Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-05-26
By Yesterday Evenings Mails.

GENERAL CONFERENCE OF THE NJ. +. CHURCH
SOUTH ACTION on THE SLAVERY QUESTION.
The Nashville correspondent Of the South
Side Democrat, under date Of the 2O:h says ::
The General Conference has passed, with
remarkable unsnimity. the substitute for the
Alabama resolutions, thus wiping out from
the book OF Discipline. all reference to the sub
ject Of buying and selling slaves. According
to the Constitutional law of the church,
tbreC-ourths Of the annual Conferences must
concur in this action, but there cannut be
question as to the result. The vote stood-
Ayes 40, noes S--abseut 3
After tae vote, Bishop Pierce spoke as fol.
lows:
Mr. President, | desire to make remark,
calculated, perhaps, to alay tie feeling OF the
body IN relation to the action just had. The
design Of the Alabama Conference IN orisi-
mating that resolution, and Ot the Annual
Conferences which have supported 1t, 10
misapprebended by some. The whole phi
losophy of the proceeding seems to be ioun-
ded ON the fact, that it is not the province OF
tie Church to decide any question with refer
ence to African slavery. The South Church
ecclesiastical Legislation. The single object
was, that while We dlsclaimed the right OF
legislation upon that su'J jet, we wished To
make the Discipline conform ~ that probes
sion. Tue Conference by It's action this
morning, has not parted with It's authority,
or the authority OF the Church, over Its mem
bers, in any lespect. Every member OF the
Church claims to be loyal citizen. We de-
clare here that African slavery Is purely
civil institution, aud there Is no reason tor
alarm about losing church control. Ii We
turu to the 23d Article OF Religion, we
shall find there that the Church retalns
Its proper authority over Its mem oers
with reference to the subject. We there
fore, by this act, simply maintain our
original postiub--that Of having moth
ing to do with the subject OF slavery
more than any other civil matter over
which the laws of the country are extern
ded. / beg the brethren therefore to be-
easy. There is nothing here to warrant any
construction look ing towards repeal OF the
laws Of the United States in regard TO the A..
rican slave trade. There is no occasion tor
ssusitiveness, nor for any legislation on the
su! ject anywhere el.e. No harm has been
done to anybody to-day. We have only set
ourselves right on vexed question; and we
may safely DEFY all the efforts of our enc
mics, North and SJu'h, to daWage the Church
for taking clear position upon this SUBJECT
Thomas White, second mate of the bark
Ottawa, Indicted for whipping three OF the
sailors on the voyage from Rio to Richmond,
was arraigued before Judge Holyburton OF
the L. S. Circuit Court, in that city on Tues
day, and plead guilty. The Attorney Tor the
prosecution thereupon drew up an Indictment
which was signed by the jury, who were then
discharged. The amount OF punishment Tor
the crime is to be fixed 10y the Judge.
BANK OF TIE CONHoNwEALTH.--Ihe mIri-
mum capital, required ior the establishment
of this new bank, III Richmond, has been sub
scrlbcd, SO that the bank will now go into
operation in very short time.
Ed. Cummings, youth, son of gentle
men in Petersburg, was killed at the Peters.
burg depot IN Richmond on Monday night
by being run over by the cars.