West-Jersey pioneer., 1873-03-21

chair.
The Bishop read the third and a part o
the fourth chapter of Second Corinthians
after which the 21Sth hymn, commenc
ing
Except the Lord conduct the plan,
Our best concerted schemes are vain,
And never can succeed,
was sung, and Dr. G. f. Brown offered
prayer.
The Lords Supper was then administer
ed to both ministry and laity by Bishop
Scott, assisted by the Presiding Elders, and
a number of the older brethren of the con
ference.
The Secretary of the last conference, I.
D. King called the roll, and 118 members
answered to their names.
On motion, I. D. King, was reelected
Secretary, with the privilege of selecting his
assistants. He nominated the same assis-
tants that served last year, with the addi-
ton of G. B. Wight.
W. S. Barnart, formerly Recording Sec
retary, positively declined further service in
that capacity. A number of brethren made
remarks complimentary of the manner in
which the work had been done, and a motion
was made to appoint a committee to express
in some suitable manner, the thanks of the
Conference, but at the suggestion of the
Bishop, the whole matter was laid over un-
til to-morrow's session.
The Bar Of the Conference was fixed at
the first side of the third window from the
pulpit.
The time Of the sessions was made as fol-
lows: commencing 81 a. m., closing at 70,
n.
The Presiding Elders were constituted a
committee to nominate the usual Standing
Committees, and leave to retire was given
them.
Bro Phillips. one of the Agents of the
Book Concern was introduced, and made
a few remarks. He stated that the Christ
ian Adoocote has now at least 10, 900 more
subscribers than ever before. He speke al
so, of the delay in the sending of the en-
cravings, and explained the reason Of that
delay, but added that every preacher would
be likely to find the engravings on his re-
turn home. The preachers were urged to
take hold of the collection for the support
of the Bishops, as this would enable them
to cheaper our literature.
A draft On the Chartered Fund for $40
was ordered.
A paper concerning reports of Benevolent
collections, was read and referred to the
Committee on Missions.
Since no provision had been made for the
report and publication of Bible moneys,
Conference ordered that the Bible Commit
tee secure an account of these collections,
and that they be published in the min
utes.
DR.. Rust, of the Freedmens Aid Socie-
ty, was introduced, and in substance said
1t is impossible to over-rate the import
ance of this Freedman's Aid Society. The
security of the nation, the prosperity of the
church, and the salvation of millions of i'm
mortal souls depend upon it. To neglect
oiiio ID w pOAli OhC vi tIC iilOSt Nlbdl luISI-
ests of the nation, and the work of Christ.
The time is coming when we will need
this colored population, and brethren, it is
almost overwhelming to resist the appeals
all over the south for schools.
There are four millions of people. You
know what they are. They are ignorant,
they are degraded, but who made them
so? They are not responsible, but the fact
is none the less true that they are so.
There are no four millions of people any
where else on the face Of the earth, that
have such claims upon us as they.
There are no four millions of people so
closely identified with US. They are iden-
titled with our success. If they go down,
we go down, ifthey go up we go up. They
are in our churches, in our pulpts, in the
offices of the Church they are in the SEN
ate, and they are a part of us and can't be
separated. If they are left in ignorance and
degradation we will be degraded as ma
tion. The Catholics understand this. Their
eye is on the colored population of the
south.
The Pope didn't care anything about
them, until they had a vote but just as
soon as they had gained political influence,
the great tears began to run down from his
eyes, and he displayed the intensest inter
est in the colored people, because the des-
tiny of the nation is closely identified with
them.
see, in the providence of God, in the
liberation of the colored people, power in
the millions Of citizens given us, that will
confront Romanism.
mention single fact. In Cincinnati,
Romanism is very powerful. They had, by
strategy, secured enough names to remove
the bible from the public schools. But at
the next election in which the colored peo-
pie had an opportunity to vote, in every