Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-04-10
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CONFER,
ENCE.
The Pusrl.blog House at Nashville.

At the General Conference of IN,
Methodist Episcopal Church at New Or
leans on the 9th, the report OF the bOol
agent and publishing house Of the churcl
was read. 1t showed that in 1858 the as
sets were S459, 1872, and the liabilities
500, S46, leaving a balance in favor o
S35S,SS6 but that one item of 5000 hac
been overlooked. Entering into particu'
lars from that time onward, il shows
how the liabilities had been reduced, I'M
til in 1861 the agent left Nashville and
did not return till after the surrender Of
the Confederate States armies. After
the agent left Nashville the building was
taken possession Of by the military, and
was hbeled for cOuiscatiOn but it was
subsequently ordered by the President to
be released on payment of costs. Yet it
was transferred to the Freedmen's Blu
reau, before the agent could regain pos
session of it. Everything on the pre-
misses was more or less injured.
This report was referred to the Com
mittee on Books and Publications.
Two explanatory or supplementary
reports upon the subject, by the agent
who took charge OF the building and
property during the absence of the agent
who furnished the report above noticed,
were then laid before the conference, the
time of the session being, on motion,
prolonged for the purpose.
These reports covered the period during
which the agent who furnished the pre-
vious one was absentfrom Nashville. MOsl
of the debts due the Publish ing House
were scattered Ia mallameunts, many Of
them disputed, and some of the debtors
insolvent, so that on the whole, fully half
of the debts charged were worthless.
The publication Of q new Bible on a
genealogical plan cost $4,000. During
the time Nashville was under United
States military rule, the agent was
arrested several times; while he was
not quite confident that he could
legally claim 10 be the agent of the
church, and was the more embarrassed
at seeing q resolution passed by the bish-
ops at the time that the Office IF publish
ing agent ought to be Discontinued. On
consulting his lawyer, however, be was
advised that he was the legal agent Of the
church, and be determined to act aeeor-
dinghy in the effort to ave the property
Of the church. In order to secure the re-
lease Of the building from military occu-
patton, he gave bonds in S6,00a con-
jointly with another, to meet any habili-
ties to which It might be adjudged.
He thus became q government officer,
in charge Of government property,
which gave him q great advantage. A
regiment OF soldiers marched into Nash-
vile n dsy, and took possession Of the
building. On the commanding general
being appealed TO, and the circumstances
explained 10 him, he eOHntermanded the
order under which the troops bad taken
possession Of it, and they reluctantly
left it. The amount of damage they did
during the day they were in il viii never
be known. The building would have
been seized by the military again and
again, had it not fortunately been
protected in the manner indicated.
acquisitions were frequently made for
presses, type, ETC., In the building for
army purposes, and they were of neces-
slty complied with. Receipts were gen
orally given for them, but not ALWAYS.
some Of the things We're returned. Others
were never heard Of. Appearances
showed that at one time or another it
was the intention OF every commanding
officer Nashville bad to seize the prom
terry, and that all that prevented this was
the fact Of the question of its disposition
having been thrown into the civil
courts. In January, 1854, it was ordered
TO be seized for eondscation. Suisse