of the "Jubilee" year for Great Brit- 

 ain, and she, perhaps, has less to fear from 

 violence than any of the Continental nations. 

 Repeated attempts to assassinate the Emperor 

 of Russia, almost ceaseless mutterings of war, 



and political complications that threaten revo- 

 lution, have been the lot of nearly all the great 

 powers. In this country our only serious for- 

 eign complication has been with Canada, whose 

 interests are after all practically identical with 

 ours. Our elections have been free from undue 

 excitement, and anarchy has received a severe 

 though somewhat tardy lesson. The year's 

 disasters will be found under the appropriate 

 head, and details, as of elections and other im- 

 portant local occurrences, will in general be 

 found in the special articles on the different 

 States and countries. 



January 1. The Emperor of Germany celebrated the 

 eightieth anniversary of his entrance into the German 

 army. 



3. Stephen II. Mayham appointed Judge of the Su- 

 preme Court. 



4. The Fitchburg Railroad bought the Hoosac Tun- 

 nel for $10,000,900; 



6. Pension bill appropriating $76,247,500 passed 

 by the House of Representatives ; P. C. Lounsbury 

 (Republican) elected Governor of Connecticut by the 

 Legislature, there having been no choice by popular 

 vote. 



10. A new British Ministry appointed. (For de- 

 tails, see article on Great Britain.; 



11. Congress passed a bill creating a Department 

 of Agriculture and Labor. 



12. William M. Stewart elected United States Sena- 

 tor from Nevada. 



14. German Reichstag dissolved on the passage of 

 an amendment to Prince Bismarck's army bill, limiting 

 its duration to three years. 



17. Dependent pension bill passed by house (179 

 to 76) ; pension bill, appropriating $75,000,000, passed 

 by the Senate. 



20. Electoral count bill passed by Senate, having 

 already passed the House. 



21. Passage by Congress of the interstate com- 

 merce bill. 



24. Bill authorizing the President to protect the 

 rights of American fishermen passed by Senate (46 

 to 1). 



27. Dependent pension bill passed by Senate ; 

 House rejects resolution to have United States Sena- 

 tors elected by popular vote ; the harbor appropria- 

 tion bill passed the Senate. British Parliament opened 

 by the Queen. 



28. Bill appropriating $400,000 for State militia 

 passed the Senate. 



29. Post - Office appropriation bill passed the 

 House. 



31. Agricultural appropriation bill passed the Sen- 

 ate. 



February 4. Congress reassembled after the holiday 

 recess, but adjourned at once out of respect to the 

 memory of General John A. Logan ; the President 

 signed the interstate commerce bill. 



6. Stanley, the African explorer, set out from Zanzi- 

 bar in command of an expedition for the rescue of 

 Emin Bey. 



7. Appropriation for armament and coast defenses 

 ($21,000,000) passed the Senate; Chinese Indemnity 

 bill ($147,750) passed the House. 



8. Italian Ministry resigned because of their doubt- 

 ful position in the Parliament. 



10. Chinese indemnity bill passed the Senate. 



11. Mr. Parnell's amendment to the reply to the 

 Queen's speech rejected (352 to 246). Dependent pen- 

 sions bill vetoed by the President. 



12. Post-Office appropriation bill passed the Sen- 

 ate ; bill to redeem and recoin the trade-dollar passed 

 the Senate. 



14. Daniel Manning resigned the secretaryship of 

 the Treasury. 



15. In honor of Queen Victoria's Jubilee, 25,000 



