Absentees' vote.

May 13. report of the Committee on Credentials, and they anELEVENTH DAY Swered as follows: Fallows aye, Martin (G.) aye, Phelps aye, Vansant aye, Wentworth of Genesee no; adding five votes to the affirmative, and one to the negative, making the vote in favor of the report two hundred and nine, against it twenty-one, with John M'Clintock absent.

In reference to

and Abbs of Canada.

The deputation from the Canada Methodist Episcopal Church being about to return home, in a few fitting words took their leave of the Conference.

John M. Reid then offered the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted by a rising vote, namely:

Resolved, That we have heard with much interest the communiRevs. Pirritte cation made to us by our brethren, Pirritte and Abbs, as representatives of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada, and have greatly enjoyed their brief stay with us. We have witnessed with joy the success of the Church they represent in laboring for the upbuilding of the Master's kingdom. We commend our brethren at this parting to the care of the great Head of the Church, and invoke the blessing of God upon those whom they have so honorably represented.

Invitation from
Young Men's

sociation.

A communication was received from the Secretary of the Chicago Historical Society inviting the members of the General Conference to visit, individually or otherwise, the library rooms of the Society between nine A. M. and five P. M. any day, and, on motion of D. Curry, the invitation was accepted, with the thanks of this body for the courtesy.

A letter was received also from the librarian of the Christian As Young Men's Christian Association tendering to the members of the General Conference the use of the library and reading-room of the association, when, on motion of D. Curry, the Secretary was instructed to convey to the librarian, and through him to the association he represents, the thanks of this body for the privileges accorded.

Report of Deputation to Evan

ation.

On motion of J. Rothweiler, the order of the day, gelical Associ- namely, the report of the deputation from the last General Conference to the Evangelical Association, was taken up, and W. Nast, Chairman of the deputation, made a report accordingly.

[For Report see Appendix B, XXII.]

After the report was concluded, on motion of J. Rothweiler the following resolution was adopted, namely:

Resolved, That the formal reception of the deputation of the Evangelical Association to this General Conference be made the order of the day for next Tuesday morning at half past ten o'clock.

On motion of J. M. Walden, J. Rothweiler was J. Rothweiler. added to the Special Committee on the Centenary.

On motion of L. Hitchcock, it was

Resolved, That the Rev. William Morley Punshon, delegate from the Wesleyan Connection of England, be invited to preach before the Conference next Friday morning at half past ten o'clock; and that if he accept this invitation, then the Committee on Public Worship be and they are hereby requested to make suitable arrangements for the service.

On motion, the rules were suspended that the call of Conferences for the presentation of miscellaneous business might be resumed. The roll of Conferences was then called, and matters were introduced and disposed of as follows:

Rev. Mr. Pun

shon invited to preach before Conference.

ERIE CONFERENCE.

On motion of G. W. Maltby, the following resolutions were referred to the Committee on Revisals, namely:

ERIE.

Proposition to make agents, editors, secretaries, etc., etc., members of the Quarterly Conference in whose bounds

Resolved, 1. That the Committee on Revisals be requested to inquire into the propriety of amending the Discipline as follows, namely: Page 53, chap. i, sec. 3, quest. 1, insert in eighth line of the answer, after the word "Conference," "All preachers appointed to our institutions of learning, agents, editors, chaplains, and secretaries, shall be members of the Quarterly Conference where they reside." Amendment to read, "Quest. 1. Of whom shall the Quarterly Confer- they reside. ence be composed? Ans. Of all the traveling and local preachers, exhorters, stewards, class leaders, and trustees of the Church in the circuit or station, and the first male superintendent of our Sundayschools, said trustees and superintendent being members of our Church, and approved by the Quarterly Conference. All preachers appointed to our institutions of learning, agents, editors, chaplains, and secretaries, shall be members of the Quarterly Conference where they reside."

Resolved, 2. That the Committee on Revisals be requested to inquire into the propriety of making the following alteration in the Discipline, page 113, Part III, chap. i, sec. 2, quest. 2, "What shall be done in case of improper tempers, words, or actions? Ans. . . . (Insert after the words,) 'If he be not then cured,' page 114, first line, let the case be disposed of according to the answer of question one of this section until the ensuing Annual Conference, when he shall be tried," to read, as amended, "Quest. 2. What shall be done in cases of improper tempers, words, or actions? Ans. The person so

Discipline altered. Improper tempers,words,

etc.

May 13.

ELEVENTH DAY

Love-feast tickets.

Bishops elected for four years.

GENESEE.

Amenability of
Local Preach

ers.

offending shall be reprehended by his senior in office. Should a second transgression take place, one, two, or three ministers or preachers are to be taken as witnesses. If he be not then cured let the case be disposed of according to the answer of question one of this section until the ensuing Annual Conference, when he shall be tried, and if found guilty and impenitent shall be expelled from the connection, and his name so returned in the Minutes of the Conference."

On motion of George W. Clarke, the following resolutions were referred: the first one to the Committee on Revisals, and the second one to the Committee on Episcopacy, namely:

Resolved, 1. That the Committee on Revisals be instructed to inquire and report on the propriety of striking from the Discipline, ans. 2 to quest. 1, page 96, "To renew the tickets for the admission of members into love-feast, quarterly."

Resolved, 2. That the Committee on Episcopacy be and hereby are instructed to consider and as soon as practicable report on the propriety of hereafter electing our General Superintendents for a term of four years, their term of office to expire at the close of the next quadrennial session after their appointment, and the same persons to be eligible to re-election as long as in the judgment of the General Conference their services are needed in that department of our common work; and also that they consider whether some change in our ritual for the consecration of a Bishop is not necessary to make it more entirely conform to the true Methodistic doctrine of the Episcopacy.

GENESEE CONFERENCE.

On motion of J. B. Wentworth, the following resolution was referred to the Committee on Revisals, namely:

Resolved, That the Committee on Revisals be hereby instructed to consider the expediency of amending that portion of the Discipline relating to the amenability of Local Preachers to Quarterly Conferences found on page 105, sec. 19, Part II, by striking out the last sentence thereof as being unnecessary, and inconsistent with the preceding portions of the paragraph.

ILLINOIS.

Presiding Elder

district to preside in certain

ILLINOIS CONFERENCE.

On motion of James Leaton, the following resolution was referred to the Committee on Revisals, namely:

Resolved, That the Committee on Revisals be instructed to inquire of an adjoining into the expediency of so amending the Discipline, Part III, chap. i, sec. 2, ans. 1, page 112, as to insert the following immediately after the first complete sentence in the answer, "But if the accused believe that a fair investigation cannot be had, the Bishop shall, on being so informed, appoint the Presiding Elder of an adjoining district to preside in the investigation."

trials.

On further motion of James Leaton, the following May 13. resolution was adopted, namely:

ELEVENTH DAY

for

tees.

commit

Resolved, That the Secretary be hereby instructed to procure as Record books soon as practicable a suitable book for the standing committees who request it, in which shall be recorded the proceedings of said committees, and that after the said proceedings shall have been recorded by the secretaries of the several committees the books shall be placed in charge of the Secretary of this body, and preserved by him for use by the standing committees of future General Conferences, and that the Secretary be authorized to draw on the Agents of the Book Concern for the sum required to purchase said books.

Peter Akers submitted the following resolution, and, on motion of D. Curry, it was referred to the Committee on the State of the Country, namely:

Whereas, According to the form of our civil government, the rul- None but good ing power is ordained of God in the hands of the people; and

Whereas, In the Twenty-third Article of Religion, page 26, we say, "The President, the Congress, the General Assemblies, the Governors, and the Councils of State, as the delegates of the people, are the rulers of the United States of America; and

Whereas, The word of God says, Prov. xxix, 2, "When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn;" therefore,

Resolved, By the members of this General Conference, in General Conference assembled, that it is contrary to the will and word of God that any wicked person or persons should by the people be delegated to any ruling office in said civil government, and that we will, as ministers of Christ, and fellow-citizens with all the people, endeavor to teach and act according to the will of God in this matter.

On motion of Peter Cartwright, the following resolution was referred to the Committee on Revisals, namely:

Resolved, That the Committee on Revisals be instructed to inquire into the expediency of so further defining the duties of a Bishop, under question 3, sec. 17, Part II, page 86 of the Discipline, as to make it clearly within the limits of his prerogatives to appoint, in all cases of local and traveling preachers to be tried before a Presiding Elder according to the present form of Discipline, some other Elder in temporary charge to preside when the Presiding Elder may be in any wise personally interested in the case.

J. H. Moore presented an invitation from the Presiding Elder and Pastors at Springfield, Illinois, to the General Conference, to adjourn on Saturday next to meet the succeeding week in Springfield, and to continue its sessions in that place for the week, and as much longer as it may be the pleasure of the Conference.

On motion of D. Curry, a committee of three was ordered, whose duty it should be to convey to the

men should be elected to office.

A Bishop may appoint what

Presiding Elder shall try certain cases.

to

Invitation
Conference to

adjourn the

Springfield.

May 13. brethren concerned the thanks of this body for the proffered hospitality, and then on behalf of the Conference to respectfully decline accepting the invitation.

ELEVENTH DAY

INDIANA CONFERENCE.

John Kiger submitted the following resolution, and it was referred to the Committee on Revisals, namely:

Resolved, That the Committee on Revisals be instructed to inquire into the expediency of striking out the word "annually" in reference to the election of trustees, Part IV, sec. 2, ans. 3, quest. 1, page 263.

D. M'Intyre submitted a revised order for the transaction of business in Quarterly Conference, and it was referred to the Committee on Revisals.

B. F. Rawlins offered the following resolution, and it was referred to the Committee on Revisals, namely:

Resolved, That the Committee on Revisals be requested to insert the following question in the order of business for Quarterly Conferences, to be asked at every such Conference, "Have the minutes of the preceding Quarterly Conference been duly recorded?"

IOWA.

Trial of a Trav

IOWA CONFERENCE.

E. H. Waring offered the following resolutions, and they were referred: the first, to the Committee on Revisals; the second, by vote of the Conference, to the special Committee on Expenses of Delegates; the third, to the Committee on the Better Organization of our Local Preachers, and the fourth, by vote of the Conference, to the Committee on the State of the Church, namely:

Resolved, 1. That the Committee on Revisals be instructed to ineling Preacher. quire into the expediency of so amending the Discipline, in reference to the trial of a traveling preacher before a committee of the Annual Conference, as to add to the answer to question 5 of Part III, chap. i, sec. 2, page 116, the words, "And the minutes of the proceedings of the committee shall be carefully recorded by the Secretary of the Conference in a book to be provided for that purpose.

Resolved, 2. That the resolution adopted by the last General Conference respecting the method of raising the expenses of General Conference be referred to the Committee on that subject for such modification as will be necessary to provide for raising the expenses of the next General Conference, and estimating the amount of the

same.

Resolved, 3. That the Committee on Local Preachers be and hereby are instructed to inquire into the scriptural authority and expediency of the advancing of laymen to ministerial orders, and report to