Daily Republican., 1884-04-29
GENERAL CONFERENCE.
IN PHILADELPHIA a
LAW MAKING POWER OF
THE M. e, CHURCH..

The nineteenth session of the General
Conference Of the Methodist Episcopal
church will convene in Philadelphia
Thursday, May 1st, and extensive ar
rangements are being made for the
event. This Conference meets once
every four years, and is the great law
making body of the church, as the an
nual Conferences only possess executive
powers.
Before the institution of the General
Conference in 1912, the ministers met
and made such laws as they considered
best for the church, but now that power
is alone vested in the General Confer
ence, which has full power, under Ger
tain restrictions called " Restrictive
Rules" to make rules and regulations
for the church. Itnade and can change
or repeal the whole " Book of Disci-
pline" except what is guarded by the
Restrictive Rules" These rules pro-
tect the standards of doctrine, the
episcopacy, and the plan of itinerant
general superintendency the General
Rules the rights of ministers or MEM
bers to trial, if charged with heresy or
moral guilt, and the funds Of the " Book
Concern" and fund called the "Char-
ter Fund"
| In certain cases, the whole church
may be consulted, and can empower
the General Conference to make chan
ges in the " Restrictive Rules except
in that which guards doctrine. Pre-
vious to 1872, this conference was COM
posed entirely of ministers, and conse-
l tlx,t ha l,f,1., In ,1y
was in their hands, but for years there
had been manifest desire on the part
of laymen to be represented in the Cen
eral Conference, and that year it was
decided to elect lay delegates.
The Conference now consists of one
ministerial delegate for every forty.
live members of an annual Conference,
and two lay delegates for every annual
Conference large enough to have more
than one ministerial delegate.
| Besides making laws and hearing ap-
peals on points of law, the General
Conference. elects bishops, appoints
fraternal delegates TO corresponding
bodies, elects all official editors, mis-
sionary secretaries, and secretaries OF
all denominatiOnal institutions.
The present session will be Of pecN
liar interest, from the fact that three or
more new bishops will be elected to
take the place of those who have died,
and to meet the increasing growth OF
the church. Several names have al
ready been mentiored of eminent
ministers of the denomination to fl
} these vacancies, ana present indica
tions are that not less than five will
be chosen.
There seems to be a desire to have {
bishop on the Pacific coast, and there i!
strong feeling that if the work In thu
; South is to be pushed vigorously, there
must be a bishop of equal power will
the best of the Southern bishops, sta
toned in Texas or New Orleans.
One is said to be needed midway be
tween the Mississippi and Pacific, ant
9 more are thought to be needed in th'
East. 1t is probable that the subject o
one of the Bishops being a colored mai
D will also be agitated. Methodism is con
tinually on the increase and now nun
n bers about ), 5000, 900 members in tn
United States, with about one hundre
e annual conferences, all Of which will b
represented in he General Conference
Q The Wilmington annual Conference a
Its last session in this city in Marcl
> elected Revs. j. Fl. Caldwell, Charle
Hill and j. b. Quigg delegates, wit
!; Revs. T. E. Martindale and j. A. I
Wilson alternates. The delegates chos
v en- by the lay electoral Conference
Q which held its session also in March
are T. A. Ellis and A. G. Cox, and a
It ternates DR.. A. E. Sudler and .Josep
0 Pyle.
Two of the ministerial delegates
= Revs. Charles Hill and j. Fl. Caldwell
= are Presiding Elders, as is also Rev. }
A. B. Wilson, one of the alternates. Th
a session will be held in Association Hal
lin the Young Mems Christian Associa
4 ton Building, Fifteenth and Chestnu
streets.
This hall is admirably adapted fo
! the purpose, and has greater seatinI
: capacity than Pixies Opera House, Gin
cinnati, where the last session wa
Q held in 1880. The body of the hal
!. will seat all the delegates comfort
n ably, and leave abundant room for visi
tors.
IS There is no doubt but the attendanc
y will b- large, as excursions have beel
b projected from all parts of the country
, two of which will be- from the Paciti
h Coast, one at San Francisco, and tn
i, other at Portland, Oregon. Word ha
been received in Philadelphia that
+ patty Of 800 are coming from Boston
s and when the visitors from these cities
! and from New Jersey, Delaware, Mary
= land and other near points begin to pou
!, into the Quaker City, it will be like tn
y Centennial year, on somewhat smalle
srala