PRESBYTERIANS. 



733 



of persons practicing the contribution of tithes 

 was growing every year. The resolutions adopt- 

 ed by the Assembly commended the cause of 

 isystematic benevolence; requested the presby- 

 teries to provide a fund upon the basis of one 

 -cent per member to promote that work; disap- 

 proved of fairs, festivals, and entertainments of 

 .any kind where monev is taken at the door, and 

 deprecated the attendance by members at such 

 entertainments when given by other denomina- 

 tions; and authorized the appointment of a com- 

 missioner to preach a sermon at the next General 

 Assembly on systematic beneficence. In answer 

 to an inquiry whether a licentiate might perform 

 the marriage ceremony, the Assembly decided 

 that he could not unless the law of the State in 

 which the marriage took place expressly gave 

 him the power. The Assembly having in its reso- 

 lutions on temperance expressed the belief that 

 it is the duty of Christian men " to separate them- 

 selves from every organization that sympathizes 

 or compromises with the rum traffic, and unite 

 in some way with some organization every mem- 

 ber of which shall at all times, including Elec- 

 tion Days, and at all places, including the polls, 

 and with all their power, including the ballot, 

 stand together against this giant evil," a pro- 

 test was entered against this declaration, main- 

 taining that the Assembly should not commit 

 itself to any kind of civil or political action as in 

 the report it seemed to do. The Assembly there- 

 upon explained that the resolutions did not com- 

 mit the body to allegiance to any political party. 

 The report on Christian Endeavor recommended 

 the appointment in each synod of a representa- 

 tive to look after the work of the Christian En- 

 deavor Societies in that synod; that there be a 

 permanent Christian Endeavor committee in 

 every presbytery, reporting to the Synodical Ex- 

 ecutive Committee; that the Christian Endeavor 

 Committee of the General Assembly be made 

 permanent; that the month of May be allotted 

 to the Endeavorers for the taking of offerings; 

 and that the offerings of the Junior Societies be 

 administered by the Woman's Board of Missions. 



VII. Presbyterian Church in Canada. The 

 statistical reports of this Church for 1899 give it 

 212,026 members, 1,000 (in round numbers) or- 

 dained ministers, and 160,105 Sunday-school 

 scholars. The year's contributions to home mis- 

 sions were $106,169; those to foreign missions 

 were $175,223; and the total revenue of the 

 Church was $2,511,175, the largest amount con- 

 tributed to the Church in any year since the 

 union in 1875. Of this amount, $473,936 were 

 given for the "schemes" of the Church. The 

 average of contributions was $20.99 per family, 

 $10.81 per communicant. 



The report on Sabbath-school publications 

 showed that the department had been self-sus- 

 taining and had yielded a small surplus. 



The financial reports to the General Assembly 

 showed that the amounts raised had been larger 

 than in any previous year. All the funds of the 

 Church were out of debt, and began the new year 

 with a balance in hand. The total expense of 

 administering the funds was calculated to be 

 3.40 per cent. 



The reports of the Home Mission Committees 

 to the General Assembly showed that the revenue 

 of the funds of the eastern and western sections 

 together had been $140,154. Four hundred and 

 forty- two fields, with 1,294 stations, had been 

 supplied by 559 missionaries. 



The expenditures in the fields for French evan- 

 gelization had been $25,719, while $7,289 had 

 been contributed from them. Work had been 



carried on in 30 fields, with 95 preaching stations 

 and 13 colportage districts, by 29 ordained mis- 

 sionaries, 17 colporteurs and students, and 18 mis- 

 sionary teachers. Seven hundred and forty-four 

 pupils were enrolled in the mission schools. The 

 Point aux Trembles College, with 170 students, 

 had been maintained at an expense of $10,595. 



The contributions for foreign missions had been 

 in the two sections, eastern and western com- 

 bined, $175,222. The missions were situated in 

 the New Hebrides, Trinidad, and Denierara, For- 

 mosa, India, China, and Korea. The question 

 having been raised in the General Assembly, that 

 body decided almost unanimously to continue 

 and strengthen the college work of the India 

 mission. 



The twenty-fifth General Assembly met at 

 Hamilton, Ontario, June 20. The Rev. Robert 

 Campbell, D. D., was chosen moderator. A 

 scheme was adopted for raising a " twentieth 

 century fund" of $1,000,000. This sum, it was 

 provided, shall consist of two parts: one of 

 $600,000, to be known as the Common fund, for 

 the missionary, educational, and benevolent work 

 of the Church; and the other, of $400,000, for 

 the discharging of debts on church property. No 

 endowments were asked for for the ordinary mis- 

 sionary expenditure of the Church, but in order 

 to obviate borrowing from banks, working bal- 

 ances were aimed at; for home missions, east, 

 $6,000; for home missions, west (to make up 

 $50,000), $30,000; for augmentation, east (to 

 make up $6,500), $3,000; for augmentation, west, 

 $15,000; for foreign missions, east, $15,000; for 

 foreign missions, west (to make up $50,000), 

 $20,000; for French evangelization, $15,000. 

 Other objects to be embraced in the Com- 

 mon fund were $40,000 each to the colleges 

 at Montreal, Kingston, Toronto, and Winnipeg, 

 and $15,000 to the Presbyterian College, Halifax; 

 $50,000 to the Church and Manse Building fund, 

 northwest; $10,000 to the building fund for Al- 

 goma and North Bay; $24,000 to the church 

 building fund of New Brunswick, Prince Edward 

 Island, and Newfoundland; $60,000 to the Aged 

 and Infirm Ministers' fund, west, and $12,000 to 

 that, east; $60,000 to the Widows' and Orphans' 

 fund, west; $50,000 for a building fund for for- 

 eign missions, west; $10,000 for a building fund 

 for foreign missions, east; $25,000 for a building 

 fund for augmentation, west; and $20,000 for a 

 building fund for French evangelization. These 

 allotments constitute the distribution of the Com- 

 mon fund of $600,000. While members and ad- 

 herents were expected to contribute to the com- 

 mon fund as a whole, yet any desiring to desig- 

 nate their contribution to a particular object 

 embraced in the same were left at liberty to do 

 so. It was stipulated that nothing should be 

 paid out of the Common fund except for objects 

 embraced in the schedule, of which a summary 

 is given above; but congregations and individual 

 contributions were encouraged to reduce or liqui- 

 date debts on churches, manses, or other church 

 property, with the understanding that the 

 amounts thus paid, if reported, should be in- 

 cluded in the Century fund. Such congregations 

 and individuals were expected to designate a 

 certain portion of their contributions to the Com- 

 mon fund, the proportion to be designated by 

 themselves. The Century fund being regarded as 

 special and extraordinary, it was intended to be 

 understood that contributions made in connection 

 with it ought not to interfere with givings to 

 congregational objects or to the schemes of the 

 Church. The fund is open till May 1, 1901. The 

 Rev. Dr. Robert Campbell, moderator of the Gen- 



