METHODISTS. 



499 



nevolent purposes. The new Book Depot fund 

 had 6,793 toward its new premises. The In- 

 surance Society had accumulated a capital of 

 more than 10,000, and returned clear profits 

 for the year amounting to 1,500. The direct- 

 ors had given 500 to aid distressed chapels, 

 and a large sum had been carried over as a re- 

 serve fund. 



The sixty-eighth annual Conference of the 

 Primitive Methodist Connection met in Scar- 

 borough, June 8. The Rev. Thomas White- 

 head was chosen president. A question arose 

 on the filling up of vacancies in the Deed Poll, 

 as to whether the Conference was bound un- 

 conditionally by the principle of seniority in 

 choosing members of that body. Being the 

 really legal body of the Connection, its func- 

 tions are of great importance ; and many mem- 

 bers of the Conference thought thatpther than 

 very aged members of the Connection might 

 give it a more efficient character. Counsel 

 who had been consulted had decided that the 

 principle of seniority must be observed. The 

 Conference determined to adhere to the rule 

 of seniority for the present, and reserve the 

 subject for future fuller consideration. A 

 committee was appointed to consider applica- 

 tions for the constitution of new circuits ; its 

 chief purpose being to act as a check and to 

 meet apprehensions which were expressed that 

 "inconsiderate and perilous breakings up of 

 large and powerful circuits into small stations 

 might, in some cases, result injuriously." The 

 term during which a Connectional office may 

 be held was extended, in cases of exceptional 

 fitness, from five to seven years. It was de- 

 cided that legislation enacted by the Confer- 

 ence shall in future take effect at once, without 

 waiting for the interval of a year, heretofore 

 required. A " Primitive Methodist Chapel 

 Aid Association, Limited," was sanctioned. 

 A resolution was adopted condemning the 

 " Coercion Bill " for Ireland. The Conference 

 decided to establish an orphanage at Arlesford, 

 where an eligible estate has been acquired on 

 advantageous terms. The committee was rec- 

 ommended to consider the practicability of 

 opening a new mission in the region of the 

 Zambesi. 



Resolutions have been passed by the Moon- 

 ter Primitive Methodist District Meeting in 

 Australia asking for the organization of a 

 separate Australian Conference, and favoring 

 an organic union of the minor Methodist bodies 

 of the Australian continent ; and, to further 

 the latter object, a committee was appointed 

 to consult with committees of other Methodist 

 bodies on the subject. 



VIII. United Methodist Free Clinrches The fol- 

 lowing is a summary of the numerical returns 

 of this Connection as made to the Annual As- 

 sembly in July : Number of itinerant ministers, 

 383 ; of supernumeraries, 36 ; of local preach- 

 ers, 3,313; of leaders, 4,056; of church-mem- 

 bers, 76,611; of members on trial, 8,324; of 

 chapels and preaching-rooms, 1,574; of Sun- 



day-schools, 1,357, with 26,612 teachers and 

 200,706 pupils. 



The income of the Chapel Relief fund bad 

 been 1,046. The capital of the Chapel Loan 

 fund was 11,405. The sum of 40,748 had 

 been raised during the year for the purposes 

 of the chapel schedule. The capital of the Su- 

 perannuation and Benevolent fund amounted 

 to 34,845 ; its income for the year had been 

 7,750, and 56 annuitants were its beneficia- 

 ries. The assets of Asheville College were re- 

 turned at 18,100 and its liabilities at 7,683. 

 The Theological Institute returned a capital or 

 Endowment fund of 772. The capital of the 

 Book-Room amounted to 6,260; its income 

 for the year had been 9,262 and its disburse- 

 ments 8,738. The sales had amounted to 

 6,077. The income on account of the Mis- 

 sionary fund had been 21,946, and the outlay 

 21,492. 



The annual meeting in behalf of the United 

 Methodist Free Churches' Home and Foreign 

 Missions was held April 25. The income lor 

 the year had been 22,248, and the expendi- 

 ture 20,805. The East African Mission had 

 suffered seriously at the beginning of the year 

 by the murder of the Rev. John Haughton and 

 his wife, missionaries, and twenty-one natives 

 belonging to the station at Golbanti, in the 

 Galla country, by the Masai. A net increase 

 of 456 members was reported on the foreign 

 stations (Australia, 348; Jamaica, 151; New 

 Zealand, 22 ; while East Africa showed no 

 change, and China showed a decrease of 4 and 

 Sierra Leone of 61). 



The Annual Assembly of the United Meth- 

 odist Free Churches met in Louth, July 5. The 

 Rev. James S. Balmer was chosen president. 

 Many memorials had been received on the sub- 

 ject of union of the Methodist bodies, and con- 

 sidered by the Connectional Committee. A 

 resolution was adopted by the Conference ex- 

 pressing satisfaction at the friendly feeling ex- 

 isting among the Methodist bodies, and the 

 hope that this would lead to further co-opera- 

 tion and closer union ; and the matter was 

 referred to the Connectional Committee, with 

 authority to take such steps in the matter as it 

 might deem desirable. A favorable report was 

 made of the working of the "Evangelistic 

 Scheme," and modifications of the existing 

 regulations were made, which, it was thought, 

 would promote its greater efficiency. 



IX. Methodist New Connection. The following 

 is a summary of the statistics of this denomina- 

 tion, as they were reported to the Conference 

 in June: Number of chapels, 193; of local 

 preachers, 1,282 ; of churches, 1,282 ; of 

 church -members, 30,096; of probationers, 

 4,603; number of Sunday-schools, 452, with 

 11,116 teachers and 84,410 pupils. 



The income of the Paternal fund was re- 

 turned as having been above 3,000, and a 

 balance in hand of 780 was reported. The 

 expenditures of the Chapel and Loan fund had 

 been 22,500. The income for missionary 



