The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-05-10
CHURCHMEN In COUNCIL.
THIRD DAY OF THE METHODIST
GENERAL CONFERENCE.

The Total Receipts OF the Board of
Church Extension for the Past Pear
o9,e87-Valueble Work Done by
the Auxiliary Boards-Record OF the
Woman's Department.
ST. LOUIS, May 9.-This was the third
days session of the general. conference OF
the Methodist Church South.
After the opening religious exercises the
report of the board of church extension was
submitted by David Norton, secretary. 1t
shows that the total receipts of the board
for the past four years were S109, ,SS7, and
the disbursement S109,203, leaving a cash
balance on hand of $6S4 The report says:
Under our organic act AZ auxiliary boards,
one in each annual conference, have
been organized. Much valuable work has
been done by them in the matter of secur-
ing information as to the local welfare of
their territories and in aiding the general
board to decide the merits of places asking
help. The conference, after turning over
one-half of the statements, aided, with the
remaining half during the four years
ending March, 1889. 9S2 churches, to which
they made donations amounting to s96.807.
Immediately after the passage of the
amendment by the last general conferen ce
to the constitution by which the woman's
department of our work was created, Miss
Lucinda b. Helen was elected secretary.
She entered promptly on her work and has
prosecuted 1t with great vigor and success"
A GOOD WORK.
Miss Helen's report of her operations,
n u Ill. i
organization and getting in proper shape
for effective work, and detailing some of
the difficulties which were encouuted dur
ing the progress of the work, says: "Not-
withstanding these and the usual obstacles
that beset all new societies, we rejoice in
the knowledge that with the blessing of
God we have laid foundation deep that,
wisely built upon in the future, will make
the society one of great usefulness in
the word and kingdom of God. During
the four years past we have
organized 427 adult auxiliaries.
with $3.50 members, and IS juvenile aux
illaries, with 1,2SS members. The number
OF local societies that have been organized
IS far greater than that of correctional
auxiliaries, for parsonage societies have
sprung up everywhere, announcing their
intention to work for their own parsonage
first. The number of these is very large
indeed, and while we cannot count them
among our auxiliaries, and the general fund
receives nothing from them they are
none the less part of our own.
Many of them have received the benefit of
our literature. Some of the societies given
above once reported and working as con-
nectional must now be relegated, we fear,
to this class for time. but we have reason
to hope not permanently.
THE PARsoNAGEs HELPED.
"The parsonages helped this year by the
general board and conference boards, and
also by the auxiliaries with special dona-
tions raised outside of the dues, are as toll
lows: By the boards, forty; by the
auxiliaries, forty-three; whole number.
eighty-three. In four years the
boards have helped 101 parsonages and 103
auxiliaries, whole number of parsonages
helped 204. Had all the funds retained by
| the conference boards been appropriated at
once and to the parsonages we could add
more to our list, but reports from the vari-
Gus conferences show an aggregate of hun
dreds of dollars lying idle. The parsonages
represented helped by the auxiliaries are
principally district parsonages secured by
the auxliaries of the district. They have
been encouraged to take these as special
work. The funds raised in thirty-one years
from all sources aggregate $33. .903."
THE STANDING COMMITTEES.
The standing committees reported that
they had organized, and the call for memo
rials was begun A memorial from the
northwest Texas conference called for Sun
day changes in the discipline, one feature
being the prohibition of the licensing of
women to preach.
The proceedings were interrupted by Bish-
op Cranberry, who introduced to the con-
ference Rev. David J. Waller, secretary
of the British Wesleyan conference
and Wesleyan educational department, the
training college at Westminster, London,
Eng, the first delegate ever sent to a gen.
eral conference of the Methodist Episcopal
Church South from another conference. He
expressed satisfaction in the completion of
his Journey and said that on some future
occasion he would lay before the conference
message he brings. He then took seat
on the platform with the bishops and the
business proceeded.
LAYMEN AND THE COMMITTEES.
After amending one of the rules so as TO
prevent the call Of the previous question
until after discussion on the committee re-
port has been closed by the chairman of the
committee or some one acting for him, the
discussion on the layman question was re-
sumed. Mr.. Philpot Of Texas introduced a
substitute for the original resolution. pro-
VlulnR InaD ldynnen may serve on all COM
mittees excepting the committee of appeals.
A. c. Miller, layman of North Ala
bama, said he was born Methodist and
believed in episcopacy. He believed in the
trial of a man by his equals. Laymen should
not be allowed to serve on committee to
try clergymen.
Mr.. Murray of Virginia explained how
the trouble came about. In the call for
committeeman Tennessee named man for
the committee on appeals. A Virginia
delegate had held that laymen were elegi-
BILE to positions on that committee. The
speaker thought there was a misconception
in the minds of the delegates. The laymen
made the committees and passed upon their
reports, and to bar them from membership
would be Illegal.
A SOUTH CARoLINIAN'S VIEW.
w. j. Gray of South Carolina said: "We
are here standing on constitutional rights
or we are here as usurpers. The constitr-
tion admits US TO this floor equal with the
clergy and unrestricted in any sense. We
have not heretofore been restricted. We are
here to care for the interest of the church in
common with the clergy. If not what are
we here fori Instead cf the laity trying
to restrict the powers of the clergy, the
clergy are trying to take from the 1aity
powers and rights constitutionally theirs"
Mr.. Brown of the Little Rock conference
said the laity were in the conference the
EQUALS of the clergy numerically and other