Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-14
CINCINNATI.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL CON.
FERENCE, NJ E. CHURCH.
Appointment of Standing Committees
Quadrennial Address of the Board
of Bishops-Reports ofFra-
ternal Delegates.

CINCINNATI, May D. 1880.
The General Conference of the Methodist
Episcopal Church convened at Pixies
Opera House on Saturday, May lst. 1t
was called to order by the senior bishop
of the church, the venerable Bishop Scott.
The roll was called, and of the 397 dele
gates composing the Conference but few
were absent The address of welcome was
delivered by Bishop Wiley, and Bishop
Simpson was called upon to respond. DR..
George w. Woodruff, of New York, was
elected Secretary by reclamation. Thisis his
! third election to this office. The delegates
spent the Sabbath at the different churches
in Cincinnati and vicinity, many of them
preaching to the delight of large congre-
cations.
THE SECOND DAY
Was occupied mainly in constituting the
| large standing committees. These commit
tees were formed in the usual way, viz
| By the call of the Annual Conferences, and
by the Chairman of each Conference dele
cation nominating one member of his dele
| cation for each committee. The following
committees each consisting of 95 members,
were thus constituted Episcopacy, timer
acy, Education, Boundaries, Revisals
Book Concern, Freedmen's Aid, Missions,
Church Extension, Sunday and
Tracts, Lay Representation and State of
the Church. The Chairmen of these DIFF
ferent committees are +: Episcopacy, J. NJ.
Trimble, of Ohio A; Itineracy, d. A. Whe-
don, of New York Missions, C. II. Payne,
Ohio; Education, E. 0. Haven, New York;
Revivals, Joseph Cumming, Massachusetts,;
Sunday schools, Lewis R. Miller, Ohio
Church Extension, G. III. Fowler, New
York; Freedmen's Aid, j. P. Newman,
New York Book Concern, Amos Shinkle,
Kentucky; Lay Representation, E. o.
Stannard, Missouri State of Church, DIR.
DIN, Wyoming Conference. To these
committees will be submitted the memo
rails, petitions and resolutions coming be-
| fore the Conference.
THE ORDER OF THE DAY FOR TUESDAY
At 10 o'clock was the presentation to the
Conference of the quadrennial address of
the Board of Bishops. This address was
read by Bishop Simpson. 1t was pro-
nounced by many the most admirable doc
ument of the kind ever presented in the
history of the Church. 1t was listened to
with marked attention and frequently were
its sentiments applauded. Those parts of
the address which excited the most hearty
applause were its more conservative por-
tions, from which we infer that the pres
ent Conference is not in a mood to make
many changes. The address reviewed the
work done in the last four years, and
| glanced at the prospects for increased use
fulness which the coming quadrennium
presents. 1t developed the gratifying fact
that during the quadrennium just closed
the Methodist Church had erected one new
house of worship for every working day
of that period, and one new par
sonage for every two working days
in that time, the progress in almost
every other direction being equally
gratifying. Among the recommendations
contained in this address was one calling
upon those interested to seek to relieve
the churches throughout the Connection of
any debts that may be resting upon them.
Another suggests that the instruction i'm
parted in our Sabbath Schools be made
more thorough and doctrinal. Another
that the period of time those entering the
ministry are required to remain on trial be
extended from its present limit of two
years to three years. 1t was also suggested
in the address that great care be observed
by the Conference in the selection of men
to fill the Episcopal office, and that no
more new Bishops be elected by this Con-
ference than are absolutely needed to meet
the requirements of the work At the last
suggestion there was perceptible elonga-
ton of the countenances of the many del
egates who are hoping to be elected to
Episcopal dignities, brought about doubt
less by the reflection THAI if there are only
few prizes to be distributed they may
possibly not be among the fortunate ones.
WEDNESDAY
The reports of the fraternal delegates sent
by the last General Conference to the NJ.
E. Church South, the Reformed Episcopal
Church, and the Wesleyan Church of the
United States, were presented. The two
former were all that could be desired, set
ting forth the facts that the fraternal mes
sengers had met with cordial reception,
and that, so far as those Churches were
concerned, they entertained feelings of
true fraternity toward the NJ E. Church.
But the report of Dr. Lynch, the delegate
to the Wesleyan Connection in this coun-
try, created a good deal of merriment
The reverend gentleman, it transpired,
though he carried the olive branch of
peace in his hand, had not been well re-
ceived. Presenting himself to the Confer
ence of that body, he was Immediately
asked by the presiding officer whether or
not he was member of any secret society,
and replying that he was Mason,
he was pointedly informed that the church
could have nothing to do with him. Poor
Dr. Lynch was nonplussed for the mo-
ment, but soon recovered sufficiently to
give the Wesleyan Church to understand
that if it could get along without him he
could without it, and to return to the Ark,
whence, as a dove of fraternity, he had
gone forth without being able to find rest
to the soles of his feet, thanking God that
poor Mason has one place of security,
and to be finally indicated, as he was on
Wednesday, by the General Conference.
We may add that it will probably be a
long time before the NJ. E. Church sends
another fraternal messenger to the Wes-
leyan Connection, and that should this
ever be done, tnaI messenger, III ne can
help it, will not be DR.. Lynch of Indiana.
In this Conference are many distinguished
men-judges, lawyers, educators and eccle-
siastics of national fame. There is some
thing inspiring in the sight of such an as
semblage.
The ablest debater is DR.. James NJ.
Buckley, of New York. Other men quite
prominent in the business of the Confer
ence are DIR. Smart, of Michigan; DR..
Paxton, of Philadelphia; DIR. Jewett. of
Illinois, DR.. Walden, of Cincinnati DR..
Trimble. of Ohio; Drs. Haven and DIN,
of New York and, as matter of course,
DIR. Woodruff. the genial and witty Sec
rotary of the Conference.
OF the Bishops l have this to say {: The
heaviest is Bishop Peck 4; the highest,
Bishop Bowman; the most digni6ed,
Bishop Foster; the most eminent, Bishop
Simpson the most aged and venerable,
Bishop Scott; the jolliest and most bust
ness-like, Bishop Harris the qnietest,
Bishop Wiley the most polite, Bishop
Andrews the plainest and most genial,
Bishop Merrill Bishops Bowman and Fos-
ter are widowers. The nine Bishops pre-
side over the Conference in turn, in the
order in which they were elected to Office.
| of nd