# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1874_S51
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

— 51 —
committee, which is to present by the next year's Synodical Conference [*Synodalconferenz*] an English primer (*Fibel*) and an English reader (*Leſebuch*) in manuscript.

Emigrant Mission.

The emigrant missionary of the Missouri Synod in New York, Pastor S. Keyl, being obliged to depart in haste, was unfortunately unable to give the intended oral report on his activity. He asked the Synodical Conference, however, to further the work of the emigrant mission as far as possible in that 1) the cause of the emigrant mission be made known as widely as possible, 2) all who travel to and fro be referred to him, and 3) more frequent and more generous contributions be sent in.

A Petition and Appeal

of Pastor C. G. W. Sigelen to the Synodical Conference was laid on the table, because the Synodical Conference has neither time nor, under its constitution, authority to concern itself with such personal affairs. Such cases, once admitted, would presumably multiply so that the real purpose of the Conference would be defeated by it. The Synodical Conference therefore cannot concern itself further with this matter, because it has no jurisdiction over it; such matters lie outside the scope of its business. The Conference can only advise Pastor Sigelen to turn to the authority properly over him, but above all to refrain from bringing his case before the secular authorities.

Examination of Deaf-Mutes.

Pastor G. Speckhardt, teacher at the deaf-mute institution at Royal Oak near Detroit, Michigan, had appeared with three pupils in order, by a short examination of these three deaf-mute boys, to show that the assumption is correct: most deaf-mutes are not really mute, but only because they are deprived of hearing can they not acquire human speech; hence, although with much and great effort, such unfortunate children can be brought to the point that they understand the speech of others by watching the mouth and can themselves answer and speak with their own mouths.

The Conference did not regret having devoted the first hour of the session on Thursday afternoon to this examination. The result was indeed a surprising and highly satisfying one. The boys had not yet been three quarters of a year with the institution, and already they gave intelligible answers to questions from biblical history, could copy a story almost without error, and, in the number range from 1 to 50, in their heads