The Portland daily press., 1884-05-05
THE METHODISTS.
Proceedings of the General Conference nj
Philadelphia.

PHILADELPHIA, May 3-Bishop Merrill presided
over the deliberations of the conference this FORE
noon and made an admirable chairman Rev.
Nathan Sites, missionary to China and member
of this conference from Fou Chow, led the deyo-
tional exercises. On motion Of T. B. Neely the
report Of the committee on rnles of order for the
government of the general conference was taken
up. Each rule was adopted seriatim until the thir
teenth was reached, when the chairman urged that
the rule be adopted as read, contending that no
could do Justice in short speech to his senti-
ments on the great question which would agitate
the body. Ram Chandra Bose the strangely
dressed high caste Brahmin from the India confer
enee, said: "Sir, am in favor of the amendment,
and for the very that has been urged against
it. 1t is because, the brother has said, fifteen
minutes are required to make preface, that I am
in favor of restricting speakers to ten minutes A
great deal of our time is wasted in fruitess talk,
and the adoption of this amendment will prevent
the repetition of such useless speeches we have
been hearing" The amendment was adopted.
On rule requiring call for the yeas and nays to
come from fifty delegates. Rev. DIR. Hatfield moved
to strike out fifty for call for the yeas and nays
and to insert 100, which was agreed to.
Rev. DR.. Hare, after several Intellectual attempts
prevailed the conference to have two of the
standing committees retire and organize, naming
the committees on revisals and temporal economy.
The names OF the ninety-five members composing
the first committee were read by the secretary,
each member retiring as his name was called to a
smaller room IN the christian Association building
Rev. DIR. Paxon moved that the names of the COM
mittee on temporal economy be called and that the
members Immediately retire to the lecture room of
the Arch street church for organization. This was
agreed to. With the retirement of this committee
1t was impossible TO permit the withdrawal of an
other committee, as 1t would have left the confer
ence without quorum.
A resolution prevailed authorizing the appoint
ment of a committee of five to make arrangements
for memorial services for bishops and other Gen.
eral Conference officers who have died since the
last quadrennial session.
motion was agreed to providing for the appoint
mont of a committee of seven to prepare a pro-
gramme for the reception of fraternal delegates
and that the sessions be held in the evenings for
that purpose.
The names of the committee on boundaries were
called, the purpose being to make corrections, of
which there were number. The calling of the
names and the making of corrections occupied
much time.
Rev. DR.. Walden moved that special committee
be raised upon the Sabbath question, to be COM
posed of one ministerial and one lay delegate from
each missionary district and delegate at large
A delegate moved to amend by referring to the
committee on the state of the church, which was
agreed to.
There was a spirited debate over the motion of
Mr.. Wheeler to have special committee on mar
rage and divorce. Various amendments were
offered, and finally the whole subject was referred
to she committee on the state of the church. 1t
agreed to refer all questions relating to races to
the committee on the state of the church. The
conference then adjourned till Monday