Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-05-29
M. E. CHURCH.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GENERAL CONFER
ENCE AT CINCINNATI.
CINCINNATI, May 90, 1880.

ions are disposed Oh, Ine interest," III thS
proceedings of this body still continues,
every train that arrives in the city bring,
ing large number of visitors, and every
session finding the Opera House crowded
to the utmost capacity with brilliant
audience. The assemblages which gathered
on memorial day and on the day appointed
for the ordination of the new Bishops were
especially large and distinguished and not
much smaller, nor much less brilliant, was
that which gathered ON Thursday morning
to witness the discussion, slaughter and
burial of the proposition to adorn the
Bench of Bishops with gentleman of color.
THE MEMORIAL SERVICES
OF the General Conference officers who had
died during the quadrennium were very
impressive. Those whose memories were
honored on this occasion were Bishops
James, Ames and Haven, Drs. Ruben Nell
son, late Book Agent at New York, and
Robert L. Dashiell, late Secretary of the
Missionary Society. The memoirs of these
honored and lamented servants of the
Church were presented severally by Drs
Foss, Fowler, Mallilien, Curry and Reid,
the order in these names corresponding
with that in which the names of those
COMMUNICATED are given above. Of these
sketches that which created the deepest
impression was DIR. Mallilien's eulogy of
Gil Haven, as he is Familiarity called. The
Doctor had good subject, and being one
of the deceased Bishops most intimate
friends, what he wrote came from his heart
and was read with deep feeling. This me-
moir was especially effective in the i'm
preston it produced upon the colored dele
gates, a fact which, considering how bravely
Bishop Haven had championed the cause
of the African race, was not at all surpris-
ing, and only went to show that
the colored people are not migrate
full. DIR. Fowlers memoir of Bishop
Ames would have been more eff.
fective had it been read instead of recited
for funeral and memorial services are
among the few occasions when dignity and
impressiveness are given to what is said
by the use of manuscript in the saying
The ordination of the four Bishops-elect
occurred on Wednesday, and, in violation
of the consciences of some of the over
scrupulous, it took place in the Opera
House. The Conference at one time voted
by large majority to have this solemn
service held in st. Paul's Church, but
somehow change of feeling occurred, so
that when it was suggested by Bishop Simp-
son that If the services were held in the
church the stupendous operation OF erect
ing a platform would be necessitated, the
vote on this subject was reconsidered and
the ordination ceremonies appointed for the
| Opera House. This, too, notwithstanding
that some perverse brother suggested that
| if a Sunday-school entertainment were in
prospect the erection of a platform would
not be considered an insurmountable bar
rier to the holding of it in the church, and
regardless also of DIR. Buckley's generous
proposition to pay the expense of erecting
platform out of his own pocket. What
wrought the change in the feelings of the
brethren on this subject it is impossible to
surmise with certainty, though there are
many who attribute it to the influence of
the ladies, who, as the entertainers of the
delegates, have reserved seats in the Opera
House, privilege which they could not
have enjoyed in the church, and the loss
of which on day when such large crowd
was expected would have put them to
great Inconvenience.
THE ORDINATION SERVICE
Was very impressive. 1t was presided
over by the venerable senior Bishop of the
Church, Bishop Scott. To Bishop Simp-
son, the second in point of seniority, the
Bishops-elect were presented, the elder
making the presentation saying as he did
so, 81 present to you this holy man to be
consecrated Bishop" After the prayers
had been read, and the other requirements
of the discipline complied with, the candi-
dates assumed a kneeling posture, and,
with the assistance of three others, who
with the officiating Bishop, placed their
hands on the candidates heads, were sever
ally ordained as follows Bishop-elect
Warren, by Bishop Simpson Bishop-elect
Foss, by Bishop Harris Bishop-elect
Hurst, by Bishop Wiley and Bishop-elect
Haven, by Bishop Andrews. Following
this ceremony the ordination charge was
read, and the new Bishops presented with
their parchments. Then, when the doxol-
ogy had been sung, Bishop Scott pro-
nounced the benediction, and thus ended
one of the most impressive religious SER
vices ever held in this oity-certainly
one of the most impressive ever held in
an opera house in the CITY,
The subject of subjects this week has
been the colored Bishop question. From
the colored Conferences Of the South have
come no end of petitions and memorials,
setting forth that the salvation of this par
ticular part of the Church's work could
only be secured by the election to the
episcopacy of some man of color. The
dusky delegates from these Conferences
came to the General Conference imbued
with the same idea, and determined to
make strong fight in the premises.
In the Conference they found powerful
allies in such men as Drs. Curry of New
York, and Smart of Michigan. The first
tussle took place in the Committee on
Episcopacy, and resulted in victory for
the colored people and their champions.
The committee decided to recommend the
Conference to elect Bishop of African
descent, and appointed committee of nine,
vulgarly termed smelling" committee,
to hunt up a suitable candidate. This SUBJ
committee was not very successful in its
search, and the battle was renewed in the
Committee on Episcopacy by motions to
reconsider, ETC. Still, however, the prop
osition to elect colored Bishop prevailed
On Tuesday the report of this committee
was presented to the Conference, and ac-
companying it motion to make its consid-
Grafton the order of the day for Thursday.
This motion carried without dissenting
voice, and not until the afternoon of that
day did the friends of the colored Bishop
movement find that they had in this matter
fallen victims to the strategy of their
enemies. Such, however, was the fact, for
on the day preceding that appointed for the
discussion of this subject of electing an
additional Bishop, the four Bishons al--,,euy
elected were to be ordained, fact which It
was now foreseen would give the anti
colored men the advantage Of being able to
say, when the matter came up, "We have
now elected our Bishops not only, but they
have been ordained, and hence what folly
to talk of adding to their number" All
too late this
Was discovered, and you can imagine how
chagrined those were who had so quietly
been led captive by it. But there was nc
help for these victims of misplaced con.
fdence, and SO matters took their ap.
pointed course, Finally the memorable
Thursday morning arrived. This day had