the General Conference, and that so much of Bishop Janes's Address as refers to this subject be referred to said committee. Resolved, 4. That a special committee of seven members be appointed to consider and report upon the question, whether any thing is required to be done by this General Conference to secure the union of the several Methodist bodies in the United States. John H. Power offered the following resolution, which, on motion of B. N. Spahr, was laid on the table, namely: May 13. ELEVENTH DAY The Union of the Methodist Bodies of the United States. Resolved, That a committee of five be appointed, to be denomi- Committee nated the Committee on Questions of Law. He also submitted the following preamble and resolution, and, at his request, they were laid on the table for the present, namely: Whereas, The Constitution of the Methodist Episcopal Church provides expressly who shall compose the General and Annual Conferences, namely: "The General Conference shall be composed of one member for every thirty members of each Annual Conference, to be appointed either by seniority or choice, at the discretion of such Annual Conference, yet so that such representatives shall have traveled at least four full calendar years from the time that they were received on trial by an Annual Conference, and are in full connection at the time of holding the Conference:" (Discipline, Part II, chap. i, sec. 1, page 45:) also the Annual Conferences: "What method do we use in receiving a preacher at the Conference into full connection? After solemn fasting and prayer, every person proposed shall then be asked, before the Conference, the following questions, namely: (here follows the questions, which we omit:) then if he gives satisfaction after he has been employed two successive years in the regular itinerant work on circuits, in stations, or in our institutions of learning, which is to commence from his being received on trial at the Annual Conference, and being approved by the Annual Conference, and examined by the President of the Conference, he may be received into full connection:" (Discipline, Part II, chap. ii, sec. 2, pages 81, 82:) and Whereas, Any action of the General Conference on this subject which overlooks or is in conflict with these provisions may seriously peril the peace and prosperity of the Church; therefore, Resolved, That to change the composition of the General or Annual Conferences by constituting any other members thereof, besides itinerant ministers, necessarily requires a change of the constitutional provisions of the Church. Law on Ques To admit any other thanminGeneral or An isters in the nual Conferences a change of the Constitution required. KANSAS CONFERENCE. On motion of D. P. Mitchell the following resolution was referred to the Committee on the Book Concern, namely: Resolved, That the Committee on the Book Concern be instructed to take into consideration the propriety of changing the names of the Christian Advocate" to the "New York Christian Advocate," May 13. ELEVENTH DAY KENTUCKY. Boundaries. the "Northern Christian Advocate" to the "Auburn Christian Advocate," the "Western Christian Advocate" to the "Cincinnati Christian Advocate," and the "Northwestern Christian Advocate" to the "Chicago Christian Advocate." KENTUCKY CONFERENCE. On motion of John G. Bruce, the following resolution was referred to the Committee on Boundaries, namely: Resolved, That the Committee on Boundaries be instructed to inquire into the propriety of so changing the boundaries of the Kentucky Conference as to make them include the State of Kentucky. MISSOURI AND The Sabbath. Memorial from the Holston MISSISSIPPI CONFERENCE. J. P. Newman offered the following resolutions, the first and second of which were referred to the Committee on the Book Concern, and the third was, by vote of the Conference, referred to the Committee on the State of the Church, namely: Resolved, 1. That the Committee on the Book Concern be instructed to inquire into the expediency of establishing a Depository in New Orleans. Resolved, 2. That the Committee on the Book Concern be instructed to inquire into the propriety of adopting the New Orleans Advocate as an official Journal. Resolved, 3. That a Committee of Seven be appointed on the condition and wants of our work in the South. MISSOURI AND ARKANSAS CONFERENCE. B. F. Crary offered the following resolution, and on, motion of F. A. Hester, it was referred to the Committee on the State of the Church, namely: Resolved, That a special committee of five be appointed on the subject of the Observance of the Sabbath. Bishop Clark presented a memorial from the Holston Conference of Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, Episcopal which, on motion of T. H. Pearne, was referred to a special committee of seven. the Methodist Church, South. Embarrassed L. M. Vernon offered the following preamble and resolution, and they were referred to the Committee on Church Extension, namely: Whereas, In our Border and Southern Conferences there are variChurches in ous churches recently erected, which are so embarrassed financially that unless some temporary and immediate relief can be had they the South. must be sacrificed, and the Church thus suffer immense loss in May 13. property, and very probably membership; therefore, ELEVENTH DAY Resolved, That the Committee on Church Extension be requested to consider the propriety, on the part of the Church Extension Society, of providing at a very early day from fifty to one hundred thousand dollars, either by borrowing or otherwise, to be used for the next four years in loans without interest to dangerously-embarrassed Churches, on the condition that all such loans shall be secured by mortgage on property insured for twice the value of the loan. On motion of J. H. Hopkins, the following resolution was referred to the Committee on the State of the Church, namely: Resolved, That the Committee on the State of the Church be instructed to inquire into the relation existing between the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, provided they find it expedient to do so. NEWARK CONFERENCE. On motion of J. S. Porter, the following resolution was referred to the Committee on Revisals, namely: Resolved, That the Committee on Revisals be directed to inquire into the expediency of transposing the provision of Discipline on page 97, which says, "The Leaders' Meeting may recommend proper persons for admission into full connection," to that portion of the book on page 37, so as to make it a part of the answer to the question, "How shall we prevent improper persons from insinuating themselves into the Church," so as to make the answer read, "Let none be received into the Church until they are recommended by the Leaders' Meeting, or, where there is no Leaders' Meeting, by a Leader," etc., as now in that answer. On motion of J. T. Crane, the following resolution was referred to the Committee on Revisals, namely: Methodist Episcopal Church and the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. NEWARK. Leaders' Meetings. General Conference from Foreign MisConfer sion ences. Resolved, That the Committee on Revisals be instructed to inquire Delegates to the into the expediency of so amending the answers to question 6, sec. 2, Part II, page 52 of the Discipline: "Is there any other business to be done in the Annual Conferences?" That the first answer shall be the following: "The electing of delegates to attend the General Conference; but Mission Conferences in foreign territory are required to elect their representatives from among the members of Conferences within the territory of the United States. Nevertheless, if any member of a Foreign Mission Conference is, for other and sufficient reasons, within or to be within the United States during the session of the General Conference, he is eligible as a delegate." NEW ENGLAND CONFERENCE. Gilbert Haven offered the following preamble and resolutions, namely: NEW ENGLAND May 13. ELEVENTH DAY Resolutions re lating to Pray er for the Sen ate of the United States. Whereas, The most solemn act to which the government of the United States, in its judicial capacity, has been called in all its history is near its consummation; and Whereas, The failure of the impeachment of the President will subject the greatest of our generals, and all under his authority, to the power of an infuriated Executive, who has opposed every law that has been made to heal the nation on the only true and permanent basis of equal rights to loyal men; and Whereas, His release will also reanimate the dying embers of rebellion throughout all the South, sacrifice the lives of many of our fellow-citizens, and thus cast all that region into terror, distress, and danger; therefore, Resolved, 1. That the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, now in session, solemnly and earnestly invokes upon the Senate of the United States the blessing of Almighty God, that they may be guided in the great responsibility now devolving upon them, that tyrannical usurpation may be rebuked, the authority of the law may be maintained against the most dangerous hostility of an Executive who avows his irresponsibility to its obligation, and that the peace and safety of our fellow-citizens in all the South may be secured. Resolved, 2. That we hereby assign the hour of nine to ten o'clock on Friday morning next to be devoted to prayer to our God and Saviour, that he may endue our Senators with wisdom, and guide them in the duty they are soon to discharge, so that his righteousness and peace may, through them, in our beloved land spring forth before all nations. On motion, the time of the session was extended. After some discussion, W. H. Goode moved to lay the preamble and resolutions on the table, and the motion prevailed. R. S. Foster then offered as his own a resolution, in the same words as the last one of those just laid upon the table, and moved its adoption. This motion. was ruled out of order; whereupon a motion was made by W. L. Harris to take from the table the first paragraph of the preamble, and the last resolution. J. Lanahan moved that the question be taken without debate. Francis A. Hester moved that Conference do now adjourn, but the motion was lost. The motion for the previous question was sustained, and the motion to take up certain portions of the paper just laid on the table prevailed. R. S. Foster then offered the following substitute, namely: Whereas, As a body of ministers, we have great confidence in the efficacy of prayer in behalf of our country at all times, and especially in time of peril and civil trouble; therefore, Resolved, That we set apart one hour of the Friday morning's session, from eight to nine o'clock, for prayer for our country. ELEVENTH DAY On motion of J. S. Porter, a call for the previous May 13. question was sustained, and the substitute was accepted and adopted. On motion, it was determined that the Conference would not occupy this church to-morrow afternoon or evening; so that the Trustees may be at liberty to allow its use for the Laymen's Convention. On motion, Conference adjourned. The benediction was pronounced by J. M. Trimble, of the Ohio Conference. THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 14. Conference met this morning, Bishop Janes in the chair. The religious services were conducted by Luke Hitchcock, of the Rock River Conference. The Journal of yesterday's session was read and approved. May 14. TWELFTH Day. admitted to a seat. R. H. Robinson announced that Erastus Wentworth, E. Wentworth of the Troy Conference, whose credentials were presented on the first day of the session, was now present, and he was admitted to a seat as a member of this body instead of J. E. King, a reserve delegate from the same Conference, who has been serving in his stead during his absence, and, on motion, he was assigned to the committees in the place of J. E. King. to Clinton, Iowa. Orrington Lunt, Esq., of this city, on the behalf of Excursion the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company tendered an excursion to the delegates and official visitors to the General Conference, to Clinton, Iowa, and back, on Saturday next. On motion, the thanks of the Conference were tendered to the Company, and the invitation was accepted. Bishop Clark announced the following special com- Special Committees: On the Memorial from the Holston Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South: L. Hitchcock, Joseph Castle, J. M. Reid, N. Shumate, G. W. Clarke, John Kiger, J. M. Walden. Bishop Clark, on behalf of the Committee on Appeals, presented the following resolution, namely: mittee. |