Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1876-05-12
THE CONFERENCE AT BALTIMORE
FIFTH DAY.

BALTIMORE, May 6.--Noon.-At the
opening of the conference this morn
ing q communication from the bishops
was read expressive of the pleasure
and qualification at the manner in
which the paternal messages from the
last general conference had been
re 'eived by the general conference of
the Methodist Episcopal Church
South. A paper was adopted and or
dered to be published with the ad-
dress of the bishops.
Rev. j. LaUahan presented q COM
munication signed by certain mem
bers OF the Methodist Church in this
city which was referred to COM
mittee.
BALTIMORE, May y6.-Night-The re-
port on the book concern represents
the New York concern as being in q
| sound and safe financial condition, but
states that there should be better in
come than 8 per cent from the million
| dollars invested; the Western book
concern is practically insolvent. The
Church needs but one printing and
publishing house. The periodical de-
partment IF the Western concern as
now constituted is a continued and in
creasing source of loss.
Three members and three laymen
were appointed by the bishop under Q
resolution of the last general confer
ence to prepare succinct code of
ecclesiastical Jurisprudence and pro-
cedure embracing general principles
applicable to church trials. Tho chair
submitted the report of the commit
tee. The committee. he said, were
unanimously in favor of adopting
the preliminary chapter, but were not
of one opinion. AS to the code he Wis
instructed by a majority to present a
report and DR.. Miley would present q
minority report. Both reports we're
presented and ordered printed. Tho
hour for receiving national messengers
from the British Wesleyan confers
ence having arrived, Rev DR.. Fass
of New York introduced Rev. w. B.
Pope. of Aylesbury College, Mans
chester, England, and Rev. P. News
man introduced Rev. Jnmes Harrison
Regg, president of the Westminster
training college at London, the coils
league of Prof. Pope. The entire
conference rose on the introduction
of the messengers. The answer Of the
British conference of 1875 to the adv
dress of the general conference held
in Brooklyn in 1872 was presented by
the messengers and read by the Secs
retary. The answer is one of cordial
and fraternal greeting and encourages
ment, succinctly reviewing the great
work Of the Church, it's steady
progress and rapid increase in both
houses here. Professor Pope then
addressed the conference His address
was able and eloquent eliciting fres
quent outbursts of applause from the
conference and vast assembly. Re~
ferring to the centennial as commonto
the nation and Methodism in the
United States, he said: ''You and
we are alike generous enough and
Christian enough to rejoice together
in the great event which hundred
years ago displayed the hand Of Proys
idence in making you an lndependent
people. Great in yourselves and
strong in the prophesy of larger
greatness we know full we'll that no
act of independence can make you in
the deepest sense independent .. OF
England. We hold you by an indiss
soluble bonds and the blood in your
veins beats time to the pulsatlon of
our hearts and ours beat time to yours.
But after all your centennial is, as it
has been fully shown, a religious fess
tivaI at the foot of the Heavenly
throne. You are bent , n superadding
to your national and civil rejoicing q
great tribute to Him who took up your
national independence intoHis counsel
for the government of the world.
May He accept your tribute and
sanctify your national year to the in>
crease of grace in your hearts, houses
holds, ministry and common work."
Rev. DIR. Rigg followed in an inter
esting and able speech, after which
the conference adjourned,
The concluding portion OF the paper
presented by DR.. Lanahan IN the con-
ference this morning IN reference to
the book concern having been sent to
tue Associated Press, the following Is
furnished the press by the parties
whose signatures are attached:
"The statement of the insolvency of
the Western Methodist Book Concern
at Cincinnati contained in the memorial
presented to the general conference
through DR.. Lanahan and given to
the Associated Press is utterly untrue.
It's assets are $503, 285 73 in excess of
its liabilities. Its net profits the past
four wears were $50, ,686 O5 and the
concern is unembarrassed. Its busi-
ness has been constantly supervised
and it's assets and accounts carefully
examined and estimated by the COM
mittee of the three business laymen
appointed by the last general confer
ence. namely; Amos Shlnkle, James
P. Kilbrett and r. A. w. Bruehel,
whose sep lrate report fully corrobor-
ates the report of the book agents
signed by Hitchcock & Walden, agents;
Amos Shinkle, Robt. F. Queal, Chas:
w. Rowland" The signers alluded
to are G. Habent Richardson, John
Miller, John Bae and Jesse q. War
field.