The Congregational Year Book, just issued by our British brethren, is a document well worthy of study on this side of the water. Besides the usual statistics of ministers and churches, it makes mention of 19 colleges, 31 new schools, 37 missionary and other societies, 41 Congregational institutions, 48 periodicals, published by Congregationalists. It also gives the statistics of 16 non-conformist institutions, one of which is a Ministers’ Seaside Home–a species of benevolence that would be invaluable to our missionary laborers at the South. The record of so much enterprise and work qualifies the reader to appreciate Dr. Henry Allon’s eloquent and powerful discourse on “The Church of the Future,” which is printed in the same volume.
The death of Edgar Ketchum, Esq., which occurred March 3, removes from us a philanthropist and Christian; it diminishes the rapidly thinning ranks of earnest Christian Abolitionists, and it takes one who had long been an officer of the American Missionary Association. Mr. Ketchum was admitted to the bar in 1834; in 1841 he was made Commissioner of Public Funds for this State; in 1861 he was appointed by President Lincoln Collector of Internal Revenue for the Ninth District of New York; and in 1867 he was made a Register in Bankruptcy by Chief-Justice Chase, which position he held till the time of his death. Mr. Ketchum early identified himself with the anti-slavery cause, and was ardent and constant in his endeavors to promote it. His house was fired by the rioters in 1863. He was for a long time President of the Board of Managers of the House of Refuge, on Randall’s Island, to whose interest he gave untiring and uncompensated time and attention. He was Treasurer of this Association from 1865 to 1879, a position of responsibility and supervision, but not of active duty, and without salary. He was also the legal counsellor of the Association for many years. Mr. Ketchum was a man of fine personal presence, of very genial manners, of active business habits, and a devoted Christian.
GOVERNMENTAL AID TO COMMON SCHOOLS.
WHAT CONGRESS MAY DO AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
Rev. C. C. Painter.
Education by the State rests upon the sole basis of self-protection.