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act making it the duty of the State assessors to make a diligent canvass of their parishes, and to write the name, age, sex, residence in ward, and color of every child in the parish between six and eighteen years. This has been done, and we have now the total number of children as correctly as, we believe, it can be ascertained. The school boards of the parishes have paid the assessors for their work at the rate of 4 cents per child listed, and the correctness of the lists has been sworn to by the assessors, and examined and all finally approved by the State Board of Education. In 1897 the number of children reported was 434,750; in 1898, 445,509. The present enumeration gives 402,250, and upon this last number the present apportionment is made, and all apportionments for the next four years will be based, unless the General Assembly shall change the law of 1898. The amounts of apportionments of the school fund in 1898 were: March, $151,963; June, $54,343.63; September, $30,432.50; total, $236,739.13. In 1899: February, $178,203.60; May, $80,191.62; September, $34, 191.25; total, $292,586.47."

The State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College opened in the autumn with about 300 students, the largest attendance it has ever shown at the beginning of the year.

Railroads. A table showing the number of miles of track laid in each State credits Louisiana with 158.

The State Railroad Commission, which was provided for by the new Constitution, organized, and in March published a set of rules and regulations governing the transportation of passengers and freight, the erection and location of depots, and the posting of tariffs. Rules were also established for governing telegraph and telephone companies.

Cotton. The cotton acreage of the State this year is given as 1,179,000 acres. The report of Secretary Hester in September gave the consumption of Louisiana mills at 18,025 bales. An estimate of the crop placed it at 507,400 bales.

Pensions. The State Pension Board closed its session March 17, after approving 317 claims, making a total of 1,024 claims so far approved. A special dispatch says the payment of these pensions is becoming a problem, and it seems almost certain that next year the rates adopted some months ago will be reduced in order to make the money go round. There seems to be no end to the applications, more than 25 having been received during the session of the board, which, under the rules, will lie over until its next meeting. The president of the board said: "No higher duty can devolve upon the Confederates, singly or in camps, than that of seeing to it that skulkers, deserters, and those not coming under the intent and requisites of the law shall not obtain a pension, and not deprive deserving ones of the small allowance the State is able to accord them. Already the appropriation is exhausted, and the board is appalled at the steady inflow of applications. Devoting to its labors the most painstaking and conscientious scrutiny, it has felt compelled in the face of the sworn facts presented so far in 2,050 applications to grant 1,024 pensions. That there are undeserving ones among these is very probable. It is incumbent not alone on all good soldiers, but also on all good citizens, to see that the State's money is applied only as intended by the law, which says of the pensioner: He shall have remained true to the Confederate States until the surrender,' and he shall be in indigent circumstances and unable to earn a livelihood by his own labor.'"

Prevention of Crevasses.-The Atchafalaya and Lafourche levee boards held a joint meeting in May to decide upon a line of action for the protection of the Lafourche country from high water. The levee boards have made strenuous efforts to protect Bayou Lafourche. Since April, 1890, they have built 7,250,000 cubic yards of levees at an expenditure of $1,010,000, averaging in a period of nine years $112,000 per annum. The bulk of this money has been spent in the last three or four years. In spite of all this, results are negative. Crevasses occur on the lower bayou as the result of a flood wave even when there is no flood on the Mississippi river. Excessive flood heights are reached at Raceland and Lockport, and all of the lower bayou, when the water is still some 5 feet below the top notch at Donaldsonville, the head of the bayou. A moderate high water on the river causes a flood below on the bayou, which breaks the levees built at the above-mentioned great expenditure. The plan recommended in 1886 by Major Heuer, of the United States Engineer Corps, and adopted by Congress, consists of a system of locks at Donaldsonville, supplemented by a dredging of Bayou Lafourche, so as to render navigation sure. Congress, although adopting this plan, only gave money sufficient to carry on the dredging. It was decided at the meeting to ask Congress at the next session to appropriate money sufficient to carry out the plan of placing locks at Donaldsonville; and the boards pledged themselves to devote to this work, in co-operation with Congress, the sums that would otherwise be required, in the absence of the locks, to put the levees in condition.

Water Ways Convention.-The Louisiana Water Ways Association was formed at a meeting held in New Orleans on Dec. 18. More than 100 persons were in attendance. M. J. Sanders was elected president, S. F. Lewis secretary, and T. J. Woodward treasurer. The following resolutions were adopted:

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Whereas, Numerous points in Louisiana that in former years were open to navigation have ceased to be accessible to steamers and other craft, owing to the obstructions which have been permitted to accumulate in many streams; and whereas, the restoration of these streams to navigation would open cheap public ways of transportation for the products of the farm and the plantation and for the wares of commerce; and whereas, the value, desirability, and productions of lands bordering upon the now obstructed streams would be increased to an incalculable extent were these streams reopened for free navigation; and whereas, the streams of this State offer unrivaled advantages which it is an offense against natural laws to neglect; and whereas, the method which has been pursued by the National Government of dispersing small appropriations among these streams, which appropriations are largely absorbed by the way expenses of the dredge and snag boats employed to remove obstructions; and whereas, the work of reopening these streams should be prosecuted upon business principles; be it

"Resolved, That the Congress of the United States be and is hereby petitioned to inquire into the expediency of purchasing an adequate fleet of dredge boats, snag boats, and boats equipped to construct locks and dams, the same to be under the direction of Government engineers and officers of the army or navy; further, that for the operation of such fleet adequate appropriations should be made, so that once the work of restoring a stream to free navigation is com

menced such work shall suffer no discontinuance until it shall have been thoroughly completed; be it further

"Resolved, That in furtherance of the preceding the police juries of the various parishes be and are hereby requested, as soon as practicable, to furnish to the president of this association information upon the water courses (the Mississippi excepted) in their respective parishes, giving the farthest point ever reached by steamers, the farthest point which, with the aid of locks and dams, it would be possible to reach with steam crafts; the lowest stage of water at the shallowest places, the nature of existing obstructions to navigation, and, approximately, the cost of opening navigation to stated points on the water courses referred to, and such other information upon this subject-matter as the said police juries may deem useful."

Land Claims.-By a decision of Commissioner Hermann, of the General Land Office, the claim of the State as to its rights under the swamp indemnity laws was allowed. "By this decision the State should receive about $35,000 in money, besides land scrip for the swamp lands erroneously taken by the Government. The lands covered by the decision are swamp lands allowed to be located by the United States between March 2, 1849, and March 3, 1857. The State also claimed cash indemnity for lands sold by the United States and granted to the State. The contention of the clerk who drew up the first opinion, which the commissioner overruled, was that it was the intention of Congress in the passage of the act of March 2, 1857, to confirm to the State lands in places fraudulently selected in exchange and in consideration for the retention by the United States of all consideration which it had received for lands subject to the grant of 1849 and 1850, which had been sold and allowed to be located by the United States prior thereto, save those few particular tracts for which he concedes that the States are entitled to indemnity in the law in question, except that of 1849. The Government received consideration from the purchasers or locaters of land located between March 2, 1849, and March 3, 1857, for lands which, though in fact swamp, had not been identified at the time of their sale or location."

New Orleans.-A State industrial fair was opened in New Orleans, May 8, with a peace jubilee, to celebrate the ending of the war with Spain and the return of the volunteers.

New Orleans is the only great city in the country without sewerage, the waste being carried off in open gutters. But in June an election was held to take the vote of the taxpayers on the question of improvements in this and other directions. The decision was overwhelmingly in favor of a special tax of 2 mills for sewerage, drainage, pure water, paving, park, and other improvements. The plan contemplates an expenditure of $14,000,000 in the next few years. Woman property holders were allowed to vote, and were mainly instrumental in gaining the victory, having a central league and clubs in every ward.

The revised Constitution of Louisiana provides that taxpaying women shall have the right to vote in person or by proxy upon all questions submitted to taxpayers.

Suit against Texas.-In October the State, acting through its Governor and counsel, presented a petition to the United States Supreme Court praying for an injunction to restrain Texas from keeping up a quarantine against Louisiana on account of alleged danger of infection from yellow fever. On the part of Louisiana it is said

that the "health officer of Texas, who seems to be vested with absolute and dictatorial powers in the matter of declaring and establishing quarantine, has for several successive years entirely cut off and prohibited all transportation of the United States mails, of passengers, and of merchandise between the two States of Louisiana and Texas," although intercourse with other countries known to be infected was maintained. About Nov. 6 the quarantine was declared at an end, and up to that time the court had not handed down a decision.

Lawlessness.-A lynching that took place at Tallulah in July acquired international significance from the fact that the five men lynched were Italians. The trouble arose about some goats belonging to one of the Italians. The goats were in the habit of sleeping and running on the gallery of Dr. J. Ford Hodge's office and residence. The doctor on numerous occasions requested Frank Defatta to keep his goats shut up; but Defatta would not do it, and on the night of the 19th Dr. Hodge shot one of the goats on his gallery. In revenge for this Defatta with four other Italians, two of whom were his brothers, waylaid the doctor on the evening of July 20 and shot and mortally wounded him. The sheriff arrested the men, but they were taken from him by a mob and hanged to a gallows used for slaughtering beeves. A dispatch from the town said this was "the third outrage committed by this same class. About two years ago Frank Defatta shot and killed a negro for picking up a watermelon that Frank had for sale, and about one year ago Joe Defatta shot and killed Pat Mathews, landing keeper at Milliken's Bend, as he was passing his store, in cold blood about a trivial controversy they had had about some freight, and was cleared by some technicality of the law. They had frequently made their boasts that they would do as they pleased, and their money would clear them."

The evidence as to whether the men had been naturalized or were still Italian citizens appeared to be conflicting. In the absence of the Italian minister, the chargé d'affaires, Count Vinchi, made investigation. The report of the secretary of the embassy seems to have asserted that there were no mitigating circumstances, that Dr. Hodge first drew a weapon, and that the first shot fired by Defatta was in defense of his fallen brother, and not a wanton attack. Describing the affair in detail, the report points out that some time after the first two men were lynched the mob made a second and third visit to the jail, whence they removed and lynched the three other Italians, all of whom, it is contended, were in utter ignorance of the wounding of Dr. Hodge. Conceding some extenuating circumstances in the lynching of the two men immediately concerned, Marquis Romano contends that the lynching of the other three was a thing of particular atrocity. The Governor's report clashed with this at nearly every point.

A man suspected of cattle stealing and other offenses was hanged by a posse of men near Wilson on Oct. 15.

Of lawlessness in another parish, the Picayune said, Oct. 9: "Another shooting scrape is reported from Tangipahoa parish, and, from the accounts received, the affair was on a par with the many other such deeds which have made the parish famous for the apparent spirit of lawlessness which is believed to prevail there. It is a notorious fact that, while there have been dozens of violent crimes in the parish, not a single person has been punished."

It was only in April that four men, apparently belonging to the same clique, had been arrested in Tangipahoa on the charge of conspiracy by violence and threats of violence to compel persons to leave a place where they lawfully were. Legislative Session.-The Legislature met in special session Aug. 8, and adjourned Aug. 18. Twenty-one members of the Senate and 72 members of the House were present at the opening. The object of the session was, first, to authorize the city of New Orleans to organize a sewerage and water board to construct and administer great public sanitary works, and, through the aid of a constitutional amendment to that effect, to permit the issuing of bonds based on a special tax, the proceeds of which are to be used in the construction of the public works so provided for, the city having voted in favor of these improvements June 6.

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The Legislature was expected also to carry into effect the article of the Constitution authorizing various cities, towns, and drainage districts to levy special taxes and issue bonds for works of improvement and protection from floods and for sanitary purposes. Also to provide for certain improvements to be made in the State Capitol and grounds and other matters pertaining thereto. The important laws called for were enacted. The constitutional amendment to ratify the action in reference to the special tax for public improvements will be voted upon in April, 1900. The water and sewerage act was passed, after some attempts to amend by leaving out a civilservice provision, and to reduce the proportion of the fund to be spent on drainage. The socalled "country bill " was also passed, providing that "for the purpose of paving and improving streets, roads, and alleys, purchasing or structing a system of waterworks, sewerage, drainage, lights, public parks and buildings, bridges, and other works of public improvements, the title to which shall vest in the municipal corporation, parish, or drainage district, as the case may be, municipal corporations, parishes, and drainage districts (the city of New Orleans excepted), when a majority of the town council, etc., so petitioned in writing by one third in number and amount of the property taxpayers entitled to vote on any proposition hereinafter set forth, may submit to a vote of the property taxpayers propositions to incur debt and issue negotiable bonds therefor not to exceed one tenth of the assessed valuation of the property within said municipal corporation, parish, or drainage district, as shown by the last assessment made prior to the submission of such proposition; and when a majority of the town council, etc., petitioned as aforesaid, may submit to such vote propositions to levy and assess special taxes upon the property subject to taxation in such corporation, parish, or drainage district, such taxes not to exceed 5 mills on the dollar of the assessed valuation in any one year, and not to run for a greater number of years than the number named in the propositions submitted."

Decision. The law providing for an inheritance tax of 10 per cent. on property received by foreign heirs, for the benefit of the charity hospital in New Orleans, is declared unconstitutional, since, being an act concerning revenue, it should have originated in the House, whereas it did origi

nate in the Senate.

Political. An association called "the Jack son Democratic Association of Louisiana" was formed in July. A meeting and barbecue were held at Rayville July 4, with the apparent object of bringing together the opponents of Gov. Fos

ter's administration. Speeches were made by United States Senator Caffrey, ex-Congressman Boatner, and others. A few days later the association was formed and a declaration of principles was put forth. It opposed trusts, demanded fair elections and fair counts, rigid enforcement of the franchise clauses of the new Constitution, election of United Senators without influence of Executive patronage, appointments to public office for fitness, reasonable rotation in office, and honestly conducted primaries, and said also: "We shall demand that the Governor to be elected shall confine himself to the discharge of the duties of the executive office, and shall not use as a corruption fund the power of appointment vested in him by law to coerce and influence legislative action in the election of United States Senators or otherwise."

The first election under the new Constitution was the city election at New Orleans, Nov. 7. The negro vote was almost entirely eliminated. The Jackson Democracy united on a ticket with the Citizens' League, which carried the election in 1896, when the citizens were roused to the pressing need of reform in the administration of city affairs. They were defeated by the regular Democratic organization.

The election of State officers will not take place till April, 1900. The Democratic State Nominating Convention was held in Baton Rouge, Dec. 19 and 20. There were many candidates for the first place on the ticket, among them W. W. Heard, present State Auditor; S. McC. Lawrason; R. H. Snyder, present Lieutenant Governor; and John Dymond. The ticket chosen follows: For Governor, William Wright Heard; for Lieutenant Governor, Albert Estopinal; for Secretary of State, John T. Michel; for Attorney-General, Walter Guion; for Superintendent of Education, Joseph V. Calhoun; for Treasurer, Ledoux E. Smith; for Auditor, Will S. Frazee.

The platform denounces trusts. It calls for appropriations from the Federal Government for the improvement of the Mississippi, the construction of levees, the jettying and improvements of the southwest part of the Mississippi, and a canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans with the isthmus. Gov. Foster's administration is praised, as well as the suffrage clause passed by the late Constitutional Convention disfranchising the negroes. No reference is made to Bryan, to the financial question, or to any issue relating to the national Democracy.

The other parties did not hold their State conventions before the close of the year.

LUTHERANS. The Lutheran Church in North America is a communion of many nationalities and many languages. It has rightly been called a polyglot Church, for its services are conducted in more than a dozen different languages. It is to be found in nearly every State and Territory of the United States and in numerous provinces of the Dominion of Canada, and has a baptized membership of about 8,000,000. But it is not a foreign Church, for a large portion of its members are native Americans, and most of its literature, apart from that of the periodicals. is published in the English language. The most important publication of this year is The Lutheran Cyclopædia, an octavo volume of nearly 600 pages, edited by the Rev. Henry Eyster Jacobs, D. D., LL. D., and the Rev. John A. W. Haas, of New York city. During the previous year the publication of a Lutheran Commentary on the New Testament, in 12 volumes, was finished. These publications represent the different tendencies in doctrine, worship, and life, as well

as the literary standing of the leading men in the Church.

Following is a summary of statistics as published in the Lutheran Church Almanac, embracing the latest data collected with great care by the editor of this publication:

The

The Lutheran Church in this country is organized into 60 district synods, and these again into 4 general bodies, embracing 46 district synods, the rest being independent synods. The number of clergymen is 6,657; congregations, 11,101; and of communicant members, 1,570,134, an increase over last year of 225 clergymen, 588 congregations, and 34,582 communicant members. parochial or Church schools number 3,085, with 3,856 teachers and 216,980 pupils, while the Sunday schools number 6,290, with 58,508 officers and teachers and 550,038 scholars. The purely benevolent contributions for the year aggregate the sum of $1,020,520.23. The educational institutions number 115, of which 23 are theological seminaries, 47 colleges, 35 academies, and 10 colleges for women, with an aggregate value of property amounting to the sum of $4,883,846, endowment amounting to $1,507,812, having 299,570 volumes in their libraries, employing 657 professors and instructors, and having 13,235 students, of whom 2,662 have the ministry in view. There are 99 benevolent institutions under Church control, of which 43 are orphanages, 19 homes for the aged and afflicted, 18 hospitals, 11 immigrant and seamen's missions, and 8 deaconess institutions. The aggregate value of property of these institutions is $3,596,302, and the endowment $173,195, and the number of inmates is 26,161. This makes a total of 214 institutions directly or indirectly controlled by Church influences, the value of whose property amounts to $8,480,148, with endowment amounting to $1,681,007, or a total of $10,161,155. Most of this money has been contributed in small amounts. Only one of these institutions has been fully established by the gift of an individual. None of the rest are sufficiently endowed, and hence must depend for their support upon the annual contributions made by the congregations. The amounts already stated, however, do not include the annual expenses necessary to carry on the diversified activities of the various institutions, and hence the record is not complete. The expenses necessary to carry on the operations of the 214 institutions would add materially to the $10,000,000 set down as money used in connection with the work of the Church. As a proof of this statement we need refer only to one synod-the Augustana-for whose institutions the sum of $208,248.98 was expended in 1899. The periodicals published number 165, of which 71 are English, 51 German, 17 Norwegian, 8 Swedish, 8 Danish, 3 Icelandic, 2 Finnish, 2 Slavonian, and 1 each French, Lettish, and Esthonian.

General Synod.-The thirty-ninth biennial convention of this body was held in York, Pa., May 24 to June 1, 1899. Twenty-four district synods were represented by 120 clerical and 119 lay delegates. The convention was opened with divine service, at which the retiring president, the Rev. M. W. Hamma, D. D., of Washington, D. C., delivered the sermon. The Hon. Frank Geise, mayor of York, extended a welcome to the synod in behalf of the citizens, the Rev. George W. Enders, D. D., in behalf of the Lutherans of the city, and the Rev. Clinton E. Walter in behalf of the members of St. Paul's congregation. To these addresses of welcome the president responded. At the first session the following officers were elected: The Rev. Prof. Samuel F.

Breckenridge, D. D., Springfield, Ohio, President; the Rev. William E. Fischer, D. D., Shamokin, Pa., Secretary; and Louis Mauss, Cincinnati, Ohio, Treasurer.

The Board of Trustees of the National Lutheran Home for the Aged, Washington, D. C., reported that the institution has been in operation since 1895, that its property is valued at $50,000, and that it has 25 inmates. The Hymn Book Publishing Committee reported the completion and publication of a book of worship with hymns in English, and tunes, as well as progress in the publication of a similar work in German. The Board of Trustees of the Tressler Orphans' Home, Loysville, Pa., reported that the institution is in a flourishing condition, having 150 children under its care. The body expressed its hearty approval of the Lutheran conference held in Philadelphia, Pa., in December, 1898, and reappointed the Rev. Stephen W. Owen, D. D., as its representative in arranging for a similar convention in co-operation with other Lutheran bodies. The Committee on Common Service reported that its work in so far as Luther's catechism was concerned was completed, and presented the work in connection with the report. It also presented forms for 17 ministerial acts. The Committee on Literary and Theological Institutions presented encouraging reports with reference to Hartwick Seminary, at Hartwick, N. Y.; the Theological Seminary and Pennsylvania College, at Gettysburg, Pa.; Wittenberg College and Theological Seminary, at Springfield, Ohio; Carthage College, at Carthage, Ill.; Susquehanna University, classical and theological departments, at Selinsgrove, Pa.; and Midland College and Western Theological Seminary, at Atchison, Kan. The statistical secretary presented the following report: "We have in our 24 district synods 1,545 churches, 37 more than reported two years ago; preaching stations, 188, a decrease of 18; 1,786 prayer meetings are held, a gain of 117; 281 students for the ministry, 31 less than in the previous two years; 37,808 catechumens, a gain of 4,036. The losses were: By death, 5,947; by certificate, 6,829; other losses, 12,794 while the accessions were: by infant baptism, 22,338; adult baptism, 5,995; confirmation, 18,742; certificate, 10,064; restoration, 3,273. The present reported communicant membership is 192,299, an increase of only 7,571 over the previous biennium. These figures show that many pastors do not report all their accessions, since a comparison of the reported losses and accessions shows a net gain of 12,504. Our churches own property whose estimated value is $12,129,943.21, and congregations paid for local expenses $2,713,390.93, or $324,916.65 more than during the preceding two years. Our Sunday schools number 1,544, a decrease of 18. These schools have 23,625 officers and teachers and 186,695 pupils, an increase of 1,341." The benevolent contributions amounted to $477,135.

Foreign Missions.-The General Synod has missions in India and Africa. Following is the report of the work in India: The Board of Foreign Missions employs 170 workers, who labor in 514 villages containing native Christians, in 421 organized congregations, whose baptized membership in 1898 was 17.811, of whom 6,366 were communicants. The Sunday schools number 208, with 10,538 pupils. They maintain 173 elementary schools, with 203 teachers and 4,475 pupils; 1 boarding school, with 130 pupils; and 1 college, at Guntur, East India, of which the Rev. Luther B. Wolf is president, employing 40 teachers and having 863 students. The zenana department contains 58 workers, 15 schools, and 913

pupils, and 14 Sunday schools with 705 pupils. The mission also supports a hospital and a dispensary, and employs several trained nurses. The mission in Africa is in Liberia, with Muhlenberg as its center. Its working force consists of 7 missionaries, who labor in various localities. The industrial establishment of this mission is valued at $77,350, embracing 560 acres of land and 50,000 coffee trees, whose products are sold for the maintenance of the mission.

Home Missions.—The Board of Home Missions supports 160 missions, at an expense of $96,533.41 in two years. These missions are thus located: California, 8; Colorado, 4; District of Columbia, 1; Illinois, 6; Indiana, 9; Iowa, 7; Kansas, 12; Kentucky, 3; Maryland, 11; Michigan, 3; Missouri, 3; Nebraska, 19; New Jersey, 3; New Mexico, 1; New York, 15; Ohio, 12; Pennsylvania, 39; Tennessee, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming, each 1. Of these, 144 are English, 14 German, and 2 Scandinavian. The board asked for $100,000 for the next biennium.

Church Extension.-The Board of Church Extension reported assets amounting to $352,434.42. In the past two years loans, donations, and special appropriations were made to 205 congregations. A resolution was passed to the effect that the general body apportion among its district synods $40,000 annually for church extension, beginning with April 1, 1900.

Board of Education.-This board reported its total receipts as $19,770.15, which includes a small balance from the last biennium. Of this amount, $19,595.92 was disbursed for the aid of various institutions.

Deaconess Work. The board having this work in charge reported a large increase in the interest of the Church in this important branch of activity. The receipts from various sources for the past two years amounted to $12,106.78. The motherhouse, in Baltimore, Md., has 12 deaconesses, 13 probationers, and 1 candidate. The course of training has been lengthened to two and a half years. The institution maintains an industrial school, averaging 32 pupils, a school for colored children, with 30 pupils, and a Christian kindergarten, with 9 pupils. Deaconesses have served parishes in New York, Washington, Cincinnati, Harrisburg, Baltimore, and Cumberland, and in hospitals in Philadelphia and Carlisle, and were engaged as nurses among the soldiers of the Spanish-American War. They made 1,203 visits to the poor, 1,699 to the sick, and 50 to various institutions.

Publication Board.-This board reported assets amounting to $160,520.06. It publishes annually 7 periodicals, whose combined circulation is 286,250 copies. During the previous biennium it issued 11 new publications and new editions of 14 works.

The next convention of this body will be held in Des Moines, Iowa, beginning May 29, 1901.

General Council. This general body, composed of English, English-German, and Scandinavian synods, held its twenty-seventh convention in Wicker Park Church, Chicago, Ill., Sept. 28 to Oct. 4, 1899. The opening sermon was delivered by the Rev. George C. F. Haas, of New York city. The following officers were elected: The Rev. Dr. Mattis C. Ranseen, Chicago, President; the Rev. William K. Frick, Milwaukee, Wis., English Secretary; the Rev. George C. Berkemeier, Mount Vernon, N. Y., German Secretary; the Rev. Gustaf A. Brandelle, Denver, Col., Swedish Secretary; and William H. Staake, Esq., Philadelphia, Pa., Treasurer. The 9 district synods were represented by 91 clerical and 49 lay deleVOL. XXXIX.-30 A

gates. The district synods embrace 1,228 clergymen, 2,011 congregations, and 352,454 communicant members; 551 parochial schools, 673 teachers, and 26,572 pupils; 1,715 Sunday schools, 22,079 officers and teachers, and 204,648 pupils. The benevolent offerings of the congregations for two years amounted to $554,850.48. In connection with this body there are 3 theological seminaries, 7 colleges, 2 academies, 11 orphans' homes, 5 homes for the aged and afflicted, 7 hospitals, 4 deaconess institutions, and 3 immigrant and seamen's missions.

The principal features of the work of this convention consisted in action taken on the reports of general boards and committees, of which the following is a brief summary:

Foreign Missions.-The General Council is carrying on missionary operations in East India, in the Madras presidency, with the city of Rajahmundry as its central station. The board employs 149 mission workers, who labor in 7 principal stations, and have schools in 120 villages and preaching stations in 205 villages. The number of baptized Christians is 5,343, of whom 2,415 are communicants. The number of children in the various schools is 2,469. On March 26, 1899, the Rev. T. Joseph, a native pastor, died, and on Jan. 8, 1899, another native, J. William, was ordained to the office of the ministry. The missionaries maintain a seminary and other schools for Christians and heathen at Rajahmundry, which are attended by a large number of pupils. The zenana workers maintain several schools for girls and women, as well as a hospital and dispensary. The mission also has a printing establishment, from which books and tracts are issued. The total receipts of the board for this work were $39,476.64, and the expenditures $36,865.96. The general body also decided to begin missionary operations in Puerto Rico, and since the convention 2 men have been sent to that island.

Home Missions.-The three boards-English, German, and Swedish-presented encouraging reports of their work in this country. The Board of English Missions has 20 stations under its direct control in various States from Massachusetts to Washington; the Board of German Missions has 58 congregations under its care, chiefly in the northwestern territory of Canada; the Board of Swedish Missions reported missions under its direct control in Utah, Idaho, and Montana. Besides these, most of the district synods carry on missionary operations on their own territories. The home missionary operations of this body, through its boards and synods, embraces 41 States and the Dominion of Canada, with 577 stations. These are located as follow: 133 in Pennsylvania, 40 in New York, 33 in Wisconsin, 31 in New Jersey, 28 in Illinois, 24 in Minnesota, 23 in Nebraska, 22 in Michigan, 24 in Ontario, 15 in Ohio, 12 each in Colorado, Iowa, South Dakota, and Texas, 10 each in Indiana, Kansas, and Massachusetts, 9 each in Montana and Utah, 41 in the Northwest Territories of Canada, and the rest in smaller numbers in various States and Territories. The receipts of the English and German boards amounted to $40,680.90, and for the entire work $104,175.97.

Sunday-school Work.-In conjunction with the Board of Publication the Committee on Sundayschool Work is developing the General Council graded Sunday-school system, and, in addition to Scripture-lesson quarterlies, is publishing an annual Teachers' Commentary, Bible Story for Teachers and Pupils, Bible History, and Bible Geography, in similar forms, as also suitable apparatus for the primary department. The total

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