Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1888-03-14

W. Todd offered to the same institution
a volume treating of Methodism on the
Peninsula.
The Rev. DIR. w. A. Spencer, of the
Church Extension Association, appeal
ed to the conference for $4,000, as ii
was necessary to erect three churches
each day of the year throughout the
country.
The Historical Society of the coufer.
ence held its anniversary celebration
Wednesday afternoon, the Rev. w. E.
England read an essay on the charac-
tiers of the men who were in the Will.
mington M. E. Conference, which met
in Wilmington in 1869.
The Wilmington Conference was
born in 1868. Its first session convened
in Asbury Church at Wilmington, on
March 18th, 1869, Bishop Simpson pre-
siding. The bishops council was
composed of presiding elders appointed
at the Philadelphia Conference at its
previous session. Rev. S. L. Gracev
was elected secretary, and was assisted
by Revs. H. S. Thompson, T. E. Mar
tindale and T. l.. Poulson.
In 1869 there were within the bounds
of this conference 299 churches in
1887 the number had increased to 1856.
The membership of these churches
numbered 1858 in 1869, an had in
creased to 1892 in 1887.
The missionary contribution of the
churches 1869 was $10,182O6, and in
1887 $40, 53427. For conference claim
ants the first years report gave 50, 947. 20
and last year the sum had increased to
$3.50. TO be added to these gains are
tifty-nine parsOnages and one educa-
tional institution, the Conference
Academy at Dover.
The Rev. Dr. J. II. Caldwell made a
few eOngratulatOry remarks, and the
Rev. ). +. Otis read a historical sketch.
During the evening the Rev. DR..
VIM. A. Spencer occupied the atten-
ton OF the Conference with the Needs
of the Church Extension Association -
Rev. II. y. Thompson was next in
troduced and read an interesting paper
upon the growth and conditions Of the
churches in the Salisbury and Vir.
ginia Districts"
SECOND DAY-THURsDAY.
The second days session of the Will
mingtOn Nj. E Conference was devoted
almost exclusively to hearing the re-
ports of Presiding Elders W. l.. 5.
Murray, Of Wilmington district. and A.
ID. Davis, of the Virginia district. which
was added last year.
Mr.. Murray made a full report Of
the temperance work in his district.
saying that 81 licenses had been refused
TO liquor sellers in New Castle county
me work of temperance was much
hlnGered in Cecil county, Md, by the
sending OF intoXicants there from Bal
tlmore under false labels, The district
had expended $4,000 for improve
ments and buildings, and the mission.
airy collections were nearly So GOO
Presiding Elder Davis reported that ne
had travelled over 200 miles as a mis-
slonary in the two Virginia counties of
the peninsula, for which he had been
paid $780, Eight churches have been
established and S765 collected for mis-
sionary purposes.
The board Of stewards reported IN
nave expended $500 in Wilmington
district, in Easton S1,l45, in Dover
S!,OoO, IN Salisbury 500, and in Vir-
ginia $95.
The following were called up for full
connection as ministers Geo. w. Bow
man, Geo. +. Wood, Asbnrv Burke
William r. MOwbray, VIM. W. Sharn
VIM. W. Johnson, Henry S. Dulaney.
VIM. q. Rooms, II. Irving Watkins
Clinton +. Wyatt and Jas. F. Prouse'
n. NJ, Browne, a former Presiding
Elder OF Salisbury District presented a
paper defending himself from the at.
tack OF Bishop Warren influenced bv
J. A. B. Wilson upon his work wbijs
in that Office.
When Mr.. Browne had finished there
was a slight ripple Of applause and
much suppressed excitement. The
Rev. }. b. Quigg immediately arose
and read series of caustic resolutions
that provided that Mr.. Brownies com.
munlcatiOn be printed in the minutes.
that 1t is serious violation ofthe dutv
OF the conference secretary to print
anything not approved by the confer
ence that 1t is the desire of the mem
bers OF conference to confide implicitly
IN their bishops, and for them TO do
this it is necessary that any one an
preaching the bishop, not layman re-
siding among us or a minister in our
conference, receive the severest reDulse
Tor his interference that any one en-
terlng into an agreement or combina.
ton to control the action of conference
IN electing delegates To the General
Conference be condemned.
The further consideration Of tho
question was postponed until next
morning, but through interested friends
the differences between Messrs. Browne
and Wilson was compromised. and the
question dropped.
The exercises of the afternoon eas.
SION where those of the Women's For
eign Missionary Society, which was
presided over by Rev. Il. K. Stephen
son and addressed by Rev. J. NJ. Will
lIams, OF New Hampshire, Mrs. l.. s.
Osborne, returned missionary. and
Mrs. Stevens, secretary of this confer.
ence.
The Board of Conference Stewards
held their anniversary meeting in the
evening. wv
Afterwards Rev. r. E. Martindale
made an address on the tolls of disabled
ana worn out preachers. He showed
.nat an average appropriation of but
$500 per annum was given to them.
Alter singing by the choir Rev. Jacob
Iodd, ID. d., made very able address
ON the subject.
THE THIRD DAY-FRIDAY.
The third days session was devoted
to the reading of the reports of Presid.
ing Elders Ayres, of Salisbury district
France, of Easton, aud Wilson. of
Dover. Salisbury raised Zoo toward
the mission fund.
Mr.. Ayres made singing references
to the liquor traffic still going on mt
Berlin, Snow Hill, POcOmoke CITY and
Salisbury, all in his district. Easton
district last year spent $1,000 for new
churches and parsOnages and contrib
uted ,624 towards missions. Dover
districts built eleven churches and
three parsonages, and raised "a 200 for
missions. The district reported 1870
persons converted to the church during
the year.
BY agreement Friday was the dav
designated for the election of delegates
TO the General Conference which meets
in New York in May.
On the first ballot the Rev. Jacob
Todd, ID. D., and the Rev. J. A. B.
Wilson, ID. d., were chosen. Three
other ballots failed to select the third |
delegate. The ballots were: