Evening star., 1898-02-19
EQUAL REPRRS ENTATloN1
Iaymen Of NE 0hurdh Appeal for Admis-
sion to Genaral Conference.
Association to Convene March 4 in
This City 10 Eurther the
Project.

The Baltimore Conference Association Of
Laymen will hold Its sfirst annual meeting
in Trinity NJ. E. Church, this city, the 4th
OF March next, and in view of the interest
already awakened in the question Of equal
representation. large attendance Of del
egates is expected. The constitution pro-
vides for representation of one delegate
for every fifty members of the church in
each charge. which will .entttie some six
hundred to seats at the annual meeting.
While 1t Is not expected that all the rural
districts OF the conference will send full
delegations, it is believed that Washington
and Baltimore cities and their Immediate
vicinities will send their full quota. as the
lhity in these cities are especially inter-
ested In equal representation. 80. t=-
Two sessions will be held during the day,
netween which lunch will be served by
IN this city. The delegates will probably
call on the President, as he has consented
to receive them, If in the city and his off,
cial duties will permit.
Address BY bishop Merrill.
Eminent advocates Of equal representa-
tion will be present and address the asso-
citation. Among others, Bishop s. M. Mer-
rill who presides at the annual session of
the Baltimore conference, which will meet
in this city during the first week in March,
Will deliver an address. The bishop, it is
said, has frequently expressed himself as
favorable to this change in the composition
OF the general conference.
Fraternal greetings will be exchanged by
the ministry and laity, In connection with
which memorial will be presented to the
ct Inference asking favorable action by that
body on equal representation. A vote will
be taken on tho question, as requested by
the Rock River conference.
Negatived by Annual Conferences.
The general conference which met in
May, 1895, took favorable action on the
proposition, handing It down to the annual
conferences by an almost unanimous vote
for their Endorsement, but 1t failed to re-
ceive the three-fourths vote of the minis
try. 1t met, however, with great favor in
some Of the conferences, and the Rock
River conference, after having unanimously
adopted this proposition for constitutional
change. has submitted 1t to all the confer
ences, and a vote thereon will again be
taken during the present year.
The iaymen In the last general confer
ence appointed a committee to have charge
OF the question during the current quad
rennium, and to adopt such measures from
time to time as would tend to secure favor
able action upon the part of the ministry
on equal representation. The committee
has just published circular letter to the
ministry. embodyinE the proposition of the
Rock River conference, and giving twelve
reasons why the desired change In the pol
ity Of the church Should be made Twenty
thousand copies of thih circular. signed by
the committee and approved by a large
number of representative laymen through
out the church, have been printed and are
now being dtstribufedsamong the ministry
and laity. 1t appears lin the Northwestern
Christian Advocate. published at Chicago,
and In which are .aasospnblished the favor
able opinions of many ministers and lay
men on this subject including those of the
bishops and leading, editors and professors
connected with the discrimination.