The General Assembly [pp. 511-546]

Board of Publication.
While the members were still standing, Dr. Spring, at the
request of the Moderator, led the Assembly in prayer. Few
members of the house ever witnessed a more solemn scene. It
is the greatest honour ever rendered by our church to one of
her servants. It was rendered with the full assent and consent
of every heart. It was a tribute spontaneously granted to
goodness, disinterestedness, humility, and fidelity. A welldeserved tribute, as grateful to those who were permitted to offer
it as to the honoured servant of God to whom it was rendered.
The whole church seemed to stand weeping around his bed, and
saying, "'Well done good and faithful servant, enter now into
the joy of thy Lord."
Board of Publication.
Rev. Dr. Krebs presented the Report of the Committee to
whom the Annual Report of the Board of Publication was
referred.
The progress of the Board during the past year has been
most cheering. In every branch of its operations it has been
largely in advance of the preceding year, and nearly every
item of its statistics shows larger results than in any former
year of its existence. The temporary effect which the commercial embarrassments of the country during the years
1857-59 had upon the receipts and sales of the Board in common with nearly every Publishing House in the country, has
passed away, leaving its affairs in a more prosperous and hopeful state than ever.
Total number of copies of books and tracts published by the
Board since its organization, 8,790,188.
This exhibits the largest number of new books and tracts
ever issued in one year, as well as the largest aggregate of
publications by 141,000 copies.
The total of distribution is as follows:
Sales of volumes at the depository, - - - 241,050
Sales of volumes by colporteurs, - - - 124,638
Given by colporteurs, - - - - - - 14,920
Granted by the Executive Committee, - - 6,101
Total of volumes distributed, 386,709
which is an increase of 54,712 volumes on the distribution of
the previous year.
1860.]
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