The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-05-12
TOPICSOF THE CONFERENCE
Bishop Merrill Defends the Report on
the New Methodist Constitution.
Reasons for Certain Changes-FOur Addition.
al Bishops ReeOmmended-A Host Of Cam
didstes-The Happy COlOred Delegates.
WORK OF THE MErHopIsrs.

Report-Proposed New Bishopfics.
OMAHA. Neb.. May I.-Bisbop Joyce oc-
cupied the presiding officers chair in the
Methodist Episcopal General Conference
to-day. The devotional exercises were
conducted by Rev. T. b. Shepherd, of the
New York Conference. The rules were
suspended to hear o report from the COM
mittee on centennial of the General Con-
ference. The report recommended that q
special service be held on the evening OF
May II as o centennial service. The report
also recommended that efforts be made to
collect the facts connected with the con-
ference of 1882. as che official journal of
that conference was lost The report was
adopted.
DIR. Kynett moved that committee be
appointed to meet the delegates 60 the
Presby terrain General Assembly. who pass
through Omaha tomorrow on the way to
Portland. Ore, and invite them to visit the
General Conference. This was agreed to.
DR.. Z. j. Gray, of Pennsylvania. intro
duced a resolution to change the rules so as
20 give the different boards authority to
elect the official editors. secretaries of the
auxiliary department., superintendents of
the book concern. and other officers usually
elected by the General Conference. He
supported the resolution in very practi-
cal speech. He said. as most of the can
didates were unknown to q majority OF the
delegates, he thought that the various
boards could elect these Officers with more
intelligence and satisfaction to all con-
cerned. The resolution was referred to she
committee on temporal economy.
DR.. Gray also introduced resolution
calling upon the committee on episcopacy
the whole territory of the church into as
many districts as there are effective bish-
ops, ana to assign to each bishop except
the senior bishop, q prescribed district for
the term OF four years IN instead OF ,ssavi5 ne
ct present. The resolution suggested that
the senior bishop be left without q district.
TO preside at the bishops meetings. and su-
perintend the entire work This was re-
ferred to the committee of episcOpacy.
DR.. w. K. Warren. of Boston. introduced
o resolution to have capable committee
appointed TO revise the opening chapter of
the discipline. which treats OF the origin
referred to the committee on revision of
the Discipline. and DR.. Warren was added
10 the committee.
At this juncture Bishop Joy CO introduced
Rev. Taggert. fraternsl delegate from the
Methodist Church south. He is young
and gorous-leoking divine with an intel
lectual appearances. ringing resolution
was offered calling for earnest effort to
pnlte the two branches of the Methodist
Episcopal Church in the United States. 1t
was referred 10 the committee on state OF
church amid applause.
LOYAL CoLoRED BROTHER.
A long resolution was introduced by Rev.
Mr. Brown, colored Mary land brother. de-
clsring that the colored brethren were
faithful and loyal to the church. and would
remain so, notwithstanding the false re-
port that had been circulated to the effect
that the colored brethren intended to
stampede from the church if certain
concessions were not made TO them. The
resolution was greeted By applause. THE
disease that DIR. Buckley speaks of,
reached the colored brethren in the confer
ence, but they are not going to have dis
loyalty if We do not secure the election OF
bishop" Applause.
said the negro race had ausht on to great
many moiefn ideas by following the ex-
ample OF the white brethren. If @ bishop
was a good thing for white people 1T GER
tainly would not hurt the colored brethren.
lAppiause.l The paper was finally referred
TO the COMMITTEES on state of the church.
The conference now took up for consid-
Grafton the report OF the constitution COM
mission. Bishop Merrill said he would be
glad if he could represent the commission
as q unit, but it had not been. The report
was the opinion and conclusion of the ma
Jority. III shall not areue before You as to
whether our conclusions were right or
wrong" said Bishop Merrill 81 simply
explain our conclusions md leave you TO
decide" bishop Merrill then reviewed tho
adoption of the law by which the dele
enee.
THAT portion of the constitution put in
unlawfulIy was not put In at all in reality"
ssid Bishop Merrill. Tho constitution
- -, 81
the exception of those changes which were
lawfully made. That which went in un-
lawfully took the place of parts that woro
unlawfully put out. and those parts are
TO be-" Bishop Merrill said he would live
&C vindicate the action of the conference of
1872. but the trouble lay in the fact that
the conference of 1868 failed to confer the
the latter conference assumed. The confer
ence of 1865 provided for the clothing of
the conference of 1872 with power to
change the restrictions then in existence,
made additions to the restriction. There
was the milk in the cOcoanut. This as
sumed authority ought to have beer cor
rected long ago. but never had been.
FOR THE CONFERENCE TO DECIDE
The bishop said there were Methodists
still living who imagined that the six re-
strictive rules formed the whole OF tho con-
stitution of the General Conference. He
had thought that they were all translated,
hut a few still remained. The commission
held that all the fundamental rules that
govern the General Conference were part
of the constitution. In closing the ex-
PLANTATION, Bishop Merrill said: 1T il for
this conference 10 decide whether the act
of the conference of 1872 was or was not a
legal act: the commission had no right to
pass pom that We have simply reported
the facts as We believe they exist
Some ono asked why the report had not
been printed months ago. because 10 had
been ready some time prior to the meeting
of the conference.
"We were appointed by the last General
Conference" said Bishop Merrill. with in.
structions TO report 10 this General Confer
ence. not TO the public, and We have fol-
lowed the Instructions" Applause
DIR. Hammond then offered an amend
ment TO the report To make all those acts
constitutional which had been supported
by . two-tbirds vote of the church. In ac-
cordance with the restrictive rules, but all
other parts should not be considered a part
of the constitution.
DIR. Queal spoke vigorously I'm favor of
putting the seal of approval upon those
things that had been done In accordance
with the restrictive rules. but not 10 ap-
prove of any thing that had not been done
with due authority.
DR.. j. NJ. Hamilton got the floor He
said that this W as a look backward. There
was no use TO ind fault with any body.
situation under the light of the present
day. He objected to the long preamble
that the commission had presented. He
hoped TO the conference take up the
matter calmly. with q view to agreement
upon something definite and tangible that