The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-18
TEE METHODIST PREACHERS.

Tho Late General Conference Criticized
What IL Did Well and Not Wcll-Back-
CANNON and Billiards, Cards and
Theatres.
The Methodist preachers OF New York and VI
cinity as an organization are the most independent
class Of debaters In the country. They handle
General and Annual Conferences, bishops and pre-
siding elders and other Church authorities as
roughly as II those persons and bodies were the
merest play toys and foot balls. Yesterday they
sat In Judgment upon the doings OF the late General
Conference in Brooklyn The debate was set In
motion by that able debater and ecclesiastical radi-
cal, DR.. Curry, who regretted among other things
that the Conference had not made the Presiding
Eldershlp elective by the Annual Conferences He
did not think the Conference acted wisely In elect
ing eight bishops, but ii did In locating their resi-
support. And he should not be at all surprised to
know OF bishops asking to be relieved from episco
pal duties and sent into the passionate presiding
eldership. Such changes would do the whole
Church good. There were men in the Conference
he should have liked to have seen elected to the
spiscopate, but, notwlthstandng the "log-roing'
by which some OF those 80 elevated were chosen he
believed they fairly represented the
AVERAGE INTELLIGENCE AND PIErY
Of the Church. We're 1t not for the glamour which
surrounds the Office he believed there would not be
so many aspirants for it, and the Conference would
not be 80 ready to take men away from fields OF
great usefulness and importance to make bishops OF
them. However In the paper Which he drew mp,
and which was signed by some sixty delegates In
GLIDING two bishops and many episcopal aspirants,
the General Conference, by adopting II almost unant-
mOusly, removed some OF this false glamour from
around the position. He was also glad that the
ratio OF ministerial representation had been In
creased from thirty to forty nve and he hoped next
time u would be made sixty.
Dr. KING also regretted that the Conference did
not make the Presiding Eldership elective But the
psnops were made the grinding committee" to-
ware the close OF the session. and they brought for
WARD such matters as pleased themselves lie be.
1ieved the church would have to come to this point
yet, and ere long. The people are complaining
against the burden OF presiding elders, salaries
The New York Confcre nee could vet along very well
with four districts, and he should be IN FAVOR OF
only two. But with four they would save az 600 or
$4,000 q year. All the business done AT the omar.
tery conferences now can be better performed in
the district conferences provided for semi an.
nualy, and OF which he approved There would
then be less need OF presiding elders.
Rev. Mr.. LASDoN showed that such conferences
had an ephemeral existence In New Jersey some
years ago, and he feared the result would be lust
Rev. Mr.. BUCKLEY controvertcd the statement OF
MIR. Parker made last week In regard To the
wKANGLING IN THE GENERAL CONFERENCE
He claimed that 1t was much more digni1ed body
than tho House OF Representatives, least than
that body was In 1S59-than the British House OF
Commons than the Dutch Reformed synod which
lately sat In Brooklyn, and than the Theological
School Managers OF New Brunswick. He had heard
but two personal innucndoes on the door OF Confer
5 ence. He did not include the Book Concern be-
cause that WAS plain-spoken debate, without
tnnuend0 on either SIDE (Laughter.j
DR.. ROCHE wished 70 correct the false impression