Rev. J. N. Granger offered the following: Resolved, That the second article of the Constitution be so amended as to read as follows: "It shall be the object of this Society to aid in the wider circulation of the Holy Scriptures in Foreign Lands." Upon motion, this was referred to a committee, consisting of Brethren J. N. Granger, Aaron Perkins, G. B. Ide, Edward Lathrop, R. Turnbull, Elisha Tucker, and Friend Humphrey, to report at the next annual meeting. On motion, it was voted to proceed to the election of officers and mana gers, by ballot. Adjourned to three o'clock P. M. Benediction by Rev. E. Lathrop. THURSDAY AFTERNOON SESSION. Met at three o'clock and engaged in prayer with Rev. A. Perkins, of Danbury, Ct. On motion, Brethren W. Carter, H. Seaver, S. White, H. C. Fish, J. Hatt, and R. Larkum, were appointed tellers, and the Society proceeded to ballot for the officers and managers. While canvassing the votes, Rev. D. Benedict, of R. I., offered prayer. The tellers report was then presented and accepted, announcing the election of Rev. S. H. Cone, D. D., President, and a full compliment of officers and managers. Rev. Dr. Cone here tendered his resignation of the Presidency. This was at once unanimously declined; but as, with many thanks for their suffrages and expressions of kindness, he firmly adhered to his decision, it was accepted; and Rev. B. T. Welch, D. D., was chosen President. On motion, Rev. C. G. Sommers was made First Vice President, and Hon. Ira Harris, of Albany, was elected Second Vice President. S. R. Kelley, Esq., having offered his resignation, as a Manager of the Board, Rev. Dr. Welch was elected to fill the vacancy. On motion of Rev. S. S. Cutting, it was unanimously Resolved, That this Society entertains a high sense of the valuable services of the Rev. Spencer H. Cone, D. D., President of this Society from the beginning of its history, and profoundly regret his retirement;-and that he will bear with him our best wishes for his long life, and his continued usefulness and happiness. Voted that the new Board be directed to hold a special meeting to perfect their organization,Friday afternoon, at 4 o'clock, in the Bible Rooms The arrangements for the next Anniversary, including the time and place, were referred to the Board. The minutes were read and approved, and ordered to be published under the direction of the Board. After prayer by Rev. Edward Kingsford, of Richmond, Va., the Society adjourned sine die. J. R. STONE, Rec. Sec. pro tem. B. T. WELCH, President. AMERICAN AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY, In account with William Colgate, Treasurer. DR. To Cash paid out since April 6th, 1949, as follows: $1500 00 in Siam, 1500 00 1000 00 We, the subscribers having examined the accounts of the Treasurer of the Amer ican and Foreign Bible Society, with the vouchers, monthly during the year, find the same correct; showing a balance of three hundred and eighty-nine dollars and sixty-eight cents, now in the Treasury. SYLVESTER PIER, SAMUEL RAYNOR, Auditing Commities. New-York, April 8th, 1850. PRESIDENT, B. T. WELCH, BROOKLYN, N. Y. VICE PRESIDENTS, C. G. SOMMERS, NEW YORK. EDWARD LATHROP, NEW YORK. THIRTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT. THE Board of Managers conclude their official labors by submitting to the Society the Thirteenth Annual Report. During the year now closing, the same signal prosperity which commenced with the origin of the institution, and distinguished each period of its history, has continued. The God of the Bible has blessed their efforts to circulate His word, and encouraged their hearts by manifest tokens of His approval of their proceedings. They mourn the loss by death of one of the most laborious and efficient of their number. Elder Luke Barker, as a Manager of the Society, and Chairman of the Committee on Publication and Finance, for many long years performed gratuitously an amount of service for the institution, which is not ordinarily to be expected without pecuniary compensation. His economical oversight of the publication department was attended with the most beneficial results; and his whole course as a Manager was characterized by the most ardent zeal for the distribution of the sacred scriptures, and the most careful foresight regarding the ultimate interests of the Society. In mourning over our bereavement, we find solace in the reflection, that while he rests from his labors, his works do follow him, and that his removal from among us did not take place till a season in our history, when from the increase of our prosperity and the establishment of our financial policy, his services could be spared with less injury than at any preceding period. It is also our sad duty to record the decease of Brother Ira M. Allen, who was for a number of years the General Agent and Assistant Treasurer of the Society. Although not officially connected with us at the time of his decease, Brother Allen had been so long and so intimately associated with the concerns of the institution, that we feel, in his departure from the activities of earth, the removal of one of its most tried and staunchest friends and supporters. Still we rejoice in the confidence that he has exchanged the earthly house of this tabernacle for a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. It will be recollected that last year an extraordinary advance in our annual receipts was experienced. Previously there had been. for several years a gradual increase; but the excitement produced by the occurrence of political events in Europe of the most astonishing character and of surpassing magnitude, attended as they were by new and remarkable openings for the distribution of the Sacred Scriptures, gave additional interest to the Bible cause and produced a corresponding enlargement of our income. The excitement has died away, with the causes which produced it, but the facilities for Bible distribution in Europe still very far exceed our means to take advantage of them. Looking at the increased demand for scriptures both there and in Asia, our Board saw the need of a much greater addition to the usual funds of the year, and therefore fixed their aim at a very high mark. But, as the excitement alluded to subsided, it was found extremely difficult to reach the extraordinary amount reported in 1849. The Board are happy, however, in announcing that, if from last year's account be deducted the amount received from insurance companies as compensation for the damage by fire, a comparison between the two years will show an increase in favor of this of $3,676 72. The issues of the year from the Depository, and the books reported as published at our expense in the foreign field, added to the volumes before published by the Society, make the whole number 794,398. |