546 



METHODISTS. 



ences." The Conference accepted the pro- 

 posed modification. 



It was determined to hold the General Con- 

 ference in Toronto, in September. The three 

 Annual Conferences, into which the Wesleyau 

 body in America has been divided, met for 

 organization immediately after the adjourn- 

 ment of the Conference. Sixty-three lay dele- 

 gates were for the first time admitted as mem- 

 bers to the Conference, and took part in its 

 proceedings. 



The Wesleyan Methodist Conference of East- 

 ern British America met at Charlottetown, 

 Prince Edward Island. Eeports were present- 

 ed of the votes of the Quarterly Boards upon the 

 questions submitted to them regarding the pro- 

 posed union with the Conferences of Canada 

 and of the New Connection, and the adoption 

 of lay representation. On each section the 

 vote was, yeas 125, nays 3. Three boards had 

 declined to vote. The modification of the plan 

 of union, which was asked by the Conference of 

 the New Connection, was agreed to, and the 

 union was declared carried. The Nova Scotia 

 Conference was organized July 3d. 



VIII. METHODIST NEW CONNECTION IN CAN- 

 ADA. The forty-sixth annual Conference of the 

 Methodist New Connection in Canada met at 

 Milton, May 20th. The Rev. D. Savage was 

 chosen president. The Executive Committee 

 presented a report giving the returns of the 

 votes of the Quarterly Boards, which met in 

 November, 1873, on the question of union with 

 the Wesleyan Conference, and also a number 

 of communications which had passed between 

 them and the Missionary Committee of the 

 Parent Conference in England. The English 

 Committee had endeavored to defeat the union 

 movement, and to that end sent over messen- 

 gers to present its views to the Canadian 

 Churches. The Executive Committee had ob- 

 jected to this action, and protested against it 

 as a violation of an agreement which had been 

 entered into between the representatives of the 

 English and Canadian Conferences, that no at- 

 tempt should be made to influence the decision 

 of the quarterly meetings until they should have 

 opportunity to record their votes on the sub- 

 ject. The report of the votes showed that 

 fifty-six quarterly meetings had declared in 

 favor of union with the Wesleyan Conference, 

 and nineteen against it. The subject was then 

 referred to a committee " to consider the con- 

 nectional situation," composed of representa- 

 tives of the union and the anti-union parties. 

 This committee agreed upon the following re- 

 port as a final settlement of the differences on 

 the subject existing within the Connection, and 

 it was cordially adopted,, with one opposing 

 vote : 



Whereas, A majority of the quarterly meetings 

 have adopted the basis of the proposed union sub- 

 mitted by our last Conference : 



Resolved, That this Conference hereby ratifies and 

 adopts the basis of union, provided that our inter- 

 pretation of the twenty-third clause in the basis of 

 union be approved by the Wesleyan Conference, 



viz. : Any act of the General Conference affecting 

 the rights and privileges of the Annual Conferences 

 shall become law only when it secures a majority 

 of two-thirds of the members of the General Con- 

 ference who may be present and vote thereon : pro- 

 vided, also, that such act be not disapproved of by 

 a majority of the next ensuing Annual Conference ; 

 also, that a respectful statement, by deputation or 

 otherwise, of the whole case be submitted to the 

 English Conference ; also that a deputation be ap- 

 pointed to the next Wesleyan Conference, soliciting 

 their approval of our interpretation of said twenty- 

 third clause. 



In accordance with this resolution, a depu- 

 tation was sent to the Wesleyan Conference to 

 ask its approval of the proposed change in the 

 Articles of Union, and a memorial was pre- 

 pared to be sent to the English Conference. 

 An extra meeting of the Conference was. ap- 

 pointed to be held at Milton, in August, to 

 consider the action that might be taken by the 

 Wesleyan and English Conferences on the ques- 

 tions submitted to them. 



Resolutions were adopted in favor of total 

 abstinence from the use of intoxicating liquors, 

 and of a prohibitory liquor law; also against 

 the use of tobacco. 



The Conference met a second time, pursuant 

 to adjournment, at Milton, August 12th, to 

 hear the reports of the deputations who had 

 been appointed to visit the English Conference 

 and the Wesleyan Conference of Canada. 

 The deputation to the English Conference re- 

 ported verbally that they had been well re- 

 ceived, and that the Conference had given its 

 consent to the severance of the Canadian 

 branch of the Connection from the parent 

 body and its union with the Wesleyan Confer- 

 ence. The deputation to the Wesleyan Con- 

 ference reported that that Conference had 

 readily accepted the amendment, or new con- 

 struction, which the New Connection had sug- 

 gested to be made to the articles of union. 

 The following resolution was then unanimously 

 adopted : 



Whereas. This Conference, at its former session, 

 held in Milton on May 23, 1874, did agree to adopt 

 the basis of union, on condition that the Wesleyan 

 Conference of Canada, the Wesleyan Conference of 

 Eastern British America, and the Methodist New 

 Connection Conference of England would accept our 

 declaration of union, with the interpretation of 

 clause 23 in the basis then agreed to : and whereas 

 these conditions have since been fulfilled by all the 

 contracting parties, this Conference hereby declares 

 its final acceptance of the terms of union between 

 the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Canada and the 

 Methodist New Connection Church of Canada, all 

 necessary legal provisions to be determined by the 

 General Conference of the United Wesleyan Meth- 

 odist Church of Canada. 



Another resolution, which was passed, rec- 

 ognized the services which the English New 

 Connection had through many years rendered 

 to their Canadian mission, and the liberality 

 with which they had sustained it. Delegates 

 were elected to the General Conference of 

 the United Wesleyan Methodist Church of 

 Canada, after which a final adjournment was 

 made. 



