THE

1868.

HE fifteenth delegated General Conference assembled in the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Chicago, May 1, 1868. All the bishops were present, except Osmon C. Baker, who was detained by ill health. William L. Harris was elected secretary by acclamation. The Conference was composed of two hundred and thirty-one delegates, representing fifty-five annual conferences. Representatives from mission conferences were also in attendance, of which there were twelve, India being the only foreign mission. The subject of representation in the Conference from these mission conferences was referred to a special committee of seven members. Their report proposed to give the brethren from the mission conferences in this country all the rights of delegates, except to vote. A substitute was offered, to recognize these mission conferences, organized in the southern states, and to admit their representatives as delegates. To this an amendment was offered, changing the wording, but not the intention of the substitute. After a free discussion of the subject, it was moved and carried that the report of the committee, the substitute, and the amendment be laid on the table. William L. Harris then offered the following resolutions, which were adopted:

"Resolved, 1. That all action of the General Conference of 1864, restricting or purporting to restrict the rights and privileges of the annual conferences which the bishops were authorized by the said General Conference to form within the United States and territories, be and the same is hereby repealed.

"Resolved, 2. That the following conferences; namely, Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Holston, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and North Carolina, and Washington, are hereby declared to be annual conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States of America, and vested with all the rights, privileges, and immunities usual to annual conferences of said Church.

"Resolved, 3. That the provisional delegates to this body, elected by the aforesaid conferences severally, are hereby admitted to membership in this General Conference on the presentation of the required credentials.

"Resolved, 4. That a committee of seven be appointed, to which shall be referred the credentials of the said provisional, delegates, together with so much of the journals of the said conferences as relates to their election, and that the committee report at the earliest practicable moment."

The committee reported on May 12th that the credentials of these provisional delegates were entirely satisfactory; and they were, by a vote of two hundred and five to nineteen, at once admitted to seats as regular delegates. Later in the session of the Conference, the mission conferences of Liberia, Germany and Switzerland, and India were declared to be annual conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church; and J. T. Gracey was admitted to membership in the General Conference as a delegate from the India Annual Conference.

Standing committees were appointed, on Episcopacy, Itinerancy, Boundaries, Book Concern, Missions, Education, Revisals, Sunday-schools and Tracts, Lay Representation, Court of Appeals, Church Extension, State of the Church, and Freedmen. Special committees were also appointed on the American Bible Society, Pastoral Address, Temperance, Expenses of Delegates, Scandinavian Work, State of the Country, Seaman's Friend Society, American and Foreign Christian Union, Rules of Order, The Better Organization of our Local Preachers, Centenary Report, Use of Tobacco, Trusteeship of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Chaplaincies in the Army and Navy, and on other matters, as occasion arose.

Bishop Simpson read the Episcopal Address, and the Book Agents were directed to print the same in pamphlet form, and distribute copies among the delegations pro rata. The several parts of the address were appropriately referred among the various committees having the different subjects respectively in charge.

Rules of order were adopted; George W. Woodruff, R. H. Pattison, Edmund H. Waring, and George B. Jocelyn were elected assistant secretaries; and the secretary was appointed editor of the Journal of the General Conference.

A deputation from the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada, consisting of William Pirritte and George Abbs, was introduced. Their credentials accrediting them to the Con

ference, and the Address of the Conference which they represented were read. They then delivered addresses, expressing their pleasure in bringing fraternal greetings and in reporting the growth and progress of Methodism in Canada.

William Morley Punshon, of the British Conference; Egerton Ryerson, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, and Matthew Richey, of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Eastern British America, were introduced as fraternal delegates from their respective conferences. Their credentials were read, and the addresses of their conferences, after which each in turn delivered interesting and instructive addresses. The secretary then read the address of the Irish Wesleyan Conference. By invitation, Mr. Punshon preached before the Conference on Friday morning, May 15th. A special service of singing and prayer was held, by resolution of the Conference, on the same morning, to ask the counsel and blessing of the Almighty in the important question then pending in the United States Senate (the impeachment of Andrew Johnson).

T. J. Clewell and R. Dubs, delegates from the Evangelical Association, were introduced to the Conference, and after the reading of the address from the Association, both the visiting brethren addressed the Conference. These addresses and the papers presented by them were, by vote, referred to a special committee of five, to consider the fitness of a closer union between the two Churches.

Bishop Singleton T. Jones, of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, represented the General Conference (then in session) of that Church as a delegate, and said officially that it was ready to enter into arrangements by which to affiliate on the basis of equality with the Methodist Episcopal Church, and to become with it one and inseparable. A committee was appointed on the proposals of union with the Methodist Episcopal Church, which reported the following resolutions:

"Resolved, 1. That we, having received the official communication of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, proposing union with the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States, and also the representations of the Rev. S. T. Jones on the same subject, with great satisfaction, we hereby express to them our Christian regards and deep interest in their progress and prosperity as a Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Resolved, 2. That this Conference entertains favorably the proposals of union between the two bodies aforesaid.

"Resolved, 3. That whereas the time of the sessions of these two General Conferences is so far spent that it will be impracticable to have the necessary negotiations, and to discuss and determine the details of the terms of union before their adjournment, that eight members of this body be appointed, who, with the bishops, shall constitute a commission to meet and confer with a similar commission of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, and report to the next General Conference.

"Resolved, 4. That a copy of the foregoing action of this body be given to the delegate, and by him be forwarded to the General Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church."

The foregoing resolutions were adopted, and it was ordered. that the commission to be appointed, as above, be empowered to treat with a similar commission from any other Methodist Church that may desire a like union.

A committee appointed on the John Street Church in the city of New York, the first Methodist Episcopal church built in the United States, recommended certain persons to be elected by the General Conference as trustees of the Church. This was done at the desire of the Church itself, the effect being that the trustees can never alienate or dispose of that historical church without the consent of the General Conference. The intention is to preserve this ancient landmark of Methodism to the Connection.

The Metropolitan Methodist Church in Washington having been erected in accordance with the action of the General Conference in 1852 and 1856, in order to provide for the payment of so costly an edifice, it was recommended that a collection be taken in each congregation for this purpose, on Independence Sabbath, July 5, 1868.

The Freedmen's Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, organized in Cincinnati in 1866, received the sanction of the General Conference, which approved of its objects, and commended it to the liberal support of the people. The bishops were authorized to appoint a traveling preacher as its corresponding secretary, and the annual conferences were directed to place it upon their list of annual collections. Richard S. Rust, who had been connected with the society, was appointed the secretary.

The Western Methodist Book Concern was directed to secure a new act of incorporation; and the agents were authorized to establish a magazine for young people, to be under the editorial supervision of the editor of the Ladies' Repository. This magazine was commenced in January, 1869, and called the Golden Hours. It contained forty-eight pages, octavo, and was issued monthly. The agents were also authorized to publish a German magazine whenever it could be done without loss to the Concern.

Bishops Morris and Baker were relieved of all episcopal duties, except such as their own judgments might dictate or their health allow.

The Board of Trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church submitted a report of its action during the previous four years; and the Conference directed that they should obtain a new and amended charter under the general law of Ohio, providing for the creation and regulation of incorporated companies. The section in the Discipline relating to this subject was changed, to adapt it to the new charter thus ordered.

Proper replies to the several Churches that had sent fraternal delegates or greetings were reported and adopted, and visiting delegates were appointed as follows: To the British Conference, Bishop Ames and D. P. Kidder; to the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Canada, J. W. Lindsay and Asbury Lowrey; to the Methodist Episcopal Church in Canada, S. C. Brown and B. F. Cocker; to the Methodist Conference of Eastern British America, J. T. Peck and G. D. Carrow; and to the General Conference of the Evangelical Association, William Nast, P. Kuhl, and Richard Haney. A committee was appointed on the subject of general Church union, to confer with like committees from other Churches.

Bishop Janes addressed the Conference, making his report as the representative of the Conference to the British Conference and as presiding bishop in the mission conferences of Germany and Switzerland; and Bishop Thomson made a report of his episcopal visit to India, China, and Bulgaria. Both reports were received with great satisfaction and delight, and were incorporated with the Journal.

The changes made in the Discipline since 1852 were or