rectly to the liquor question. President Seth Low of Columbia University is president, and Charles Dudley Warner vice-president of the committee. With them are associated such a galaxy of talented men of various occupations and religions as insures an adequate and manysided view of all the complexities of the question.

The supreme court of Indiana has sustained the constitutionality of the recently enacted Nicholson temperance law.

According to this law the authorities cannot issue a liquor license in any community against the protest of a majority of the voters; all blinds and screens hindering a full view of the bar must be removed during the hours in which the law prescribes that the saloons shall be closed; and no member of the saloon-keeper's family is permitted to enter the saloon during closing hours.

Miscellaneous.-The remarkable growth of the movement for municipal reform is seen in the statistics presented by the secretary of the National Municipal League at its session in Baltimore, Md., the first week in May.

In the North Atlantic states there were 27 municipal reform organizations in 1894 and 79 in 1895, and there are 121 in 1896. In the South Atlantic states the numbers for the three years are 2, 13, 17; in the Northern Central division, 14, 54, 78; in the Southern Central, 0, 7, 15; and in the Western, 1, 23, 36; the totals for all divisions being 44, 176, 267.

The third biennial session of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, was held in Louisville, Ky., the last week in May. In February there were seventeen state federations enrolled in the central body, including 437 clubs.

The twenty-third annual convention of the National Conference of Charities and Corrections was held in Grand Rapids, Mich., early in June.

Beginning twenty-three years ago in a meeting of the boards of charities of three Western states to discuss the questions that perplexed them, the conference gradually came to include, first the members of all state boards, then the officers of public penal reformatory and charitable institutions, then the managers of private and semi-private philanthropies, and, finally, those occupied with purely social work, such as the social settlements and educational institutions and societies devoted to the study of economic and social questions.

RELIGION.

THE quarter has abounded in religious gatherings; but space allows us to give nothing more than the briefest outline of the most important proceedings.

Methodist General Conference.-The twenty-eighth quadrennial session of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church

was held in Cleveland, O., May 1-28.

One of the most important questions discussed was that of the admission of women as lay delegates. This question first came up in the General Conference of 1888. It was fully discussed there, as also at the conference of 1892, and in the church press. The important point in dispute was whether the Restrictive rule, amended in 1872 so as to admit laymen, would not, properly construed, admit the women. Those who opposed admission argued that the adverse decision of the General Conference of 1888 was a practical settlement of the question of constitutionality, and that women ought not to be admitted until the constitution has been amended in their favor.

The conference of 1888, after a long discussion, de

cided by a narrow vote that women could not be admitted to seats until the constitution is changed. The judiciary committee of the conference of 1892 reported to similar effect unanimously; but the conference set aside the report, and, assuming that the constitutional rule is properly interpreted as admitting women as well as men, voted to submit the Hamilton amendment to the vote of the conferences. This amendment proposes to change the wording of the rule so as to make men only eligible as lay delegates. The conferences have generally refused to consider this a proper submission. Few votes have been cast on either side. The sentiment in favor of the admission of women has grown; and this year the proposal failed by only sixty-six votes to secure the requisite three-fourths' majority. Out of 10,159 ministers voting, 7,553 voted for admission.

In the conference of 1896, the matter was disposed of temporarily by the almost unanimous adoption of a compromise, allowing the four women delegates who had been elected the privilege of

taking their seats (which, however, they declined), but with the understanding that this action did not create a precedent. In the meantime the annual conferences are again to vote on the question, so that it will come up again at the General Conference of 1900.

The two oldest members of the Board of Bishops-Bishops Bowman and Foster-were declared non-effective, and it was decided to elect two new bishops. It was also declared that the time had come when the General Conference might safely and wisely elect a bishop of African descent from among its 1,700 colored ministers-a

declaration which left every member free to vote for a colored man if he chose. Through the retirement of Bishops Bowman and Foster, Bishop Merrill became senior bishop and president of the Board of Bishops. A spirited contest occurred over the choice of the new bishops the leading candidates being Chaplain C. C. McCabe; Dr. Earl Cranston; Professor J. W. E. Bowen of Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta, Ga. (colored); Dr. J. W. Hamilton of the Freedmen's Aid Society; and President H. A. Buttz of Drew Theological Seminary. Chaplain McCabe was elected on the fifteenth, and Dr. Cranston on the sixteenth ballot.

MCCABE, CHARLES CARDWELL, D. D., Methodist Episcopal bishop, was born in Ohio fifty-eight years ago. He has been known as "Chaplain"

After

McCabe; was taken prisoner during the Civil War, and witnessed the horrors of Libby prison. Life there, however, had its "bright side," which he depicts in one of his most popular lectures. the war he was elected assistant secretary of the Church Extension Society, with headquarters in Philadelphia, in which position he was associated with Dr. Kynett for sixteen years. Twenty years ago he was made secretary of the Missionary Society, in which capacity he has since been engaged. Possessing considerable wealth, he gave bountifully to church work, his last gift being $10,000 for an orphanage in China. He is reputed to be the most successful man in the church at the task of raising money. His official residence will be Fort Worth, Tex.

CRANSTON, EARL, D. D., Methodist Episcopal bishop, was born in Ohio about fifty-five years ago; was graduated at the Ohio University, and served as a volunteer in an Ohio regiment, and was advanced

to a lieutenancy. He joined the Ohio conference in 1867, occupying subsequently pastorates in Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and in Colorado, where he served for some time as presiding elder. In 1884 he was elected publishing agent of the Western Book Concern. He is regarded as a successful business man.

Rev. Dr. William Taylor, the aged missionary bishop for Africa, was also retired; and it was decided by a vote of 257 to 189 not to elect any more missionary bishops except one to succeed him. The missionary bishops exercise no episcopal functions whatever in the United States. Dr. J. C. Hartzell of the Freedmen's Aid Society, was elected to succeed Dr. Taylor.

HARTZELL, JOSEPH CRANE, D. D., Methodist Episcopal missionary bishop for Africa, was born in Illinois fifty-three years ago; and was educated at the Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, and at the Garrett Biblical Institute, Evanston. He went to the South in 1870, and became a member of the Louisiana conference, to which he has belonged ever since. For six years he served as assistant secretary of the Freedmen's Aid Society, being promoted eight years ago to be associate corresponding secretary, and later becoming senior secretary.

The three new bishops were consecrated May 26.

An important step was taken in the adoption of a system of mutual fire insurance for churches-along the lines of the Wisconsin Methodist Church Mutual Insurance Company. It is hoped to reduce the rate of cost for insurance by about two-thirds.

No action was accomplished in the matter of changing the timelimit of pastorates.

Presbyterian Assemblies.-The 108th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (North) was held at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., May 21-30. Rev. Dr. John L. Withrow of the Third church, Chicago, Ill., was elected moderator to succeed Rev. Dr. R. R. Booth.

A most notable feature was the spirit of harmony that prevailed. It was expected that the Briggs controversy would be again renewed over the proposition to take steps to secure to the church the endowments and property of Union Theological Seminary, where Dr. Briggs is still retained.

The standing Committee on Theological Seminaries had recommended that the assembly should reaffirm the action of a year ago on seminary control and declare that, in its judgment, that plan should be substantially adopted by all of the seminaries (Vol. 5, p. 470). The committee also desired the assembly to suspend the exercise of its powers conferred by the reunion compact until that compact was made legal and effective by the seminary, and that the committee should be discharged. However, after an exciting debate, the following resolution—a compromise-was unanimously adopted:

"The General Assembly heartily approves the readiness of the boards of control in some of our theological seminaries, shown during the last year, to carry out the plan approved by the General Assembly of 1895; and while others of the boards of control have not seen their way clear as yet to adopt the general provisions of that plan and carry them into legal effect, the General Assembly cannot but hope that upon further consideration they may see their way clear to come to such a conclusion that all the funds and property in their hands, and the teaching in said seminaries may be so completely safeguarded to the church that benevolent persons contemplating making gifts or bequests to these institutions may have the fullest confidence in the future security of such gifts

or bequests. With entire confidence in the integrity and wisdom of the beloved brethren in the control of our theological seminaries, we urge them to take such measures as will secure this most desirable result; and also that the several boards be requested to report to the next General Assembly what progress they have made in this direction."

The judicial committee brought in a report, which was adopted, substantially reaffirming the deliverance of last year regarding the boycott of students from Union Seminary (Vol. 5, p. 471). A supplemental report aiming to clear up the confusion in many minds, was also adopted, in part as follows:

"We recommend to the General Assembly, if it deems it wise, to appoint a special committee of five to prepare a constitutional rule, regulative of the power of the General Assembly and of presbyteries to superintend the education and care of candidates for the ministry, to be reported to the next General Assembly, and in the event of its adoption by the next General Assembly, to be overtured to the presbytery."

All the propositions to establish in the Presbyterian Church a new young people's society separate from the Christian Endeavor Society were rejected. The Committee on Church Unity presented for adop tion the plan for a Federal Council to be composed of delegates from all the denominational bodies in the United States having Presbyterian form of government, but recommended that negotiations with the Episcopalians looking toward unity be discontinued.

The 36th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (South) met in Memphis, Tenn., May 21-29. Rev. Dr. R. Q. Mallard, D. D., of New Orleans, La., was chosen moderator to succeed Rev. Dr. C. R. Hemphill.

A leading incident in the proceedings was the vote on the appeal taken by the presbytery of Charleston, S. C., from a decision of the Synod of South Carolina. The presbytery had refused to take under its care one Reuben James, a colored candidate for the ministry. The synod disapproved of this action, and directed the presbytery to correct its error. The General Assembly upheld the synod by a vote of 118 against sustaining the appeal, to 20 for sustaining it, and 9 for sustaining "in part."

The 66th General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church met in Birmingham, Ala., May 20-29. Rev. A. W. Hawkins of Decatur, Ill., succeeded Rev. Dr. M. B. De Witt of Springfield, Mo., as moderator.

The question of women in the ministry was brought up in the case of Mrs. Mary H. Bixler, who, with her husband, had taken the full seminary course at Lebanon, but to whom, on account of her sex, a degree had been denied. A report was adopted instructing the faculty of the Cumberland University to grant her a degree in theology, since she had completed the required course, but declaring that this action does not commit this General Assembly to the ordina tion of women to the ministry, nor authorize the same on the part of any presbytery.' This is the first instance on record of a woman receiving the degree of B. D.

The General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church convened May 28 in Xenia, O., Rev. Dr. James White of Kansas City, Kan., being chosen as moderator.

The 22d General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church