450 



METHODISTS. 



MEXICO. 



meetings and committees. It was understood, 

 however, by the Conference and the committee, 

 that no concession should be made of the Bible- 

 Christian principle of equal representation of min- 

 isters and laymen in Conference, the Primitive 

 Methodists proposing as the basis of representation 

 two laymen to one minister. A scheme was adopted 

 for the raising of a " New-Century fund," the pre- 

 cise amount of which was not fixed, to be applied 

 (1) to making provision for the aid of local preach- 

 ers in sickness and old age; (2) to the increase of 

 the Chapel fund ; (3) to the augmentation of the 

 Superannuated Ministers' fund; and (4) to pro- 

 vision for the more efficient training of candidates 

 for the ministry. The total receipts of the Mis- 

 sionary Society were reputed to have been 7,594, 

 and the expenditures 8.332, leaving a balance due 

 the treasurer of 738. Special mention was made 

 in the annual report of the society of the success 

 of the Hush mission in South Australia. Favorable 

 reports were made of the Christian Endeavor Socie- 

 ties, the fire assurance department, and of the ex- 

 aminations of probationers. 



XIV. Wesleyan Reform Union. This society 

 had according to the statistics reported to the Con- 

 ference in August, 195 chapels and preaching places, 

 16 ministers, 422 preachers, 7,178 members, and 

 171 Sunday schools, with 2,738 teachers and 20,799 

 pupils. The Conference met at Clayton West in 

 August. Mr. W. Brooks, of Sheffield, was chosen 

 president. The need was pointed out in the annual 

 report of a whole-hearted service, in the face of the 

 growing worship of physical amusement, the in- 

 creasing evil of gambling, and the liquor traffic. 

 The spread of sacerdotalism in the Anglican Church 

 called for the united watchfulness of all the 

 Protestant Free churches. A pastoral letter was 

 directed to be sent to the churches urging them to 

 increase their zeal and labors among the young 

 people. 



XV. Wesleyan Methodist Church in South 

 Africa. The statistics published in connection 

 with the South African Conference give this Church 

 147 circuits, with 2,517 chapels and churches, 199 

 ordained ministers. 193 evangelists, 3,143 local 

 preachers, 46,024 native and 5,882 English mem- 

 bers, the whole number showing an increase of 

 4.034 during the year; 500 Sunday schools, with 

 2,4:58 teachers and 32,639 pupils; 500 day schools, 

 with 794 teachers and 31,800 pupils; and 3,972 class 

 leaders. The Conference, including churches in 

 Cape Colony, Orange Free State, and Natal, met at 

 ('ape Town, with the Kev. James Thompson as 

 president. 



XVI. Australasian Wesleyan Methodist 

 Church. The following are the members attend- 

 ing worship in the several South Sea missions of 

 the Australasian Wesleyan Missionary Society: 

 Samoa. 6,192; Fiji. 96,421; New Guinea, 9.318; 

 New Britain, 8,812; total, 120,743. These figures 

 show ati increase, in two years, of 183 churches, 5 

 native ministers, 741 members, and 2,451 adherents. 

 The financial accounts, however, showed a deficiency 

 of 1,197 upon the year's work, making a total in- 

 debtedness against the society of about 4,500. 



The General Conference was held in Auckland, 

 New Zealand, with the Kev. H. T. Burgess as presi- 

 dent. Progress was reported in the movement for 

 the union of all the Methodist bodies in the Aus- 

 tralian colonies into a single church, which had 

 reached different stages of advancement in the 

 different colonies. The prospect of an ultimate 

 successful issue was considered good. Action upon 

 a number of projiositions for constitutional changes 

 offered to the Conference was deferred, in order 

 that they might be presented, if the scheme for union 

 should l>e consummated, to the General Conference 



of the united church. In view of a contemplated 

 extension of the foreign mission work to conti- 

 nental Asia and Japan, an additional organizing 

 secretary was appointed. A friendly letter was 

 ordered sent to the divided churches in Tonga, de- 

 scribing what was being done to secure union in 

 the colonies, and expressing the hope that their 

 difficulties might be healed. Resolutions were 

 adopted emphasizing the importance of preserving 

 the class meeting in its integrity ; condemning the 

 holding of lotteries and games of chance for the 

 benefit of religious enterprises; and commending 

 proportionate giving to the cause of God. The es- 

 tablishment of a central institution in connection 

 with Queens College, Melbourne, for training can- 

 didates for the ministry, was decided upon. 



MEXICO, a republic in North America, com- 

 posed of 27 federated States and a federal district, 

 each represented by two Senators in Congress. The 

 House, of Representatives has 227 members, elected 

 for two years by universal manhood suffrage. The 

 Presidential term is four years. Gen. Porh'rio Diaz 

 has been elected five times in all, and for four terms 

 in succession, the last time on July 15, 1896. The 

 Cabinet was composed in the beginning of 1898 as 

 follows: Secretary of Foreign Affairs, I. Mariscal; 

 Secretary of the Interior, Gen. M. Gonzalez Cosio ; 

 Minister of Justice and Public Instruction, J. Ba- 

 randa ; Minister of Fomento, M. Fernandez Leal ; 

 Minister of Finance and Commerce, J. Y. Liman- 

 tour; Minister of Communications and Public 

 Works, Gen. F. Z. Mcna; Minister of War and 

 Marine, Gen. F. B. Berriozabal ; State Treasurer, 

 F. Espinosa. 



Area and Population. The area of Mexico is 

 767,005 square miles, including 1,420 square miles 

 of uninhabited islands. The population of the 

 Atlantic States, area 124,692 square miles, was 

 1,585.031 at the census of Oct. 20, 1895; of the cen- 

 tral States, area 316,125 square miles, 6,684,078; 

 of the Pacific States, area 324,768 square miles, 

 4,309,752; total population. 12,578,861, giving a 

 density of 16.4 per square mile. The City of Mexico 

 had 344,377 inhabitants. 



Finances. The revised budget for the year end- 

 ing June 30, 1899, makes the revenue of the Federal 

 Government $52,500,000, of which $25,000,000 are 

 derived from customs, $20,900,000 from stamps, 

 $2,700,000 from direct taxes, $2,300,000 from posts 

 and telegraphs, $200,000 from succession duties, 

 and $1,400,000 from various sources. The total 

 expenditure was estimated at $52,672,448, of which 

 $26,155,717 are for debt and financial administra- 

 tion, $11,996.356 for war and marine. So.C^.lll for 

 communications and public works, $3,685.516 for 

 the interior department, $2,345,311 for justice and 

 education, $540,648 for foreign affairs, $449.451 for 

 the Supreme Court, $745,626 for the Department of 

 Agriculture and Commerce, and $82,469 for the ex- 

 ecutive. The budgets of all the States amounted in 

 1895 to $18,000,000. 



The Federal debt on Dec. 8. 1898, amounted to 

 $201,143,121, of which $108,555,100 was a foreign 

 gold debt paying 6 per cent, interest, all exeept 

 $13,500,000 of 5 per cent. Tehuantepec railroad 

 bonds. 



The Arniy and Nary. The standing army in 

 the beginning of 1898 consisted of 7,249 cavalry, 

 including 118 gendarmes and 261 rural guards, 

 2.289 artillery and train, and 22,605 infant ry ; total. 

 32.143, including 2,068 officers. The war 'strength 

 is given as 20.000 cavalry, 8,000 artillery, and 1 ->::.- 

 500 infantry. The infantry is armed with Mauser 

 rifles, the cavalry with carbines of the same system. 

 the artillery with 7.9 centimetre Bange field pieces 

 and Gruson mountain guns. The naval force 

 consists of 2 dispatch vessels, 2 gunboats, and a 





