684 



PRESBYTERIANS. 



PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. 



The standing committee whose duty it was to 

 see that this truce was observed reported the 

 church in question for its irregularity. The re- 

 port of the committee was adopted by a vote of 

 51 to 49 over a substitute proposing a declara- 

 tion that the Assembly could not affirm "that 

 uniformity of practice in the matter of instru- 

 mental aid is essential to Presbyterianisrn." 



XI. Presbyterian Church in England. 

 The ' Blue Book " for 1894 of the Presbyterian 

 Church in England showed that the number of 

 affiliated congregations had grown from 290 

 to 295. and that the membership had increased 

 from 60,971 to 67,585 a net gain of 614. With 

 an increased membership there was an apparent 

 loss in the number of sittings let. The Church 

 debts, which had increased by 1,885, now 

 stood at 61,158. The Church property was 

 insured for 1.091,588, which is said to be about 

 600,000 less than the real value. In the Sun- 

 day schools there were 7,366 teachers and 80,018 

 pupils, an increase of more than 1,500. The 

 total congregational income was set down at 

 193,286, an average of 655 per congregation. 



The report on foreign missions showed that 

 the churches at home had raised 20,000 for the 

 support of the work. In China alone during 

 the past seventeen years the native congrega- 

 tions had increased from 14 to 45. the European 

 missionaries men and women from 15 to 56, 

 the native evangelists from 49 to 110, and the 

 hospitals from 2 to 10. There were now 4 native 

 presbyteries ; 12 native pastors were supported 

 by their flocks : and the congregations, besides 

 being self-sustaining, were supporting mission- 

 aries to their own countrymen. In the New 

 Hebrides 20 of the islands were Christianized, 

 and the Christians were leading consistent lives; 

 still there were 40,000 cannibals to be reached. 



The synod met in London, April 30. The 

 Rev. James Muir, D. D., of Egromont, was 

 chosen moderator. The home mission report 

 showed that 5 congregations had been added 

 during the year. A communication from the 

 Congress of the Evangelical Free Churches, re- 

 cently held at Leeds, inviting the appointment 

 of representatives to attend a proposed confer- 

 ence on the question of overlapping by the dif- 

 ferent denominations in country districts, was 

 referred to the Home Mission Committee, with 

 power to deal in the matter. The revised drai't 

 of a directory of public worship was remitted to 

 the committee to consider how far objections 

 could be met which had been made to the intro- 

 duction of the Apostles' Creed, liturgical forms, 

 and other matters. The synod agreed to send 

 representatives to join the committee of the 

 P]stablished, Free, and United Presbyterian 

 Churches of Scotland appointed to assist in the 

 preparation of a common hymn book for use in 

 the various Presbyterian churches. Resolutions 

 were adopted protesting against the spread of 

 sacerdotalism in the state Church ; against "the 

 continuance of the Church of England in con- 

 nection with the state while propagating errors 

 it was established to oppose, and disowning 

 truths it was endowed to defend"; and con- 

 veying to the friends in Wales the interest and 

 sympathy of the synod " in view of the position 

 now attained in the long struggle for religious 

 equality in the principality." 



XII. Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Church. 



The General Assembly of this Church met at 

 Pontypridd, in June. The Rev. William James 

 was chosen moderator. The annual statistical 

 report the twenty-fourth showed that an in- 

 crease of members had taken place every year in 

 succession. The increase in the previous year 

 had been 2.316, which was 253 above the annual 

 average. The collections were also larger than 

 in the previous year by 2,790. A resolution 

 was adopted urging disestablishment in Wales, 

 and a manifesto was ordered drawn up in reply 

 to the manifesto of the Welsh bishops, which 

 was intended to serve as a guide to individual 

 churches and members of the denomination. A 

 committee was appointed to take under consid- 

 eration the condition of the Welsh churches in 

 Patagonia, where nearly 3,000 Welsh people had 

 gone to live, and where 2 Welsh missionaries 

 were laboring. 



XIII. Presbyterian Church in New South 

 Wales. The Presbyterian Church of New South 

 Wales is a union of the various branches of the 

 Established, the Free, and the United Presby- 

 terian Churches of Scotland, with ministers from 

 the Irish, English, and American Presbyterian 

 Churches. The General Assembly met in Syd- 

 ney, in March. The Rev. George Maclnness was 

 chosen moderator. His inaugural address at- 

 tracted much attention on account of its dissent 

 from the traditional theory of the inspiration of 

 the Bible and its presentation as the true au- 

 thority on which Scripture rests of the self- 

 evidencing power of Christ himself as revealed 

 in the sacred oracles. 



A scheme for a " Presbyterian labor colony " 

 was presented and discussed, without definite 

 action being taken upon it. 



PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND. The pro- 

 vincial election was held on Nov. 18, 1893, when 

 15 Councilors and an equal number of Assem- 

 blymen were chosen to serve in the Legislature. 

 This body w r as convened on March 28, and or- 

 ganized by electing James Plugh Curnmisky as 

 Speaker. Since the previous meeting of the 

 Legislature the Hon. George William Howland 

 had been appointed Lieutenant-Governor, in suc- 

 cession to the Hon. Jedediah S. Carvell, whose 

 death left the office vacant. The Lieutenant- 

 Governor formally opened the House with the 

 usual address, from which the following por- 

 tions are selected : 



By the act of tbe last Legislature, entitled "An 

 Act respecting the Legislature," a most important 

 change has been made in the Constitution of this 

 province, the effect of which has been to amalga- 

 mate the 2 branches of the local parliament. I con- 

 gratulate you on the abundant harvest and other 

 blessings which Divine Providence has, during the 

 past year, bestowed on the people of Prince Edward 

 Island. During the year the usual provincial exhi- 

 bitions have been helcl. It is very gratifying to be 

 able to say that these exhibitions continue to show a 

 steady improvement in the methods pursued by our 

 agriculturists. The returns of the vote taken at the 

 recent election on the great question of prohibition 

 show a large majority in favor of that principle. 

 Notwithstanding the strenuous efforts the Govern- 

 ment have heretofore made to carry on the business 

 of this province in the most economical manner, it 

 has become apparent that the provincial revenue is 

 at present inadequate to defray the necessary cost of 

 our educational system, our public works, and the 



