USA > Indiana > Circuit-rider days in Indiana > Part 8
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Jesse Harbin recommended from Wabash district not admitted. But the Presiding Elder has liberty to employ him if necessary. Moses Ashworth recom- mended for readmission was not admitted. Conference voted that the Presiding Elder have liberty to employ Isham West, should his labors be deemed necessary.
Conference proceeded to the consideration of the second question on the minutes : Who remain on trial ? The characters of G. W. Beswick, Nathan Fairchild, William M. Daily, James T. Robe and Cornelius Swank were severally examined and continued on trial.
On motion, resolved, that during the examination
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of characters, the conference sit with closed doors. On motion, resolved that the preachers on trial be per- mitted to sit in the conference room.
Conference proceeded to the examination of the characters of Deacons. The character of Richard L. Robinson, Samuel Brinton, John A. Decker, Boyd Phelps, Asa Beck, Miles Huffaker and Charles Bonner were severally examined, approved, and passed.
Conference proceeded to the consideration and elec- tion of candidates for Elders Orders, and Samuel Julian was elected. Whereupon conference adjourned.
Wednesday 2 o'clock p. m. Conference met pursu- ant to adjournment, and was opened according to rule. The list was called, journal read, and approved. Con- ference proceeded to business. Bishop Soule in the chair. On motion the Presiding Elder has liberty to employ David Stucker if necessary.
Conference resumed the consideration of the first question on the minutes, and Robert Johnson was recommended from Madison district, was admitted on trial. Conference resumed the consideration of the character of Deacons of one year. And the case of A. W. Arrington was presented and his Presiding Elder observed that, he had withdrawn from the connection, having become skeptical in his mind; and read part of a letter from said Arrington, in which he acknowledged his errors, stated, that he had become thoroughly con- vinced of the truth of Christianity, and deeply deplored his fall, and begged to be restored to his former stand- ing in the Church.1
A communication was also read from him to the Bishop, and members of Illinois Conference containing
1 Alfred W. Arrington was reputed as one of the most eloquent young preachers in Indiana, and was much admired and flattered, and his fall was due to dizzy head, from too much flattery. He was restored to the Conference, but soon fell again, and finally became a lawyer in the State of Arkansas. (Article by W. W. Hibben, Western Christian Advocate, April 28, 185S.)
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a humble confession of his errors, and fall, and solicit- ing pardon and restoration : whereupon a motion was made, that A. W. Arrington be restored to his former standing in the conference. After some discussion, the vote was taken, was decided in the negative, and he was not restored.
On motion the vote taken in the case of Moses Ash- worth? was reconsidered; and on the question being taken, shall he be readmitted ?- was decided in the negative.
Conference then proceeded to the examination of the characters of Elders A. Wiley, T. S. Hitt, I. T. Johnson, Joseph Oglesby, I. W. McReynolds, Joseph Tarkington, Robert Burns, (Superannuated) William Shanks, were examined, approved and passed. The name of William Moore was called, and it was an- nounced that he died the past year in peace.
The characters of John Kerns, C. W. Ruter, John Miller and Michaels S. Taylor were severally examined, approved and passed. The character of John Strange was examined and passed; also received a superannu- ated relation. The name of Brother Benjamin C. Ste- venson was called, when it was stated that he died the past year in peace.
The character of Eli P. Farmer was examined, ap- proved and passed; he asked a location and it was moved that his request be granted; after discussion, his case was laid over for further consideration. James L. Thompson and D. Anderson were examined and passed. The President, C. W. Ruter, T. S. Hitt, I. L. Thompson, I. Miller and D. Anderson a committee to examine the candidates for admission into full connection. Where- upon conference adjourned.
Thursday, one-half past 8 a. m. conference met pur-
2 Moses Ashworth was the first circuit preacher on the Silver Creek circuit .(1807), which was the first complete circuit in Indiana territory.
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suant to adjournment, and was opened by reading the Scriptures, singing and prayer, the list was called, the journal read and approved. Conference proceeded to business. Bishop Soule in the chair.
On motion the case of A. W. Arrington was recon- sidered on the resolution of his restoration to his former standing; after some considerable discussion, the vote was taken, and lost. A motion was then made that A. W. Arrington be restored to his standing as a member of the conference, but that his parchments be withheld and not allowed to exercise the office of a Deacon in the Church. The vote being taken was de- cided in the affirmative.
Conference resumed the examination of the char- acter of Elders -, J. Armstrong, R. Hargrave, S. C. Cooper, William H. Smith, H. Vredenburgh, E. G. Wood, N. B. Griffith, J. Hadley, J. Havens, J. J. Brown, and J. Scott were severally examined, approved and passed, and Brother Scott's relation was changed from superannuated to that of supernumerary. Brother William Evans received a location at his own request. On motion, the case of T. Davis was laid over until Sat- urday. E. P. Farmer withdrew his request for a loca- tion. Conference resumed the first question on the minutes, and E. Wood was recommended from Craw- fordsville district, was admitted on trial.
Several resolutions from the General (Conference) were read by the President on the subjects of the Sun- day schools, Bible and Tract societies, and on motion, they were referred to a select committee of three and J. Havens, A. Wiley and J. Oglesby were elected that committee, and report the same as soon as practicable.
: On motion a committee of three was appointed viz: William Shanks, M. S. Taylor and J. Armstrong to estimate the amount necessary for the table expenses of Bishop Roberts, to report as soon as convenient.
The committee appointed to draft By-laws presented
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their report, which was read, and adopted, and ordered to be journalized; the following is said report:
1st. The President to take the chair precisely at the hour to which the conference adjourned, and cause the same to be opened by reading (a portion of Sacred Scriptures) singing, and prayer. The list shall be called and the Journals of the preceeding session read and approved. When the conference shall proceed with the ordinary routine of business.
2nd. The President shall decide all questions of orders, subject to an appeal to the conference, but in case of such appeal, the question shall be taken without debate.
3rd. The President shall appoint all committees not especially otherwise ordered by the conference, but any member may decline serving on more than one com- mittee at the same time.
4th. All motions, or resolutions introduced by any member shall be reduced to writing, if the President, Secretary, or any two members request it.
5th. When a motion, or resolution, is made and seconded, or any report presented, and is read by the Secretary, or stated by the President, it shall be deemed in the possession of the conference, but any motion, or resolution may be withdrawn by the mover any time before decision, or amendment.
6th. No new motion, or resolution, shall be made until the one under consideration is disposed of, which may be done by adoption, or rejection, unless one of the following motions should intervene, which motions shall have precedence in the order which they are placed, viz: Indefinite postponement; lying on the table; reference to a committee; postponement to a given time, or amendment.
7th. No member shall be interrupted when speak- ing, except by the president to call him to order, when he departs from the question, uses personalities, or dis-
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respectful language; but any member may call the at- tention of the president to the subject when he deems a speaker out of order; and any member may explain if he thinks himself misrepresented.
8th. When any member is about to speak in debate, or deliver any matter to the Conference he shall arise from his seat and respectfully address himself to the President.
9th. No person shall speak more than twice on the same subject, or question, and then only fifteen minutes at any time without leave from Conference. Nor shall any person speak more than once till every member choosing to speak, shall have spoken.
10th. When any motion or resolution shall have passed, it shall be in order for any member who voted in the majority to move a reconsideration.
11th. No member shall absent himself from the service of the Conference without leave, or unless he be sick or unable to attend.
12th. A substitute shall never be received for the original resolution unless with the consent of the mover, nor with his consent after the resolution shall have been amended.
13th. No member shall be allowed to vote on any question who is not within the bar at the time when such question is taken by the President, except by leave of the Conference when such member has been necessarily absent.
14th. Every member who shall be within the bar at the time the question is put, shall give his vote, unless the Conference for special reasons shall ex- cuse him.
15th. No person shall present a charge or a com- plaint against any member of the Conference unless he shall have conversed previously with that member on the subject, and apprised him of his intention to lay it before the Conference.
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16th. A motion to adjourn shall always be in or- der, and shall be decided without debate.
All of which is respectfully submitted by your committee.
C. W. RUTER, Chairman.
Whereupon Conference adjourned.
Thursday, 2 o'clock p. m., Conference met pursu- ant to adjournment, and was opened according to rule. The list was called and Journal read and approved. Conference proceeded to business. Bishop Soule in the chair. The Conference Stewards spent some time in attending to the pecuniary concerns of the Con- ference. The Conference voted to draw on the book concern for $400 and on the chartered fund for $75. Conference then proceeded to take the numbers and found them to be twenty thousand and thirty-five.
The committee appointed on Bible, Sabbath School and Tract Societies, reported as follows: "The com- mittee to whom was committed the report of the Gen- eral Conference on the subject of Bible, Sunday Schools and Tract Societies, have had the same under consideration, and have to lament that our success in promoting said societies has not been commensurate with our capability of acting, and the means which divine Providence has put within our power. We hope, however, in the future, that we shall redeem in some measure, the time and means which are lost, by an increased endeavor to do our duty in time to come. In order to which, we recommend that this Conference require each preacher in charge of a Circuit or Station, in conjunction with his Presiding Elder to use his in- fluence to form the Quarterly Conference of his Cir- cuit or Station into a Bible Sunday School and Tract Society, auxiliary to these several societies of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, and also to form as many sub- ordinate or branch societies in his Circuit as in his power.
(7)
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We would also recommend that the Junior Preach- ers aid so far as they can in this good work.
We would recommend that if any preacher neglects his duty in this matter he be censured by the Confer- ence as a man unfaithful to his trust as a Methodist preacher.
All of which is respectfully submitted.
SAMUEL HAVENS, Chairman.
Said report was adopted, and ordered to be jour- nalized and also a copy to be sent to New York for publication in the "Christian Advocate and Journal."
Conference resumed the first question on the min- utes; and Elhannon Sweet recommended from Indian- apolis District was not admitted; but the Presiding Elder has liberty to employ him if necessary. Amasa Johnson and Hiram Griggs recommended from In- dianapolis district, were admitted. On motion, Bro. James Armstrong was appointed agent of this Con- ference to receive the bequest of Brother James Paxton (deceased) for the benefit of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Indiana. On motion Brother A. Wiley was appointed agent of this Conference to receive the be- quest of Brother Isaac Swearingin (deceased) for the benefit of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the State of Indiana.3
Whereupon Conference adjourned.
Friday, half-past eight o'clock a. m., Conference met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened accord- ing to rule. The list was called and Journals read and approved. Bishop Soule in the chair. Conference proceeded to business.
On motion, the vote that was taken making the case of Thomas Davis the order for the day on Saturday was reconsidered. The case of L. D. Smith was taken up, and his character passed.
3 These bequests were the real beginning of the Preachers' Aid Society.
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The case of J. A. Decker was called, his character passed, and at his own request received a location.
The committee appointed to estimate the amount necessary to defray the table expenses of Bishop Rob- erts presented their report as follows : $250 per year, which report was adopted.4 On motion the Confer- ence appointed the 15th of November next as the day of humiliation, fasting and prayer in the Methodist Episcopal Church in the State of Indiana, and that the editors of the several papers as published in the State, be respectfully requested to give notice of the same in their papers.
On motion, resolved, that his excellency, the Gov- ernor of the State of Indiana, be respectfully requested to appoint a day of fasting and prayer, to be observed throughout the state, in special reference to the alarm- ing epidemic which threatens us.
Conference proceeded to the consideration of the local preachers recommended for Deacons' Orders. Aaron Robins, recommended from the Madison Dis- trict, was elected. William V. Daniels, S. Bottosff, Shadrack B. A. Carter, and Facter Knox were recom- mended from Charlestown District and were elected. John Jones not elected.
Conference proceeded to the consideration of ques- tion 3rd on the minutes, and J. C. Smith, Ancil Beach, Isaac Kimble, Isaac N. Ellberry, A. F. Thompson, H.
4 The General Conference of 1816 passed a resolution making it the duty of the book committee at New York to decide what sum was to go to married Bishops for family expenses, Bishop Roberts elected Bishop at this conference, being the first married Bishop. This was done until 1836 when the rule was so changed as to make it the duty of the annual conference in which a bishop resides to estimate the amount of necessary expenses. From 1819 to 1832 Bishop Roberts received $200 a year for family ex- penses, from 1832 to 1836, $250, and from 1836 to 1840, $300; from 1840 to his death, $400 a year. Besides this he received a quarterage of $200 yearly, which was contributed by all the Con- ferences. (Life of Roberts, by Rev. Charles Elliott, DD., p. 359.)
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S. Talbott, Amos Sparks, Jno. Ritchie, E. R. Ames having been previously examined by the committee appointed for that purpose were called forward and examined before the Conference by Bishop Soule as the Discipline directs ; afterward their characters were severally examined, and all admitted into full connec- tion and elected to Deacons' Orders, except Brothers Sparks and Ellsbury, who were previously ordained when local preachers.
The case of William Taylor was called and some objections being made to his course as an itinerant minister, he was on motion discontinued. J. H. Hill and D. M. Murphy were discontinued.
Whereupon Conference adjourned.
Friday, 2 o'clock p. m. Conference met pursuant to adjournment, and was opened according to rule. The list was called, and Journals read and approved. Conference proceeded to business. Bishop Soule in the chair.
The case of Thomas Davis was called up and some charges being brought forward, on which a commit- tee had previously passed, and he had been suspended. The charges were read and the plaintiff, L. B. A. Car- ter introduced his testimony and made some remarks, and Brother Davis being absent, a communication from him was read, also all the papers which the said Davis had forwarded were all read to the Conference. And after due deliberation, he was adjudged guilty of maladministration and falsehood, and on motion Thomas Davis was expelled from the Methodist Epis- copal Church. Whereupon Conference adjourned.
The following resolution of the General Conference, being spread before the Conference by the President, was ordered to be journalized, viz: "Resolved, Second, That in making out the minutes of the Annual Confer- ences for publication, the above question shall be in-
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serted and fully and distinctly answered so as to show, 1st. Who are the superannuated preachers and widows and orphans of preachers, having claims on the Con- ference and the sum to which each one is entitled? 2nd. What preachers and on what circuits are de- ficient of their allowance, and the amount of each one's deficiency. 3d. What has been collected on the cir- cuits and stations-naming, also, those, if any such there be, for which nothing shall have been received or contributed by benevolent Societies or individuals, or drawn from the Book Concern and Chartered fund to meet their claims.
Saturday, half-past eight o'clock a. m. Conference met pursuant to adjournment and was opened accord- ing to rule. The list was called and Journals read and approved. Conference proceeded to business, Bishop Soule in the chair. Conference resumed the considera- tion of the case of local preachers recommended for Deacon's Orders. John Evans and Amasa Johnson were recommended from Indianapolis District and elected.
Conference then proceeded to the consideration of the Local Deacons as recommended for Elder's Orders. Joseph Barrett was recommended from Indianapolis District, was elected. The committee appointed on the subject of the Conference Seminary presented their re- port, which was read and adopted.
The report: "Next to the religion of the Son of God your committee consider the light of science cal- culated to lessen the sum of human woe and to increase the sum of human happiness. Therefore we are of the opinion that the means of education ought to be placed within the reach of every community in general, so that all may have an opportunity of obtaining an ordi- nary and necessary education. From observation and information your committee are well convinced that
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where superior schools and colleges are neglected, or- dinary schools are almost universally in a languished state. And many persons are reared, and live and die without any education. We therefore think that Semi- naries and Colleges under good literary and moral regulations are of incalculable benefit to our country, and that a good Conference Seminary would be of great and growing utility to our people. We are aware that when a Conference Seminary is named, some of our preachers and many of our people suppose we are about to establish a manufactory in which preachers are to be made. But nothing is farther from our views, for we are fully of Mr. Bernge's opinion who, when comparing ministers to pens, observes 'that although the Seminaries have been trying to make pens for some hundreds of years, they will not write well till God nibs them.' "
When we examine the state of the literary institu- tions of our country we find a majority of them are in the hands of other denominations (whether rightfully or otherwise, we do not take it upon ourselves to de- termine) whose doctrine in many respects we con- sider incompatible with the doctrines of revelation, so that our people are unwilling (and we think properly so) to send their sons to those institutions. Therefore we think it very desirable to have an institution under our own control from which we can exclude all doc- trines which we deem dangerous; though at the same time we do not wish to make it so sectarian as to ex- clude or in the smallest degree repel the sons of our fellow citizens from the same.
To accomplish the foregoing desirable objects we most earnestly recommend the Conference the use of the means that will lead to the end. We would advise that the Presiding Elders of the several districts be required to collect all the information in their power in reference to an eligible site, and the means to build,
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and present the same to the next Conference. All of which is respectfully submitted.
C. W. RUTER, A. WILEY, JAMES ARMSTRONG.5
On motion the Conference proceeded to elect five members as a Missionary committee. A. Wiley, James Armstrong, James L. Thompson, James Havens and George Locke, the said committee.
A resolution of the late General Conference on the subject of the claims of the Canada Conference on the property invested in the Book Concern was by the President laid before this Conference, which was as follows: Resolved, That if three-fourths of the mem- bers of the several annual Conferences who shall be present and vote on the subject, shall concur herein, and as soon as the fact of such concurrence be certified by the Secretaries of the several Annual Conferences, the Book Agents and the Book Committee in New York shall be, and they are hereby authorized and directed to settle with the Agents of the Canada Conference on the following principles, preliminaries, etc. Wherefore the following resolution was offered, to wit: Resolved by the members of the Indiana Conference now in session, that we concur in the resolution of the late General Conference which authorizes the Book Agents of New York to divide the stock of the Book Concern of the Methodist Episcopal Church with the Canada Confer- ence, according to the terms proposed in the said reso- lution of the late General Conference.
After some discussion a motion was made that a further consideration of the subject be laid over until the next session of this Conference, which motion was lost. The ayes and noes being called for on the original
5 The adoption of this report was the first step taken looking toward the organization of Indiana Asbury University (DePauw University ).
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question the vote was taken accordingly, and thirty- six members being present and all voting on the ques- tion unanimously voted in the negative.
The superintendent laid before the Conference a resolution of the late General Conference on the sub- ject of altering the restrictive rules of our Church as to change the ratio of delation to the General Confer- ence, which resolution was as follows: Resolved, That the General Conference recommend to the several An- nual Conferences for their concurrence and adoption as provided in the sixth article of the restrictive rules, the following resolution, to amend the second article of the restrictive rules, etc. Whereupon the follow- ing resolution was offered :
Resolved, By the Indiana Annual Conference in ses- sion, that we concur in the resolution of the late Gen- eral Conference relative to altering the restrictive rules of our Church on the subject of the ratio of dele- gation to the General Conference, and the yeas and nays being called for it was found that there were thirty-three members present who unanimously voted in the affirmative.
Conference then proceeded to fix on the place of its next session, and on counting the votes it was found that Madison, Jefferson County, Indiana, had a ma- jority, and was accordingly announced as the place for the next session of this conference, which will meet on the 16th of October, 1833.
On motion, Resolved, That when the Conference meet in the afternoon the members proceed to form themselves into a Missionary Society auxilliary to the Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
On motion, Resolved, That each member of this Conference be requested to furnish a brief account at the next session, of his birth, early impressions, con- version, call to the ministry, etc., to be kept on the file with other Conference papers. On motion, the vote by
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which Bro. Scott was placed in a supernumerary rela- tion, was reconsidered, and changed to a superannu- ated relation. Whereupon Conference adjourned.
Saturday, 2 o'clock p. m. Conference met pursu- ant to adjournment and was opened according to rule; journals read and approved; Conference proceeded to business. Bishop Soule in the chair.
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