National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-03-05
BALTIMORE CONFERENCE.
FIRST DAYS PK0cEEDIyGs OF TIE
NENETTETH SESkIGN. NV

CALL OF rIsTriCrs-DR. sLECER Ashs a
suPEINCMERAEY RELATioN-pEArho f
MINISTER'S kNNoUNCEi'-TliE boeh WV
GERM aGA,N-To>SiBLE CHANGES OF Az
fCINTMEHrS IN WASHINGTON.
ts,,o-,,.i for the Eerrhlican.l
Tb;s distinguished body. consisting OF A,eSht
49,. hrr.,re1 e,eryymen of the Methodi As.S,.eo-
..,,-ryrrb. began It's ninetieth anr .s.a -scs,;on
s,..orIay morning At o'clock in ~ rayette
s.rcot church, in the city Of 3 ,,t;.ndte a. is
well KNOWN this conference cor ,rc,s ffe arpoint
~,ents OF the ministers Of tn aI..nedist Church
shrougbcat tie District Q. tbiurs.a, the State Of
Mary land, and, in pa'.t, firysrix and West Vir-
g:nia, and embraces rs lis, ct members many
men OF very great pr0n,nence and enviasle dis
tinc;ion Tor they pulpit ability as well as admin
Ssirative anu eAccutivc capabilities.
BISHOP 70 f. Amcs, new in the iaTty-h'th year
oil his hisE opric preached and called the confer
ence to ,..,cr e, O'clock, A. ID After the usual
-aeyctona exercises The roll of the conference was
called and one hundred and twenty members re-
appended At present. About MY others arrived
by the morning trains and were registered as
present.
s.n motion ei Rev John Baer. VIM. Martin. ].
H. e. nosh. Geo. w. Cooper, j. j. q. Webster,
VIM + Ward, and J. Ii. Stitt, were elected rs
sscTc:aries
Rev A. = Gibson referred to the unfortunate
Ices CT portion Of the funds OF the Conference at
liz last session.by theft, and stated that etnlc
chest divided into several apartments property
labeled, and secured.inside Of a metallic frank,
hsd neeE provided and place., upon the platform.
i"r the reception of The collections made 10y the
pastors during the past year. t'Por directi'.n of
lAe BlsEop the ministers made the deposits Ui the
fa1.ds accordingly.
THE CALL OF DISTRICTS
was thtn begun and fhe characters Of the clergy
baltimore district was the
f1rst called. The presiding elder, DIR. Henry
Sliesr, so long and favorably known in connection
with the Methodist Church Of this section of
the country. RESPONDED by letter, stating that the
district was spiritually and financially, in pros
ss,n and ib coniina.nee If rs snervispn last
year. TO have been able to discharge the duties OF
older. 1t had, however, proved otherwise, as he
had been stricken down with sickness, attributed
by his physicians to overtaxation, and as con-
sequence he had not been able to leave his house
but once during the year, and is sorrowfully de-
tanned from being present at the conference SEES
sion, which had never but twice before been the
case in continuedi effective ministry OF iity-two
an Aiiwise Providence to take from him he com
panon Of his life, and thus 'extinguish the light
Of the tabernacle Of his home" In conclusion,
DIR. Slicer asked q supernumerary relation.
The letter was, on motion referred to the pre-
siding elders, with directions to prepare and re-
port TO the conference a suitable reply.
Dr. Lanahan asked the Bishop presiding If it
were not the custom Of other days, in recognition
Of distinguished services, to make nominal APP
anu tuus icafS the ShSSsi'S A>AA'toA
Unchanged
The Bishop replied in the Affirmative. adding
that the custom had become obsolete, because il
was a dangerous prerogatiye to give to bishop.
and one unuarranted by the terms OF their ap-
pcintment. He said it was now considered bad
who had prospects or again being effective.
The questions Of changing DR.. Steers relation
TO the conference and Of printing his eommunica
tisn on the minutes were deferred until the report
Of the presdng elders shall be made.
The characters of the preachers OF DIR. Steers
district were passed and the collections tor the
year reported.
Bishop Ames decided that under the law estab-
lishei by the General Conference cash only could
be credited. Two weeks were granted the his
sionary treasurer to make up his account Ion trans
mission to the missionary board.
The East Baltimore district was then called.
and the elder. Rev. Jno. ). Dcale, spoke fatter
ingly Of the work as therein represented The
pastors had been faithful and efficient. lie re-
GREETED to perform the sad duty of announcing
tie death during the year Of one of the ar,iuous
ami faithful members of the conference in this
district,
FRANCIS MCCARTNEY.
a man of great purity of character and efficiency
a minister Of the Gospel. Dear to the heart as
lie will he TO the memory of his colaborers OF the
Baltimore Conference, his name is now registered
in the bright list Of the faithful. ard il may be
tru.hiuly said Of him, the memory of the just is
blessed.
The West Baltimore district was next called.
and the character of its ministers passed..
Rev. l. +. Morgan, presiding elder, stated that
the work of the district had been most active and
energetic. The missionary collections will largely
exceed those Of the previous year. The salaries
Of the preachers had been in some instances ad
vanced in amount, and all he believed paid. |
There great harmony in the churches Of the
district. He had endeavered to supervise the |
temporal and spiritual interests of the churches,
and had enforced the duty Of fidelity in class |
meetings. A percentage OF sxtv-two to a hundred |
members attended regularly and most all occa |
sionally. The Sabbath school interests had been
we'll cared for, and in all the reviyals but one the
schools had been largely participants. lie an !
nUunced the
DEATH OF REV. WILLIAM HARDEN.
who had gone to his rest in heaven from the
midst of glorious revival. in which he had over
taxed his physical powers. He further announced
the death Of Henry W: Drakely, % Fayette-street
ture and enlarged benevolence is seldom met
with, rare exeinplification of high Christian ex-
celIence.
MI Morgan attributed the financial success to
m adherence to tine plans laid down in the dis
ciplne.
the discipline rs the best. 1t is the fact that
preachers to churches with plans Of their own, |
and followed by men who have other pet
plans. that had caused so great and grievous de-
Tangement in church work in some places.
Rev. A. T.. Gibson explained the decrease of
the missionary offerings Of Fayette-street church
this year as due 10 the death of Henry W. Drakely
and three other kindred spirits and yoke
Sf similar generosity.
THE WASHINGTON DISTRICT
was then called and DIR. Iohn Lanahan, presid-
ing elder, spoke in commentator Of the enter
prise and enthusiasm apparent in the church work
Of the district in which during the past year over
one hundred thousand dollars have been expended
In improving and building churches. He referred
with especial pride to the church enterprise Of
Hnmline, Foundry, Mckeudree and Grace |
churches OF this city. but attributed the palm for
zeal. attended with success. TO Rev. Richard Nor
ris, of Waugh chapel. whose efforts to build up |
the tagging interests OF an unpromlsng charge |
had exceeded his most sanguine expectations. and
had the results attained, under the able ministry
Of Mr.. Norris, been predicted to him year since, |
he should have attributed IT TO pOetical fancy.
Ndrrsxh had han trir fl,ar
TO one Of Our best and strongest charges. The 4
only complaint he could make against Brother |
s%ss All men se n.,, "f RralSsr
which had induced his congregation to pass res |
Olutions requesting his return He thought a
great many of the ministers would like to 20 !
there. How this had been accomplished he could \
not tell other than TO quote the old poem: Little
drops Of water. little grains of sand, sc. |
DIR. Nelson, one oi the agents Of
THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN, !
then addressed the Conference in commentator 1
oil the lnbors of the Concern. showing gathering re-
suits OF the past year. He. called attention TO q |
great error made by the correspondent Of the Gin
cinnau Commercial. in stating the profits of
the Western House in excess of those Of the New /
York House: those OF the Cincinnati 'oncern were !
but 81. 600. while those ol the New York oncern
were f7300O. The sales for the year 1873 were |
$l73.00O, against those OF lsi2 o S.?6.oOO He re-
commended the Quarterly Rerier. Chrisiida Ad- |
rocafe. and the books issued by the Concern as |
cheaper and more reliable than other reading |
matter. The Sunday School Adrocdfe has now a |
circulation OF lu2oUO copies While the series of
Bercan Lessons circulated to the extent of |
SOL 900 copies per month
referring to the exhibit made to the Baltimore
Conference of the affairs of the Book Concern at
its last session. he said that the difference between
its stock, real estate and financial property.
machinery. &c. less than that reported by
the preceding agents because of q new and lower,
and more real value estimate made by the book
committee.
Rev. Thomas Myers inquired what basis the
committee took in making the estimate?
DIR. Nelson replied the best Judgment OF its
members and the aid Of practical men of other
publishing houses
Mr.. Myers asked an explanation Of the differ
ence in the estimate made by the book commute
and that made by Dr. Nelson as agent.
DE. Nelson said he did not understand the in
formation desired by Mr. Myers.
DIR. Lanahan-whO was provided with few
small but important slips of paper containing
statistics-suggeste ed that Mr.. Myers question be
put in this form: ..W hat is the difference between
the estimate of the property OF the Book Concern
reported to the General Conference last year and
the estimate made by the present agents.
DIR. Nelson replied that il was between two and
three hundred thousand dollars. and was owing
to real resh values being used by the agents in
taking inventory of stock. real estate. sc.
DIR. Lanahan asked why no mention was made
of this.
DIFFERENCE OF ta5l 900
in making the last exhibit submitted to the Bal