METHODISTS. 



MEXICO. 



only recently established, had 5 churches, 70 mem- 

 bers, and 490 catechumens. 



The Conference met at Newcastle-on-Tyne, July 

 14. The Rev. George Turner, of Sheffield, was 

 chosen president. The Statistical Committee re- 

 ported that there had been an increase of 633 mem- 

 bers on the home and 320 on the foreign circuits, 

 but the amalgamation of the New Zealand district 

 with the New Zealand Methodist Church, subtract- 

 ing 982 members in a mass, had resulted in pro- 

 ducing an ultimate nominal decrease. The num- 

 ber of local preachers and junior church members 

 had increased, while those of leaders and of teachers 

 and pupils in Sunday schools had decreased. An 

 effort to raise 20,000 for the endowment and ex- 

 tension of the Theological Institute had resulted 

 in securing subscriptions of '17,450, of which 

 7,340 had'been paid in. Applications having been 

 received from ministers desiring to undertake other 

 work than that of the ministry for some arrange- 

 ment under which they might be released from 

 circuit responsibilities without losing their connec- 

 tional standing; a resolution was passed stipulating 

 that the "years without charge " should not count 

 in the number of years of service as considered in 

 making up the allotments of the Superannuation 

 fund, and requiring that the released minister 

 should maintain his membership with a Free 

 Methodist Church, and should render some minis- 

 terial service to churches of the connection. 



XII. Bible Christians. The Bible Christian 

 Church returns for 1896 21)5 ministers, 1.9)57 lay 

 preachers, 34,304 members, and 546 Sunday schools, 

 with 9,219 officers and teachers and 57,171 pupils. 

 The missionary report represented D5S missionaries, 

 743 local preachers, 398 chapels, 98 preaching 

 places, 11, 767 full members, 2.915 teachers, and 2-'!,- 

 522 pupils. The increase for the year had been 6 

 local preachers. 334 full members, 123 on trial, 84 

 teachers, and 419 pupils. 



The Conference met at Portsmouth, July 29. The 

 Rev. Daniel Murlcy was chosen president. The 

 receipts for home missions had been 6,020, an in- 

 crease of 253, while 7,400 had been expended, in- 

 cluding the previous year's balance, and the debt 

 was increased by 611 a result due principally to 

 extension. The returns from the mission churches 

 showed a decrease in membership. The treasurer 

 of the Foreign Mission fund reported a debt of 

 1,369. The mission in China was prospering. 

 Measures were adopted looking to the opening of a 

 mission in South Africa as soon as it should appear 

 practicable. The success of an effort to raise a 

 "James Thorne Centenary fund," the interest of 

 which shall be applied in the form of a scholarship 

 for the training of a probationer or candidate se- 

 lected by the Conference, had not been encouraging, 

 but considerable interest had been shown in the 

 object. Provision was made for the framing of a 

 special code of rules for the Christian Endeavor 

 Societies of the connection. One hundred and 

 eight such societies were reported, with 2,172 active 

 and 619 associate members. A motion was passed 

 recognizing the union of the Bible Christians with 

 the Wesleyans and United Methodist Free Churches 

 in New Zealand. A resolution was adopted com- 

 mending the working, as a whole, of the existing 

 system of public elementary education ; deprecat- 

 ing interference with the school board system ; call- 

 ing for efficient public control when public money 

 is granted ; and asking that measures be taken for 

 normal training under Government auspices. 



XIII. Weslejan Reform Union. This body 

 includes 16 ministers, 548 lay preachers, 7,400 mem- , 

 bers and probationers, and 173 Sunday schools, with 

 2,761 officers and teachers and 20,724 pupils. 



The annual Conference met at Bradford, Aug. 3. 



Mr. H. Ileaton was chosen president. A decrease 

 of 721 members was reported, which was caused 

 largely by two churches withdrawing from the Union 

 to unite with another Methodist body. 



The Conference directed that a trust deed be pre- 

 pared for placing the chapel property of the Union 

 upon a uniform basis, it being contemplated that 

 the deed should secure for the individual church 

 the right of local self-government, and at the same 

 time constitute a substantial connectional bond. 



XIV. Australian Methodists. The Australa- 

 sian Methodist Church has 661 ministers, 4,955 lay 

 preachers, 97,730 members, and 3,465 Sunday schools, 

 with 16,868 officers and teachers and 183,044 pupils. 

 It has the charge of the Wesleyan missions in the 

 South Sea Islands, New Britain, and New Guinea. 



A plan for the union rf all the branches of the 

 Methodist Church in Australasia and New Zealand 

 has been approved by all the conferences and the 

 subordinate meetings, and is now passing a filial 

 vote in the churches. 



MEXICO, a federal republic in North America. 

 The Constitution, following that of the United 

 States, vests the legislative powers in a Senate and 

 a House of Representatives. The Senate consists 

 of 56 members, 2 from each State, thirty years old 

 at least, elected for four years by indirect' suffrage, 

 half being replaced every two years. The House of 

 Representatives consists of 227 members elected by 

 indirect suffrage for two years. Every Mexican is 

 eligible who is a voter, the qualification being the 

 age of eighteen years for married men and twenty- 

 one years for bachelors. The President of the re- 

 public, who must be a Mexican, thirty-five years of 

 age, is elected by the direct secret vote of the nation 

 for a term of four years. Gen. Porfirio Diaz was 

 elect i'd President for the third time on July 15, 

 1896, his new term ending on Nov. 30, 1900. * The 

 Cabinet was composed in the beginning of 1896 of 

 the following members: Foreign Affairs, I. Maris- 

 cal: Gobernacion, Gen. Gonzalez Cosio ; Justice and 

 Public Instruction, J. Baranda; Fomento, M. Fer- 

 nandez-Leal; Finance and Commerce, J. I. Liman- 

 tour; Communications and Public Works, Gonzalez 

 Cosio ; War and Marine, Gen. P. Hinojosa ; State 

 Treasurer, F. Espinosa. 



Area and Population. The area of the several 

 States and their population as determined by the 

 census of Oct. 20, 1895, were as follow : 



