three of these are our wealthiest Synods. But it would also seem that naturally more possible annuitants would be living in these older sections. This fact suggests two conclusions: first, that numbers of those entitled to aid, and resident in these Synods, are cared for by individuals or churches, without aid from the Board; secondly, that the cause is laid more thoroughly upon the heart and conscience of the churches in these Synods.

treatment.

It may well be questioned whether the cause of this Board has had the large place in the attention of the Church which it ought to have had. Other Boards have been permitted to urge their claims. Home Missions and Foreign Missions have come before us, though none too much, and have met with generous The Assembly at Minneapolis two years ago was thrilled by the payment of the debt on the Board of Freedmen. The Twentieth Century movement is sweeping millions into the treasuries of the Church, and to all this we would call no halt, but again and ever plant the flag farther on. Yet in all this tumultuous though orderly uprising, we listen in vain for adequate response to the commonest claims of honor and fair-dealing with regard to our own fellow-workers. Can it be that the National Government and our municipalities, and even our corporations, shall treat their servants with more consideration than the Church of Christ shows to its retired officers? The minister is necessarily and rightly educated to tastes which are at least up to the average of the community in which he is called upon to live, otherwise his lack of sympathy with the community in educational and social matters would make his leadership, even in spiritual things, impossible. He must be abreast of the secular standard if he would command respect for his views of the sacred standard. Yet at no time and in no community does he receive a salary even distantly commensurate with the salaries of others among whom he moves, the average salary of a Presbyterian minister being but $637 per year. Old age generally finds him without financial reserve, and there seems positively no help for it. Has the hour not come when some man, with heart on fire and tongue of flame, shall make himself heard on this theme? Is it not an appointed time for the Presbyterian Church, which has so nobly and majestically risen to the support of other causes, to stand back of an organized and universal movement to place this cause on an adequate basis, and remove this reproach-the reproach contained in its treatment of its aged and disabled ministers-from our beloved Church?

Your Committee is convinced that the standard of honor attaching to the retired army and navy officers should be at least equaled by that accorded to officers of the King of kings, who have for good reasons been retired from the arduous work of the pastorate; but that this cannot obtain until such time as the minister who has been retired by age or disability contracted in the service, shall have been placed beyond the need of support

which can in any wise be regarded as charitable, and draws a stated salary as of right, not as relief, from the treasury of the Church; and that this can only be accomplished by care on the one side in admitting ministers to this standing, and on the other by a more efficient support of those thus admitted. Further, that the treatment accorded its servants by the Government of the United States, by the various States and municipalities, and even by corporations, brings it home to the great Presbyterian Church, to enquire whether it is not prepared to fall into line with this modern recognition of the ideal of the Master.

Your Committee records with great regret the resignation of George Junkin, Esq., LL.D., whose ill health has caused sorrow in all our churches. The death of Rev. Henry E. Niles, D.D., reported at the meeting of the Assembly last year at St. Louis, and that of Rev. Robert Alexander, D.D., which occurred February 27, of this year, have brought grief to the most active friends of the Board.

Your Committee recommends:

1. That the work of the Board of Relief be earnestly commended to the increased benevolence of the churches; and that specifically an effort be made to raise the sum of not less than $125,000, as the amount absolutely needed to meet the demands. made by the Presbyteries.

2. That the whole matter of ministerial relief, as related to an improved method of sustentation, be referred to a Special Committee, consisting of three elders and two ministers, in connection with the Board of Ministerial Relief, to take under advisement and report to the next General Assembly.

3. That Rev. Marcus A. Brownson, D.D., Rev. W. W. McKinney, D.D., A. Charles Barclay, Esq., and H. S. P. Nichols, Esq., members of the Board, whose terms of office expire with this Assembly, be reëlected.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the Committee,

HENRY ELLIOTT MOTT, Chairman.

The following Supplementary Report was presented by the Committee on Ministerial Relief, and was adopted:

1. That this General Assembly non-concurs in the recommendation of the Board of Relief as to closing the Westminster Home in Perth Amboy, and accordingly directs the Board to defer the proposed action for the period of at least the current year, meanwhile maintaining the title effectively at the smallest possible expense; and in the discharge of this responsibility welcoming such assistance as the Presbytery within whose bounds the Home is located may be disposed and able to render.

2. We recommend that the General Assembly grant discretion as requested to the Board of Ministerial Relief in the matter of the Merriam Home.

3. That the General Assembly gratefully recognizes the

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earnest zeal of the Presbytery of Elizabeth in the matter of maintaining, if possible, the Westminster Home in Perth Amboy, as a remunerative property of the Presbyterian Church, and has accordingly directed the Board to defer the proposed closing of the Home for the period of at least the current year, meanwhile welcoming such assistance in the administration of this trust as the Presbytery of. Elizabeth shall be disposed and able to render. Respectfully submitted,

HENRY ELLIOTT MOTT, Chairman.

The Assembly took recess, and was closed with prayer.

MONDAY, May 20, 2.30 o'clock P.M.

The Assembly met, and was opened with prayer.

The Committee on Bills and Overtures presented a Report, recommending reference of papers, which was adopted, and is as follows:

The Committee on Bills and Overtures recommend that the following Overtures which have been placed in its hands by the Stated Clerk be referred to the respective Committees named:

To the Committee on Church Polity:

Overtures Nos. 8 and 9, asking for the addition of Section 5 to Chapter xxiii of the Form of Government, from the Presbyteries of Chester and Emporia.

Overtures Nos. 10 to 13, asking for an amendment to Form of Government, Chapter xxiii, from the Presbyteries of Cincinnati, Neosho, San Francisco and Southern Oregon.

Overtures Nos. 23 to 25, on Young People's Work, from the Presbyteries of East Oregon, Los Angeles and Southern Oregon. Overtures Nos. 34 and 35, on Demission of the Ministry, from the Presbyteries of Benicia and Chicago.

Overture No. 36, on Ministers from Other Denominations, by the Presbytery of New Brunswick.

Overture No. 37, on the admission of ministers from non-Presbyterian Churches, from the Presbytery of Philadelphia.

Overture No. 38, on the status of a minister in the church of which he was a member before his ordination, from the Presbytery of Muncie.

Overture No. 39, asking the question, "To whom shall church officers resign?" from the Presbytery of Arizona.

Overture No. 40, on the erasure of the names of certain ministers from the roll of Presbytery, from the Presbytery of Brooklyn.

Overture No. 41, on the custom of declaring a pulpit vacant, from the Presbytery of Hudson.

Overture No. 50, asking a definition of a vacant church, from the Presbytery of Morris and Orange.

Overtures Nos. 66 and 67, asking an amendment to the Form of Government, Chapter x, Section 2, from the Presbyteries of Chicago and Geneva.

Overture No. 68, asking for an amendment of Section 26 of the Book of Discipline, from the Presbytery of Brooklyn.

Overture No. 69, asking for an amendment of the Form of Government, Chapter x, Section 4, from the Presbytery of Troy. Overture No. 70, on the amendment of the Form of Government, Chapter xiv, Section 6, from the Presbytery of Flint.

Overture No. 71, for the amendment of Form of Government, Chapter XV, Section 9, from the Presbytery of New Brunswick. Overture No. 72, asking for a change in Chapter xvii, Form of Government, from the Presbytery of Chicago.

To the Judicial Committee:

Overtures Nos. 32 and 33, on Judicial Commissions, from the Presbyteries of Corning and New Brunswick.

To the Standing Committee on Systematic Beneficence:

Overture No. 42, on Systematic Benevolence, from the Presbytery of Lackawanna.

To the Standing Committee on Home Missions:

Overture No. 43, on conditions of aid by the Home Mission Board, from the Presbytery of Great Falls.

Paper No. 65, being the Memorial of the Boarl of Home Missions, asking for a Special Committee to prepare for the Centennial of Home Missions.

To the Standing Committee on Education:

Overture No. 48, on Ministerial Education, from the Presbytery of Cairo.

To the Standing Committee on Ministerial Relief:

Overture No. 53, on the Westminster Home at Perth Amboy, N. J., from the Presbytery of Elizabeth.

To the Standing Committee on Publication and Sabbath-school Work:

Overture No. 49, on Free Libraries to be granted by the Board of Publication, from the Synod of Montana.

To the Standing Committee on Bills and Overtures ;

Overtures Nos. 1. to 7, asking for a Pan-Presbyterian Creed, from the Presbyteries of Aberdeen, Arizona, Dakota, Detroit, Lake Superior, Los Angeles and St. Cloud.

Overtures Nos. 14 to 22, on Church Statistics, from the Presbyteries of Chippewa, Dayton, Detroit, Fort Wayne, Lima, Los Angeles, New Albany, Red River, Westchester.

Övertures Nos. 26 to 31, on Bible Training for Young People's Societies, from the Presbyteries of Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, Lake Superior, Monroe, Saginaw.

Overture No. 44, on Assembly Minutes for church Sessions, from the Presbytery of Chemung.

Overture No. 45, on the column for Synodical Aid in the Minutes, from the Presbytery of Kearney.

Overture No. 46, against Sunday opening of the Buffalo Exposition, from the Presbytery of Southern Oregon.

Overture No. 51, asking for the consolidation of the Boards of Education and Aid for Colleges, from the Presbytery of Westchester.

Overture No. 52, asking that Synodical missionaries be honorary members of the General Assembly, from the Presbytery of East Oregon.

Overture No. 54, on a change of the boundaries of the Synods of Washington and Oregon, from the Synod of Washington.

Overture No. 55, on the transfer of a church from the Synod of Indian Territory to the Synod of Missouri, from the Synod of Indian Territory.

Overtures Nos. 56 and 57, asking for the erection of a Synod of Mexico, from the Presbyteries of the Gulf of Mexico and Zacatecas.

Overture No. 58, asking a reaffirmation of the Confession of Faith, from the Presbytery of Corning.

Overture No. 59, on the Revision of the Confession of Faith, from the Presbytery of Hudson.

Overture No. 60, on a new, short Confession of Faith, from the Presbytery of Freeport.

Overture No. 61, on subscription to the Standards, from the Presbytery of Hastings.

Overtures Nos. 62 and 63, from the Presbyteries of East Florida and Westchester, on a Declaratory Statement of Doctrine.

Overtures and Papers Nos. 74 to 212, being communications with reference to a proposed term-service for the Clerks of the Assembly, from the Presbyteries of Allegheny, Alton, Arizona, Athens, Austin, Baltimore, Bellefontaine, Binghamton, Bloomington, Boston, Box Butte, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Butler, Cape Fear, Carlisle, Cayuga, Central Dakota, Champlain, Chester, Chippewa, Chicago, Choctaw, Clarion, Cleveland, Columbia, Columbus, Crawfordsville, Dakota, Dayton, Des Moines, Detroit,