National Republican., 1880-03-15
Tho Maryland Conference.

adjourned TO rcconveno this morning. There
| Is probability Of tho session lasting all this
week. Rev A. Il. Melvin, Of Whaleyville.
| Nd, conducted tho devotional exercises.
| The Faculty OF Instruction as the Commit
tee on Itinorancy and Orders recommended
| for the admission into tho itinerancy Thomas
f. Colbourn, William f Roberts, Dr. James l..
Ederdice George X. McCroady aud George @.
McFadon; also recommend for orders William
L. Thompson aud William II. Stone (transfer)
The Faculty of Instruction also reported
that they have passed to the second year class:
Daniel w. Austinc, j. l., Lerrick and Arthur
| ID. Murray; to the third yeaE j. NJ. Brown, Il.
| &. Koim, S. J. Smith aud w. Il. Valiant rec
mend that 5. ]. Wiloy be discontinued.
| Tho resignation Of DIR. l.. w. Bates rs a mem
Der of the Faculty was accepted, and DIR. J. il.
Mills elected 90 ill the vacancy. DIR. S. B.
Switzerland had been elected president of tho
Faculty. These reports were considered by
items aud adopted
Tho committee on minister's al education re-
ported the collection of S5S433.
The conference was addressed by Rev. DIR.
DaeT treasurer Of the Virginia Aid Society,
in support of the administration OF that Office.
A resolution 10 the c0oct that certain
moneys collected by the Missionary committee
from the year 1879, should have born TUNED
over to the treasurer Of tho Virginia Aid
Society, was referred TO tho committee on
missions.
A resolution Of condolonce TO James A.
Kennedy, one of tho original members Of the
Ninth.streot church, who is seriously ill., was
unanimously adopted, and Rev Thomas Me-
COrmick was instructed to express the sym.
pathy of tho conference aud tender Mr.. Ken
nedy the privileges OF the body, should his
health permit his attendance.
A paper from Rev. Mr.. Henderson, of Texas
reporting his removal to the California confer
ence, was fled.
| sealed communication from the Women's
Temperance Union of this city was referred
to the committee on temperance.
The reception and addresses of fIatornal
messengers was the order of tho day, and adj
dresses were made by Rev. DIR. Crowthcr,
president, and Revs. DIR. Lucas and DIR. West
fall, of the Pittsburg conference.
Tho conference then took u recess.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
At ? o'clock the conference rcasscmbled, and
the regular order Of business, the division Of
the conference district, was taken up aud con-
sidGrcd at great length, deep interest being
manifested in the subject This movement
was introduced in the following resolution,
which was submitted OH Thursday aud laid on
the table.
WnEREAs, It Is believed by many Of the minis.
ters and laymen OF our conference district that
the interests of the churches will be best promoted
| by division thereof therefore
Resolved, That q committee of throe ministers and
| two Hymen bo appointed to arrange Gll prolimi-
q,
| as practicable,
Rev. W. ]. Ncepier, of Dorchester, Nd,
| spoke III favor of tho movement There was
| u natural geographical division of tho distric
mado by Chesapeake bay and the Susqueh anna
river. In the event OF "a division each part
would bo able to take care OF itself He here
submitted nm exhibit to substantiate his assor-
tion. Proceeding, he said that each would be
very respectable IN point OF numbers; zach
would havo smaller field Of labor, which
would result in better development.
Hon. Howard MeolSs, Of s.. JAmni, VI L., was
heartily in favor Of Il division; it would pro-
mote interest in the church.
Rev. d. f. Benson, Md, was in favor Of
div ision, but said that they We're not yet
aGy for 1t, especially tho churches on tho
Eastern Shore; therefore, they should not act in
haste, but should rather wait until The peo-
ple are educated up to such II movement. He
then moved to amend tho resolution by strik-
ing out the words "to arrange all prelimiuH-
ros TO that end, and report TO this body as
| soon rs practicable" and insert, "to con-
sidnr tho question aud report ut tho next scs-
sion"
Row j. Il. Nichols (Md,) thought that suck
movement would carry them back 10 whore
they were several years ago, and obj aCted to
the postponemont Of the matter.
Rov, f. r. Tags hoped that the time for a
division would como speedily, but the confer
ence was not yet so large as to need "a
division. Tho Eastern Shore churches are
not yet prepared !or such Il movement. Ho
knew OF several churches both on the East
orn and Western shore, which were no. in
favor Of II division, and ii such step wOro
taken at the present time disorder nl couiu-
sion would onsucs ilo called special att ntiDn
to tho fact that there was strength IN unity,
and not in division. Let rs wait, said he m.
til we get ready for u division, That would
be when they had grown larger and stronger
james X. Cation, of Alexandria, came in
strnctcd by his church 20 offer his voice in
opposition 20 the movement. His people In
the circuit of Virginia were strongly opposed
to u division j, r. Murray gayo notice that
no would vote against the amendment. j.
w. Charlton had u deep aud earnest cuuviC'
tion that the interest in the labor would be
promoted by division Nature has set her
seal upon the question in whichever light 1t
may be observed. On the Eastern Shore thOrO
arc vast missionary fields, openings on unoc.
cupied territory, that need churches and hat
invite and appeal to them, In the
present shape and under the ooustitu-
tion they could not answer to these
appeals, Ministers have too much travelling
to do. Divide the work aud concentrate tho
labor. There are too many easy positions in
the conference. They must have more Of the
missionary zeal and sacrifice. II they divided,
they would mako such advances on both
sides us have not been made In the last twenty
years. Ihey ought TO look At tue SUBJECT IN
tho light of interest to the churches. 1t may
cost a few pangs to separate, hut they would
soon get used 10 that The question Of diyis.
ion is only question of timo, and he believed
that the time was at hand, aud he did not
wish TO have tho question STAYED oil.
Rev. w. NJ. Strayer said there was no faction
about the matter The health Of the ministers
families has to be regarded, A point in favor
of tho division of the churches was that il
would enable the work to develop; it would
improve the president Of the conference and
his reports would give him more time for
thought, aud would enable him to 80 into his
study and give forth something new aud
crisp, aud to study the great questions sub
mitted to him. At preseut there was no com
fort or satisfaction in being president IL
were better to divide at present
Roy. Dr. l.. w. Bates, OF Lynchburg Va, spoke
in opposition to division. lie thought the day
would como when ID would be necessary to
divide, aud ho hoped that day would como
speedily. That time would come, however,
only when the conference had swelled in mem
bership to three or four times its present size.
Rey. j, b. Jones WAS the next speaker, but
had not declared either in favor Of or in oppo-
..ts al 4,