Their Report pointed out various defects in the Society’s system of account, and in the audit of details in the expenditure which is incurred abroad.  It noted especially that since—­on the system till then in force—­the initiative in that expenditure had been placed to a large extent in the hands of the missionaries themselves, the Board did not possess sufficient and effective control over its growth and its specific application.  And it recommended that, as in some other Societies, a system of annual appropriations should be adopted, by which the available income of each year might be made to sustain existing schemes of usefulness, without bringing the Society into debt.  Further, the Committee recommended that, as the expenditure had greatly increased in recent years, on the one hand, in consultation with the missionaries, that expenditure should be carefully revised; and, on the other, all available efforts should be made to increase the Society’s income.  After full and earnest consideration of this truly valuable Report, the Board adopted the following resolutions, which gave special satisfaction to the Delegates and country Directors, and met with the marked approval of all the Society’s friends:—­

“1.  That, this Board approve the proceedings of the Special Finance Committee, in securing the services of a competent Accountant to examine the system on which the society’s accounts are kept, with a view to the introduction of all practicable improvements; and in instructing their own Accountant to give the details of the principal Stations, and show the items on which the outlay has taken place.

“2.  That, with a view to secure a more complete control over the Society’s funds, an annual estimate be desired in advance from every Station and Treasurer abroad, as well as from the Home Secretary, of all the expenses anticipated for the coming year; that the Board may sanction, for that year only, such amount as its probable income may enable it to meet; and that all payments be strictly forbidden unless that definite sanction has been first accorded.

“3.  That the accounts be kept, at home and abroad, on a common system; and that each of the Foreign Committees in the Mission House be requested to appoint a small audit board, whose duty it shall be to audit the accounts of the Stations under its charge, and to see that the expenditure is strictly confined to the sums which the Board have sanctioned.

“4.  That all the efforts already carried on for some time to increase the knowledge, the interest, the contributions, and the prayers of the Society’s friends throughout the country, be continued, and, where practicable, increased.

“5.  That the Board regard with the most serious concern the rapid increase in the expenditure of the various Missions; and, desiring to see that expenditure not only placed under firm control, but applied in all respects in the wisest way, they instruct all their Committees most carefully to revise the entire expenditure under their superintendence, and, in accordance with the Resolution passed on May 6th, specially to keep in view a judicious reduction of that expenditure in the case of prosperous churches in districts largely Christianized.”