of the General Assembly and the country everywhere, extended to your Delegate for your sake, furnished pleasing assurance on the part of the churches of that remote State, of hearty confidence and esteem for your Body.

All which is respectfully submitted,

Brooklyn, February 14th, 1866.

CHARLES S. ROBINSON.

V. To THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.

YOUR Delegate has the honor to report that he attended the General Association of New-Hampshire, held at Newport in August last; that he was received with great cordiality both personally and representatively. His visit was all the more delightful for having been to a body of Christian men with whom he was individually acquainted and among whom he found some of his earliest and best friends.

The New-Hampshire pastors of the Congregational churches are generally men of culture, of generous spirit, and of ardent piety. Their fields of labor offer little to the promptings of worldly ambition-little to the hopes of becoming rich. The churches are constantly depleted by the spirit of enterprise which urges so many young families westward and into the large cities of the Eastern and Middle States. But those who remain have the consciousness that ministerial labor and Christian fidelity will, by perpetual emigration, diffuse their legitimate, salutary influence over the land.

Dartmouth College, which, although not sectarian, is mainly under Congregational care, enjoys unusual prosperity, to which the able and popular presidency of Rev. Asa D. Smith, D.D., largely contributes.

The Association expressed, with great heartiness, its Christian love toward us, and its desire to reciprocate our fraternal tokens. Many churches represented had been visited by the reviving power of the Divine Spirit during the year. One of the most encouraging features in the New-Hampshire churches is the fact, that from year to year many young men leave their farms and shops to study for the sacred ministry. These young men, in after years, appear in our cities and in mission fields as among the most efficient and eminent servants of the Church. E. E. ADAMS.

With great respect,

East-Concord, N. H., May 1st, 1866.

VI. TO THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

THE undersigned, having been appointed by the General Assembly at Brooklyn last year Delegate to the General Association of Massachusetts, begs leave to present the following report:

In fulfilment of my commission I presented the Christian salutations of the Assembly to the Association above named, at Westfield, Mass., on the 27th of June last. I was received with every token and expression of Christian cordiality. I thought it appropriate to declare the deep interest of the Assembly in maintaining the distinctive doctrines of the Cross, in carrying forward every department of Christian work, and especially in putting forth renewed efforts to promote the unity, the enlightenment, and the evangelization of our whole country. To such sentiments the Moder

ator replied, in behalf of the Association, in terms of earnest and cordial sympathy. I was charged to say, that the only rivalry which they would attempt with us should be, to see whether Presbyterians or Congregationalists would do most for the good of our common country and for the glory of our common Lord.

All which is respectfully submitted,

Philadelphia, May 7th, 1866.

DANIEL MARCH.

VII. TO THE GENERAL ASSOCIATION OF CONNECTICUT.

THE undersigned, appointed by the last General Assembly its Delegate to the General Association of Connecticut, has the honor to report to this Assembly, that he performed the duty assigned him by attending the Annual meeting of said Association, held at New-Britain, Ct., on the 20th day of June last, and conveying to the brethren there gathered the salutations and congratulations of the Assembly.

Your Delegate was received with great cordiality, and his expressions of Christian coöperative sympathy met with a warm response.

The numbers of the Association were few, owing to the fact that the General Convention of the Congregational Churches was then in session at Boston, Mass., and a large number of the Association's members were absent in order to attend upon the meeting of that extraordinary body.

The reports brought in from the various parts of the State were encouraging, and our brethren in Connecticut showed that they are full of zeal and faith in the Master's cause.

All which is respectfully submitted,
May 18th, 1866.

HOWARD CROSBY.

VIII. TO THE PRESBYTERIAN AND CONGREGATIONAL CONVENTION OF WISCONSIN.

THE undersigned, appointed by the last General Assembly a Delegate to the Presbyterian and Congregational Convention of Wisconsin, which met at Milwaukee, Wednesday, October 4th, 1865, would respectfully report: That, being prevented by ill-health from attending in person-greatly to his disappointment-he forwarded to that body, by letter, the Christian and fraternal salutations of the 1479 churches of our body, embracing a membership of a hundred and forty-three thousand six hundred and fortyfive (143,645) and a ministry of 1694, and containing the substance of those utterances he would gladly have made if personally present, which was presented to that body through the Moderator, kindly and fraternally received, and acknowledged in their published minutes.

We invited a continuation of the correspondence, informed them of the time and place of meeting of our General Assembly at St. Louis, and urged their presence and representation by a Delegate.

All which is respectfully submitted,

Gouverneur, N. Y., May 12th, 1866.

B. B. BECKWITH,

III. Annual Reports.

I. THE TWELFTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE CHURCH ERECTION FUND.

THE Annual Meeting of the Trustees was held on the fifteenth day of June, 1865. Rev. Samuel T. Spear, D.D., was elected President, and William A. Booth, Vice-President. Jesse W. Benedict, Esq., was appointed Secretary and Treasurer. The Standing Committees were also appointed, and the Board entered upon their work for another year.

LOANS AND DONATIONS.

During the year there have been received twenty applications for aid, amounting to $7525; thirteen of which were for Loans, amounting to $6075, and seven for Donations, amounting to $1450. Ten of the applications for Loans were granted, amounting to $4675; three, amounting to $1400, were refused; one of these required the loan to be made in gold; by the other two it appeared, that after obtaining the Loan the congregation would not have the amount necessary to complete their building; they were informed that, as soon as the deficiency should be provided for, their application would be granted. Four of the applications for Donations, amounting to $750, were granted; three, amounting to $700, were refused; one of these absolutely, for the reason that the aid required was for the purpose of paying a debt which had been contracted in 1858; one as premature, it appearing from the application that, after obtaining the required Donation, the congregation would not have the amount requisite to complete their building. They were informed that, as soon as this deficiency should be provided for, their application would be granted. The other application for a Donation was refused for the reason that it was not in due form, and the amount ($300) asked for exceeded the amount limited by the Plan for Donations. In one case, after the application for a Donation had been granted, the congregation refused to execute the Bond and Mortgage required by the Plan, and have not availed themselves of the grant.

These applications were from eleven Synods, five from the Synod of Missouri, three from the Synod of Minnesota, two from each of the Synods of New-York and New-Jersey, Illinois, and Wisconsin, and one from each of the Synods of Genesee, Pennsylvania, Indiana, Wabash, Peoria, and Alta California.

RECEIPTS FROM CHURCHES.

There have been received during the year from forty churches on account of Loans, $5394.22; from sixty-five churches on account of Donations, $839.07; and from thirteen churches for interest, $986.58; making a total of $7219.87.

LEGAL OPINIONS.

The last General Assembly directed this Board to procure the written opinion of eminent legal counsel, as to the powers of the Assembly in respect to the Church Erection Fund, especially in reference to the question, whether, having received this Fund "as a special Trust," and in 1854 committed the custody thereof to a Board of Trustees, incorporated by a special statute of the State of New-York, the Assembly has the power so to alter the Church Erection Plan as to make an absolute gift of the increase of the Fund beyond the sum of $100,000, for the purpose named in the first article of the Plan? The Board were directed to report such opinions to this Assembly, with the addition of any recommendations which they might deem expedient.

In compliance with this direction of the Assembly, the Board have obtained from three eminent counsel written opinions, which are herewith submitted. None of these gentlemen had any knowledge of the opinions of the others; in fact, neither was aware that any other opinion excepting his own had been or would be obtained. It will be seen that they differ in their views of the power of the Assembly over the Fund, all agreeing, however, in this: that the Fund can never be used excepting for the objects set forth in the first article of the Plan.

By the first opinion, in the order in which they are presented to the Assembly, that of the Hon. Wm. Strong, of Philadelphia, a Judge of the Supreme Court of the State of Pennsylvania, it is insisted :

1st. That the General Assembly has power to direct donations of that portion of the Fund which may be in excess of the sum of $100,000, for the purpose described in the first article of the Plan; but that they have no power to make or direct the Board of Trustees to make donations of any other portion of it.

2d. That the Assembly has no power to make or direct any absolute gift of even the increase or excess above $100,000, if by absolute gift is understood gift without requiring security upon the church property for the return of the money with interest, in case of a change in the ecclesiastical relations of the church aided.

3d. That no alterations of the Plan can be made which will authorize donations without requiring such security.

4th. That the Plan may be so altered, as to dispense with any requisition of security that an annual collection in behalf of the Fund shall be taken up in the churches to which a donation is made; but the church will still be under obligation to take up such a collection independent of any such security being given.

By the second opinion, that of Daniel Lord, Esq., of the city of NewYork, it is insisted:

That the General Assembly, by the requisite vote, may direct the whole of the Fund at any time existing to be applied in donations; that, while there is no discrimination to be made between the increase or accumulation of the Fund, as to the application of it, or the retaining of it, yet, that it is in the power of the General Assembly, by the requisite vote, to apply the Fund to the designated objects without limiting it to advances which must be returned.

By the third opinion, that of Marshall S. Bidwell, Esq., of the city of New-York, it is on the contrary insisted :

1st. That the amount raised for this Fund was received by the Assembly in trust as a permanent Fund; that it must be preserved inviolate; that it cannot be diminished or impaired; that the General Assembly, therefore, cannot directly or indirectly give away or dispose of the Fund,

nor any part of it; that this restriction is fundamental and irrevocable, and that it is anterior to, and independent of, the Plan.

2d. That the Fund cannot be used excepting for the object named in the first Article of the Plan, the aiding of feeble congregations in erecting houses of worship; that this restriction is also fundamental and irrevocable; that while it is recognized in, yet it does not derive its force from, the Plan

3d. That the law imposes upon every person or body holding the Fund in trust, the obligation to keep the Fund invested in proper securities, which in the State of New-York embrace only Government Stocks and Mortgages upon unencumbered Real Estate; that the General Assembly cannot absolve the Trustees from this obligation.

4th. That, subject to the above restrictions, the General Assembly, by the requisite vote, may make any change in the Plan, and thus alter the manner of administering it.

5th. That the permanent Fund is not confined to the sum of $100,000, but embraces all increase of it above that amount, whether by donations, bequests, or by unemployed interest, and that such increase is subject to all the conditions of the original Fund.

6th. That it was the duty of the Trustees of the Fund, in the absence of any specific direction in respect thereto, to add to the Fund all accumulations of interest from time to time, as received, and that if such accumulated interest has been added by the Trustees to the Fund, it has become an integral part of it, and is subject to the same exemption from change or diminution as appertains to the other parts of the Fund; that it is one Fund, a unit; not two or more Funds-a permanent Fund, which cannot be impaired or reduced by revocation, donation, or otherwise, and which it is the duty of the Trustees to preserve inviolate.

The Board have carefully considered these diverse opinions, and will only add that they trust that the time will never come when, for the purpose of judicially settling the powers of the General Assembly over the Fund, a resort shall be had to law, the proverbial uncertainty of which has received a new illustration in the opinions herewith submitted to the Assembly.

It is certain, that the donors of the Fund intended to inaugurate just such a scheme of benevolence as this, and thus far in its management the Board have not in any particular violated any of the principles contended for in these opinions; and it certainly will be safe, to continue to administer the Fund substantially upon the same principles which have heretofore obtained, enlarging or diminishing the amount of Loans and Donations, and their terms, as the exigences of the congregations to be aided from time to time may require.

AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN.

In their Report to the last Assembly the Board recommended amendments to the Plan, increasing the amount of the Loans to $750, and of the Donations to $300. It was greatly regretted by the Board that when these amendments came before the Assembly for their final action, it was found that the requisite number (two thirds of the enrolled members) were not present.

By the present Plan, Loans are limited to $500 for three years without interest, (and in no case can exceed one third of the amount contributed for the house and lot.) Then the principal is required to be refunded in four equal annual installments, interest attaching, in case of default, on the whole amount during default.