The Cecil Whig., 1876-05-06

! Conference was called to order at nine
I o clock by Bishop Scott, and tue devotional
exercises were conducted 10y the Rev. G.
Moody, Of the Cincinnati Conference
! After the reading and correction of the
minutes, the Rev. III. Price. of the Upper
! Iowa Conference, offered the following
! series of resolutions:
THE CENTENNIAL AND THE SABBATH.
! Whereas, The history of the world In all
the ages of the past demonstrates the fact
that 4 nation without a Sabbath drifts
rapidly and certainly into infdelity and
barbarism: and.
Whereas, This nation claims to be a
Christian nation, and consequently to be-
l.eve in the Christian Sabbath: and,
Whereas, 1t is strongly urged in certain
quarters that the great Centennial Exposi-
tion soon to be opened in Philadelphia shall
be kept open the Sabbath day thereby
holding i'll contempt its sacredness and de-
claring to the world that we disregard the
Divine injunction to keep it holy there
T fore be it
Resolrsd by his General Conference Of tie
". +. Church, Representing 1.j00,0O0 of
the people of this great nation, that we
earnestly protest against such desecration
of the day, and request the officers who
. control this celebration of the Centennial
of American Independence to close the
doors during the hours of the Christian
Sabbath, and thus publish to the world
that as nation we hold the day sacred.
ReSolred, That the managers of the Cen
tennial are entitled to the gratitude of all
good citizens for prohibiting the sale of
| intoxicating liquors on tie grounds con-
nected with the Exposition.
Rev. L. r. Dunn, of the Newark Con-
hat ~ al
sioners had already taken action on the
subject, and had decided against the desc
Grafton of the Sabbath. He offered the
following resolutions as substitutes:
WHEREAS, The Centennial Commission
ers. by an almost unanimous vote. have de-
termined to close both the buildings and
the grounds under their care on the Chris
tian Sabbath; and whereas such action, we
believe, is i'll entire harmony with the moral
and Christian sentiment of a large ma ior-
ity of the American people, as well as with
the facts of our national history, and the
efforts made Iy our fathers to place all pro
per safeguards around this holy day: there
foie he it
Resotrsd, That the thanks of this body
are hereby rendered to the Commissioners
for their prompt and decisive action in this
matter:
i Hat We tttEtsllN request tittn To dunele
to the position already assumed by them to
exclude the traffic in Spirituous liquors from
the grounds during the continuance of the
Exposition;
That a copy of these resolutions be for
warded at once by the Secretary of this
General Conference to the Commissioners
now in session in the city of Philadelphia
Mr.. Price said that, although the Ceuten-
nial Commission had decided that the Cen
tenuial buildings should be closed on Sun
day, yet there wasa strong pressure brought
to bear upon them to reconsider their deter
miuation, and this Christian body should
do what it could to strcngt then their hands
The secular press was by no means unaui-
nous Cd the subject, and a portion of II WAS
obiecting to the action OF the Commission.
A member stated that the Commission
had decided to close the grounds on sun
day, and had also determined that no liquor
shrald be soli. [Aprlausrl. !.
After some further debate the whole sub.
.iect WAS. on motion of the Rev. Df. John
Lanahan, of the Baltimore Conference. re
ferred to a special committee of three, to
be appointed by the Chair. From the tenn
per of the Conference on the subject, it is
manifest that the committee Will report
resolutions strongly coudemnng the sale of
liquor on the Centennial grounds or the
opening of the Exhibition on Sunday.
An amendment to the discipline was
adopted making the Committee on Confer
ence Boundaries to consist of one member
from each of the Annual Conferences. now
eighty i'll number. and constituting twenty
five members quorum of the committee
Much of the session was CONSUMED in the
appointment of the regular committees.
The reader will fiud the proceedings up
to the time of going to press on the second
page of Tile Whjq