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interests to be consulted; and no other such churches shall be hereafter received.

(3) The boundaries of the several Presbyteries and Synods should be adjusted by the General Assembly of the united Church.

(4) The official records of the two Branches of the Church, for the period of separation, should be preserved and held as making up the one history of the Church; and no rule or precedent, which does not stand approved by both the bodies, should be of any authority, until re-established in the united body, except in so far as such rule or precedent may affect the rights of property founded thereon.

(5) The corporate rights, now held by the two General Assemblies, and by their Boards and Committees, should, as far as practicable, be consolidated, and applied for their several objects, as defined by law.

(6) There should be one set of Committees or Boards for Home and Foreign Missions, and the other religious enterprises of the Church, which the churches should be encouraged to sustain, though free to cast their contributions into other channels, if they desire to do so.

(7) As soon as practicable after the union shall have been effected, the General Assembly should reconstruct and consolidate the several permanent Committees and Boards, which now belong to the two Assemblies, so as to represent, as far as possible, with impartiality, the views and wishes of the two bodies constituting the united Church.

(8) The publications of the Boards of Publication and of the Publication Committee should continue to be issued as at present, leaving it to the Board of Publication of the United Church to revise these issues, and perfect a catalogue for the united Church so as to exclude invidious references to past controversies.

(9) In order to a uniform system of ecclesiastical supervision, those Theological Seminaries that are now under Assembly control may, if their Boards of Direction so

elect, be transferred to the watch and care of one or more of the adjacent Synods; and the other Seminaries are advised to introduce, as far as may be, into their constitutions, the principle of Synodical or Assembly supervision, in which case, they shall be entitled to an official recognition and approbation on the part of the General Assembly.

(10) It should be regarded as the duty of all our judicatories, ministers and people of the United Church, to study the things which make for peace, and to guard against all needless and offensive references to the causes that have divided us, in order to avoid the revival of past issues, by the continuance of any usage in either branch of the Church that has grown out of former conflicts, it is earnestly recommended to the lower judicatories of the Church that they conform their practice in relation to all such usages, as far as is consistent with their convictions of duty, to the general custom of the Church prior to the controversies that resulted in the separation. [1869, O. S. p. 915, N. S. p. 278.]

II.

AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.

ACT REGULATING THE METHOD OF DECLARING AND ENACTING THE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION.

Resolved, That it shall be the duty of the Stated Clerk to present to the General Assembly next ensuing any Assembly which has sent down an Overture, the written answers to said Overture which may have been received by him from the Presbyteries. And thereupon, such statement from the Clerk, together with the written answers to said Overture, shall be referred by the Assembly to a Committee of Canvass, to be composed of three ministers and two elders, Commissioners to said Assembly.

And, upon the report of such Committee, that after canvassing the written answers of the Presbyteries to any Overture or Overtures, amending or altering the Form of

Government, the Book of Discipline, or the Directory for Worship, it appears that it has been approved in writing by a majority of the Presbyteries, then General Assembly shall by resolution declare such amendment or alteration to have been adopted, as a part of the Form of Government, Book of Discipline, or Directory for Worship, (as the case may be), of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.

And further upon the report of such Committee, that after canvassing the written answers of the Presbyteries to any Overture proposing to amend or alter the Confession of Faith or the Larger or Shorter Catechism, it appears that it has been approved in writing by two-thirds of the Presbyteries, the General Assembly shall proceed to take such action concerning said proposed amendment or alteration as may seem expedient-under Sec. 4 of said Chap. xxiii. of the Form of Government, concerning Amendments-which requires said amendment or alteration to be agreed to and enacted by the General Assembly, before it becomes a part of the Confession of Faith, or the Larger or Shorter Catechism of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America. [1891, p. 442.]

III.

ASSEMBLY FUNDS.

1. ACT REGULATING THE MILEAGE SYSTEM.

It is affirmed, Form of Government, Chap. xxii. Sec. 3, that, "in order, as far as possible, to procure a respectable and full delegation to all our judicatories, it is proper that the expenses of ministers and elders in their attendance on these judicatories, be defrayed by the bodies which they respectively represent."

The principle is thus established, that provision should be made for the payment of the traveling expenses of Commissioners to the General Assembly. This provision should be made by the Presbyteries.

As far as possible, the feebler Presbyteries should be

aided in this matter by the stronger. It appears just and reasonable, and so has been found by experience, that the estimated contingent expenses of each Assembly, and the traveling expenses of the Commissioners in coming to and returning from the Assembly should be fully met by the apportionment of the whole amount among the several Presbyteries, according to the number of their communicants respectively. Therefore, Resolved,

(1) That the Standing Committee on Mileage, annually appointed, be instructed to present an estimate of the probable amount that will be needed by the next General Assembly, in order to meet their contingent expenses and the traveling expenses of their Commissioners, with a statement of the per capita rate, based on the number of communicants, that will be needed to secure the amount.

(2) That the Presbyteries, at their Stated Meeting next following the adjournment of the General Assembly, apportion the amount required of their Churches as they deem best.

(3) That the Churches be instructed to pay over their respective apportionments, at the Stated Meeting of their Presbyteries next preceding the meeting of the General Assembly-the whole amount due from the Presbytery to be forwarded to the Assembly.*

(4) That, as early as the fourth day of the sessions of the Assembly, the apportionment of each Presbytery be paid in full, and a bill of the necessary traveling expenses of its Commissioners be presented to the Standing Committee on Mileage. N. B.—It is understood that Commissioners, both in coming to and returning from the Assembly, will avail themselves of any commutation of fares that may be offered in season; and that in other cases they are to take, when practicable, the most economical route; no allowance to be made for extra accommodation along the way. Also, that no one will charge for return expenses unless he intends to go back to his field of labor; and that no one

*The Assembly has recommended that the amount due be sent to its Stated Clerk prior to the meeting.

on a business tour, or excursion of pleasure, will make a convenience of the meeting of the Assembly, and expect payment of his traveling expenses from the Mileage Fund. Also, that Commissioners, as soon after their arrival as practicable, are to report themselves to the Committee of Arrangements, and have their respective places of abode assigned them.

(5) That the Mileage Committee, after appropriating from the whole sum an amount sufficient to meet the estimated contingent expenses of the Assembly, be instructed to audit these bills and pay them pro rata (if found in accordance with the preceding regulations), as far as the funds will permit.

(6) That, in order to avail themselves of the proceeds of this fund, the Presbyteries must contribute their full proportion to it according to the per capita rate.

(7) That every minister, and every vacant Church contributing to this fund, connected with the Presbyteries thus complying with the provisions of this plan, be entitled to a copy of the Annual Minutes of the General Assembly.

(8) That the Commissioners from Presbyteries in foreign lands receive their necessary traveling expenses, pro rata, from their place of residence in this country. [1870, as amended, 1875, 1877, 1884.]

2. ACT RELATING TO THE USE OF THE FUNDS.

The Assembly has no power to devote the funds collected for the expenses of the Assembly to other purposes. [1891, p. 107.]

3. ACT RELATING TO RECOMMENDATION OF CHURCHES, ETC., FOR CONTRIBUTIONS.

The recommendation of any particular congregation to the benevolence of the denomination, by the General Assembly, is not to be understood as creating either a legal or a moral obligation upon the Assembly, for the payment of the amount recommended to be contributed by the churches. [1892, p. 36; 1893, p. 41.]

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