The Standing Committee on Church Extension, having examined the report of the Permanent Committee on Church Extension, only deem it necessary to recommend the adoption of the following resolutions:

Resolved, 1. That while this General Assembly would make no change in the general basis of our operations in the department of Church Extension, yet in view of the fact that, as experience shows, great and perplexing delays are found to result, in many cases, from a literal and rigid adherence to the restrictions under which the Committee on Church Extension have acted hithert, they are hereby authorized to exercise their discretion, in relation to such applications for aid, as may seem to require prompt and immediate action.

Resolved, 2. In view of the rapid growth of the population in the newer sections of our country, and the consequent demand for explorations, and the establishment and support of churches, that a large increase in the funds of the Committee is imperatively needed for the prosecution of their work during the coming year; and that it is hereby recommended, to all the churches in our connection, to make this one of their regular objects of annual contribution.

Resolved, 3. That a Committee of nine be appointed at this time to confer with the Executive Committee of the American Home Missionary Society, in reference to our relations with that Society.

The following persons are hereby nominated for appointment in the place of those members of the Permanent Committee on Church Extension, whose term of office expires at the present time, viz, Joseph B. Sheffield, Thomas P. Sparhawk, Hon. Joseph Allison, Benjamin J. Wallace, S. W. Fisher, D.D.

The report of the Permanent Committee is printed in full in the Appendix to the Minutes of the Assembly.

It will be observed that the action of the Permanent Committee on Church Extension has again been unanimously approved by the Assembly. Not only so, but the Assembly have allowed the Committee a much larger discretion than formerly in regard to the restrictions under which they have hitherto acted; they have declared that a large increase in the funds of the Committee is imperatively needed, and recommended to all our Churches to make this one of their regular objects of annual contribution.

The policy of establishing this Committee is thus effectively vindicated. The danger in regard to the Assembly's Committees now is, not that there is opposition to them, for all the action in relation to them this year was unanimous, or nearly so, but that they may perish through the apathy of the churches in providing funds for them. It is very difficult to change the

course.

habits of large bodies of men; if they have contributed through a particular channel, they will still be inclined to pursue the same The duty of sustaining our denominational efforts is now acknowledged by the pastors in general, but pastors do not like to ask their people for money; if they are inclined to give to any good object, they are a little disposed to let them take their own course, and thus all our denominational objects are coming into a position of serious embarrassment. Circulars, statements through the press, appeals on the floor of Church Courts, nothing seems able to remove the apathy on these subjects. The serious and disagreeable question we fear may have to come up, whether we shall not be obliged to put into the field soliciting agents, going from church to church, and thus compelling attention to these matters.

And yet this is exceedingly to be deprecated. We are told that our brethren of the other branch of our Church raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for denominational objects, without soliciting agents. Certainly our people are not less liberal than theirs. This matter ought to press with much force upon pastors. They say they do not like agents, and yet will they not pursue the only course which can prevent their necessity, that is, present to their people, systematically, the denominational objects that need their attention? It is a matter of the greatest moment, and yet we are at a perfect loss how to arouse our ministers from their apathy. A few attend to these objects, but many will not even reply to a letter asking their attention. to matters that are vital to the success and almost the existence of their own Church.

The Committee of Conference with the American Home Missionary Society, are Rev. Drs. Prentiss, Stearns, Brainerd, Wisner and Allen, Rev. Harvey Curtis, Rev. Timothy Hill, Samuel H. Perkins and Cyrus P. Smith, Esqr's.

PRESBYTERIAN HOUSE AND PUBLICATION COMMITTEE.

The Third Annual Report of the Trustees of the Presbyterian House was read by the Secretary, referred to the Committee on Publication, and is printed in full in the Appendix to the Minutes of the Assembly.

The Trustees report that as the $30,000 collection ordered

by the Assembly of 1856, was a comparative failure, the ministers and members of our Church in Philadelphia came to the conclusion that it would be better to pay for the House, and relieve the present necessities of the Publication Committee, in this city. The President of the Board agreed promptly to pay $10,000 for the House, conditioned upon the raising of $10,000 more for the Publication Committee. This sum was made up, and the whole sum hitherto raised for the Presbyterian House and the Publication Committee in Philadelphia, reaches Forty Thousand Dollars.

The balance against the Treasury at the last report was $3,384 67. The account as presented was as follows:

Ground rent, taxes and all other expenses, 2,983 13

The original purchase money of the House was $40,000, on which had been paid, at the time of the purchase, $10,000. This money was advanced by five gentlemen, and has now all been returned, none of the generous lenders requiring interest on the loan. The $10,000 given by Mr. Brown pays off every liability of every kind, except the $20,000 which is to remain on ground rent until liquidated by the rents of the building. The ground rent, after this payment, is $1,200, to which is to be added taxes and ordinary repairs to the amount of about $800. As the rents of the building amount to $3,000, there is a sinking fund of about $1,000 per annum to pay the ground rent.

It was also arranged that the Trustees should act as such for the Publication Committee, as provision for similar purposes is made in the Charter.

The report of the Publication Committee was presented by Rev. George Duffield, Jr., Secretary pro tem. The most interesting event of the year, besides the securing of the Pres

byterian House, was the purchase of the Church Psalmist from Dr. Beman and Messrs. Ivison & Phinney, as the basis of a uniform system of Church Psalmody. The Church will, in future, at least have under her own control her Confession of Faith and Form of Government, her Catechisms and her Psalm and Hymn Book. The Committee press the necessity of further funds, and advert to the subject of a Charter.

The Rev. Dr. Duffield, of Detroit, also made a report on the subject of Chanting the Book of Psalms, which had been referred by a previous Assembly to a Committee of which he was chairman.

All these reports were referred to the Standing Committee on Publication.

This Committee subsequently reported through their Chairman, Rev. Dr. CHESTER, in the following interesting manner:

The Standing Committee on Publication, to whom was referred the fifth Annual Report of the Presbyterian Publication Committee, the third Annual Report of the Trustees of the Presbyterian House, and several other papers, report to the Assembly, as the result of the examination which they have had an opportunity of giving to these documents, recommending the adoption of the following resolutions:

1. Resolved, That the General Assembly express their gratitude to the great Head of the Church, for the prosperity of the Publication cause, now relieved from its embarrassments, and placed upon a permanent foundation.

2. Resolved, That the General Assembly notice with pleasure the manifestation of promptness and liberality in the President of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian House, John A. Brown, Esq., of Philadel phia, who, by a munificent donation, has secured to the Trustees the legal title of the Presbyterian House.

3. Resolved, That the power of the press, in promoting true piety and a wide-spread intelligence among our population, is an instrumentality appointed of God, and now put into our hands, to be employed for the advancement of the general interests of religion, and for the prosperity of our own denomination.

4. Resolved, That the Publication Committee be encouraged, to publish not only such works as may present the peculiarities of our branch of the Christian Church in doctrine and practice, but, from time to time, such works of an evangelical character as may be profitable to the Church at large.

5. Resolved, By the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, that "The Trustees of the Presbyterian House" be, and they hereby are, authorized and directed to act in their

corporate capacity as Trustees of the Permanent Committee of this Assembly, called "The Presbyterian Publication Committee," as fully and in the same manner, as if " The Presbyterian Publication Committee" were themselves constituted a corporation by the same authority which incorporated" The Trustrees of the Presbyterian House."

6. Resolved, That we recognize, with gratitude to God, the completion of the labors of the Publication Committee, by which the Assembly is furnished with a book of Psalmody which they can call their own, the profits of which will materially aid the funds of the Church in the Publication cause; and the Assembly hereby recommend, to the pastors and the churches, that they use all reasonable diligence in promoting uniformity, by the introduction of this book.

7. Resolved, That a Committee of three be appointed by the Publication Committee, to prepare a book of tunes adapted to the Church Psalmist, and that this Committee be instructed to consult and correspond with pastors and leaders of choirs in the churches, as to the particular tunes most in use and most popular in the congregations; and that this Committee report to the next General Assembly.

8. Resolved, That the preparation of an appendix to the Church Psalmist, of such hymns as may be necessary to make the work complete, be committed to N. S. S. Beman, D. D., Rev. Albert Barnes, and S. W. Fisher, D.D., and that this Committee report to the next General Assembly.

9. Resolved, That the Committee appointed by the last General Assembly to prepare an arrangement of the Book of Psalms for chanting, a specimen of which is presented with their report, be directed, in the completion of their work, for the sake of bringing the book into as small compass as possible, to leave out the titles of the Psalms, and all comments upon the text, and only arrange the words to the music; and in publishing the work, the copy of an English print, accompanying the report, is commended as a model.

10. Resolved, That as the publisher of the "Parish Psalmody," in a memorial made to the Assembly, seems to suppose that he has some pecuniary claim upon the Assembly, though the Permanent Committee of Publication, to whom this subject has been referred, have decided that there is no just claim, yet, as a Christian method of answering the memorial and settling the question in dispute, the whole subject be referred to a Committee, to report to the next General Assembly in respect to this claim; of which Committee one shall be appointed by said publisher, one by the Permanent Committee of Publication, and the third by these

two.

11. Resolved, That the Treasurers' accounts of the Publication Committee, and of the Board of Trustees of the Presbyterian House, which have been presented duly audited, be approved.

12. Resolved, That it be enjoined upon all our churches to make an annual collection for the Publication cause, in the month of October.

13. Resolved, That an annual sermon be preached before the General