The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-05-06
LATEST BY TELEGRAPH
MIDNIGHT REPORT.
g ENERAL II. i. CONFERENCE.

CHrcAao, May 4.
The NJ. Conference WAS this morning called
to order by Bishop Clark.
4 Rsv. VIM. Farris, Of New York, conduct
ed the opening devotional exercises.
After the reading Of the minutes the Pres
ident announced the special committees.
An invitation to visit the rooms of the
Board Of Trade was read. The invitation
was accepted.
A motion was made and carried to suspend
the rules to hear the Bishops Qnadrennisl
Address.
Bishop Simpson then proceeded to read the
address.
In the South four German Conferences
have been organized, and the following Con-
ferences have been founded: Mississippi, Ten
ne ssee, South Carolina, Texas, Virginis,
North Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Three
hundred and seventy~three travelling preach
ers we're added. besides number Of local
preachers, and the membership is 90,071. In
Kentucky and Arkansas there is in the
Church n ,225 members, and III preachers
have been ordained within the past two years.
AT the close of the last Conference the Bish-
OPS were authorized TO establish one or more
Conferences, end the Delaware and Washing
ton Conferences were established along with
the General Conference, to recognize dele.
gates from the Mission Conferences. There
have been l0l ministers ordained in the
South, and &c, 481 members added. The
membayship Of the Methodist dissemination
four years ago was 923 1874, and it now is l..
I46,oS1, the largest increase IN the history of
the Church in any four years. The increase
in the number of parsonsges is III. The
number of church edifices at the last Confer
ence was a,43o; is now 1870, an increase of
eighteen per cent. in four years. The cen>
tenary donations are So 1897 ,6G2. The Theo-
logical institutes were progressing we'll; the
publishing interests were in a prosperous
condition; the Sunday Schools show nm in
crease in the number Of children Of 24i,sls;
an increase of 10000 more Than the addition
of memb srship. The local societies we're in
fourishing condition, as also the missionary
society, which had greatly increased in its
work from 1864 to 1868; the receipts were
s2,451,54s. an increase Of s sl,804,o57.
After the conclusion Of the Bishops re-
port. Bishop Jones reports Of the English
and Irish Conferences were made the special
order tor Thursday morning at 10 O'Clock.
The reports from the Mission Conferences
of China, Swiszeriand and several other for
eign countries were presented aad referred TO
the appropriate ommittees.
Numerous petitions relative to lay repre-.
sentation, DC, were received oud referred.
The minutes Of the trial OF J. O. Fisher,
were presented and referred to the Commit,
tee on Appeals
Rev j. M. Fullerton, Of the Northwest
Wisconsin Conference, presented petition
on opposition to baptism as au Ac. of NAL.
administration. Appropriately referred.
Rev. 4. A. Caruihers, Of the Erie Com
ference, offered a resolution to instruct the
Committee on Revivals to enquire into the
propriety Of elecsing Bishops for definite
humber of years Referred.
A resolution was offered to the effect that
members of the Catholic Church who desire
should be allowed to unite with the Metbo-
dist Church under certain circumstances. Re-
ferred.
4 resolution was passed requiring the Com
miltee on Expenses to require and repor.
what will be allowed d~'-1-.vs noi peisonai
expenses.
1t was stated that many of the delegates
were compelled TO pay their own expenses q.
hotels and restaurants