Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-05-02
The Vermont Methodist Conference.


The thirty-ninth annual session of The
Vermont conference of the M. E. church
Bishop Harris presiding, was opened al
St. Albans last Wednesday. April 25lh
and closed Monday. April 3Olh. after an
interesting but at times somewhat stormy
session.
The cause of the trouble seems to be
that the general conference of the NJ. E.
church of the United States. at its last
session in 1880. changed the boundary OF
the Vermont conference so as to include
the whole of the state. with the exception
of the Poultney charge. This change took
from the Troy, N. Y, conference tho Bur.
lington district, which is made up from
charges in Chittenden, Addison and Rut-
land counties and was made in accordance
with the laws governing the Methodist
church.
Nearly all the preachers on the Burling-
ton district Immediately rebelIed at the
change, and meetings were called at which
speeches were made andresolutons passed
which had anything but IN ideally broth.
erly sound, until at the first session of the
Vermont conference at Bradford, in 1881,
the Burlington district preachers who had
previously endeavored to pay tribute at
the Troy conference and learned that it
could not be accepted, sent committee
with request that the Vermont preachers
did not see fit to grant, whereupon they
"shook off the dust" of the Vermont con.
ference in the shortest possible timc-in
other words they ''got up and busted"
Things went along in as smooth man.
ner as could be expected after this. No
one was hung or even tried for treason
the Burlington district folks were left in
full possession of the church interests;
were not annoyed by any documents
oealiDg he impress of Ethan Aliens beech
zeal, and came before the conference Just
closed asking for commission to consult
With u similar commits sion from the Trov
and which should be instructed
o set the boundaries back where thew
we're, affecting to believe that as they
we're able 10 keep the fires of discomfort
turning on Burlington district the flames
ould not be snbdued The commission
'as granted,-minus the Instructions.
AT times during the discussion of the s
oundary question considerable heat was /
cnerated. The Vermont conference men c
'emed to be universally of the idea that i
ley would go where The needs of the 8
1urch might deman-even into the Troy O
'nference-whie the Burlington district c
3itators seemingly draw the line at the d
fountain range of Vermont. n
The opposition to the transfer of the .
arlington district. which is wholly in :,
g state of Vermont. from the Troy, N. Z
to the Vermont conference, is wholly p
lexplainable 10 patriotic and disinter. Il
ted Vermonter except on the surmise -,
at it is the worldly objection of leaving Al
richer for poorer charge 1t has been in
serted time and again that this is the
ar OF the laymen, not of The preachers.
t we have noticed that wncn the preach Sc
have not been aglaled the l,ymeu co
We been Tranquil, and we cannot d. lh
tier than quote he remarks of the ven III
abe DroIher BuIlarl, who In replying >n
this clam, said that his mantle of Guar IN,
was large. yes very large, but stretch DE
o It's utmost and he could not pleven hn
preachers from peering out fom all WV Nv.
edges. b.,