sembly may happen to sit; to consult, vote and determine on all things that may come before that body, according to the principles and Constitution of this Church and the word of God. And of his diligence herein he is to render an account at his return.

Signed by order of the Presbytery,

Moderator.

Clerk.

And the Presbytery shall make record of the appointment.

1 Irregularities and Defects in Commissions.-Commissioner Received.

a. Without a commission, but brings testimony of appointment.1792, p. 48; 1793, p. 65; 1794, p. 79; 1795, p. 94; 1806, p. 347; 1816, p. 605; 1821, p. 7, and passim.

b. Commission signed only by the stated clerk.-1795, p. 94; 1830, p. 281. c. Not in due form.-1828, p. 226; 1829, p. 254; 1858, p. 574, N. S.; 1852, O. S., and passim.

d. Wanting the date of the year of appointment.-1831, p. 317.

e. Wanting signature of moderator.-1831, p. 317; 1833, p. 389; 1834, p. 422; 1835, p. 465.

f. Extract from the Minutes signed by stated clerk.-1834, p. 422; 1835, p. 465; 1837, p. 415; 1849, N. S.; 1851, O. S., and passim.

g. Wants the signature of the clerk.-1834, p. 422; 1836, p. 238; 1839, p. 8, N. S.

h. Dated more than seven months since.-1834, p. 422.

i. From Presbyteries whose organization has not yet been reported officially to the General Assembly.-1855, p. 265, O. S.; 1865, p. 528, O. S.; 1868, p. 597, O. S.

k. The Committee on Elections also reported that they had satisfactory proof that it was the wish of the presbytery of Allahabad, in Northern India, that the Rev. L. G. Hay should represent said Presbytery in the General Assembly, but that, on account of the rebellion in India and consequent confusion, the Presbytery had not held a formal election, and the Committee refer the case to the Assembly.

On motion, it was ordered that he be admitted to a seat, and his name was accordingly enrolled.-1858, p. 262, O. S.

7. The Assembly met. The Committee on Elections presented a report, which was adopted, and is as follows:

The Rev. T. Ewing, of the Presbytery of Saltsburg, and Ruling Elder James E. Brown, of the same Presbytery; Rev. Albert Williams, of the Presbytery of California; Rev. N. L. Upham, of the Presbytery of Raritan; Rev. J. B. Dunn, of the Presbytery of Londonderry; Ruling Elder E. J. Crane, of the Presbytery of California; Ruling Elder William P. Emery, of the Presbytery of Raritan, have regular commissions, lacking the signatures of the moderators of their respective Presbyteries, and having only those of the stated clerks; that the Rev. Ira M. Condit, of the Presbytery of Canton, is bearer of an informal appointment, signed by all the members of Presbytery who were in Canton at the time, when, however, a quorum could not be assembled, on account of the absence of several members in this country; that the Rev. W. J. Monteith, of the Presbytery of Oregon, has a letter from the Stated Clerk of that Presbytery, certifying his appointment and promising that his commission, which has not

come to hand, should be duly forwarded; that the Rev. H. M. Shockley, of the Presbytery of White Water; Rev. James Harper, D. D., of the Presbytery of Carlisle; Rev. I. J. Henderson, of the Presbytery of Baltimore; Ruling Elder James Pomeroy, of the Presbytery of Huntingdon; Ruling Elder Samuel Culbertson, of the Presbytery of Zanesville, have lost or forgotten their commissions, but have offered sufficient testimony, as the Committee regard it, from their respective fellow-commissioners or others, to justify their admission; that the Rev. J. H. Barnard, of the Presbytery of Waukesha, has a commission signed by the stated clerk, and another signed by the moderator of his Presbytery, which together form a valid commission, and the Committee recommended that the foregoing names be all added to the roll.-1869, p. 889, O. S. See also chap. xii., sec. i., Form of Government.

[The usage is that when satisfactory evidence is given of the actual appointment of the commissioner his name is enrolled.]

2. The Assembly will not go Behind a Commission.

[In the case below a member of the Presbytery informed the Assembly that Mr. Bissell had not been set apart as an elder, but appointed, as was supposed, in accordance with the Plan of Union. In answer to a protest the Assembly reply]:

Mr. Bissell was admitted by the Assembly for the following reasons: 1. The commission which Mr. Bissell produced was in due form, and signed by the proper officers of the Presbytery.

2. Every Presbytery has a right to judge of the qualifications of its own members, and it is amenable to Synod, and not to the General Assembly, except by way of appeal or reference or complaint regularly brought up from the inferior judicatories, which has not been done in the present case.

3. It would be a dangerous precedent, and would lead to the destruction of all order in the Church of Christ, to permit unauthorized verbal testimony to set aside an authenticated written document.-1826, p. 181.

III. 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.

1. The Commissioners' Fund.-Former Plans.

[The Assembly of 1792, p. 59, ordered "that each Presbytery pay their own commissioners for the future, and for attending the present Assembly." In 1803, p. 279, the expense of attending the Assembly from distant Presbyteries was brought to the notice of the body by overture, and a Committee appointed. On its report, p. 282, the subject was referred to the Presbyteries, with directions to report to the next Assembly. In 1804, p. 311, the following resolution was adopted, viz.:]

Resolved, That it be recommended to the Presbyteries belonging to the Synod of New York and New Jersey, and to the Synod of Philadelphia, earnestly to advise the churches under their care to make an annual collection, to be specially appropriated to aid in the payment of the expenses of the commissioners from the more distant parts of the country, to enable them to attend the General Assembly, and that the money, when collected, be put into the hands of the treasurer of the corporation, and paid to

the persons who may attend as commissioners under the direction of the General Assembly.

A more comprehensive plan, looking to collections in all the churches, was adopted by the Assembly of 1806, pp. 369-371. See also 1807, pp. 385, 386; 1822, p. 56.

In 1833, p. 410, the Assembly urgently pressed the necessity of contribution to the common fund on all the churches under its care.

2. During the Separation.

a. Resolved, That while the Assembly would not interfere with any arrangements that any Presbytery may choose to make to defray the expenses of its own delegates, we would enjoin it upon the weak Presbyteries to see to it that their churches contribute as largely as possible, and that the more able ones, and especially such as are not very remote from the place where the Assembly meets, be required to have collections taken up in their churches for a common commissioners' fund to aid the weaker Presbyteries in defraying the expenses of their delegates.-1847, p. 395, O. S. b. The Committee to whom was referred the subject of mileage presented a report, which was adopted, and is as follows:

The commissioners' fund is distributed at the present time in the following manner: The money contributed for the general fund is paid into the hands of the Committee on Mileage, and distributed to such commissioners as claim it (whose Presbyteries have contributed anything to the fund, and who have not otherwise been paid), according to the number of miles each has traveled to the place of meeting.

This mode of distribution appears to be as simple and equitable as any that can be adopted, and the Committee recommend that it remain unchanged.

Our Form of Government, chap. xxii., sec. iii., makes it proper for each Presbytery to pay its own commissioners; consequently, if any Presbytery shall choose to do so, the Assembly cannot require them to contribute to the general fund. But it is most earnestly recommended to the older and abler Presbyteries, in view of the wide extent of our Church, and the great importance of our rising Presbyteries being represented in the meetings of the Assembly, if they shall choose to exercise their right to pay their own commissioners in full, that they be particular in making additional collections for the general fund, so that the younger and feebler Presbyteries may be fully represented. And it is hereby made the duty of the stated clerk to give due notice of this recommendation previous to the meeting of the General Assembly.-1851, p. 24, N. S.

See also 1856, pp. 216, 217, N. S.

c. [In 1857 the Assembly, N. S., adopted the following plan, which was acted upon up to the time of the reunion, viz.:]

That each Presbytery be earnestly requested to contribute annually their full proportion toward the expenses of our General Assemblies.

That this proportion be determined by the number of communicants connected with the Presbytery.

That the rate per capita for the next Assembly be five (5) cents for cach communicant.

That each Presbytery be at liberty to apportion their quota among their churches as they shall deem best.

That the Standing Committee on Mileage, annually appointed, estimate and report the probable amount that will be needed to defray the traveling expenses of the commissioners and the contingent expenses of the next succeeding Assembly, together with the rate that will be adequate.

That on or before the fourth day of the sessions of each Assembly the amount thus contributed be paid to the Committee on Mileage, and a bill be presented by each commissioner of his necessary traveling expenses and mileage.

That these bills, having been duly audited by the Mileage Committee, be paid as fully as the funds will permit, after appropriating an amount sufficient to defray the contingent expenses of the Assembly.

That each minister and vacant church connected with those Presbyteries who have contributed their full quota to this fund be entitled to a copy of the annual minutes.

That in order to avail themselves of the privileges of this plan, the Presbyteries must contribute, and forward to the Assembly, their full proportion of this fund as thus determined.

The report was adopted.-1857, pp. 399, 400, N. S.

3. The Rule as Adopted at the Reunion.

It is affirmed, Form of Government, chap. xxii., sec. iii., 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.

It is therefore recommended

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 by their commissioner.

4. That as early as the fifth day of the sessions of the Assembly the apportionment of each Presbytery be paid in full, and a bill of the neces sary traveling expenses of its commissioners be presented to the Standing Committee on Mileage.

5. That the Mileage Committee, after appropriating from the whole sum an amount sufficient to meet the estimated contingent expense of the Assembly, be instructed to audit these bills and pay them pro rata, if approved, 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, pp. 59, 60.

Resolved, That the presbyterial assessments for the Commissioners' and Contingent Funds for the General Assembly of the year 1871 be fixed at six cents per capita.

Resolved, That the Presbyteries are hereby instructed to apportion their assessments among their various churches, to notify each church of the amount required therefrom, and to enjoin upon and require of each session the prompt collection thereof.

Resolved, That hereafter the Assembly will expect and require from each Presbytery represented therein, excepting foreign Presbyteries, the payment in full of its entire assessment, according to its last preceding report of membership, irrespective of any delinquencies on the part of particular churches.-1870, p. 100.

4. Presbyteries Enjoined to Secure the Full Quota, and those Delinquent Censured.

One hundred and forty-four (144) Presbyteries have reported to your Committee. Of this number all but three (3) have paid in full, excepting those among freedmen and missionary stations. The exceptions are the Presbyteries of Columbus, Shenango and Lyons, who have paid the balance remaining in the hands of their commissioners after deducting their expenses, or $141, out of an assessment of $498.24.

Eight (8) Presbyteries have not reported to the Committee, viz., Mahoning, St. Clairsville, Dubuque, Iowa, Transylvania, Long Island, Blairsville and Utica, their total assessment being $1617.12.

Three (3) of these Presbyteries, viz., St. Clairsville, Iowa and Blairsville, have declined by a majority vote to report to the fund.

Believing that this fund is based upon the soundest principles of justice and wisdom, and that its proper administration is vital to the best interests of the Assembly, your Committee would call most earnest attention to the fact of the great increase in the number of Presbyteries who are disregarding its provisions, and are taking the funds raised for this purpose into their own hands.

With the exception of the freedmen and missionary Presbyteries, but five (5) of the whole number of Presbyteries failed to report in full to the Assembly of 1871. No action having been taken thereon, and the silence of the Assembly seeming thus to give consent to such irregularities, we have now eleven (11) Presbyteries, or an increase of six (6) in a single year, placing themselves outside of and above the regulations of the Assembly, and three of them by a deliberate vote of the bodies themselves. A similar increase for a very brief term of years will inevitably undermine and do away with the practical workings of this fund, and render it impossible to obtain a full and free representation of all the Presbyteries on the floor of the Assembly.

The Committee cannot avoid the conviction that those commissioners who have withheld from this fund moneys specially raised and designated