parochial labor, to receive moneys, and to pay them out as fast as they are received.

The aim of this Fund is to establish a permanent endowment for the Diocesan Church, and to encourage a parochial endowment in every parish. The magnitude of the scheme may at first interfere with its due appreciation; but the magnificence of its proportions, the vastness of its scope, the illimitable good which it proposes to accomplish through all coming time, growing stronger and stronger as generations pass and population multiplies, harmonize well with the thought that our Church will require all this support as she enlarges her fold, and gathers nearer and nearer to her courts the Protestant Christianity of our country, now, thank God, again united and forever free.

These very features of grandeur, immensity, and permanence, when found to be based upon the simplest calculations, and guarded by the most wise caution, so far from repelling the interest of our intelligent and far-sighted countrymen, will commend the scheme of the Parochial Fund to their warmest affection and their coolest judgment.

They will recognize it, in the language of Bishop Southgate, as "the one great work necessary to give strength and permanence to the Church throughout the Diocese "-as one to which they can safely leave, by their wills, lands, moneys, and, if at liberty to do so, their whole fortunes. How rapidly the Fund would accumulate, when it is generally understood and appreciated, we may learn from the fastgrowing endowment of that noble charity, St. Luke's Hospital.

The commencement of such a work is slow, the labor is great, the difficulties may be discouraging, its progress in any case must be gradual; but, with perseverance and faith, a triumphant result is certain, and its glorious fruits will be eternal.

Touching their present plan of operations, the Trustees may remark that they have commenced and propose to continue a series of tracts, exhibiting the character of the Fund and its claims to the support of Churchmen; and in this work they have reason to anticipate a continuance of the kind assistance they have already twice received towards the expenses of their printing from the Society for the Promotion of Religion and Learning, which they again gratefully acknowledge.

The tracts already printed or in preparation are as follows:

PAROCHIAL FUND TRACTS.

No. 1. Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Provision for Clerical Support.

No. 2. The Pastoral Letter of Bishop Potter on the Duty of providing

for the Support of the Clergy.

No. 3. Report of the Trustees of the Fund to the Diocesan Convention of 1863.

No. 4. Bishop Southgate's Appeal.

No. 5. Bishop Coxe's Sermon.

No. 6. The Rev. Dr. Dix's Sermon.

The Trustees have under consideration the suggestion of a reverend rector, recommending them to send a clerical agent through the Diocese to explain the character of the Fund to the several congregations, with the approval of their rector, on the ground that many clergymen who are scantily paid, with delicacy that we may perhaps admire, but which we cannot approve, shrink from subjecting themselves to the suspicion, however unjust, of being influenced in their advocacy of the cause by personal considerations. The thought that the chief benefit of the Fund will accrue to distant generations in other centuries, may perhaps be useful in this connection. The Convention will see that the Trustees, even if they were not bound to the strictest economy in the management of the trust and the employment of agents, must be always dependent for success on the cordial co-operation of the clergy. A dozen years have passed since the attention of the Diocese was first called to the subject. The war, which for four years impeded their efforts, is ended. Peace, with its richest blessings has returned. Churchmen possessed of wealth are looking for investments that may repay them in another world, and but timely, earnest, and intelligent counsel is needed to secure a fair share of that wealth for the Church by whose ritual and liturgy they have been taught to live, and in whose bosom they hope to die.

One thing only the Trustees would now ask from the Convention, and that is their recommendation to the Right Reverend the Bishop of the Diocese, to include in the parochial returns to be made by the Clergy such statistics in regard to glebes, parsonages, salaries, and perquisites as may give, from year to year, an exact and perfect view of the parochial condition of the Diocese, and enable the Trustees to present the subject more accurately than can possibly be done through private circulars. This course they believe has been adopted, without objection and with favorable results, in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. All of which is respectfully submitted.

By order of the Board,

JOHN JAY, President,

JAMES F. DE PEYSTER, Treasurer.

NEW YORK, September 27th, 1865.

The Trustees recommended the adoption of the following resolution:

Resolved, That the Convention, recognizing the importance of securing from year to year accurate statistics of the parochial condition of the Diocese as regards glebes, parsonages, and salaries, respectfully request the Right Reverend the Bishop of the Diocese to include these subjects in the Parochial returns.

1361.

JAMES F. DE PEYSTER, Treasurer, in Account with PAROCHIAL FUND.

DR.

$117 83

100 00

The Resolution recommended by the Trustees was adopted.

On motion of the Rev. Dr. Francis Vinton, the Convention proceeded to fill the two vacancies among the Trustees of the Parochial Fund, in consequence of the expiration of terms of office.

Whereupon ballot was unanimously dispensed with, and the following persons were chosen to serve until October, 1868, as

TRUSTEES OF THE PAROCHIAL FUND.

HON. MURRAY HOFFMAN,

FREDERICK S. WINSTON.

The Report of the Trustees of the Sands' Fund was presented and read.

Report

OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE SANDS' FUND.

The Trustees of the "Sands' Fund," respectfully Report,

That there has been received since the last Convention, for interest on

That there has been paid to the Bishop of the Diocese, during the

The Treasurer of the Conscript Clergy Fund presented and read

the following

Report.

CONSCRIPT CLERGY FUND.

The Treasurer of the Convention respectfully Reports,
That there was contributed to the "Conscript Clergy Fund," since
the adjournment of the last Convention, from four Parishes.
Balance fund on hand per Report to last Convention.

Total....

...

There has been paid, under direction of the Bishop, for the relief

$84 50 1,252 30

.$1,336 80

of four Clergymen conscripted....

For advertising acknowledgments..

$750 00 1 20

For stamps, postage, &c....

2.00

$753 20

Leaving a balance fund of...

583 60

$1,336 80

The return of peace having removed the necessity for which this fund was contributed, it will be for the Convention to determine on a proper disposition of the above balance remaining in the Treasurer's hands.

NEW YORK, September 26th, 1865.

EDWARD F. DE LANCEY,

Treasurer of Convention.

The Rev. R. S. Adams offered the following Resolution:

Resolved, That the balance of this Fund on hand be appropriated to the Parochial Fund.

Mr. De Lancey moved to amend this Resolution, by striking out "Parochial," and inserting the word" Diocesan."

This motion was lost.

The Resolution was then adopted.