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Show I NO DEBATE OVERJERESV Methodists Waste No Time on Question. Conference Adopts Report of Committee on Education-Without Education-Without Excitement. hLany of the DelftgAtta Start on Trip Homeward No Quorum LIkelj Monday, TT OS ANGELES, May 2.S. The Meth-I Meth-I odist general conference rushed fl j through a vast amount of business busi-ness today, during: lt three Reunions, Reu-nions, and when adjournment was taken late tonight had practically cleared the (Ilea of all the Important nubjecta that have been brought before It. I As the time for final adjournment appears ap-pears there 1b less desire on the part of the delegate to enter Into prolonpod debate and many left for their homes this evening. So numerous Indeed. hav been the departures that the convention con-vention Is likely to find itself without with-out a quorum on Monday. Unlecs some-tiling some-tiling Important comcn up on that day, l Ih probable that this point wjll bo urged. Heresy Question, ''"he hercpy question, which had ben held ;ip by many as a thing upon which there would be prolonged and heated debate, prov.d to be a very small matter, mat-ter, after all. It was dismissed with a import brought In by the commltteo on education, the conference adopting Its recommendations without a ripple of excitement. There was no debate ex- pt a brief speech by Dr. Munhall, ho Is credited with being the leader of the forces oppoRed to the 30-called higher criticism in the theological colleges. col-leges. Dr. Munhall merely stated hla opposition to Bible criticism and de- Kred himself favorable to the report us presented. The recommendations of the commlt-t0f commlt-t0f on education on this particular point were that, In the absence of sufficient suf-ficient proof ' against the faculties of certain universities, these Institutions 1 exonerated on all the charges of heresy. The report recommended also hat, "slr.ee there Is some unrc3t and a disposition to fear that heresy will develop, de-velop, the directors should exercise more care In the selection of Instructors, Instruct-ors, appointing none concerning whose soundness of doctrine there Is any question. ques-tion. Profespors were cautioned to instruct in-struct their students to preach none but rstabllshed doctrines. The report was passed by a large vote. Expense Has Increased. A report from the conference commission, com-mission, which had In charge the finances, of the present conference, showed that the great assembly has been a record-breaker in the matter of expenses. The report as present-id by Chairman It. T. Miller showed the following fol-lowing Items. Collections from various sources, 501,000; fund raised by citizens of Los Angeles. $25;H)0; total, SllG.'JOO. Against this bills have been presented aggregating $126,000, and there are yet unaudited bills amounting to $2000. The deficiency therefore will be about 512,-000. 512,-000. The conference was asked to pro-a pro-a Ide some means of meeting the de-Mclcncy, de-Mclcncy, as the checks had been drawn and the money must be In bank to meet them. A motion from a delegato to bor-Hj bor-Hj row the amount needed from the book f oncer n produced quite a little flurry, Drs. Eaton and Mains, publishing agents of the New York book concern, protesting against any such action. "If we are to Judge by past cxpe-Helices," cxpe-Helices," said Dr. Mains, "we might as well give you this money outright; for there is little likelihood of It ever bc-lng bc-lng paid back to the book concern." Dr; Eaton's protest was along the same lines. The motion to borrow the money from the book concern was tlnally amended so us to instruct the presiding ciders of the various confer-once confer-once districts that arc in arrears to make good their deflccincy, in order that tho book concern may be rclm- I burned. There was reserved for the final scs-slon scs-slon of the Methodist Episcopal general conference tonight one of the most slg-nlflcnnt slg-nlflcnnt questions programmed for con-slderatlon con-slderatlon by this body. It was the question of whether the ministers of Bj any other than white races shall be eligible for the Episcopacy. The matter tamo from the Committee on Eplsco-pacy Eplsco-pacy as the result of memorials from several annual conferences favoring the election of colored bishops to preside as H general superintendents. Opening American University. Tho conference also adopted the ma-Jorlty ma-Jorlty report of the Committee on Edu-cation Edu-cation on the subject of opening the American university at Washington. The report advised that the university It not opened until the endowment of j $5,000,000 had been raised, but rccom- mended that the matter be left in the hands of the university trustees for de-ilslon. de-ilslon. It also recommended that the trustees be approved by the general conference and thut the charter of the university be amended to so provide. The minority report, which recom-mended recom-mended practically that the fosterago of the church be withdrawn and the unUiTsity be allowed to open when It pleased, was heavily voted down. Tho conference tonight voted by prac- 1 ticolly urmnimoua vote to amend tho church constitution so aa to provide for the election of bishops of other than of the white race. Almost on the stroke of midnight to-night to-night the conference concluded Its lost buslncFS session with the reading of the roll for the last time, and adjourned until 3 o'clock tomorrow afternoon, when a memorial service will be held and final adjournment taken. The clos- Hj lng hours of the conference witnessed a perfect deluge of committee reports j and resolutions. Important Subjects Presented. After the matter of an amendment to tho constitution of the church on the j subject of tho bishopric eligibility had been disposed of, the press of other Im-portant Im-portant business was so great that all of the business before the conference was finally; placed In tho hands of a slriftlng committee at 10.15 p. m., vlth orders to report In llfteen minutes. Among tho Important subjects presented present-ed by this committee to tho conference and passed In the closing moments, wero the following: Matter of providing provid-ing relief for superannuated preachers, temperance, use of the Bible In tho public schoolM, tho petitioning of Congress Con-gress on the subject of polygamy, and the practices of Mormonlsm; complimentary compli-mentary resolutions. A telegram was road during the evening even-ing from Secretary of tho Treasury Leslie M". Shaw, congratulating the conference con-ference on the work performed during tho past month. By common consent a fraternal reply was sent to Mr. Shaw. |