The Committee appointed by Synod at its last meeting to confer with the Board of Trustees of Rutgers College, beg leave to report:

That your Committee attended a meeting of that Board held in the College at New-Brunswick on the 14th July last, and after a conference with a Committee appointed by the said Board for that purpose, through whom a copy of the resolutions of Synod was presented to it by your Committee, they received in return the annexed resolution of the Board of Trustees marked A, and which your Committee request may be considered as a part of their report, and by which it will appear that the Board of Trustees have readily acquiesced in the wishes of Synod in respect to the College, as expressed in the said resolutions.

Extract from Minutes of Board of Trustees, July 14th, 1840:Resolved, That this Board approve of and accede to the resolutions adopted by the General Synod at their late meeting in the city of New-York, as contained in a report made to that body, by a Committee of which the Rev Gustavus Abeel was chairman.

(A true copy.)

THEODORE HARDENBERGH,

Clerk of Board of Trustees.

Had the above report been before the Committee of the last General Synod, they would have come to a very different conclusion in relation to the covenant of 1825. But they knew not at that time, nor did any one in fact know, of the existence of such a document. It gives to the whole subject an aspect materially different from what was supposed. And while your present Committee differs from the former one on this branch of the subject, they do it in the light of evidence which was not in the possession of that Committee.

Having in the course of our conference completed the review of the several articles of the two covenants of 1807 and 1825, together with the subsequent action of the General Synod and of the Trustees in the years 1839 and 1840, a sub-committee was appointed from the conferring Committees to draw up in detail the articles of covenant as now existing between the Synod and the Trustees. A report on this subject was prepared and submitted. After several conferences on the subject, the Committee of the Board of Trustees presented your Committee with the following statement of their views of the relations now existing between the two bodies, which has been approved of by them, and in which your Committee have expressed their concurrence :—

The first covenant was made in 1807, and is in the following words:"It is mutually covenanted and agreed by the General Synod of the Ref. Dutch Church in America on the one part, and the Trustees of Queen's College on the other:

"1. That in the plan for the revival of said College, they will employ their efforts to combine its literary interests with a decided support to evangelical truth, and the promotion of a faithful and able ministry in the Dutch Church. "2. That all the moneys raised by the Trustees of Queen's College in the State of New-York, shall, agreeably to the proposal of the said Trustees, be

a fund exclusively appropriated to the support of a Theological Professorship in the College, and to the assistance of poor and pious young men, who are desirous of entering into the gospel ministry under the patronage of the Dutch Church, as represented in the General Synod.

"3. That all the moneys which may have been raised for the Professorship, under the injunction of the General Synod of 1806, be deposited in the hands of the Trustees of Queen's College, for the purpose expressed in the second article; and the persons appointed to raise contributions for the Profes sorship shall stay their proceedings till the success of said Trustees be ascertained.

"4. The Trustees of Queen's College shall call no Professor of Theology but such as shall be nominated and chosen by the General Synod, agreeably to the resolutions and arrangements forined in General Synod, in 1804, respecting the permanent Professorship, which is hereby located at NewBrunswick.

"5. As soon as the Trustees shall have obtained a fund, the interest of which will yield a competent support to the Theological Professor, of which competency, whenever any difficulties or doubts may arise, the contracting parties shall judge and determine, the Trustees shall be bound, without delay, to call the Professor appointed by the Synod, and they shall and do hereby request their Professor, as soon as he shall have received such call, to make arrangements forthwith for entering upon the duties of his office. 6. That a permanent Board shall be appointed by the Synod to superintend the Theological Institution, to assist the Professor in arranging the course of instruction, to attend the examination of the students in theology previous to their examination for licensure before Classis, to be known by the style of the Superintendents of the Theological Institution in Queen's College, and to be recognized as such by the Trustees of said College.

"7. The Synod agree to provide money for the purchase of a Theological Library, and for the purpose of erecting a Theological Hall; or to contribute their proportion to the erecting of such building or buildings as may be designed for the joint accommodation of the Library and Theological departments of the College; provided the sum do not amount to more than would be necessary for erecting a separate building for the Professoral Hall. And in order to carry into effect this article, the Synod will have a collection taken up in each of the congregations under their care; and should this fail, or prove incompetent, then the Trustees shall take the requisite sum from the fund which they may have raised for the Professorate."

The second covenant was made in A. D. 1825.

"ART. 1. The literary exercises of Queen's College are to be revived as early as may be practicable, and for that purpose the General Synod agree to allow the Trustees the use of such parts of their building in New-Brunswick, lately purchased from the Trustees by the Synod, as shall be designated and pointed out by the Professors as necessary for the said exercises during their continuance."

This was somewhat modified in 1839.

"ART. 2. The Professors of the Theological College shall have such literary duties assigned them in Queen's College by the General Synod, as the Synod shall deem best calculated to promote the mutual interests of both institutions. "ART. 3. The income of the funds arising from the donations of the Rev. E. Van Benschoten, and Miss R. Knox, deceased, shall be applied to the sup port of indigent students in the Literary and Theological departments of the College, according to such regulations as the General Synod and Board of Trustees have established, and may hereafter establish, to carry into effect the benevolent intent of the donors."

The third covenant was made in A. D. 1839.

"ART. 1. Resolved, That General Synod accede to the resolution of the

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joint Committee, providing that no Theological Professor shall hereafter be President of the College.

"ART. 2. Resolved, That the spirit of the charter cannot be carried out, nor the advantages proposed from the connection between the General Synod and the Trustees of Rutgers College secured, without concurrent and harmonious action.

“Resolved, That the Theological Professors preach in the chapel as usual on the Sabbath, and that the future President, if a minister of the gospel, also preach in his turn.

"Resolved, That in the distribution of the Education Funds under the control of the General Synod, the usual tuition fees be paid to the Trustees by all the beneficiaries so long as the exigencies of the College shall need the same, and the Education Funds of the General Synod shall warrant such payment; and that the beneficiaries be excused from the payment of the usual incidental charges.

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Resolved, That instead of the reconveyance of the College premises, as proposed in the Minutes, p. 282, of June, 1839, the Synod guaranty to the Board of Trustees, by a proper and legal instrument, the use of the library room, (the library being in common,) the chapel, and recitation rooms, as heretofore, for the purpose of conducting collegiate exercises; and that they will not sell or lease the College building or premises, or any part of them, without the consent of the Board of Trustees; provided the Board of Trustees accede to the plan now adopted by the General Synod, and elect the President whose nomination has been approved by Synod.

The fourth covenant was made in A. D. 1840.

"1. Resolved, That the Synod regard Rutgers College with great interest, not only as an institution calculated to diffuse the blessings of education generally, but especially as a most important auxiliary in training the rising ministry of the Church.

"2. Resolved, That it be recommended to the Trustees of Rutgers College to appoint a President of said institution as early as practicable.

3. Resolved, That in the opinion of this Synod, the efficiency of the College depends mainly upon the wise and energetic administration of its affairs by the Board of Trustees; and to the said Board the Synod refers its whole administration, embracing the appointment of professors and instructors, providing and disbursing the funds of the College, and controlling and directing its concerns generally; and that the Synod repeals on its part all former action on this subject, which may or can interfere with the tenor

of this resolution.

"4. Resolved, That the Theological Professors be requested to continue to the College such services as they have heretofore rendered, or such services, not interfering with their duties in the Theological Seminary, as may be agreed upon between them and the Trustees.

"5. Resolved, That in the meantime, and until otherwise arranged, tuition fees be allowed for the beneficiaries in the College."

The Board of Superintendents of the College was virtually abolished by the fourth resolution of 1840, and the General Synod, at their meeting in Brooklyn, in September, 1848, by adopting the report of a Committee on that subject, confirmed such action of the Synod at that time. See Minutes of Sept., 1848, p. 418–420.

Approved by the Committee of the Trustees.

We concur in the foregoing abstract as the covenant now in force between the Trustees of the College and the General Synod, considering the

proceedings of 1839 and 1840 as amendments of the first and second covenants adopted in 1807 and 1825, and not as new covenants.

Your Committee would recommend that the Synod recognize the above as now containing the existing relations between the General Synod and the Board of Trustees, in order that all differences upon the subject should hereafter cease.

And

It will be perceived by the above document, that material alterations have been made to the covenant of 1825; that in fact it has been in a very great degree annulled in all its important provisions. According to the present arrangement the whole administration of the College is committed to the Trustees, and the Synod have no voice in the appointment of its officers or professors, or in the course of instruction which shall be pursued, or in the management of its fiscal concerns. yet it is an institution which the General Synod are expected to recom mend, one which they have liberally patronized by affording to it the use of buildings and accommodations, and by furnishing it with the greater number of its pupils, and one which was chartered expressly with the view of promoting the interests of the Church which she represents. That the Synod may fully understand the object and provisions of this charter, the Committee have appended a copy of it to this report, together with the subsequent legislation of the State of New-Jersey in reference to it, which they would recommend should be published in an appendix to the Minutes of the present session, that the same may be preserved and more extensively known among the churches.

It is observable that the petitioners for this charter were exclusively composed of ministers, elders and members of the Reformed churches using the discipline approved and instituted by the National Synod of Dort in 1618-19; that the Board of Trustees appointed by the charter, with the exception of a few official dignitaries of the then British provinces of New-Jersey and New-York, were exclusively composed of the ministers, elders and members of the said Reformed churches; that the design of the fathers and founders of it was, to make it an institution for the education of young men of these Reformed churches "in the learned languages, liberal and useful arts and sciences, and especially divinity, in preparing them for the ministry, and supplying the necessities of these churches;" that they deemed a charter necessary for the preservation and disbursement of such funds as their churches might raise for the aforesaid purposes; that the President of the College must be a member of the said Reformed churches; and that while it was not designed to exclude from the advantages of a liberal education in this College the youth of other denominations, it was to be in effect an institution under the control, and carried on for the special benefit of the said Reformed churches.

The College was chartered in 1770, while these Reformed churches were still without any visible bond of union among themselves. But

in 1771 and 1772 a union of these churches was happily effected, which had no doubt been contemplated in obtaining the charter of Queen's College, the movers in the same being the very individuals who were active in effecting the union of the then conflicting parties in the Church; and now these churches are represented and incorporated under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the General Synod of the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church in North America. And it is a subject which may demand the serious consideration of the Synod, whether in relation to a College thus chartered for the special benefit of the Church represented by her, and which she is expected to patronize to the utmost of her ability, she should not have some voice in its management and administration. Your Committee, not having this subject definitely referred to them, do not feel themselves authorized to make any suggestions upon it. But that the covenant of 1825, in all its important provisions, more especially in those which conferred upon the Synod a modified control over its management, presiding officer, and professors, is materially altered, if not actually abrogated, the view of the present state of the relations between the Synod and the Trustees which is presented in the document agreed upon by the conferring Committees amply shows. Indeed, from the investigation which your Committee have been enabled to make, they do not hesitate to declare their serious conviction that the connection effected between the Synod and the Trustees by that covenant is for all practical purposes virtually dissolved. The only connection remaining is that which is involved in the tenure of the College premises by the General Synod, and the joint occupancy of the same by Rutgers College and the Theological Seminary of the Church, and in any united interest which may exist between the two bodies for the sustaining of the institution.

There is another point of view in which the alterations of the covenant of 1825 should be seriously considered by the Synod. We advert to the influence or effect which they may have upon the subscription for the endowment of the Second and Third Professorships in the Theological Seminary, particularly the latter. One of the conditions of this subscription, taken in the year 1831 and subsequently, is "that the present connection and covenant between the General Synod of the Reformed Dutch Church and the Trustees of said College, (referring to the covenant of 1825,) shall remain as it now is, and unimpaired in its true spirit and meaning." Your Committee are not aware that the General Synod ever authorized the insertion of this condition in the caption of this subscription, and as it has never been reported to the Synod, so they have never sanctioned it. Still it is embodied in the heading to this important subscription, and formed a part of the conditions on which the thirty odd thousand dollars therein subscribed for support of the Theological Professors are given. It is necessary that the Synod should look to their interest in this matter, and do nothing to justify any subscribers in withholding these subscriptions.

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Doubts having been expressed in relation to the validity of the deed given by the Trustees for the College building and grounds, your Committee have had this subject under consideration. It has been supposed that the fact that the deed is signed by only seven out of forty-one Trus