Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1897-11-25
VIRGINIA CONFERENCE.

at yesterdays session in Danville OF
the Virginia Conference M. E. Church
South, the first business that came
up was the report of the committee
which had conducted the trial of Rev.
NJ. S. Watts, of Middlesex circuit, Rap.
pahannock district, against whom
charges of gross immortality had been
preferred. DR.. 5ledd read the report,
as follows:
1--WE, your committee in the case of
Rev. M. S. Watts, having heard all the
evidence in the case, aud having pa
tiently and prsyerfully considered the
same, do unanimously find that the
specifications are all sustained and that
said specifications do sustain the charges
OF immortality and that said M. S.
Watts be expelled from the ministry
and membership of the Methodist Epis-
copal Church South.
The committee was jury and its
verdict is final, subject only to appeal
to the General Conference, and no vote
was necessary lin this annual confer
ence therefore Rev. NJ. S. Watts
stands expelled from the pulpit and
the church. Mr. r. W. Peatross who
was counsel for Watts, gave notice of
an appeal TO the general conference.
The report of the committee on tenn
perance, which was adopted, says tenn.
perance and prohibition have come to
mean one and the same thing urges
that the church laws against int mper.
ance be rigidly enforced recommends
that unfermented wine be used at the
sacramental table; that this conference
send two delegates to the convention of
the anti.saloon league, to be held in
Columbus, Ohio, in January next, and
that the legislature of Virginia. soon to
meet, be urged to legislature against
the sale of liquor. The report was
adopted, and Rev. f. Ferguson and
Rev. F. NJ. Edwards were elected dele.
gates to the Anti.Saloon League con-
venton.
The board OF finance distributed the
conference fund, amounting to S1l ,355,
TO it's bene6ciaries, one hundred and
forty.two in number.
Rev. r. II. Bennett, one of the young-
er preachers, read, by permission of the
bishop, paper of a personal nature.
1t referred to rumors that he and young
preachers had been guilty Of "log.
rolling" in the matter OF elccting dele
gates to the General Conference Mon.
day, and that they had tried to work
combination by which certain men
should be defeated and certain others
elected over their heads. Mr.. Benefits
paper bitterly denounced the rumors as
false, so far as he was concerned, and
as bitterly denounced "log rolling."
Rev. ], II. Moore asked permission to
read similar paper on behalf of him.
self and others, but the bishop, after
commenting feelingly and humorously
on the subject, declined to permit it,
and added that had he known the ma
lure of Mr.. Benefits paper he would
not have allowed that 10 be read.
The following deacons of one year
passed all the examinations and were
advanced to the second year: W. G.
Pace, NJ. S. Colonna, jr., ]. W. Parrish,
D. W. Reed, G. w. Dyer, George W.
Jones, F. G. Davis and. Thomas E.
Johnston.
The following passed the first re-
quired examinations and remain on
trial: !. E. White, ]. G. CRANBERRY, jr.,
J. B. Lavinder, J. E. Oyler, R. G. Gar
land, S. c. Battin. E. L. Peerman, ".
T. A. Hoynes and R. L. Wing6eld.
There was lengthy discussion on
the report of the committee on memo.
rails. The first question at issue was
"Shall the privilege be given to annual
conferences to nominate by ballot suit.
able persons for the Office of presiding
elder, such nominations to be advisory
and not mandatory on the bishop 2"
After q somewhat heated discussion
this was voted down.
The next exciting memorial was one
asking the General Conference TO make
preachers ineligible to the Office of pre-
siding elder after they shall have served
as such for eight years. This, like the
former, created heated discussion, and
was adopted,
The night session was almost entirely
consumed in disposng of the report of
the committee on memorials. Among
the memorials adopted was one asking
that Fredericksburg be taken from Bal
timore Conference and added to the
u.