The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-05-09
Report of the Committee ON Organic
Law of the Church Present.
ed by Bishop Warren.
WILL BE DEBATED AT LENGTH
LAYMEN TO BE BARRED FROM An
NUAL CONFERENCES.
Meeting of the Committee On Church
Extension Marked by Excite
ment and Confusion.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.

H., May S.-Tne METHODIST
Episcopal Conference spent most of the day
in considering reports. Election of bish-
ops and other church officials will begin
next Monday. The most important report
acted on to-day was one submitted by
Bishop Warren. revising the organic law
of the church. There was an interesting
debate. in which DR.. Buckley was with the
minority. One effect of the revision is to
exclude laymen from the annua confer
ences.
A resolution tina elected approval, yes
terday, was one instructing the committee
on episcopacy to report the least possible
number of bishops sufficient for the work.
This was received with loud hand-clapping.
Later on a resolution requiring the CON-
mittee on the book concern to consolidate
several of the Advocates received a like
demonstration. These demonstrations.
while showing the trend of thought, do not
necessarily mean the adoption of the meas
ures referred to, but, taken with develop
ments at the first meeting of the episco-
pal committee in the afternoon, they are
significant. A rule is that memorials may
be handed to the secretary of the confer
ence any time, during session or not, with
out reading, if the committee to which 1t
belongs is properly designated. AS a result
OF this the committee was surprised, in
the afternoon, when the secretary of the
committee opened his budget. to find how
many and what memorials from annual
and quarterly conferences had found their
way to his table. Among them were sew
eral that had not been read to the confer
ence, relating TO the tenure of Office,
whether it should be for life or for a linn
tied period; some related to the districting
of their work, so that instead of the gen
eral superintendent" now provided for,
each should have his diocese. One protested
against their becoming professional lee
turerS, putting themselves into the hands
of lecture bureaus, and one wanted them
to be forbidden to lecture at all for pay 1t
Is evident there is a general feeling of dis
in this matter. Almost Incredible stories
are told of the severe exaction OF the stip-
ulated price of a lecture when the receipts
fall below the contract price, and it will not
surprise me If some form of disapproval,
If not censure, pass the General Confer
ence.
COLORED BISHOP QUESTION.
A very adroit scheme was proposed for
settling the colored bishop question, which
has the merit of favoring the election of a
colored bishop and yet relieving the white
conferences from being presided over by
him. 1t proposes to do away with mission
airy bishops, as such, giving every bishop
equal rank and equal authority. but pro-
viding that any one of them may be as
signed for a term of years to any foreign
field or to any nationality or race at home.
This will allow a German bishop to be
elected, and to him may be assigned the
German conferences; a colored man may
be elected, and to him may be assigned the
colored conferences, and a Chinese bishop
may be assigned the China conferences,
and so on. Like our general laws in Indi-
ana are made to apply to a single case, so
this is a general law, applicable to India
or Africa, but really intended to meet the
negro emergency. Whether this will fully
meet the wishes of the colored brother re-
mains to be seen. Some colored people pro-
test against having to send their children
teachers, while colored teachers are con-
fined to colored schools alone. 1t has been
the day dream of some colored people tha
some day a colored bishop will preside over
a white conference, and until this adroit
scheme was Matched that seemed to be al
most in sight.
While nearly all enjoy Dr.. Buckley's wit
and humOr, as well as his wisdom. for he
is wise in most of his suggestions, vet ev-
erybody enjoys his discontinue occasion
ally. The editor of the Daily Advocate, not
himself a delegate to the General Confer
ence. has begun to give editorial opinions
on questions under discussion in the con.
ference, and correspondents nave been us.
ing the paper for presenting this or that
side of the pending question. This is hardly
fair unless the paper was large enough to
allow all an equal chance. To head them
of DR.. Buckley offered a resolution for.
bidding such use of the paper and he gave
such good reasons for it that the motion
seemed likely to pass without dissent
when one brother got the floor to saw tina
If everybody could be as readily Recognized
by the chair as DIR. Buckley and could gel
as good an opportunity TO speak on every
question. there would be no necessity O,
resorting to the Advocate. What he saif
and the way he said it turned the laugh or
DR.. Buckley, and. for a moment. pande.
monium was loose. DIR. Buckley took Ar All
good naturedly and his resolution was
adopted. n A r.