The record-union., 1892-05-11
=7-=--
RELIGIOUS.
Proceedings of the Methodist Confer
ence at Omaha.

Proceedings of the Methodist Confer
ence at Omaha.
OMAHA, May 10.-Bishop Fitzgerald
presided at to-day's session of the
Methodist Conference. There seems to
be prevailing opinion that no Bishop
will be elected at this session. The Com
mittee on Episcopacy was not ready to
report this morning on account of the
fact that the colored brethren were work
ing hard to secure the election of colored
Bishop. The report Will probably be de-
layed till Tuesday or Friday.
There is hot contest for the editorship
of the AdUOcUte at st. Louis between DR..
Marsden of st. Louis, DR.. Bowman of
Kansas City, and DR.. Creighton of the
Nebraska Wesleyan University. For
agent of the Book Concern at Cincinnati,
the chief candidates are DR.. Curtis of Chi
cago and DIR. Maxtield of Omaha.
The order Of the day was the report of
the Committee on Constitution.
After some rather sharp debate on the
eXpediency of calling on the Bishops to
address the conference, it was decided to
ask Bishop Merrill, Chairman of the
Committee on Constitution. to explain
the changes, but before this was pro-
ceeded with, the rules were suspended
and the report OF the Committee on the
Worlds Fair was called for. The report
declares the exposition a meritorIous
undertaking, and that the church reioices
in the prospects for its success. but de-
clareS it should be closed on Sunday:
that this is a Christian nation and it would
be flying in the face of Providence to
open the gate on the Lords day. The
committee heartily favored the $4,000, 900
appropriation, but only with a proviso
that the gates be closed Sunday, and rec
y
sentiments of the report be sent to the
President and Congress.
After some debate the preamble and
resolutions were indorsed, but recon-
mitted for revision, and the committee
instructed to send a telegram to Wash
ington approving the object Of the fair,
but protesting against opening it on sun
day.
DIR. Neeley then took the floor to ex-
plain the meaning Of the constitution.
He gave the history Of that document
since its adoption, in 1893, with subse-
quent amendments. He hoped the con-
ference would decide, once for all, which
parts OF the church government were the
constitution and which We're simply re-
strictive rules. This definition was nee
essary to decide what could and could not
be changed by conference without con-
current action of the annual conference.
DIR. Little said the conference should
proceed very cautiously. The admission
of laymen. for instance, was a question
never submitted tOthe annual conference.
If the General Conference had no power
to make changes in the constitution with
out the consent of the annual conference
the admission Of flaymen in 1872 was un-
constitutional and the laymen had no
right in the conference.
Or. Buckley declared the rights of Law
men We're secure. Even if they were not
admitted by a constitutional amendment
the restrictive rules guaranteed them
seats in the conference.
After further discussion Mr. Fields of
Philadelphia moved the whole matter of
changes in the constitution be postponed
to the next General Conference. Lost.
The explanation by Bishop Merrill was
postponed, owing to the lateness of the
hour, until tomorrow.