Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1882-04-06
The Methodist Conference.

It's Opening SessfOn-The Presidents Veto
| Observation-Disclosures of Advance in the
New York md Brooklyn DIstrIcts-Odds
| and Ends of Business.
The New York East conference, at Water.
bury, opened its session at O'Clock yester.
| day morning with the sacrament of the Lords
supper. Bishop Simpson presided. Intro
ductory services, preceding the sacrament,
consisted of the reading of passage from
first Peter, the singing of the hymn, often
sung at the opening of conferences, And are
we vet alive ?" and the offering of prayer by
the Rev Nathaniel Mead, Of Watertown- a
collection was then taken for superannuated
clergymen and after singing the hymn 'Ihe
rament of the Lords supper was administer
ed according to the ritual of the Methodist
Episcopal church.
Upon the opening of the business session
the roll was called.
The secretary of last year, Daniel A. Good
sell, D. D., of New Haven, was then chosen
for this year, and he selected the same as
sistants as last year, Messrs. William H. Sim
onson, Daniel o. Ferris, Arthur B. Sanford
and 1. Simmons
A series of resolutions were then offered by
Daniel Curry and j. NJ. Buckley touching
the veto of the anti Chinese bill. They are
as follows:
Resolved by the New York East conference of the
Methodist Episcopal church, in conference assem-
bled That Having heard with lively satisfaction that
his excellency Chester A. Arthur, President of the
United States has in the exercise Of his constitution
al authority, disapproved the BILL recently passed by
nf aITa1Ta and
prohibiting the immigration of Chinese to this
try our thanks are due and hereby rendered to our
chief magistrate for his action in the premises.
ResOl Sed, That the Methodist Episcopal church, Of
which the conference is component part, having
j0yed the protection of the government Of that
try this conference asks of our own national govern
feared would be the result should the bill become
Lay.
Resolved, That we do, therefore, respectfully but
earnestly petition and memorialize both houses Of
Congress that in their further action upon this sub
may endanger or prove in any way unfsYorable to
those interests
These resolutions were passed by the con-
ference unanimously by a rising vote and the
secretaries were ordered to forward the same
to Washington. The standing committees
were next chosen by vote.
Presiding Elder Thomas II. Burch, of the
New York district, formerly pastor in New
Haven then presented his report. 1t gave
the general condition of the district as pros
porous. With some notifications the 81
churches are grouped, as before, into 56
charges, ~ of these charges having pastors
from this conference and IA of them being
supplied from without. No addition has
been made to the number of churches or
parsonages. The total value of church prop
erty in the district is over $1,000, 900; the
total debt is 1927, 600, or 10 per cent. of the
rated value of the property; but the interest
on funds held and not reported reduces this
to 10 per cent Several churches have freed
themselves from debt.
Presiding Elder George T. Kettell, of the
Brooklyn district, followed with his report.
Spiritually, progress is to be reported. Res
vivals have visited the York street, Harrison
Place, De Kalb avenue, Springfield, Babylon,
Good Ground, Atlanticville and Eighteenth
street churches. Temporarily, things are
also prospering. Carroll Park church has
reduced its mortgage $4,000. Simpson
church has reduced its debt So, 900. The
Green avenue church has eXtinguished its
floating debt and subscribed 81, 900 towards
paying its bonded debt. The Swedish Mis-
sion church has raised $500 and the Embury
81, 700. so toward debt-paying. Nostrand
avenue church has completed q $4,000 edi-
fee. Grace church has subscribed $50, 600
toward a new edifce. James church is going
to build, as well as Eighteenth street. Church
es in the older part of the city are being left
and must change their location or probably
die. Among these are to be mentioned the
Sands street, Washington, johnson street,
Pacific street and Warren street churches.
The Scandinavian missions are specially pros
porous. Edwin Mead, Esq, has donated S15,-
900 for q church building for the use of the
Norwegian mission. Contributions to mis-
sionary objects have in the main increased
throughout the district. The Sunday schools
he 7e been prosperous, but there has been
tendency to exaggerato their Importance to
tie detriment Of the church services. The
same Is r. De said ot ''young peoples meet
;rgs " Tho health Of the clergy has been
generally good The district has, however,
met with great loss in the death of Rev.
George. w. Woodruff, D. D. The with
drawal of the Rev. Charles II. Brale to an
other denomination is also cause for regret,
but he will be a valuable acquisition to his
new field.
After receiving the reports the closing
prayer was offered by the Rev. ]. S. Inskip,
editor of the Christian Standard, in which
petitions were offered for the recovery of
Bishop Bowman, of st. Louis, of whose life
but little hope is entertained.
The Rev. Professor Bovine, of the Boston
University, was to deliver the "CoHcio dd
cEe1unl" last night.
The Connecticut Reporters.
The Connecticut Reporters association will