Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-11-18

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the whole arrangements proposed with regard the dri
sion of property, should tho separation take place: AM
ny any means, vacancy occurs in this buard OF ccnl
miasoners, the Book Committee at New York shall fill salt
vacancy.
y. That, whenever agents of the Southern Church ar
clothed with legal authority corporate power TO act In ID
premises tho agents New York hereby authorize
and directed in with said Southern agents
Ing force.
3. That oil the property of the Methodist Episcopa
Church, In meeting houses paIsonaecs colleges schons
conference funds cemeteries and of every kind within ti
limits OF tho Southern organization shall be forever FIRE
from any claim set the part of the Methodist Episco
pal Church. far this resolution be Of force in tn
premises.
~. lha, tho Church formed in the South shall have
common right to use all The in possession oil m
Rook Concerns at New York and Cincinnati, at the time
the settlement by the Commissioners.
| IL. That the Book Agents at New York be directed Il
make such compensation the conferences South for ci
dividend from the Chartered Fund, the Commissioners
| above provided for shall agrec upon.
p That the bishops be respectfully requested 10 lay tina
feences before them possible beginning with lie
New York Conference
The compainans further alcgc that the said General Con-
ference had full and competent power and authority 10 ad1
the resolutions each and all of em and that the bc
of binding force and radi and that in OF
said resolutions such proceedings were afterwards had IN I
several Animal Conferences OF the H"th dI:t Epsc"'d
Church in the save-haldiug States in General Convention
assembled delegates (crtcd the hnsi. Of the r'S"
.inns of The General Conference Of lSif Al Louisville h.
lucky On the first day Of May, 1875 the following Ttsu
ton adopted after and deliberate consideration:
Be resolved by the Delegates Of The several Ann'd
Conferences Of the Methodist Episcopal Church IN l't
slavehoding States in General Convention assclJrd nat
il right rxpern and cree. the Annna! C-
fcrenccs in this Convention into distinct ect-
General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. as
present constituted; and accordingly We the delegates VI
said Annual Conferences acting under The pTo'lSiont iin
separation adopted by the General Conference ol l0f
soc,npiy declare the jurisdiction hitherto exercised >hd
Annual Conferences by the General Conference o the Ne
todst Episcopal Church! entirely dlssolvedi ami maj III
Annus Conference shall be, and they hereby ne, c0hsh'eu
separate ecclesiastical cnnnect" "n"'r ,'c
plan OF separation aforesaid and based upon The discn" "i
The Methodist Episcopal Church. co'norraendng ls % uHc
tr!neS and entire moral ecclesiastical ana econncai dsS
aud regulations OF said discipline except only in 81 lar as
verbal alterations be necessary 10 dis!inct n4ahZf.
ton and To be known by Tie syl" aud te oi the et"1st
Episcopal Church SDuth.-l taS VI.
And that afterwards on the second day Of July, lsa5
council of th. bishops Of the Methodist Episcopal Ehnr'h
met at New York (which council composed o the Nor
thern bshop and hen and there adopted unanimously e
following resolutions:
Resolved That the plan reported by the Select Com,
rnittee OF the last General Conference a"a adon:tu
by that body, in regard distinct ecclesiastical conn"c
llon shou such be found necessary by c annual
conference in the slaehodng States, s regarded by Us "s
of binding obligation in the premises, 50 Tar as our aufhDS
traon is concorucd
. Resolved That in order ascertain fairly the desire
and purpose Of these societies bordering on the In: " dH!-
sion, in regard 10 their adherence to Tie Church. norm or
South due no;ice should be given ot The time, place. ana
jsc of the meeting for the above ufose Il: wilton o,
Secretary should be appointed and Tie sense {" al
the members present be asccrtaned and IN: same DC of"af
dcd to the bishop who preside al lie ensuing AnhH
Conferences; or forward said presiding bishop "Iic
request to be recognized and have preacher sent he viii
the names Of the majority appointed thereto.
And the compainanls alcgc and insist that ly, and
virtue Of tie foregoing proceedings, the II 'hos Flsc-
pal Church in The United States, ii had cA!s'cG c'tcie
year 1914 became and divided into two distinct cio-
dist Episcopal Churches with distinct and ln'cpenc' nj q,
ganzaons powers and authority, composed ni the sew. al
Annual Conferences, charges stations ard sncclirs l!s
being situated north and south Of the afDcsad Inc oi Ii
vision.
nj no all hy
foregoing proceedings the Methodist Episcop, Cnuch
South became, and entitled 10 its propuron n all he
and personal and of all funds and effects which me 'e
of separation had belonged TO the Methodist EplscQm
Church, and that the Church South was and ID So cn;li
without any change or alteration of the sixth restrictive tr-
lcle ABOVE mentioned That before and on the said S; ay
of June 1874 The Methodist Episcopal Church owned d
possessed large amount Of property in various parts o ne
United States and personal which in the hand o.
agents and trustees; and among Others large interests
in belonged 10 the said church what was tcncuna the
Book Concern, in The city of New ork, consisting. OF
houses and lots, machinery printing presses bonkbnery
books papers, debts, cash. &c. amounting 10 about the un
OF $5 0e0he whole of which property s in the los
session OF the defendants Lane and Scott as book ag@s
And the complanants further aleCe, that after the is
sion Of the Methodist Episcopal Church into two distinct
Churches by virtue Of the resolutions OF the General jon
ference of 1874 and the action of the Annual Confenres
of the South hcrcnbcfoe Sci fut the agents the
Book Concern since the year Sio have utterly rcts 10
pay 10 the Annual Conference South, or 10 the cnninn
ants for and behalf Of them their said just proportion The
profits and income to the said Book CoDcern-and s, con-
inuc 10 withhold the same That the said General C1nleT
ence of the Church South, holden at Petersburg F9lnh
in May lS46 in pursuance Of and in compliance wih Tie
plan Of separation Of 1914 proceeded 10 appoint ht com
plainants Bascom and Green together with ). A. Lntta
Commissioners 10 meet the Commissioners appUn ed by
the General Conference Of the Methodist Episcopal Clnrc
OF 1874 uni 10 settle and receive from The said
the Just proportion OF the property and effects due % Inc
Church South according the said plan of separan and
that the said Bascom Green and Laa afterward applied 10
Nathan Bangs, George Peck and James b. Finley appoint
ed BY the General Conference Of lSi4 the sl book
agents. them for the purpose of settlement md d.
vision Of The said property and have repeatedly called on
them for that purpose; but that the defendants have "hoy
failed and refused in the PREMISES have they been
enabled induce the said book agents. Commission
ers Church ITSELF pay The said Church South lis
proporonae share of the said property and funds aspoVu
| ed in the said plan OF separation. -
And the companans allcge that they are nembes OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South; that Kelly ard Allen
are supernumeary preachers aud Tevs saperannaaicu
preacher and that they belong the travelling cucnecon
OF the said Church and such have personal interest
in the estate real and personal now holden by the Methodist
Episcopal Church. by the Defendants agents and trustees
appun led by the General Conferences that there ae ABOUT
fifteen hundred preachers belonging 10 the
ton OF the Methodist Episcopal Church, South ench Of
whom has the personal interest in the said property as
the complainlnts and that the great number OF persons
thus interested the recovery sought By The said bill makes
it tnconvenen not impossible, ID bring Them al nr!oe
the Court cunnlanaats that they citizens Of States
other than the State New York, and Tint their Interests
exceed the sum cf 80 000 the DEFENDANTS Lnr ard
Sr, have the clslady aud control hr law and by virtue OF
their appointments agents Of the Book Concern oi AL
the property and elects OF the said Concern as above De-
scti5ed.
The conplainan's further aerc that the entire member
chip Of the Methodist Episcopal Church. South is ABOUT
four hundred and sixty thousand five hundred and hty-tcc;
and tina, The entire membership Of the Church NORTH is
about six hundred and thirty nine thousand and sStysf
ard ha; il is therefore, impossible hrlng all lne parties IN
interest before Court in this BILL either comainahs
or defendants ;,
The defendants admi, the adoption of the resolutions o.
the General Conferences ui the eighth Of Jane, ioll by
majority of over three fou7ths of the entire BODY but al
ce that the said resolutions in respect their operation
and effect provisional and contingent and were ntt ndcd 10
meet fnure emergency, that II was supposed might arse
in the Church tie Northern ard southern 'rnDc!s;
and further that the said resolutions called the plan o spc,
ration were duly legally passed and that he General
Conference had competent power authority TO pass o
adopt the same except that "Gn comprising the 'ccoth
daon the Annual Conferences change the sixth rrstic
tive rulc and that last named resolutions, when adopted
where null and void and without any binding force eXcet
as matter of recommendation The defendants rher IN
sst that even had the s-caed plan OF separation been con
sttnnal and valid merely provided for prospective
plan which, without the happenln. n certain future co
lions or on the failure whicli cuni;ions OF eithsi I"
,e could not by its express terms. wis te'e I'M ~
i,d 10 have any force validity. anl Eul! anI void 'hd
that the same ratified by IL: iUnn,i Coniefc:; ;cs
named therein and that the Sou.e:n Annual conferences
have in all respects TO the Church, South acfen On e