The Portland daily press., 1871-01-14
The Methodist Book Concern Iuvestjxa.

ton.
The Book Committee OF the Methodist Epis-
copal Church met in New York on Thursday
to investigate and decide upon the charges
brought against the Junior Book Agent, the
Rev. DR.. Lanahan. As this institution is the
great literary and financial power of the Meth
odist denomination, and the case has been
commented upon by nearly all the prominent
newspapers, secular and religious, it may now
be said to be Of almost national interest Its
history, in brief, is as follows:
In November, 1869, the Rev. DR.. Lanahap,
the junior agent Of the Book Concern, made a
report to the book committee of the church, in
which serious charges were brought forward
against the management OF the several depart.
ments Of the Concern. DR.. Lanahan COM
planned, in particular, of gross Irregularities in
the binding department., and the purchase of
tho vast amount of paper which the Concern
annually uses through middleman, the son of
an xagent of the Boob Concern an arrange
ment which enabled the miodleman to make
year after year, many thousands of dollars
which could and should have been saved to the
Concern. The book committee, after due ex.
animation of the report, decided that there had
been serious losses in at least one department.
OF the Concern, and intiIated that there had
been irregularity in the mode of purchasing
the paper. All the persons affected by the de-
cision of the committee pleaded not guilty, and
appealed to the public To suspend their judg-
ment. The majority of the periodicals which
took the trouble to examine the documents
with regard to the case were of the opinion that
the charges made by DR.. Lanahan, and the de-
cision made by the book committee, rested on
facts and on principles the correctness of which
could not be controverted.
After while the book committee were re-
quested to meet again in January, 1870, for a
new investigation of the case The request
proceeded not from DR.. Lanahan but from per-
sons in the interest OF his opponents The
committee met, and the result at this time was,
that majority of the committee found that
there had been no losses, while a minority ad-
hered to the former vote.
In May, 1870, number of ministers and lay
men of New York and vicinity originated
charges against DR.. Lanahan, growing out of
his assumed discovery of mismanagement in
the Book Concern. The charges were i. OF
Cial misconduct and malfeasance; g Neglect of
official duty; Untruthfulness, Feasibility,
slanderous disposition and other Objectionable
personal characteristics, which unfit him for the
position of assistant book agent; 4. Insutordi-
nation 10 bis official superiors, he book COM
mittee, and violation of his pledges to them;
B. Want of business qualifications and capacity
for the discharge of his official duties as such
assistant book agent The book committee
was accordingly summoned to meet in New
work, in May. The invitations appear to have
been issued with studied secrecy; at least, the
official papers of the church contained no an
nouncement of the meeting
"A new meeting of the book committee took
place IN Cincinnati on The 29th of October
Inc o'o charges were renewed, some new ones
added, and the commlstee This time resolved to
suspend the Rev. DR.. Lanahau from bis official
relations as assistant book agent. THURSDAY,
Jan. II, 1871, was fixed by lie Committee as
The Gay for n.sestigatiTg the complaints. The
ence of at least two bishops at such invest;ro.
ton. and their concurrence in the sentence Of
removal. In the present case, all the five effec.
tive bishops have been requested to be present.