The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-03-14
THE CLERGY WlsHEDlT.
The Bacon Resolutions Concerning The poa.
er of the Bishop Unanimously Adopted.
MANHOOD or THE CLERGY SUPPRESSED,
1.ny Delegates VIII Sow Have a
Voice In the Proceedings of tac
Conference, ana Presiding Etdess
~iii Form Part or tI,e Bishops
Cabinet In MaIsins Appointments

81, II
Baltimore. Md, March 1s.-To-day
was one of great interest to Methodists,
broadway Church reflected the local feel
Ing when the NJ. Il. Conference was
called to order this morning. In the
front rows of the body of the old edifce
sat ministerial and lay Delegates; back
OF them hundreds of Interested specta-4
tors were gathered, while the galleries
were similarly crowded
TWO OF the most important subjects to
be considered by the conference were
on the programme us special orders
| They were the now famous Bacon reso-5
luton, which. if embodied in the law
| OF the Church would enlarge the pow
| erS OF the conference and restrict the
authority of the bishop. The second
was the election of delegates to the
/ General Conference, in Cleveland In
May.
| The Rev. George Bacon, author Of the
| resolution. was present and was the
cynOs,Irc of all eyes. t3
Mr.. Bacon said to-day: This step in
reference to lay representation in the
annual conference If taken, will remove
the radical cause for the existence as
separate organization OF the Metho-s
dists Protestants, and Will probably fe-s
suit In IL combination of the two which
cannot but be beneficial to the cause Of
morality" ist3155
y. modification of the third Bacon re-
solution recommended by the committee
yesterday explains It's meaning more
fully. 1t was also recommended that
| the resolutions be referred to the con-4
ference TO be embodied in the law Of the
church. The resolutions as discussed /
this morning are: 81
THAT we favor the admission OF lay-S
men 10 the annual conference I'm such
proportion as shall hereafter be detersG
mined. 6zi5sa
THAT we favor the election of presidaS
Ing elders by the annual conference
THAT we favor making the presiding
elder the constitutional advisors of the
bishop and no appointment be made
without the concurrence of It least one3s
third of his cabinet" a5f5F a54f5F
For two and a half hours the resoIusss
sions were discussed by leading men-g
bcrS of the conference. They were theR5
laid aside TO be again taken up as the
special order of the dayto-morrow The
discussion encroached upon the time for
the second special order Of the day
The election OF delegates to the general
conference.-the that order went over
without n time being named for Its
considera ton. as1lf.,
The best of good feeling prevailed
throughout the days discussion, but
there was apparent and undercurrent Of
determination TO fight 1t out on the part
of the respective advocates Of the meaS-S
ure and minority reports. S35.
Rev. j. Price opened the discussion In
majority report by saying that the NJ
T.. Church is noted for the work Of it's
laymen. Other denominations give the
la!ty representation so that the Metho-s
dist Church stands alone in this reSpect.a
AS they are represented in the quarterIyt
conferences and general conference, they
should also have representation in tho;
annual conference. The laymen have
an interest in all the benefcences, In
the matter of education and other ques.I
tions they furnish theanoney and should
have something to say about how Ills
expended AS we now stand, Mr.. Price
| said, we are non-Catholics. non-Metho-f
dist, non-AInerican. ifS
Taking up the matter of the election OF
| Presiding Elders, he said that as It's
now constituted the office Is very popu-s
| lar. The election of Presiding Elders Is
| needed. for we are willing to trust thenl,s
and the Bishops too. in part QaughtefY;;;
| we are willing to trust the Bishops joint
ly with the Presidings Elders. s99ss:
Rev. s. RI. Cummings, the blind!
clergyman. spoke aguinst theresolutiors,
| in Il humorops strain. full of yelled!
satire, which Hpt his auditors in Iau ghv!
ter most of &he time. His sentlmensII
| that there issno.hing love 50 much aa;
old Alma Mater OF Methodism; 1t Is we'll
! founded. well grounded and divinelys u
/ Illuminated" was applauded. si&sSsa
Rev. NJ. F. b. Rice, of Washington.
favored all the resolutions ss
| Rev. DR.. Hugh Johnson, also Of Washss
| ington. favored lay representations hut
| as he opposed the other two propositions,
! he would vote agaist them all. XII "a 8
Rev. j. c. Nicholson, OF Cumherlands
and Rev. y. j. Gill; OF Baltimore. quesS
! toned IL any living man could be found
fit to exercise the autocratic !puWers
now given to bishop. The favored tie
| resolution. the expression that .onaot
the evils of this power is that 1t SUP
presses the manhood OF our clergy,.s5he-
ing loudly applauded. 5lI
On motion the resolutions went over
until tomorrow.
The lay electoral conference was organ:
lied by the selection of James y \ ST nj. Il.
gram as president There was, q lfyefy
parliamentary tangie over the Bacon
resolutions, which finally resulted an tfiSS
resolutions and all others being Eel farTe{j
to the committee on resolutions
AT the afternoon session,oftthesl layfnay
the Bacon resolutions We're dopfea AZ.
most unanimously.
". A, Leitch. of Baltimose e9 at Id asXsaS;
ander Ashley, Of shingt tof,9 tSreS Ssiss||
ted delegates and g. w. IN sWaft 49, ~ n
Washington, and L.. NJ, Ba OH Sf ,rnss *
sons Md.. alternates to the Ss o6sr ssSs y ss
ference, which meets III Clevela S
!, Nav j e IS S
The convnes tssr = "A 4,,r,r, n