mously voted to give the Exhibit to the Chicago Theological Seminary. It was transferred to the library of the Seminary and there stands in the pavilion in which it stood at the Fair. A fragment of Plymouth Rock had been lent the committee by Mr. J. Henry Stickney, of Baltimore, whose interests in all that presents Congregationalism favorably to the world is well known. He had ordered, at his expense, a model of the Canopy which stands at Plymouth over the Rock. This, with the fragment, was the central feature of the Exhibit. Mr. Stickney, to the Congregational Church Building Society, and as his residuary legatee, it was by them generously given to the committee that it might go into the possession of the Seminary. It passed, on the death of The sum of $169.33 remaining in the hands of the treasurer was voted to the custody of the trustees of the Seminary, to be used by them in restoring, preserving and perfecting the Exhibit, as a memorial of the Fair, and of what" Congregationalism has done for the world." JAS. GIBSON JOHNSON, Chairman. CHICAGO, July 23, 1895. JOHN ROBINSON MEMORIAL CHURCH. 1 The committee appointed at the last National Council to act in its behalf in co-operation with our brethren in England, in the matter of the John Robinson Memorial Church at Gainsborough, respectfully reports as follows: The Council approved the appropriation of the balance of the fund raised for the John Robinson Memorial Tablet at Leyden to aid in the erection of the proposed church at Gainsborough, and that balance was duly paid by the treasurer of said fund into the hands of your committee. The Council afforded an opportunity for offerings to be added to this balance, and a large number of pledges were made and recorded, and within a few weeks after the close of its session nearly all of these pledges were redeemed. From these sources, and from subsequent donations, there has been received by your committee, in all, the sum of twelve hundred and seventy-seven dollars and thirty-five cents. Of this amount there has been paid to the building committee in Gainsborough one payment of two 1 Page 17. hundred and fifty pounds, and one of ten pounds, vouchers for which payments are submitted heerwith. There is now in the hands of our committee a balance of three dollars and eighty-five cents. The account of your committee, therefore, stands as follows: The history of the enterprise on the other side of the sea is briefly this: The local committee at Gainsborough having been appointed, and a co-operating committee on the part of the Congregational Union of England and Wales, and your committee having entered into correspondence with the English committees, a general plan of carrying on the projected memorial building was matured. The first difficulty to be encountered was the acquiring of a suitable site. It is extremely hard for us in this country to appreciate how great this difficulty is. But, in a town in which nearly all the land belongs to the lord of the manor, and whenever any lot which does not belong to him comes into market he is a competing purchaser, and every man who has freehold property to sell understands the situation and is proportionally watchful to get the best possible price, to find what is wanted for such a building seemed well-nigh hopeless. The difficulty was aggravated by an impression getting about that the promoters of the enterprise would have abundant means to carry it forward. It finally seemed prudent to permit the matter to drop for a time, and, through delay and silence, suffer the idea to prevail that the project had been postponed or abandoned. After a year or more, however, an admirable site was quietly secured at a very reasonable cost. It was the site of a disused vicarage, excellently located, and well adapted to the purposes of the Memorial Church. By an exchange, moreover, of rear land for front, it was made a corner lot, and therefore still better adapted than it was at first. This problem, therefore, was most satisfactorily solved. Meanwhile, there had been consultations as to the structure, of what kind, and on what plans it should be built. The theory was adopted that a memorial edifice should be in harmony, at least in its outward proportions, with the most characteristic architecture of the period commemorated, and a sketch was made by a sympathetic architect of a building in the late Elizabethan style, which embodied that conception. After the site had been secured, and some wise modifications of the design had been effected, plans were perfected and definitely adopted. The exterior proportions and appearance correspond with the commemorative purpose, the interior arrangements are made to furnish all modern conveniences, and adequate accommodations for the congregation, the schools, and the work of the church. Sketches of these plans are submitted herewith. In the month of May in this year, it was intimated to your committee that from the point of view of our English brethren it seemed highly desirable to secure the presence and co-operation of the ambassador of the United States on the occasion of the laying of the corner-stone. At this suggestion your committee addressed Mr. Bayard a letter setting forth the situation, and asking if he would be willing to represent his Congregationalist fellow-citizens in this interesting service. He very promptly and cordially responded that it would give him the utmost pleasure to perform the service desired, and it has been definitely arranged between our English brethren and him that he shall lay the stone. The great financial depression of 1893 led your committee to suspend efforts to raise funds in aid of the enterprise, especially as its prosecution was delayed. But the time seems to have come to resume the endeavor, and to secure contributions from the churches which were not called upon; if practicable, some contribution, large or small, from every church in our communion. It is not desirable to burden any one church, or any group of churches, but simply to enlist as many churches as we can in the work of making a memorial offering with a view to honor the memory of a man to whom all our churches are alike indebted, the pastor of the Pilgrim Fathers, a champion in a perilous time of Congregational principles, a great apostle of liberty, the father of English Independents. The money already contributed was used in paying for the new site, but with the reserve that a like amount of the proceeds of the old site, when it is sold, should be placed at our disposal, so that, if deemed expedient, the contributions of the American churches as a whole can be designated to some special feature of the building, such as a memorial window, or anything else that may be preferred. It is hoped that the amount reached will be not unworthy to be in some way permanently embodied in token that the Congregational churches in this country were in full sympathy with their kindred churches in England, in the purpose to perpetuate the remembrance of Robinson in the town in which he was born, and in which later he cast in his lot with the humble company of godly souls, despised and persecuted of men, indeed, but destined of God to achieve imperishable results, and to win an immortal fame. To this end your committee begs to recommend its continuance and its reinforcement, with instructions further to prosecute the purpose for which it was originally appointed. All of which is respectfully submitted. CHARLES RAY PALMER. REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON CREDENTIALS ON ALABAMA CASE. 1 Your committee on credentials beg leave to report as follows: The General Convention of Alabama is present, by its accredited delegate, asking recognition. At the National Council of 1892 that body was denied admission, on the ground that it was "not yet organized as representing all the Congregational churches of the State." Since that time the said General Convention of Alabama has modified its constitution, adopting the principle of the Council of 1892, of “equal rights for all disciples of Christ, of every race,' and has extended an invitation to the Congregational Association of Alabama to unite with it on that basis, thus conforming to the suggestions of the Council in its effort to secure a representation of "all the churches of the State" in its own body. That invitation was accepted by vote of the Association in 1894, and its delegates sat together in harmonious session. 1 Page 19. But, on referring the question of union to the churches of the Association for ratification, it failed to carry, by a tie vote,-nine churches voting for union, and nine voting against it, the membership of the churches favoring union being slightly in excess of those voting against it. In view of these facts, your committee recommend the adoption by this Council of the following preamble and resolutions, viz. :— Whereas, the General Convention of Alabama has incorporated into its constitution the principle of the equality of all disciples of Christ, of every race, so far as concerns Christian recognition and co-operation; and Whereas, the said General Convention of Alabama has accepted the suggestion of the Council of 1892, and cordially invited all the Congregational churches of the State into its equal fellowship, which invitation has not yet been finally accepted; Therefore, resolved (1), that this Council recommends that negotiations for union with the churches of the Alabama Association be resumed, and that both parties, in the spirit of mutual concession, earnestly endeavor to bring all the Congregational churches of the State into one fraternal organization. Resolved (2), that this Council gives present recognition to the General Convention of Alabama pending further action upon the above recommendation, and cordially welcomes its representative, Rev. Stephen E. Barrett, to a seat in the Council of 1895. Unanimously recommended and respectfully submitted by the committee on credentials. L. H. HALLOCK. L. H. LATHAM. WM. E. WOLCOTT. CHAS. T. BRIDGMAN. SYRACUSE, Oct. 10, 1895. |