Daily Republican., 1884-05-10
The N. T.. General Con fer ence.

Each of the eleven Bishops having in
their turn presided over the sessions Of
the General Conference of the Metho-
dist Episcopal Church, the chair was
assumed by Bishop Bowman yesterday
for the second time.
Bishop Harris announced the ap.
pOintment OF the committee Of three to
examin the report of the Trustees of the
Chartered Fund. He also read the re-
port of the Bishops in lesponse to a reso.
luton requesting them 70 say author-
tatively how many members it would
be neHsessary to elect to complete the
Episcopal Office. The Judgment of the
Bishops was that the election of three
additional Bishops would suffice for the
business to be done.
DR.. Vernon, of Italy, presented the
report Of the Committee on Missions,
which recommended tho establishment
OF an Episcopal residence in India and
in Europe A motion was then made
to refer the report to the Committee on
EpisCopacy, and in the discussion
which followed DR.. Wheeler, Of Erie,
read rs part of his speech minority
! report, protesting against a permanent
/
report was sent to the Committee on
Episcopacy.
A resolution prepared by Rev. A. A.
johnson, was submitted by M. A. Dough-
erty, Of the Austin Conference, and ap-
propriate reference was made. 1t set
out that no educational institution ex-
| listed in Northern Texas, and that ten
acres of land, worth SIC, 1000. and situate
in Fort Worth, had be- offered to the
church for college campus. 1t was
also stated that citizens of Fort Worth
had contributed $4,000 for building
purposes. 1t was asked that these OPP
pOrtunities be considered.
The most important matter before
the Committee was the report which
had been referred to it from the Com
mittee on Missions, relating to an Epis,
copal residence In India and Europe.
| Drs Edwin W. Parker, Of North In
dia, Dennis Osborne and William Tay-
lor of South India, and others, urged
that residences be fixed, as recommend
ed by the Mission Committee, in order
that the great work abroad might have
q permanent leader and superintendent.
The recommendations Of the Commit
tee on Missions were finally adopted.
EXPERIMENTATION OF THE LA1TY.
The Committee on Lay Representa-
tion met at the Colounade hotel in the
evening, with Amos Skinkle, of Ken.
tucky, in the chair. A subcommittee,
to whom was referred the question of
admitting laymen TO the annual Con-
ferences, submitted report, which
was adopted, and will lie presented
to the General Conference this morn.
ling.
The conclusions reached by the COM
mittee were that the laymen should be
admitted to the annual conferences in
the ratio of one to every ak pastoral
charges in the Presiding Elders dis
triCt As the rules now stand laymen,
it is said, are excluded from the annual
conferences, but "all the travelling
preachers, both those who are in full
convention and those who are on trial, "
are permitted to attend. There were
only two or three dissenting votes TO the
proposed change.
PUTGINti A CHECK ON DIVORCE.
j Before the Committee on the State O
!, the Church, a Subcommittee, of which
Governor Pattison was chairman, sub
mitted report on the subject o.
Divorce" which, with slight amend
J ments, was adopted. The COMMITTEES
took the ground that adultery wa
, the only cause sanctioned by tht
. Scriptures for the separation Of mar
and wife" 1t also suggested tina
greater care be exercised by minister.
before celebrating the marriage cere
mony, and that precaution be taken IL
the instance of minors who were no
II likely TO have had the full consent O
Their parents.