face to face with a great social evil. Something ought to be done about it, and that we should come out before the public and indicate that we feel strongly in this matter, because the fact is that people come to us because they feel that our ministers will do what the ministers of other communions will not do. So I believe that these resolutions ought to pass."

Mr. Harris: "Being the writer of the Report of the Committee, I merely wish to say that this matter seemed to me to be outside the province of this body, and that perhaps, if this vote passed, we ought to draw up a complete code of moral usages. This is a delegated body, and not the spiritual arm of the Unitarian Church."

Rev. William H. Pulsford: "I wish to say a word in behalf of those who may be liable to misunderstanding. There are those of us here who are not in favor of any laxity in this matter, but are in favor of opposing these resolutions. In voting against these resolutions, we may take strong and fine ground. I believe we should exercise our own judgment, and not go before the public as a church acknowledging a mandate or request of which people outside the church would say, 'Your church says you shall not marry people who have been divorced until one year after the divorce.' We understand it differently; but we get into line with churches which acknowledge authority in this matter, with which I believe we are utterly out of sympathy. It is upon these grounds that I oppose these resolutions, much to my regret in many respects."

Rev. George W. Kent: "I would like to remind the Association what the passage of these resolutions means in some States. In Rhode Island ministers are the only men who can marry people. So the ministers, by agreeing together, can prevent the remarriage of divorced per

sons in the State, and the leading paper of the State is evidently leading in such a movement, which is not in the line of better morals, but in the line of a sort of sacerdotal domination of the people. It is for this reason that I should plead for resolutions expressed in more general terms."

Rev. Florence Buck: "I should like to say that as a minister I would rather be misunderstood by the public as being under the command of a great organization to which I give allegiance than to be misunderstood by the public, as we certainly should be, as turning down a great moral question. So far as the point is made that most of the ministers in the West are already observing the things for which the resolutions stand, they surely can have no objection to having other people recognize that observance as a legitimate ministerial function. I hope we shall not put in the place of these resolutions something so neutral and indifferent that our real attitude will not be understood by the public."

Rev. John W. Day moved the following amendment to the original resolutions:

Resolved, That, cordially in sympathy with all efforts to protect the marriage bond, we commit the duty of performing the marriage ceremony to our ministers in full confidence that they will act in accordance with the highest interests of society.

After further discussion the meeting adjourned till 2.30

P.M.

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON

The Association was called to order by the President at 2.30 P.M. The Committee on ballots reported that the total number of votes cast was 363, the result of the

voting being the election of the officers named by the Nominating Committee.

The Association then resumed consideration of the amendment of Rev. John W. Day to the resolution relative to the remarriage of divorced persons.

Rev. Charles G. Ames moved that both the amendment and the original resolution be laid upon the table. The motion was accepted by Mr. Day, and, upon a vote being taken, was carried.

Addresses were then made by Rev. William Channing Brown, Field Secretary for New England; Rev. John L. Robinson, State Secretary for Virginia; Rev. Otto von Zech, Commissioner to visit the liberal Germans; Rev. W. H. Pulsford of Chicago; and Rev. August Lange, of Evansville, Ind.

There being no further business, the meeting then adjourned.

WEDNESDAY EVENING

Services were conducted in Tremont Temple by Rev. C. A. Allen, Rev. J. H. Metcalf, and Rev. Charles Graves, and the Anniversary Sermon was preached by the Rev. Merle St. C. Wright of New York. The music was furnished by the choir of the South Congregational Church under the direction of Mr. B. L. Whelpley.

OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS

1905-06

President

Rev. SAMUEL A. ELIOT, D.D., of Cambridge, Mass.

Vice-Presidents

Hon. JOSEPH W. SYMONDS, LL.D., of Portland, Me. Hon. ROCKWOOD HOAR, Worcester, Mass.

JOHN HARSEN RHOADES, New York, N.Y.

Hon. THOMAS J. MORRIS, of Baltimore, Md.

Hon. GEORGE E. ADAMS, of Chicago, Ill.

Hon. HORACE DAVIS, LL.D., of San Francisco, Cal.

Secretary

Rev. CHARLES E. ST. JOHN, of Brookline, Mass.

Assistant Secretary

GEORGE W. Fox, Esq., of Boston, Mass.

Treasurer

FRANCIS H. LINCOLN, Esq., of Hingham, Mass.