Evening star., 1898-03-03
The Second Days Session Of the Bal
timore Body
CALL MADE ON PRESIDENT MKINLEY
Reports of Presiding Elders Heard
and Characters Passed.
ANNIV VERSARY TONIGHT

ing at Waugh NJ. E. Church, Sd and A
streets northeast. The devotional exer-
cises began at $50 o'clock and were con-
Quoted by Rev. II. r. Naylor. Bishop Mer-
rill opened the session. Rev. ]. p Wright
was added to the committee on Bible So
ciety and Sabbath observance. After this
the thirteenth question was brought up
This is, WAS the character of each preach
er examiner" Rev. w. NJ. Ferguson, pre-
siding elder Of the Baltimore district; Rev.
w. s. Edwards, presiding elder of the East
Baltimore district: Rev. L. B. Wilson, D.
D.. presidi 1g elder of the Washington dis
trict Rev. c. w. Baldwin, presiding elder
of West Baltimore district, and Rev. ]. r.
Wheeler, presiding elder of Frederick dis
trict, were passed, and they read their
reports.
Rev. Mr.. Baldwin stated that in his dis
trict, of which he made his first report,
there were thirty-four charges and twenty
nine pastors. He referred feelingly to the
death of Rev. McKendree Reilly of -Balti-
NOR, who died last June.
Rev. DR.. Wilson, in his report of the
Washington district, spoke with warm com
mendation of the finishing of the first build
ing of the American University which will
be used as department of history. The
total amount secured for the Asbury Me
mortal Hall, he said, was $1120OU The
work of the deaconesses had been en-
courag1ng and the Sunday school work par
ticularly good
Vexed Question Settled.
1T Is our privilege" he said, Ito report
the settlement out of court of the yexed
question as to the ownership Of the West
Georgetown Church. The settlement was
by compromise, the terms of which in
cluded the notification of the sale of the
property made several years ago, and
nf
from. Dumbarton Avenue Church received
$500 and the West Georgetown Society 81.
6U. The formal separation of the two So
cleties was proposed ard received the ap-
provai ,!s.s Of Bishop Mallalieu, who had super
vision OF our conference at the time The
scciety, formerly known as the West
Georgetown charge, will hereafter be known
as the Northwest Episcopal Church.
"A few months ago the plan was pro.
posed OF uniting the ST. PauPs and Fif-
teenth Street congregations into cne Fiji
teenth Street Church had a new building,
located In desi-ables residence section of
the city, but heavily iAcumhered with debt
st. Paurs had an organization, in many
respects, of great promise, sbut without a
permanent church home, as it has been
impracticable to secure an extension of
the lease upon the building 1t at present
occupies. The proposition of consolidation
has bean most carefully considered by the
congregations of both churches, and has
commanded the approval Of almost every
one interested. Should the project receive
the official sanction offour bishop, the close
of our conference session will see the
union effected" IL
After the reading of the reports tie pre-
siding elders arose to be questioned by the
bishop. The bishop asked the presiding
elders particularly if there had been any
thing against the characters of the elders
OF any Of the churches in their districts
ard there was none, with But one excep-
ton. 1t was not stated what this excep-
ton was. .rS
Receives n Silver Service.
When these reports were finished the
bishop said he wished to say something of
Brother Wheeler presiding elder Of the
Frederick district His term of office as
presiding elder expires at this conference
The bishop referred .humorously to the de-
parture frcm office of Rev Mr.. Wheeler.
and said:
Il judge from the way they report them
selves in his district that there is no oppo-
sltion to his getting rid of the office of pre-
siding elder. The case reminds me of that
OF the judge who remarked that he went
INTO the judgeship with but little opposition
and left IT without any. However, l wish
to present silver service to Brother
wheeler on the part of his district sup
district"
The The story told by the bishop and his
other remarks created great laughter on
the part of the brethren. This was in
creased when the bishop tried to find the
silver service, but could not do So al
though 1t was just at his side.
Ihe recipient responded after the pre-
sentation, saying he had the satisfaction
o. knowing that as he was to give up his
place without opposition, there would be
no distress occasioned the ministers in the
district. He felt extremely flattered, he
said, at their acquiescence.
Aid of Freedmen.
DR.. M. c. B. Mason, corresponding secre-
tary OF the Freedmen's Aid and Southern
Educational Society, a negro, told Of the
society with which he was connected. He
made speech which was loudly applauded
by the ministers and created considerable
amusement. In beginning, he said that he
was greatly embarrassed by his own versa
tillty, declaring that he had SO many cx-
temporaneous speeches prepared he did not
know which to select.
The society, he said, from it's beginning
had many difficulties to contend with. The
results achieved, he declared, were far
ahead of anything expected. When the
society was started quarter of a century
ago. there was but one teacher, backed by a
capital of only $500. Now there are forty
six institutions of Christian learning
throughout the south. There is value rep
resented far exceeding that of the church
for the first seventy-five years after 1t was
instituted. Thanks were expressed TO the