The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-05-01

No. OF ChurCn value OF
organil tons. Ednces. Property.
Metnoaist - 80 80 LOO s3Y9os ios
Par.by,eri ~ 3s h sg.i tssG5 lsG
Roman Catholic. Az 3SOo oo'eoo"oo
The body OF highest Jurisdiction In the Meth
odst Episcopal Church Is the General uont-r.
encc, which IL to meet In this city on Monday
next. 1t has ~ full powers to make rules and
r.gul- tons for the church. subject to SIX re
strictive rules, which may not be altered exceut
"uron the concurrent recommendation OF
three fourths ~ all the members OF the several
Annual Conferences, and by two-thirds vote
81 the next succeeding General Conference.
From this mode of alteration the first restrict
i've rule l. excepted, and there Is no constitu-
tionnl means Of altering that. 1t provides that
| the General Conference shall not revoke. alter,
or change the Articles OF Religion OF the
! Church. The other restrictive rules relite to
the itineracy. the BOOK Concern, and the mode oil
| representation IN General Conferences, and ne
yond their limitations the General Conference s
unfettered. 1t hears appeals from the Annual
pine. elects the book agents Of the church, mis-
sionarv secretaries. editors Of church magazines
| and papers, OF which there are fifteen, appoints
the committees who are TO superin,end the va
| rious dc partments Of church activity, regulates
| the boundaries OF the various Conferences, and
IN general takes such action and institutes such
en- erprises as IL thinks ntted to promote the IN
terests of the church. Every officer OF the
| church, with the exception OF the bishops. VINO
| are elected for life. vacates his office at the end
| of four years, but Is eligible for reelection.
| In 1898, when the FIRST General Conference met
| IN baltimore, Its one hundred and twenty mem
| bers Represented membership Of 1904 the
| delegates from eighty Conferences, who meet
| on Monday represent n mem bersnip Of over "a
| million and a half There was no lay reprcsen-
| tation In the General Conferences Of the Method
| ist Episcopal Church until the General Confer
| ence of 1872. According to the present rule OF
| representation the ministerial deleeates tre
| elected by the Annual Conferences In the ratio OF
| ono delegate for every forty-nve members OF
each Annual Conference. The lay delegates
! consist 81 two lavmeE for each Annual Confer
ence. except such Conferences a. have out one
| ministerial delegate, which Conferences are en-
titled TO but one lay delegate each.
| Inc BishoDs OF tue Methodist Church will pre-
| side alternately over Its deliberations There
Will probably be not more than two persons
| present vt the last General Conference In Balti-
Ames aud DR.. Aaron Wood. Of the North In-
diana Conference.
The following Is list OF the Bishops;
l. Jane, D. d. IL J P New S Y9rs LeSi
g. Ph a eli ha~ ard K AmSs i. D. IA t2orc
Thomas Bowman. p. p. IL d.. y. Louis Hillism (.
s.an M-T p D. 81 Pau ,SI HSys5d e As
georgia Jesse 7. Pecs D. D.. san Francisco.
Bishop Jenes. now the senior Bishop, was
born April y, 1907. and is consequently 90 years
OF age. He entered tho itnerant ministry IN
tho Philadelphia Conference In 1890, ana was
YORK in isil The oldest Of the bishops Is Bis lop
Scott. who was born in lear., and Is q years OF
age. lie Joined the Philadelphia Conference IN
ls,5 md was elected bishop In 1852.
IL is the duty OF bishops to- preside In tne Con-
ferences OF the Churcn, to nx the appointments
Of pre Ssers. and In general to supervise the
spiritual and temporal business OF the Church,
From the decision of a bishop In question OF
nual Conference. there Is no appeal except &c
the General Conference. The bishops arrange
among themselves their plan OF episcopal vista
ton. and in the discharge of their duties " IL
necessary to visit foreign countries oecasionail,
to preside at conferences ana supervise the mis-
sion fields OF the Church.
Tho Local committee OF arrangements have
ton and entertainment OF the Conferenc.
Nery little change will he made IN the arrange
menis IN the Acadeny Of Musir The seats OF
the bishops will DO on the platform, as also
those OF the secretaries and other Off ers of tue
Conference. Tho delegates will occupy tao or
chestia ch irs. the pl ce OF sitting to be deter
mined uy lot. Tho usual mode ut procedure Il
to represent the conferences by Numbered cards
| These are shaken up Ia hat, anu as they are
Drawn out the members OF the conference
whose number Is Drawn make their selection OF
seats. The portions OF the auditorium not .. Gu
| ute1 by the Conference Will be open to the pub
IT,. except some bg xes' oges and eligible seats
reserved ty the COmuit ee OF Arrangements
Some OF these nave been rented.
| Perhaps the hsrdest worked comilttee hu
been The Ministerai Committee 90 Homes q"
Delegates. They have mad to provide homes 1
upw. ri Of four hundred persons. AMI VIII haN,
TO see 10 the reception and direction Of dele
gates to the places assigned TO them. Delcgatei
IS they come III are to report 10 tie committee
At the church rooms ~ the Methodist Book Ho
ana Will receive cards giving them the address
Of tho rersuus with VIII m their homes ure TO ~
during tue Conference. whicn { rds VIII be thei
credentials 10 their entertainers.
rheIe Is nothing elaborate or imposing In III,
opening exercises OF the General Conference
BsnOp ines, the senior OF the Board Of Bishops
wiii cali the Conference To order, AMI the dtS Z
business " III DC opened with Singing ana pray or
The II 81 thing in order viii bo the calling th'
rul OF delegates Dy the Secretary OF the last Gen
, cral Conference. As TIE list Of Conferences l.
called certificates OF election VIII be ptes"ni Ell
lfaquorum H. present 'hs Conference viii 10,
ready for business. me ofginz ltiOn ut TN
4. Conference bN the adoption Ot rules Of oIuc
and tue app 'lntmeut OF standing COMMITTEES
! will como next.
Ihc oflcih stenOgraphic reports OF the Con
ference VIII pe m de uv the Rev. T. ard a.
Mcsle, Chapel, the ltev. DR.. SUES OF Pniladcl
phiA. and the Roy. Nr.McLean Of New York. Ia,
proceedings of the Conference VIII oc publ she,
/ IN inc Christian -idrOcdte, which VIII Toe issue,
dtilY during the con .crence. IclcEraihic lut
en-, and the retire hment saloons to the rsh
ana lcfi of the entrance win be open for The
accommodation of delegates ana visitors.
Among the sub iects which promise inierestin
d sCuss.On IL a Proposition that Presiding IIdSf
shall hc elected hy the Conferences, Instead q
being appointed 10y the bishops. The tropuse'
change was the subject Of agitation ~ an earl
IeriDd In the history OF the Caurch. ans the ou
position 10 the present mode w,ll probably mani
crll Conference Will also take action on the sub
jcct Of the Centennial anniversary ~ America
indcper deuce. Inc Methodist tnurch Wa ia
nret religious odY IN this country To rec gntH
! me National Government IN It's CONSTITUTE III
This step was taken at the organization OF III
Church IN liei At that period there W"s ercl
pOhtlCal agitation ON the question of - tie hoN
, ereIgnty. Ihc opinion OF TIE Methodist Cuurc
| in the matters IL shown by tho declaration EN-
States are n sovereign ana indcpendeut ia ion.
Tne Conference viii mold DAILY sessions fuI a3O on
| month.