The age-herald., 1898-05-10
METHODISTS
 IN COUNCIL Report Of Committee on Fedora tion of Two Branches. BISHOP HARGROvE PRESIDED Baltimore Conference to Be Divided Report of Committee to Revise Articles of Religion ofthe Church Causes
 Lively Discussion.
BISHOP HARGROvE PRESIDED

Baltimore, May 9-Cheerful weather and bright sunshine greeted the members of the general conference M. B. church, south, this morning for the first time since their advent into this city. The most important features of the days session was the pre- sentations of the report of the committee on behalf of this conference to discuss with a similar committee from the church in the north the sadvisability and practica- bility' of federation of the two sections. The report consisted solely of printed min- utes of the joint session of the committees on federation held in Washington on Jan- uary T. at which resolutions were adopted recommending cooperation to a limited. extent in certain fields, but nothing in the form of consolidation.
 Bishop J. F. Cranberry presented the report, the principal recommendations are as follows:
 "Appreciating fully the Christian comity which prevails among our missions in for eign lands, and having given careful con- sideration to the principle and desrability of cooperative administrative as a means for lessening the expenditure of funds in the presentations; we, therefore, without attempting to formulate any plan for such cooperation, commend the subject to the consideration of the two general confer- ences
 In the Bishops Hands We recommend the respective general conferences to enact provisions to the effect that where either church Is doing the work expected of Methodism, the other church shall not organize a society nor erect a church building until the bishop having Jurisdiction of the case of the work pro- posed shall be consulted and his approval obtained.
 We have observed with much interest the growth of the Epworth League in our respective churches and rejoice in the spirit of fraternity manifested in their biennial international conferences and commend to the several governing bodies of the churches interested the question as to whether official recognition of these meet ings can be given and whether authorita- tive regulations are required to increase or promote their efficiency.
 'We recommend to our respective gen. eral conferences the provision of plan by which travelling preacher of annual conference in either church may be re- ceived into an annual conference of the other church, retaining his credentials, without the formality of having his orders recognized.'
 Bishop Hargrove called the conference to order and presided during the session. l The Rev. Dr. Hinton of Macon, Ca, of- | fered the opening prayer
 | 10 CuJ tnc OlStrlcG
 The western Virginia conference intro duced memorial to take small slice off | the Baltimore conference in West Virginia | in order to make the Allegheny mountains | the dividing line between the conferences. | The memorial was referred to the commit | tee on boundaries. The committee on Epworth League pre-
 scented a resolution that the Epworth Era, | the official organ of the Epworth League | published at Nashville, be enlarged to | twelve pages and as soon as possible to I fifteen pages. The committee also recom-
 mended the appointment of an Epworth r League editor whose salary should be fixed | by the book committee and paid by the | publishing agents.
 | A lively discussion arose over the report 1 of the committee to revise the articles oi l religion of the church. Some members of the conference wanted immediate action or 1 the report and others wanted to wait unti 1 Wednesday in order to get time to read l the revised articles which had been sub
 mitted in printed form by the committee | It was finally decided to postpone unti
 Wednesday. The changes made in the ar
 ticles are mostly. in correction of typo l graphical errors.