Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1904-05-19
GREAT GATHERING.
Nearly 800 Delegates in
Attendance.
Thirty-first General Conference of
the Methodist Episcopal Church
in Session at Los An
geles, Cal.

day of the general conference of the
Methodist church was mostly taken
up by addresses by fraternal dele
gates. No business other than the
presentation of few resolutions and
their reference to committees was
taken up.
Los Angeles, May 12.-Practically
no business was transacted by the
Methodist general conference yester-
day. The session was devoted en-
tirely to consideration of the report
OF the committee on rules
The present outlook is that the
heresy charges which have been
made against several individuals high
in the councils of Methodism are de-
stined to provoke spirited conflict
among the delegates.
The committee on education has
appointed sub committee which will
have consideration of this important
matter The question whether this
subcommittee should have power to
call for persons upon whose testi-
mony will be decided the charges of
heresy, and for papers bearing upon
the subject evoked a vigorous con-
test in the main committee.
Los Angeles, Cal, May 14.-The
Methodist general conference yester-
day resumed consideration of the re-
vision of the rules of order. The
work of formulating the official rules
of order has been fraught with
many clashes between the opposing
parliamentary leaders on the floor OF
the conference, who sought to secure
the adoption of rules that would tend
to give their particular faction an ad-
vantage in the work of legislation.
The general body, however, has been
watchful and the rules as finally
adopted have been framed with a
view of absolute fairness.
The charges of heresy made by DIR.
Munhall and others against the Gar
rett Biblical institute and the Boston
School of Theology, continue to oc-
cupy the attention of the members of
the committee on education and to be
the absorbing topic among the con-
ference delegates. The Sub-commit-
tee of five having in charge the in
vestigation of this important matter
has made report to the full COM
mittee, but the attacks of DR.. Mum
hall and other supporters of the
heresy charges were so spirited that
the committee voted not to accept the
report, but to resubmit it with in
structions to give the matter more
careful consideration.
A rule was reported by the board
of church extension and adopted by
the conference, depriving certain
congregations owning churches cost
ing more than $4,000 of the right to
apply to that board for financial as.
sistance.
After a somewhat acrid debate, in
which the report was characterized
by DR.. Munhall and his followers as
an attempt to whitewash the accused
institutions, the report of the sub
committee was finally referred back
with instructions for a more extended
inquiry.
The report of the episcopacy com
mittee upon the matter of retiring
bishops and fixing their subsequent
relations to the church was taken up.
The paragraph that provoked discus
sions read as follows:
"a superannuated general superin-
tendent is relieved from the obliga-
ton to travel through his connection
at large and may choose the place of
his residence. He shall not be as
signed to the presidency of annual
conferences nor make appointments,
but if requested by bishop presid-
ing, he may take the chair tempo
rarily in a general or annual confer
ence, and at the request of the
bishop presiding in the annual con-
ference he may ordain candidates
previously elected to orders" The
report was adopted.