2. The Committee appointed; its Powers and Duties.

α. “To promote the diffusion of those truths which distinguish us as a Church, the General Assembly adopts the following arrangement:

"1. There is hereby established at Philadelphia a standing committee of nine persons, whose duty it shall be to superintend the publication of a series of tracts explanatory of the doctrines, government, and missionary policy of the Presbyterian Church, as the General Assembly shall from time to time direct. One-third of this committee shall serve for one year, one-third for two years, and the remaining third for three years. The election, to fill the places of those whose terms expire, to be held at each meeting of the General Assembly.

"2. This committee shall elect a secretary and treasurer, the former of whom shall receive such a salary per annum, as shall be agreed upon by the committee; and shall be the editor of the tracts published; and also, as far as may be necessary, the soliciting agent for such an amount of funds as may be required to carry out the objects for which this committee is appointed.

"3. It shall be the duty of this committee to meet at Philadelphia, and, after due organization, to take measures to procure the preparation and publication, in cheap, neat, and substantial form, of a series of Tracts for the purposes above stated. No tract to be published, which does not receive the unanimous approbation of the committee.

"4. This committee shall, if consistent with the interests of the Assembly, enter into a contract with some publisher or publishers to assume, for a time, the publication of such tracts as may be furnished them, at certain rates, which shall be agreed upon in writing. And if no such arrangement can be profitably and satisfactorily made, then the said committee shall, by solicitation from the churches, proceed to provide a sufficient fund for their publication in behalf of the Assembly.

"5. This committee shall make a full report of its proceedings to the General Assembly, at each annual meeting.

"The following persons were appointed the committee to superintend the preparation and publication of doctrinal tracts, viz.: Rev. Thomas Brainerd, D.D., Rev. Albert Barnes, and Mr. S. T. Bodine, for one year; Rev. E. W. Gilbert, D.D., Rev. Thomas H. Skinner, D.D., and Rev. George Duffield, Jr., for two years; Rev. Asa D. Smith, D.D., Rev. Jonathan F. Stearns, D.D., and Hon. William Darling, for three years.

"Resolved, That the committee have power to fill their own vacancies."—Minutes, 1852, p. 176.

b. “In regard to the publication of the annual reports, we would state, that each permanent committee now publishes and circulates, to a considerable extent, its own report, and bears the expense; that our religious weeklies insert synopses of them free of charge; and that the only satisfactory change, at present practicable or desirable, seems to be, that the several committees, each bearing its own expense as now, intrust the printing of their reports to the Publication Committee; and that the latter print them in uniform style, with their own imprimatur. The reports will then be in shape, both for easy circulation, and also for binding and preservation. This change in the publication of the annual reports of our permanent committees we recommend."-Minutes, 1859, p. 37.

3. Committee enlarged. Rule modified so as to require the assent of three-fourths to the Publication of any Book or Tract.

"The committee to whom was referred the report of the Standing Committee for the preparation and publication of doctrinal tracts, reported the following resolutions, which were adopted:

"1. That the Rev. Thomas Brainerd, D.D., Rev. Albert Barnes, and Mr. Samuel T. Bodine, whose term of service on the committee has expired, be re-elected.

"2. That the Rev. George Chandler and Samuel H. Perkins, Esq., of Philadelphia, be added to the committee.

"3. That the rule requiring the unanimous consent of the committee for the publication of any book or tract, be so modified, that a majority of three-fourths only shall be required.

"4. That the committee be authorized to take such measures as they may deem advisable, to secure the necessary funds for the erection of a house of publication.

“5. That it be earnestly recommended to all our churches to take up collections, annually or otherwise, in aid of the publishing fund under the control of this committee.

"6. That we suggest to the Publication Committee the desirableness of issuing, as soon as practicable, a few tracts which shall clearly and distinctly exhibit our peculiar views of doctrine, government, and missionary policy, with a view to answer the calumnies against us, and show

our true position in the Church and in the world."-Minutes, 1853, p. 330.

4. Committee enlarged. Quorum. Nothing to be Published without the Assent of a Majority of the Committee.

a. "The committee to whom was referred the report on doctrinal tracts, and also the overture from the Presbytery of Philadelphia 4th, on the subject of a Presbyterian publication house, report, that they concur cordially in the expressions of the report on the subject of the press, and its great importance as an organ of usefulness; also, on the desirableness of a religious literature suitable to the wants of our denomination; and congratulate the Assembly on the prospect that this want will be supplied by the future efficiency of this committee.

"Your committee, moreover, fully concur in the views of the report, as to the inexpediency of ourselves entering upon the business of printing, and the superior advantages of doing the work by the agency of existing printing establishments.

"Your committee further recommend, that the Publication Committee be enlarged to the number of fifteen, nine of whom shall reside in the city of Philadelphia, or vicinity; that of this number, five shall constitute a quorum for ordinary business, whose sittings shall be in the city of Philadelphia; but nothing shall be authorized for publication, issued, or endorsed by said committee, except by a majority of its members. All publications to issue simultaneously in the two cities of New York and Philadelphia, with the imprimatur of the committee. Adopted."Minutes, 1854, p. 508.

Committee divided into Three Classes, one Class to go out of Office

Yearly.

b. "The members of the Publication Committee, whose term of office expires at this time, are the Rev. Thomas H. Skinner and George. Duffield, Jr. In addition to these, the committee recommend the appointment of thirteen others; and that this committee arrange themselves at their first meeting into three classes, five going out of office yearly. Adopted.”—Minutes, 1854, p. 508.

C. "The committee to nominate members of the Doctrinal Tract Committee made the following report, which was adopted.

"Publication Committee: Rev. A. Barnes, Rev. N. S. S. Beman, D.D., LL.D., Rev. Wm. Eagleton, D.D., Rev. Thos. Brainerd, D.D., Rev. Asa D. Smith, D.D., Rev. S. H. Gridley, Rev. A. H. H. Boyd, D.D., Rev. S. T. Spear, D.D., Rev. Geo. Duffield, Jr., Rev. H. Darling, Rev. J. Jenkins, and Messrs. S. H. Perkins, S. T. Bodine, C. S. Wurts, and E. S. Whelen."-Minutes, 1854, p. 510.

5. Name changed to "The Presbyterian Publication Committee." "Resolved, That the name of the Doctrinal Tract Committee of the General Assembly, be changed to The Presbyterian Publication Committee.'"-Minutes, 1855, p. 13.

6. The Church Psalmist to be secured for the Assembly.

a. "The Assembly took from the docket the report of the Committee on Church Psalmody, and the following substitute was adopted:

"Resolved, 1. That the Publication Committee confer with the proprietors of the Church Psalmist, and secure, if possible, the transfer, on reasonable terms, of the copyright of said book to the General Assembly, and that the committee have full powers to close arrangements binding. on the Assembly.

"Resolved, 2. That, in case of failure, said committee report to the next General Assembly, and at the same time recommend to that body the course which they deem it most advisable to pursue in the premises." -Minutes, 1855, p. 32.

The Committee authorized to negotiate for the Church Psalmist; also, to apply for an Act of Incorporation.

b. "The committee to whom was referred the annual reports of the Publication Committee, and of 'the Trustees of the Presbyterian House,' respectfully report:

"That they recommend the approval of these reports and the course of action which has been pursued by these bodies the past year. Your committee believe that there is an important field to be occupied by the Publication Committee, without interference with the societies whose object is to supply a more general evangelical literature. It is necessary, also, that the committee should have a house in which their ope

rations may be carried on, and which may be used for other purposes connected with our Church.

:

"It appears from the reports, that three objects are now particularly engaging the attention of the Publication Committee and the Board of Trustees, viz. the necessary arrangements for a uniform psalm and hymn book for the whole Church; the endowment of the committee with a suitable capital for carrying on its operations; and the raising of funds to complete the payment for the Presbyterian House, agreeably to the plan adopted by the General Assembly in 1854. These objects strike your committee as reasonable and important, and, in view of the whole case, they recommend the following resolutions, viz. :

"Resolved, 1. That the reports of the Presbyterian Publication Committee, and of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian House, be approved, and that extracts from the same be published in the Appendix to the Minutes of the Assembly, at the discretion of the stated clerk.

"2. That in view of the wants of these institutions; for the purpose of securing uniformity in Church psalmody; of endowing the Publication Committee, and paying the balance of the sum required for the purchase of the Presbyterian House, agreeably to the plan agreed upon. by the General Assembly of 1854; it be and hereby is recommended to all the churches under our care, to take up a simultaneous collection on the first Sabbath of December next; and that an effort be made at that time to raise the sum of thirty thousand dollars for these objects; onehalf of which is to be appropriated to the Publication Committee, for the two objects first mentioned, and the other one-half to the trustees of the Presbyterian House, for the last object mentioned; and that, in case less than the sum mentioned be raised by said collection, it be equally divided between the two bodies for the respective purposes mentioned.

"3. In order to preserve uniformity in Church psalmody, that the Publication Committee be authorized to negotiate with the compilers and publishers of the Church Psalmist, and to purchase that book, if this can be done on reasonable terms; but, if such terms cannot be obtained, then that they be instructed to inquire whether a new book of psalms and hymns may not be compiled, which shall meet all our wants, and to report to the next General Assembly.

"4. That the Publication Committee is hereby authorized to apply to the Legislature of Pennsylvania to obtain a charter to enable them more perfectly to carry on their operations, and to accept the same when granted.