The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-05-31

III. mArLACk, OF LOUISIANA, presented memorial
from some colored people Of the South asking for
the election OF cOlored bishop. One congregation
haa already gone over to the Methodist Episcopal
Church South because q similar request hereto
fore made had not been acquiesced In. The me-
mortal represents that 100000 c0lored members
gathered into the Methodist Episcopal Church
under the promise of equality in all respects. He
moved its reference to o special committee.
Rev. Dr. Love was elected editor OF the Northern
Christian Advocate by reclamation. Dr. william
Hunter was elected editor Of the Pittsburg Chris
tian Adrocate by vote Of 2is ont OF ae3. Mr. b.
st. James Fry was chosen editor Of the Central
Christian Adrocdte by vote OF 200 DR.. II. @. Ben
son was elected editor OF the California Christian
AdoOcdte by reclamation. DR.. Dillon was chosen In
the same way for the Pacific Christian Advocate in
Portland, Oregon. The Atlanta Methodist Advocate
was recognized by the General Conference, and DR..
N. f. Cobleigh was elected editor by vote Of 247
out OF total of 372.
Rev. Mr. Warning made an explanation in regard
to one ballot for editor OF the Ladies' Repository
which, after the count had been made up, was
taken of his head by another delegate and was
afterwards included In the aggregate, whereby DR..
McAuley was defeated. A special committee OF
five was appointed to Investigate and report what
should be done in the matter.
THE SPECIAL REPORT ON BOOK CONCERN.
Mr.. B. r.. BONNER moved to suspend the rules to
admit OF the reception OF the report OF the Special
with restatcment OF the organization OF the COM
mittec its division into sub-committees, ana the
One Of those sub. committees was depnted to ind
the points of agreement and disagreement between
the majority and minority reports OF the Book
Committee. Another undertook the same task in
Messrs. Kilbreth and Gums reports, and Others
took up the several accusations or statements Of
Dr. Lanahan, as contained in his personal report.
The investigation then ranged itself around a
series OF questions:-
!. Have frauds been practised in the printing,
Book Concern has sustained lossY II so, by whOm9
How much loss was sustained, and at what time or
times were said frauds cOmmttedY
2. Have there been any irregularities In the man.
agcment of the business OF the Concern by which
losses have been or might have been sustaincdY
8. Have losses, If any, been Of such magnitude as
to cndanger the financial strength OF the Concern
or to materially impair Its capital9
4. Were the business relations OF the departments
such that opportunities for frauds and peculations
by subordnates could exist, and Is it reasonable to
presume that such frauds Tor pecuatons), II COM
mitted, could have been prevented by the enforce
ment of more thorough and businesslike methodist
8. Are there reasonable grounds to presume that
any agent or assistant agent is or has been impli-
Gated OF interested In any frauds that may have
been practised on the Concern.
O. Are the present methods OF accounts and
modes OF conducting the business such as 10 insure
reasonable and ordinary protection against frauds
I. Is the report OF the agents to this General
Conference fair exhibit Of the assets and liabili-
THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED
On the first clause of question one, the committee
voted yeas 4 nays 50; on the second clause yeas 49,
On question two the committee voted yeas 40,
nays Z.
ON question three the vote was AZ nays, 3 yeas.
On question four the vote was 40 yeas, nay on
the first clause and on the second clause 81 yeas,
On question five there was but l nay in the
committee of 59-the average attendance.
Question six was decided in the affirmative by
Question seven was answered in the Affirmative
by aNotc Of "A yeas to nays
rnN rc
to which the committee therefore came are:-That
repeated frauds have been practsed upon the Book
turing department. and are located chiefly, # not
wholly, In the bindery. MIR. Holman was superin-
tenden Of this department at the time OF the per-
petration of those frauds, and the evidence indi-
Gates that for series OF years he carried en- sys
tenn Of frauds by which the Concern sustained very
considerable losses, the amount OF which 1t Is i'm
possible TO indicate with accuracy The committee
are Of opinion that the business methods of this
department were formerly such as to afford
opportunities for frauds and peculations by
subo,dinates, which these Investigations show
have been taken advantage Of The committee
agree with Mr.. Kilbreth that 'the business entries
OF the years 1862 and 1864 including also the bind
ing and periodical account OF 1861 are totally mex
cusable as specimens Of account" The losses sus-
tanned to the Concern by those frauds are not OF
such magnitude as to endanger the financial
strength OF the Book Concern nor TO materially I'M
pair its capital
The committee further say that there are no
reasonable grounds or proofs to justify an assump-
ton that any agent or assistant agent is or has
been implicated or interested in any frauds which
have been practsed on the Book Concern. The
present methods Of account and modes OF conduct
ing the business are such as to insure reasonable
and ordinary protection against frauds and
Irregularities yet they not altogether perfect.
purchased paper for the Concern =, through
MIR. j. F. Porter The loan to the e,I Missionary
through Brown Brothers the Committee think was
an unauthorized use OF Concern moneys given to
as an error which as q precedent should not be
sanctioned. The committee had no evidence to
be different from what they are. The committee
say they have labored hard to come to a just con.
clsion on this matter, and on the question Of
adoption, the committee adopted the report unani-
inolsly by rising vote
The report was laid on the table, to be printed,
and was made the special order Tor ten O'CLOCK TO-
day.. '.
Inasmuch as the Conference had adopted resolu-
lions In regard TO decorating soldiers graves, DR..
hear the report of the Committee on the National
Centennial celebration, and he moved to suspend
the rules therefor Opposed and withdraw s'sooa
and the report (No. z OF the
sTASbING COMMITTEES on BOOK CONCERN
was read and discussed and certain sections OF IL
adopted before the hour for adjournment OF the
morning session. The report substantially leaves
thew are In New York and Cincinnati; the agents
arc to be elected as usual by the General Confer
ence and the Office is thrown open to laymen as
powers and equal responsibility. The New York
agents may supply the Western agents with printed
sheets at MY per cent anu pounu poons ~. III "
and the agents at Cincinnati are to remit to New
York as largely and as frequently as their funds Will
allow. The agents OF each publishing house are re-
quired to keep q separate account with each de-
partment OF the business and with each periodical
published under their SUPERVISION and the result Is
to be set forth In the reports to the Annual and
the General Conferences. They are to take annually
an account Of stock &c, with full and detailed
statement OF all their liabilities, profits and losses.
| The report recommends the appointment of q
! Book Committee OF eighteen MEMBERS twelve OF
whom shall be chosen from as many districts into
! which the Annual Conferences are grouped, and
\ three nom New York and vicinity, and three from
4 Cincinnati or vicinity. This Book Committee Is
l then divided into two sections OF nine men each,
! and tho three East and West are constituted sub
i committees, whose duty II Is made to make
MONTHLY EXAMINATIONS OF THE BUSINESS,
books and accounts OF the Concern, and to report
the same TO the larger sections semannually and
to the full committee at its annual meeting on
the second Wednesday OF February.
| The Rev. Mr.. HUGHEY opposed making the agents
equal and also throwing the Offices open to laymen.