Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1868-03-26

SEVENTH DAY.
The Committee on Lay Delegation presented
| the following >" The Committee to whom was
| referred q communication from certain laylnen
OF New York, and elsewhere on the subject OF
lay representation, having given attention to the
subject. respectfully recommend the adoption
of the following resolution:
Resofced, That we favor the introduction ol
lay delegation into the General Conference when
ever that body shall be fully satisfied that a ma-
| Jorty OF our laity desire it. And should the
| General Conference, Mt its approaching session,
be 10 doubt as to the mind OF the Church, then
in that case, we request the said General Confer
ence to refer the question 10 the vote of the An
| nual Conferences, and to the male membership Of
tho. church. I. ]. QUfGLEY, Chairman.
The report was sternly opposed in its "sugar-
| coated character by Rev z. Il. Cunningham
He contended that, in his Judgment the voice OF
| the Church was against the proposed change that
there is no necessity ior IT, and that the General
Conference has not the power to do that which is
| proposed. God has thrown wall of fire around
the great principles Of tho Constitution of the
| Church. lie knew that great NAMES were attached
| 10 the report, and that great speeches might be
| made IN It's support; but he knew, also, that q
| great speech was made in the Garden of Eden,
| which begncd innocence, and this report was
the old serpent coilcd up in the grass, but IL has
| lost none of its venom.
AT the close of his speech he moved TO lay the
report on the table. This motion made an ex-
gestcd to the mover that this motion was not
| courteous. Whereupon he withdrew it, and Rev
| j. b. Ayais renewed it and the motion was laid
| upon The table by an overwhelming vote. A mo-
| lion was carried that the previous question was
ordered. The ayes and nays were called for
Rcy. w. Cooper opposed the taking OF the ayes
and nays On the ground that it would butcher
time and 1t was not Il test vote. The call was not
Sustained and the vote was taken on the report,
| and it was adopted by u very large majority.
| Rev. w. Mullen moved to take up the order of
the day for yesterday which was carried. The
| following was read:-
Wheieds, Our itinerant system of ministraton
| Imposes mutual sacrifices OH pastors and people,
| and these sacrifices both have voluntarily as
| suined the pastor agreeing not TO seek lis ap-
| pointment and the people agreeing not 10 seek
Their pastors, the wants of each to be provided
| Tor by our Bishops.
| And rhs,eas, The practice now prevails to n
considerable extent Of pastors and charges ar
ranging their appointments before the Conference
conv,nes, thus taking out of the hands of the
Bishop his proper function.
And @he,eus, There are still some pastors and
some charges that cannot in view of their agree
| ment ask or bargain for particular charge and u
particular pastor; therefore
| Resolced, That we respectfully request the en-
suing General Conference to teratc tho law in re-
laion To the appointing ministers, and supplying
charges, aud annex such penalties MS will deter
both pastors and charges from any departure
| from said rules.
| AesOfteu -u, lIut IL III lllS Judgment OIL the
General Conference, the object sought in the
| foregoing resolution is either impossible or i'm
| practicable the said General Conference then
annul the primary rule in relation to appoint
ments, and make all the pastors and all the
charges stand equal before the law-free TO make
| the best bargain possible,
| Rev. W. Mullen then opened tho debate by sta
ting what he considered is the rule in the case,
| that Is, that the pastors are not to seek their
churches and the churches are not to seek their
pastOrS. Some that the nrapIipp is In
| cordance with the Book of Discipline, then he
eontended that the book should be changed so as
to make it conform to the practice. Then the
| book and the practice would be consistent and
all preachers would stand equal before the law.
| The practice as it exists in some places, is no
| part of the system it is cxcresccnce upon the
body, cancer that is eating out the vitality of
the SYSTEM The general should iterate the plan
The heart of the Church in this city is moved
| with sympathy with this paper.
| Rev. w. Cooper ID. d.. thought TINT we are
already too far TO 90 back. He wanted the thing
reduced to u system by the General Conference.
| nat body should lay down n form of petition.
The people ought to represent their wants in a
| systematic manner. The General Conference
ought to give the privilege to male members
meeting and they only ought to be heard. Some
| times committee don't represent the church at
all. The whole thing is coiicocted by not more
than a dozen at most and they pretend to be lhr
church, when the fact is they don't want the man
that the committee ask for. The preacher ought
to have the privilege OF saying, s should like 10
go to that place. l should like to go there or
there" His manhood requires it, In perfect
| submission he should State his circumstances, so
as to he accommodated in his appointment, if
| possible.
The question was further argued by Rev. j. w.
jackson, Rev. DR.. Nadal Rev. 4. Sumption, C. H.
Crouch, Rev. w. l.. Gray, and Rev. 7. B. Miller,
when count vote was had, which resulted in IS
for, and 81 against, the laying on the table.
The previous question called for and or
| lprgu. Iilp then ainntnl hN N "a ..f
| 101 for, and jS against
| On motion of Rev. L. Coomb. the paper was
referred TO the delegation To the General Confer
enct, To be by them taken up to that body.
EIGHTH DAY.
| The Centenary Collections within the bounds
OF the Conference, were reported as follows =
| For Dickinson College, u little over S50N00:
Wesleyan Female College, 523a}.G7; Philadelphia
Eemale College, S5o3S6; Centenary Education
| Fund, :Sag.59 Chldrens Fuud, Slg9.s0; Mi
sion House, New York, sl377ii; Irish Fund,
3ao; other institutions, s13Gl II. Total,
| sou, ,6S9.9S.
The report of tho Committee on the American
| and Foreign Christian Union, under consideration
AT thu close Ut the last session, was called up, and
on motion Of DrDurbn was referred To the Gem
| trul Conference
| The report Of the Committee on Education was
| presented, closing with the following resolutions:
Resolred, That the Philadelphia Annual Com
ference reailirns Its unabatcd interest in all the
literary institutions under it, patronage especially
IN Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pa, and the Wes-
| leynn Female College, Wilmington, Del. ,--nsti-
| tutlons FOR whose success the faith Of the Con
| ference is solemnly pledged.
| ResOfrcd, That we recommend TO the Confer
ence that additional efforts be put forth to in-
| crease the endowment iund oi Dickinson Col
lege, so that the present faculty may be better
compensated, anu tho services Of additional pro-
fessurs may be secured.
Resoicea. That the Presiding Elders be request
| cd to Inquire at the first Quarterly Conference
| succeeding the present session of the Annual
Conference if there be in any of The charges OF
their several districts, any uncollected centenary
| subscriptions iur the literary institutions unduI
| our care; and ii there be any such subscriptions,
that they Instruct the preachers in charge 10 col
ect them immediately and forward them TO
James Long, Esd, Treasurer Of the Centenary
Fund. No. 2O} Church street, Philadelphia.
HeSOtfed, That we urge upon the attention of
ali our churches the Importance Of aiding young
men called OF God tu the nihisny,in their efforts
To acquire o thorough Christian education.
Resofred, That approving us We do OF the Bib
Heal Department iu Dickinson College, We also
commend to candidates for the ministry, whose
time aud means will admit of more extended
theological curriculum, the Drew Theological
Seminary us an institution in all respects worthy
Of their patronage.
Resotrei, That we urgently recommend our
churches 10 observe the annual day of PRAYER for
colleges, on the last Thursday uf February in
each year.
Rcsolced, That the usual Visiting Committees
TO the several Literary Institutions under the pi-
tronage OF the Conference, Inc appointed by the
Chair.
| The report was taken up seriatih, and adopted
On the Drew Theological Institute, DIR. Nadal
made ilrrt class Speech which created an ex-
cellent feeling Of favor towards that new lnstitute
| General Albright, lay member of the Com
mittcc on Education, being called for, delivered
an address, urging the necessity Of these literary
institutions, and OF their strong endowment
Dickinson College, at Carlisle, Pa, has mn en-
dowment of only S1jO0uO Tnis is not enough
1t must he better taken care of. and placed upon
the footing OF the best institutions Of the land, in
point of endowment, MS IL is well known to be in
efficient management aud thorough scholarship
Rev. DR.. Johusop, President Of Dickinson Col
lege, made some remarks explanatory and other
| wise.
Revs. d. Il. Thomas and j. y. Curtis were
elected Trustees Of the Woslt yam Female College.
The Committee on plan for the relief of lami-
lies of deceased ministers made their report