The Cecil Whig., 1876-06-03

he election OF German Bishop ana Also
:. E>hop of African descent.
NIGHT SESSION.
The Conference met in The evening at the
Eutaw Street Church.
THE SUPPORT OF THE BISHOPS
came nm. in two reports, one from the COM
mittee on the Episcapacy and the "thef
from the committee on the Book Concern.
1t appears that prior to the increase OF the
number of Bishops to twelve, by the ooh-
ference of 1872, the support OF the blshoPs
had been met by the Book Concerns, out
that Conference made their support d
charge upon the Church at large, the BOOK
Concerns advancing the money ana ae-
pending upon collections for REIMBURSE
ment. The expense Of the eplscopacy our
ing the last quadrennium aggregated SSso,
O91. of which only $123, ,2l2.5l had been
collected. leaving a deficit of $99, 9,sS5.26,
which had been met by the Book Concerns,
and charged against the episcopal fund on
their books The plan proposed was, that
the Book Concerns should charge the
amount to profit and loss, and that the cost
of the support of the Bishops should be
apportioned to the several Annual Confer
ences, to be by them apportloned 10 Ihe
different stations under them, with the
provision that the preacher in charge OF
any station, or the Presiding Elder, should
not be entitled to receive any greater
amount than the pro rata sum paid Tor the
expenses of the episcopacy, thus requiring
the various congregations to place the epls-
copacy on the same footing as their own
preachers as regards payments. In case OIL
deficiency in collections, the Book Concerns
were authorized to loan such amounts as
might be required for the house rent and
travelling expenses of Bishops, to be repaid
from the collections that would be made.
In the debate that followed the submis
sion of the plan. there was a sharp encoun-
ter between DIR. Hitchcock and Judge
Cooley. DR.. Hitchcock, of the Western
Book Concern, characterized the PROPOSE.
ton that the Book Concerns should charge
the amounts heretofore advanced to the
Episcopal fund up to profit and loss as
reputation, and commented with some
vehemence upon the fact that the entry OF
the laity into the deliberations of the
Church was accompanied by schemes OF
reputation. Judge Cooley said the out
cry was IL declaration of financial weakness
in the Western Book Concern, after all
that had been said in behalf Of that Con
cern. To whom did that money belong?
Not to DR.. Hitchcock, as people might
imagine from his language, but to the
Church, which could do as it saw fit with
the fund. What right had DR.. Hitchcock
to denounce the proposed action of the
Conference as reputation He was the
mere agent of the Conference: they were
his masters [applause], and he was bound
to carry out their instructions.
To DR.. Nelson, of the New York Book
Concern-I do not refer to you, sir.
You are too much of a gentleman to at
tack the laity. [Applause.
After some animated discussion, the plan
was adopted.
At 10 o'clock the Presiding Eldership
question was taken up, and alter some dis
cussion a resolution was adopted directing
the Bishops to submit to the annual con-
ferences proposition for the alteration of
the third restrictive rule, SO that the annual
conferences might have power to fix the
number of Presiding Elders districts: pro-
vided that no annual conference should
have less than two nor more than eight.
Adjourned.