Proceedings

Free Church of Scotland.

TABULAR ABSTRACTS

OF THE

SUMS CONTRIBUTED YEARLY TO THE VARIOUS FUNDS

AND SCHEMES OF THE CHURCH

During the Sixteen Years from the Disruption to 1858-59 inclusive;

INTRODUCTORY NOTE

HAVING occasion to prepare a portion of these Tables for my own use, it occurred to me to throw the whole Accounts of the Church since the Disruption into the same shape; and as the results appear to be both interesting and useful, I venture to lay them before the Church in a printed

form.

These Tables, then, are simply the credit side of the Annual Public Accounts of the Church thrown into a tabular form, omitting some unimportant particulars which did not seem to come properly within their scope. They, as well as the Remarks upon them, have been prepared without reference to any particular plan or theory, and simply for the purpose of furnishing the Assembly and Committees with useful information in a convenient form. For the purpose of comparing and noting progress, I have arranged the sixteen years since the Disruption into three quinquennial periods, leaving the first or Disruption year as exceptional. The Remarks subjoined are explanatory partly of the arrangement and contents of the Tables, and partly of the results as regards the progress and present position of the various Funds. I hope I may be excused if I have gone farther than this, and suggested a few practical improvements on our financial system; and expressed, in an Appendix, some views, with reference to the General Sustentation Fund, which have been strongly impressed upon my mind.

It might be useful, I think, to exhibit to the General Assembly the progress of the Funds from year to year, under some such arrangement as is shown in these Tables; and at longer periods-say every five years-to reproduce these Tables continued down to that date, along with a full and comprehensive review of the progress and condition of the Funds.

I have endeavoured to make the Tables as correct as possible, but I cannot hope that they are altogether free from errors or mistakes; there are none, however, I trust, of any importance.

EDINBURGH, May 1, 1860.

G. M.

INDEX.

TABLE I. BUILDING FUNDS, viz. :-

General-Church, Manse, and School Building and Debt
Extinction Funds,

Local Funds,

II. GENERAL SUSTENTATION FUND; and Subsidiary Funds, namely,
Supplementary Sustentation Fund, and Aged and Infirm
Ministers' Fund,

III. CONGREGATIONAL FUND, and Ministers' Supplements,

IV. EDUCATION FUND,

V. COLLEGE FUNDS-namely, General, Endowment, Bursary,
Library, and Building Funds,

Remarks,
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