Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-05-12
LAWS OF THE CHURCH.
Discussed All Of Yesterday by the
Methodist Conference.
AN EFFORT TO UNITE THE CHURCH,
North and South, Being Mads-ReSOlutons With
That End in View Presented to the Conference.
A Fratsrnal Delegate From the South
in the Conference Yesterday.

to-day. Inc ueVOLlOndl SeINICoS Moio
conducted by Rev. f. f. Sheppard OF
the n. Y. Conference.
The rules were suspended to hear
report from the committee on centen-
nial Of the General Conference OF the
Methodist Church. The report recon-
mended that special service be held on
the evening OF May II as centennial
service. The report also recommended
efforts be made to collect the facts con-
nected with the conference of 1892 as TO
official journal of that conference was
lost. The report was adopted.
DR.. Hynett moved that a committee
be appointed to meet the delegation TO
the Presbyterian General Assembly VINO
pass through Omaha tomorrow on their
way to Portland, Oregon, and invite
them TO visit the General Conference.
Carried. DIR. E. j. Gray, of PennsYl-
vania, introduced resolution to chSnge
the rules so as to give different boards
authority TO elect their official editors,
secretaries OF the auxiliary depart
ment, superintendents OF the book con-
Germ and other officers usually elected
by the General Conference. He sup
ported the resolution in very practical
speech. In which he said as most OF the
candidates were unknown TO majority
Of the delegates he thought that the
various boards could elect these officers
with more intelligence and satisfaction
to all concerned. Referred to Commit
tee on Temporal Eeconmy.
DR.. Gray also introduced resolution
calling upon the Committee on Episco-
pacy to consider the advisability OF
distributing the whole territory OF
church into as many districts as there
are effective bishops less one, and to
assign to each bishop except the senior
bishop, prescribed district for the
term OF four years instead Of leaving
the bishops to divide the work as they
do at present. A resolution suggested
that the senior bishop be left without
district to preside at the bishops
meeting and superintend the work.
Referred to the Committee on Epis-
copacy.
DIR. w. F. Warren, OF Boston, intro
duced a resolution to have a capable
committee appointed to revise the open
ing chapter on discipline, which treats
OF the origin and history OF the church.
The paper was referred to the commit
tee on revision OF discipline, and Dr.
Warren was added to the committee.
At this iuncture Bishop Joyce introduced
Rev. DR.. raggert, fraternal delegate from
the Methodist Church South. He is
young and vigorous looking divine OF intel
iectual appearance. A resolution was
offered calling for an earnest effort TO unite
the two branches of the Methodist Episco-
pal church in the United States. 1t was
referred to the Committee on State OF the
Church, amid applause.
The Conference now took up the consid-
Grafton of report of the constitution COM
mission. Bishop Merrill said he would be
| GLAD if he could represent the commission
as a unit but it had not been. Inc report
was the opinion and conclusion OF majority.
81 shall not argue before you as 10
whether our conclusions were right or
wrong" said Bishop Merrill. | simply
explain our conclusions and leave you to
decide Bishop Merrill then reviewed the
adoption of law by which delegates were
admitted to the General Conference.
"That portion Of the Constitution put IN
unlawfully was not put in at all in reality"
said Bishop Merrill, THE Constitution
really should remain as 1t was IN looo, WIN
the exception of those changes which were
lawfully made. That which went in un-
lawfully took the place of parts that were
unlawfully put out, and those parts are not
| all out, even though they may seem to oe."
In closing, Bishop Merrill said: III Is
for this conference TO decide whether the
| ACT of the conference Of 1872 was or was not
| n LEGAL act. The commission had no right
! N report upon that. We have simply re-
norted the facts as we believe they exist. !"
A long discussion followed, participated
| in bv Drs Oueal, Hamilton and others, Dut
without action the conference adjourned:
The Committee on Episcopacy has de-
cided TO recommend that four new Bishops
be created. in defiance of the official action
of the Episcopal Board, which was against
| increasing its membership. ms, u Is
| said. was brought about by the candidates
themselves The most prominent candi-
dates for Bishop are: DR.. Peck. Cincln-
natl: Hamilton, Boston; McCabe, New
! York: Leonard, Ohio; Whiteheld. Iowa;
Pavne. New York; Bristol, chicago; I;
Neely. Philadelphia; Swindell, Philadel-
mia: King. New York; Hartzell. New
| Orleans. The race is decidedly interest
| ing
The committee on Episcopacy had a red
| hot meeting this afternoon at the FIRST
Methodist Church. The quest OF
| changing the Episcopal residence, now To-
| Gated at Buffalo, Topeka, Fort worth ana
| Cincinnati TO other cities, demanding the
residence of Bishop, came before the
Committee and provoked lively fight
Bishop Vincent, who resides at Bunalo,
was preseut and was asked TO state DIS
opinion OF the proposed removal OF the
| Episcopal residence from Buffalo. de pre-
| sented a number of reasons for the oelet
| that il would be a great mistake TO remove
| the Episcopal residence from Bufalo.
Bisnop Monde spoke eloquently in favor
] of retaining the Episcopal residence st
! Topeks. and his remarks had a marked
| effect. One argument was that Kansas
was a Prohibition State and had been
made SO largely by the Methodist Church.
Bishop Goodsell, who resides at Fort
Worth. was very much opposed to the IDEA
of removing the Episcopal residence from
! the Texas metropolis.
Bishop Walden has an Official residence
at Cincinnati, and he was asked 70 SPEAK
on the proposed change. He thought IL
would De mistake to remove the Cincin-
| natl Episcopal residence.
After long discussion without reacnlng
a Conclusion, the committee adjourned 70
meet next Friday, when the question OF
eIecting colored Bishop and the proposed
change in the Episcopal residences VIII
! again come before the committee.