Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-06-13

NLelhodist Church case.

4.
McthotIist Church Case.
This case was taken up in the United
States Circuit Court in New York, on
before Judges Nelson and Bets.
The suit is Instituted by the Southern
General Methodist Conference, (by COM
and beneficaries) against Geo.
lane, Levi Scott, Geo. Peck, and Ma
thaniel Bangs, trustees of the Methodist
Book concern in New York. Mr.. Lord,
in opening the case. stated that the strin-
gent measures operating in the Meibo-
dist church, in this country, whereby its
members were prohibited from owning
slaves, led in 1914, to the proposition
for division, which was acceeded to,
and consequently, separate and distinct
organization took place in lS45, denom-
mated the Methodist Episcopal Church
South; that the Methodist Book concern
in New York, worth about $3.50, 900,
was established with view TO furnish
books to the ministers of the church,
who sold them to members and others,
and the proceeds. after defraying the ex.
pense of the establishment, were to be
devoted to the maintenance of travelling
and superahuated ministers, widows and
orphans, etc.; that the said church South
was declared TO be composed OF the
Methodist churches in the slave-holding
States: that it was fully understood tina,
the annual conference at New York in
1914 agreed to the measures, but it was
subsequently urged by the Church North
that the measure of division was unconsti-
tutional, and that the churches at the
South were seceders, and not entitled 10
a participation in the profits of the estab.
lishment, and have refused to allow a
division of said establishment, or to pay
10 the church South its appropriate share
agreeably TO the division. The present
suit, 10 consequence, is instituted, as il
the Church South are declared to be Sc.
ceders, they lose title to all the Melho.
dis. Churches and other property at the
South.
The complaint states that the church
is voluntary institution, and unincorpo-
rated. Itconsis,s of Z bishops, 4,s2s
preachers-and ID bishops, ministers
and members under the congregation in
the United States, 100000 OF these
about 500, 900 belong to the North, and
465, 900 TO the Church South.
II was stated by Mr.. Lord, in opening
that the stringent measures prohibiting
ministers or members Of the Methodist
church in question TO slaves, prevented
the action of the church in slave-hold-
ing States, and separation became nee.
essary. Previous to this, it was shown
that exceptions had been taken TO. a
minister named Harding, al Baltimore,
and TO Bishop Andrews, of Georgia, who
had become oy marriage or descent own
ers of slaves, and who could not, by the
law, manumit them.
One Of them, held by Bishop An
drews, had been devised with directions
that should be sent 10 Liberia, but she
would not GO; and the Bishop, although
nominally her owner, exercised no acts
of ownership over her, and she went
where she pleased. Mr.. l.. made re-
marks in relation to the facts.
Mr.. Lord then read the complaint
Alter which, Mr.. johnson Ia son of the
Hon. Reverdy Johnson) read a portion
of the answer, and Mr.. e. l.. Fancher
conclndedth the reading of the same. The
reading of the application was dispensed
with.
Mr.. Lord here stated that Bishop Bias
com having died since the bringing Of
the suit, he had obtained consent from
the defendants to substitute the name o
the Reverend VIM. A., Smith, as one Of
the plaintiffs, and an order of the court
making such substitution was according
ly made.
Mr.. Lord commenced his argument by
stating that Emory's History, the Book
of Discipline, the printed journals of the
conferences prior TO 1913, the manu-
script journals of the conferences prior
to l740, and other documents, were to
be introduced as evidence. by agreement
between the parties.
He then read extracts from the book
of Discipline of 1910, page 1913, DR..
Emory's History, under the year 1900;
the Articles of Religion; the Sixth Re-
strictiye Articles; Wesley's Letter to DR..
Coke, Mr.. Francis Asburs and the breth-
rem 10 North America, &c.
Hon. Rev.. johnson, of Baltimore,
and Daniel d. Lord, Esq, Of New York
appeared for the complainant; Mr. Web
ster, who is also engaged on the same
side, being absent. For the defendants,
appeared the Hon. Rufus Choate, of
Massachusetts,, and George Wood. Esq.
of New York. Hon. Thomas Ewing
was also present, he being counsel for
defendants in similar suit against the
branA Methodist Book Concern Of Gin
cinnati.