322 



FRIENDS. 



was equally evident that less prominence was 

 given to some of the views which had con- 

 ferred a distinct character upon the body." 

 The number of marriages in accordance with 

 the usages of the Society had been above the 

 average. The reports made at the school con- 

 ference showed that the 12 public schools of 

 the meeting had been attended by 620 boys, 

 and 425 girls, making a total of 1,045 pupils. 

 The expenditure at Ackworth, the largest 

 school, had been 2,890, or 9 19s. Wd. per 

 scholar. The London Tract Association re- 

 ported that it had sold 64,645 tracts, and 48,- 

 757 leaflets, and distributed gratuitously 22,- 

 235 tracts, and- 18,105 leaflets, making a total 

 of 8,111,005 tracts and leaflets distributed since 

 the formation of the Society. Reports from 

 branch societies were also presented. A prop- 

 osition from the quarterly meeting at Durham, 

 that the yearly meeting should impress upon 

 the various meetings the necessity of instruct- 

 ing their members in the principles of the 

 Society, with a document which accompanied 

 it, setting forth certain doctrines and views, 

 excited discussion. The necessity for instruct- 

 ing the members of the Society was fully ad- 

 mitted, but the issuing of anything which might 

 be construed into a " Confession of Faith " was 

 strongly opposed. It was decided simply to 

 draw up a minute, recommending to the meet- 

 ings the general instruction of their members. 

 A discussion also took place on the subject of 

 " General Meetings," which partake of the char- 

 acter of revival meetings, and of the practice 

 of singing at such meetings, but no conclusions 

 were reached. The fact is mentioned that a 

 young man rose during one of the meetings 

 and sang a hymn as a solo, and that no notice 

 was taken of the irregularity. Epistles were 

 read from Friends in Syria, New Zealand, Vic- 

 toria, and Tasmania. A statement was made 

 of the work in Madagascar by a Friend who 

 had labored in that island for 10 years. The 

 sum of 5,000 had been spent during the year 

 in foreign missions, of which 4,000 had been 

 devoted to Madagascar. Iu Bulgaria, 4,769 

 houses had been built by Friends, besides a 

 number of school-houses, and 9,300 persons 

 had had seeds supplied to them. A special 

 meeting was held on temperance. 



The 9th biennial First-day School Confer- 

 ence of Friends (Orthodox) in America met at 

 Indianapolis, Ind., November 13th. Delegates 

 were present from 10 of the 12 yearly meet- 

 ings of the United States and Canada, besides 

 a considerable number of visitors from distant 

 States. Charles F. Coffin, of Indiana, was 

 chosen president, but declined to serve, and 



Dr. James E. Rhoades, of Philadelphia, was 

 chosen in his stead. The statistical reports of 

 the First-day schools of the Society were in- 

 complete ; but it appeared that when the last 

 official returns were received, the number of 

 scholars was 32,844, with an average attend- 

 ance of 19,768, and that the schools were con. 

 ducted by 2,895 officers and teachers. More 

 than one-half of the scholars were children of 

 members of the Society. The schools are offi- 

 cially recognized as a department of Church 

 work by all the yearly meetings, except that 

 of Philadelphia, where they are conducted in- 

 dependently of the Society. The report of the 

 treasurer showed that his receipts had been 

 $335.08, and his expenditures $330.25. The 

 First-day school work had been rapidly de- 

 veloped in England during the last 30 years. 

 "When the first Conference was held at Bir- 

 mingham, in 1847, only 12 schools were re- 

 ported, with an aggregate attendance of 2,000 

 scholars; now the number of scholars was 

 19,000, an increase of 2,000 having been made 

 during the year. The English schools partook 

 more of the nature of mission-schools than of 

 Sunday-schools operating within the Church, 

 and gave attention to young men and women, 

 rather than to children. 



An Educational Convention of the Ortho- 

 dox Friends of America was held at Baltimore, 

 Md., December 21st and 22d. The principal 

 educational institutions of the Society, and all 

 the yearly meetings of the continent, were 

 represented, either by delegates or by letter. 

 Francis S. King, of Maryland, presided. The 

 object of the meeting was to discuss the 

 means of giving greater unity of purpose and 

 concentration to the educational efforts of the 

 Society, and the method of avoiding the ex- 

 cessive diffusion of energies which was in 

 danger of taking place under the independent 

 action of the yearly meetings. The Convention 

 had also in view the provision to be made for 

 the education of the children of the new mem- 

 bers who were being rapidly added to the 

 Society in the South and West. A standing 

 committee was appointed, to consider the sub- 

 ject of education, as affecting the Society of 

 Friends, to whom was also referred the 

 question of establishing a permanent Board 

 of Education, and appointing a permanent 

 general secretary. The committee was em- 

 powered to call another conference during next 

 year. A committee was also appointed to pre- 

 pare an address embodying the conclusions 

 of the conference. The subject of establishing 

 a college for young women, of the grade of 

 Hanerford College, was favorably considered. 



