congregations and having to accept whatever a commission might allow in general church property. Their minority in the union committee protested that the church stood pledged to obtain "consent of the entire membership," and that only one-third of all the church membership had voted for union, and the proposed legislation amounted to coercion of the people and confiscation of Trusts and Endowments. They demanded organic union must be delayed until practical unanimity was achieved.

A debate ensued, but the Moderator supported by the Assembly, insisted organic union had already been agreed upon and all sidetracking amendments were ruled out of order. The draft legislation was approved 427 to I29, and the anti-union Association moved into high gear. Through newspapers and pamphlets they campaigned. In three months they created a nationwide organization that collected I l4,000 pledges from members determined to maintain a continuing church. Almost 300,000 had joined the church since I9l I, the time ofthe first vote, and the anti-unionists felt these members should have a vote.

Statistics were used by the Association to show only one third ofthe church had declared itself in favor of union, but each party could prove what it wanted with statistics.

The Association did score a victory, when the legislation in the Senate was ruled unfair because of the opting-out clause, and was changed in the Senate to allow the congregations to vote one more time. The enabling law was drawn and a vote was sought in provinces where it was assured ofa victory for the unionists. By March I924, it had been passed in the three prairie provinces and in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The United Church Act was passed by royal assent in July I924. Provincial acts were obtained in Prince Edward Island and British Columbia after some difficulty, but Ontario with the largest numbers was crucial to the vote. In Ontario, the anti-unionists won two major victories; Knox College would be given to the anti-unionists alter a vote and legal provision for a continuing church. Remember the new United Church wanted to kill the use ofthe Name Presbyterian Church.

The Quebec government allowed the same concessions and Presbyterian College was give to the continuing church Presbyterians. All the while the church as a whole was getting ready for the third and final vote and the church union question.

The presses of the Presbyterian Association were running at full steam. The voting proceeded under different rules and time in different provinces. Some provinces voted by secret ballot, some by show of hands and in others by simple resolution. When ballots were counted it showed | 13,000 for union and 144,000 against. A clear victory, or was it. This did not take into account the decisions by other than ballots in many congregations. Statistics were again proving both sides. before the voting was completed in all provinces the union was approved In Toronto on June IO, I925. In preparation for the General Assembly, Ephraim

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