The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-20
METHODIST STATISTICS.
RETURNS OBTAINED FROM ALL
THE CHURCHES.


To-day's Session to Be the Last Of
the Conference.-The Next Confer~
ence.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 19.-The eleventh
days session of the ecumenical Methodist
conference was opened with William War;
den, OF the Wesleyn Reform Union Of Eng
land, in the chair.
The secretary acknowledged the receipt
OF resolutions offered by delegates concerns
ing the civil liberty and imperial power OF
the papacy, and on the subject of combina-
tions of labor and capital. They were res
terred TO the business committee
The business committee made report
upon the subject of a week of prayer. recoma
mending that the week beginning Nov. Is
next be set aside for that purpose, and invit.
ing all of the senior bishops and priests of the
conferences, represented in the conference,
to sign call to all Methodists. The report
was adopted after statement by DR.. King
that the eastern delegates had taken the
same action as that proposed before coming
to the conference.
METHODIST STATISTICS.
Through Mr. McLaren, tbe COMMITTEES ON
Methodist statistics made a report which In
substance states that returns have been obs
tanned from all the churches represented in
the conference and tabuated. first geo.
graphically and second ecclestically. The
term adherents included in every case min-
isters and members as well as Tho families
connected with the congregations Ia SONS
cases estimates we're made, but in no case
do they exceed the figures given IN the govs
ernment censuses, and in some cases they
are below. While no official statistics were
adopted by the London ecumenical con-
ference. figures show that since that con.
ference there has been an increase OF 80 pes
cent. in Methodist believers. Some OF ths
details OF the report were read by Rev. DIR.
Morley, as follows:
Eastern Section, Europe Ministers, 4 ,4Sl;
members, 9l5, 2S4; adherents, 4.209,60l.
Asia-Ministers. 533; members 34,334; adj
hereuts IL. .g6S
Africa-Ministers, 294; members II ,147,
Rdherents, 2S3, 1916.
Australia and Polynesia Ministers, 1856;
members, 93, 140; adherents. 48S 1888
Total for Eastern Section - Ministers,
6,Oe4; members. l, ,1l3,905; adherents. $685..
l2S.
Western Section-Ministers sc, COL; meme
bers, $50 494; adherents, q, ,25l ,g76.
Grand Totals Ministers, ~ 1905; mem.
bers, @, ,494, 1893; adherents. %, ,375, 104.
THE hEPoHT CRlTICIZED.
The report, which is, it was explained, moi
quite c2mplete. wAs criticized by several
members, one DR.. Truner of Eagland. hold,
ing that it would, If adopted, vitlate the re-
turn in England.
Dr. Stephenson suggested that foot note
be>attached to each item OF the report stat
Ing the basis of the estimate, and with an
amendment in this respect the report was
adopted.
The business committee acknowledges tne
receipt OF memorial concerning recog-
milton OF the visit of the President of the
United States to the conference.
A resoluton was adopted making to NOR.
rows session the last Of the conference.
THE NEXT CONFERENCE.
DR.. Hamilton presented the report Of the
committee on an executive commission.
The report wes as follows:
The committee to whom was referred ths
quostlons concerning the third ecumeucaI
Methodist conference recommend that such
conference DO held in the year 1901, subject ia
the approval and direction Of all the several
bodies OF the Methodists. The COMMITTEES
respectfully recommends the appointment Of
an executive commission which shall be cousti-
tuted on the basis Of the organization of the
ecuInenical conference and which shall consist
OF eighty members. The commission shall be
divided into two sections, called respectively
tne western section and the eastern section, and
tho eastern section shall consist OF thirty mem.
oers. The executive commission of the eastern
section shall he distributed among the various
branches OF methodism In that section as fob
lows: Wesleyan IL members, Irish Methodists
z. Ehethousts new cennection) p
Primitive Methodsts 4. Bible Christian
2, United Methodist Free Church g. Australian
Metnodists l. French Methodists /! WesIeyau
Reform Union i, United Free Gospel churches
], South African Methodists l. West Indian
Methodists l. The western section shall be dis
triouted as follows among the various branc es
Of Methodlsm represented in that section:
Methodist Episcopal south g. Methodist
church In Canada d. Methodist Episcopal Is,
African Methodist Episcopal church &.
African Methodist Episcopal Zion 8. Coiorei
Methodist Episcopal !, Methodist Protestant /.
United Brethren In Christ /, American Wesleyan
J., Union American Methodist Episcopal l..
African Union Methodist Episcopal l. Free
Methodist l., Congregational Metaodists l.,
Primitive Methodists l. British Methodists 4
Independent Methodists /, United Brethren 10
Christ told constitution) 1, Evangelical Associa.
tion !.
TO MAKE THE ARRANGEMENTS.
Among its other duties the commission ia
to make the necessary arrangements fer
the next executive conference, subject to
the approval Of the several churches repre-.
eented.
This report met with some opposition
from Rev. DR.. Embry Of the African Meth.
odist Episcopal church, who objected to the
small number of members allowed for his
church, and DR.. Buckley of New York,
holding that the proposed action was un-
necessary and dangerous Mr. Atkinson OF
England, did not relish the minority repre-
sentetion accorded to the eastern section,
but thought that after all Englishme1
would be able to hold the balancs Of power.
he hoped and expected that the next ecu.
menicai conference would beheld in AUS
tralia. After some discussion the topic OF
the day, "The Church and Public Moral
ity,S' was taken up.
Mr. HILLS ESSAY.
In the unavoidable absence of Hon. W.
B. Hill Of Macon, Ga, his essay on legal
restraint on the vices of society was read
by Rev. DR.. w. V. Tudor of Richmond.
Va. 1--WE are sometimes told" be began.
''by those who admit that legal restraint Of
the vices Of society is within the jur:sdic-
tion of the state, that such legislation is
nugatory. You cannot make men moral
by act of parliament So runs the
threadbare pathos of this wornout pastoral.
Now If this means that the law cannot
generate inward righteousness. 1t is true.
but those who saw the air with this old saw
very well know that the friends Of moral
legislation do not propose 10 accomplish IL
by any such result; for statutes Of every
kind assume TO deal only with mons acts.
not with their intentions or motives.
RULES or TIE CHUAcHTS
"The rules Of the churches never created
inward holiness; that is not their funciIoa
in the church economy. but they serve as
an inferontial and whole .0me discipline of
conduct, aud TINS they help % make men
4 A.. -.