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     1st Question--Who are received by transfer, and from what Conference?

     Z. S. Rhone, from Kansas Conference; Geo. A. Smith and R. Cooley, both from Wisconsin Conference 3.

     2d Question--Who are admitted on trial?

     R. B. Wilson, Ira Woodman, William Gorst, James R. Gearhart, Charles F. Heywood, James H. Worley, John G. Walker, Marcellus L Storer, William Esplin, David Fetz, George S. Miner, L. Stevens--12.

     3d Question--Who remain on trial?

     F. H. Calder, J. A. Smith, W. H. Carter, W. K. Loofbourrow, J. A. Nichols, H. C. Harmon, T. Aikman, W. F. Grundy, G. G. Senser, E. G. Fowler, A. Madole, A. H. Summers, C. A. Mastin, S. S. Penepacker, H. F. Tyler, Lewis Barr; the last in the first year--16.

     4th Question--Who are discontinued?

     W. T. Richardson, W. S. Holland--2.

     5th Question--Who are admitted in full connection?

     O. P. Sheldon, J. A. Chapin, A. Hodgetts--3.

     6th Question--Who are re-admitted?

     John A. Dixon, Alfred G. Blackwell, a deacon--2.

     7th Question--Who are received on credentials from other churches?

     None.

     8th Question--What traveling preachers have been elected Deacons?

     O. P. Sheldon.

     9th Question--What traveling preachers have been ordained Deacons?

     O. P. Sheldon and Joel A. Smith, the last under the missionary rule of the Discipline.

     10th Question--What local preachers have been elected Deacons?

     David Y. Black, Ira Woodman, John Spencer, F. H. Calder,

W. H. Carter, C. F. Heywood, E. G. Fowler, William Esplin, S. S. Penepacker, Nathan K. Brown--Deacons. All the above named were ordained except N. K. Brown.

     11th Question--Who are the traveling Deacons of the first class?

     O. P. Sheldon, J. A. Chapin, A. Hodgetts, A. G. Blackwell, Jabez Charles, N. H. Gale, G. A. Hobson.

     12th Question--Who are the traveling Deacons of the second class?

     Cyrus A. Lewis.

     13th Question--What traveling Deacons have been elected Elders ?

     Thomas H. Worley, F. B. Donisthorpe, Horace A. Ewell, C. L. Brockway, W. J. Barger, W. H. Tibbits, E. J. Hancock, and under the Missionary Rule, J. A. Smith. All of the above-named persons were ordained Elders.

     14th Question--What local Deacons have been elected Elders?

     There were no candidates for local Elder's orders.

     15th Question--Who are the supernumerary preachers?

     J. M. Richards, R. C. Johnson, J. S. Orr, J. Marsh, G. B. Crippen, J. L. Fort, S. H. Manley, J. G. Miller, D. C. Brannon, G. W. De LaMatyr, W. D. Gage, C. Reilly, L. W. B. Long, J. M. Adair, D. S. Davis.

     16th Question--Who are the superannuated preachers?

     C. G. Lathrop, L. W. Smith, Z. B. Turman, L. Janney, J. Adriance, J. C. Cannon.

     17th Question--Was the character of each preacher examined?

     This was carefully done by calling each preacher by name.

     18th Question--Have any died?

     C. W. Giddings. (See Memoir.)

     19th Question--Have any been transferred, and to what Conferences?

     None.

     20th Question--Have any withdrawn?

     None.

     21st Question--Have any been located at their own request?

     R. Rowbottom.

     22d Question--Have any been located?

     None.

     23d Question--Have any been permitted to withdraw under charges?

     None.

     24th Question--Have any been expelled?

     None.

     25th Question--Who have been selected for triers of appeals?

     W. K. Beans, J. R. Wolfe, S. H. Henderson, A. G. White, L. F. Britt, A. C. Crosthwaite, D. Marquett.

     26th Question--What is the statistical report for the Conference year?

     (See Tables I. and II.)

     27th and 28th Questions--What are the claims on the Conference fund?

     (See report of Conference Stewards.)

     29th Question--Where are the preachers stationed?

     (See List of Appointments.)

     30th Question--Where will the next Conference be held?

     At York.

     West Nebraska Mission, T. B. Lemon, Superintendant.
      P. C. Johnson, Z. S. Rhone, S. Wood, A. G. Bartholomew, G. G. Senser, G. S. Miner, William Esplin, M. S. Storer, L. Stevens, A. H. Summers, Thomas Aikman, Missionaries to the West Nebraska Mission.

      The Conference adjourned with the benediction by Bishop Warren.

      FOR ADMISSION ON TRIAL--J. Q. A. Fleharty, J. R. Wolfe, and A. G. White.

      FIRST YEAR--J. R. Reed, S. Wood, and W. S. Blackburn.

      SECOND YEAR--H. Burch, A. L. Folden, W. F. Warren, and P. C. Johnson.

      THIRD YEAR--S. P. VanDoozer, S. D. Roberts, John Gallagher, and J. L. St. Clair.

      FOURTH YEAR--J. Fowler, J. H. Presson, L. F. Britt, and A. C. Crosthwaite.

      To EXAMINE CANDIDATES FOR LOCAL DEACONS' ORDERS--A. Brigham, F. B. Donisthorpe, and William Peck.

      To EXAMINE CANDIDATES FOR LOCAL ELDERS' ORDERS--C. L. Smith, J. W. Shank, and W. M. Worley.

      To PREACH THE ANNUAL MISSIONARY SERMON--J. P. Roe; Alternate, A. C. Williams.

     W. K. Beans, J. R. Wolfe, S. H. Henderson, A. G. White, L. F. Britt, A. C. Crosthwaite, D. Marquett.

      The Committee on Missions beg leave to report:

      I hereby approve of the above missions and appropriations.

HENRY W. WARREN.     

     Your Conference Stewards beg leave to submit the following report:

      We would recommend that the sum of Twelve Hundred Dollars be apportioned among the Districts, by the Presiding Elders, to be raised for the support of Conference claimants for the ensuing year.

      Your committee on the State of the Church would respectfully submit the following report:

       In the material prosperity of the Church, during the past year, there is cause for congratulation, as we believe there has been greater advancement in building and improving churches and parsonages, and in liquidating old indebtedness, than in any former year. But we fear that in too many instances the pastors have been compelled to bear an unequal share of this burden by reduction and deficiency in their salaries. In the benevolent collections there is marked improvement, as seen in the fact that more charges report all collections taken than in former years.

       While we acknowledge with profound gratitude the degree of spiritual success wherewith we have been blessed during the past year, yet we fear that our spiritual growth has not been commensurate with the material. We fear that as a Church we have become too much imbued with the spirit of the world, as instanced with the presence of our people, and in some sad cases of pastors too, at places of questionable amusement, such as horse racing, shooting tournaments, the circus, the theater, and certain forms of Sabbath desecration. Your committee would therefore recommend that this Conference, by the passage of the following resolutions, record its most emphatic disapproval of this conformity to the world.

       Resolved, That we will utterly eschew all participation in those practices or amusements which tend to the dissipation of spiritual power and the lowering of the standard of piety among us.

     Resolved, That we are utterly opposed to riding, driving, or visiting for pleasure or amusement on the Lord's day, as a direct contravention of the command to hallow the Sabbath. Respectfully submitted,

     We congratulate the Conference upon the work that this Institution has done during the first year, and recommend the adoption of the report of the visitors.

     The financial exhibit, as it appears from the reports of the treasurer of the hoard of trustees and the financial agent, herewith filed, indicates a most healthy condition of this department.

     It appears that the laws of this State do not recognize ex officio members of boards of trustees, and this reduces the number elected at last Conference to twelve. We recommend that the number be raised to fifteen. W. G. Olinger, a member of the class that retire in 1881, has removed from the State, and his office must be declared vacant. We would recommend that the following persons be elected, viz.: To fill the vacancy--E. Thomson; to take the place of those retiring this year--D. F. Rodabaugh, G. W. Woods, J. B. Maxfield, and W. S. Blackburn; and as the additional members--G. A. Beck, A. B. Codding, and C. L. Brockway.

     We recommend that a financial agent be appointed who can devote his entire time to the work, especially to increasing the endowment fund, and that the Bishop be requested to appoint W. S. Blackburn, hereby pledging to him, and through him to the Institution, our earnest support and the use of our pulpits in prosecuting his work.

      We recommend that the Bishop be requested to re-appoint E. Thomson to the Principalship.

     We recommend that A. C. Williams, H. Pearson, L. F. Britt, W. K. Beans, D. Marquett, S. H. Henderson, W. F. Warren, .J. Gallagher, and J. W. Stewart be appointed a board of visitors.

     We are gratified to learn that nearly all the charges in the Conference have taken the educational collection the past year, and we recommend that an earnest effort be made to increase that collection this year, and the collection he appropriated to the Seminary.

     We have been greatly pleased with the visit of Dr. W. X. Ninde, President of this Institution, and would hereby express our interest in its work of theological education, pledging such support in the way of sending students as we may be able. We recommend J. B. Maxfield and E. Thomson as visitors for next year.

Dear Fathers and Brethren:

     We, your board of visitors to the Nebraska Conference Seminary at York, Nebraska, beg leave to submit the following report, viz.:

     In compliance with the notice of Rev. Edward Thomson, A.M., Principal, we assembled at York, June 21-23, to attend the closing exercises of the Seminary, including examinations, exhibitions, etc.

     We found all parties at York--citizens, teachers, and students--deeply interested in the work and success of the Seminary, and each apparently doing his part to reach the best results.

     The Seminary was occupying a rented building, which, on the whole, is well adapted to the work.

     Professor Thomson has displayed, in the few months the school has been in operation, a fine talent for organizing his forces and bringing them into good shape for work.

     The assistants, Mrs. Thomson, Mrs. Stoddard, and Mrs. W. E. Morgan, each in her own department, were doing excellent work, and possessed the confidence of the students and patrons.

     The examinations and various exercises were interesting, and showed that it is possible to reach a very high degree of excellence even in a very short time. The aim of. the instructors is thoroughness in whatever is undertaken. They have succeeded in a remarkable degree in impressing this upon the students, not simply as an impression but so as to make it a working controlling motive.

     The courses of study adopted are such as seem best calculated to meet the immediate demands upon the institution, and to lay a good foundation and pave the way for any advancement that may be found necessary or expedient.

     The site selected for the new building is well adapted for the purpose, and when the building shall have been fully completed we may feel assured that so far as externals are concerned the Seminary will be in good condition for effective work in the cause of christian education.

     Our expectations of the town, formed upon the accounts of those who brought this matter before us, were met in a most satisfactory degree. York is "beautiful for situation." Surrounded by rolling prairies, in the midst of one of the finest portions of the state, it has a fine class of people, whose numbers are already increasing through the direct influence of the school.

     The demand for the school will be more fully appreciated by an examination of the catalogue for the first year, and the register of students enrolled for the current term. There is ample room and an abundance of work for the Seminary, even in this young and scarcely opened state, whose boast is her excellent system of schools.

     Other denominations have established their schools in this state, with small beginnings it is true, but established nevertheless, and with success commensurate with effort put forth and the interest manifested by those concerned.

     Methodism boasts of being numerically the strongest denomination in the

state. It is in our power materially to strengthen her numbers, power, and usefulness by bending every energy to the work of making a grand success of the Nebraska Conference Seminary. This will require earnest, prayerful work on the part of all interested, and none can have greater interest than the members of this Conference. Our Church has always been and is the patron and friend of the cause of education. We need the benefits of a higher education in our midst. Let us sustain our Seminary and secure those benefits.

     In accordance with the instructions contained in my appointment as visitor to Garrett Biblical Institute, this report is offered as the result of my observations.

     The benefits arising from attendance at this institution are of a two-fold nature.

     First--The instruction, combined with the especially good society found in Evanston, is calculated to develop those tastes, habits, manners, and character which, belonging to the minister, will fit him to work in the various circles of society in which he may he placed more successfully than he could without the enjoyment of such advantages.

     Second--The examinations, which were conducted in the most thorough manner, displayed the benefit of the complete intellectual training received by the students from the very efficient faculty. The clearness with which questions were answered, theories presented, and objections to truth refuted, gave guarantee that the young men going forth from these halls of learning in their ministrations would be able to rightly divide and defend the Word of Truth.

      These facts lead to the suggestion of the following resolutions for adoption, viz.:

     1st--That we as a Conference are in hearty sympathy with the object and work of Garrett Biblical Institute, and will give to it our hearty support and patronage.

     2d--That we recommend and insist that all young men of our Church within the hounds of this Conference who are preparing themselves for the work of the ministry avail themselves as much as they possibly can of the advantages of this school of theology.

     Respectfully submitted,

JOHN GALLAGHER.     

     We recognize the fact that the Freedman's Aid Society has strong and righteous claims upon us as a Church. Five millions of ignorant freedmen are stretching

forth their hands toward us for help. The "Macedonian cry" never came with deeper, sadder intonations than from this deeply injured and oppressed race, upon whom centuries of wrong have been heaped. No branch of our christian benevolence brings quicker returns or grander results.

     In view of the glorious achievements of this Society in the fourteen years of its operation, the great end pressing demands made upon it, the ever-widening field of usefulness before it,

     Resolved, That we, the members of the Nebraska Conference, will do our utmost to comply with the very reasonable request of the corresponding secretary, Dr. Rust, and will put forth earnest, honest, careful, prayerful effort to raise at least our $650 of the $125,000 mentioned as the necessary amount to carry forward its enlarged work for the present year.

     Your committee submit the following report:

     The Board of Church Extension has by grant end loan aided nearly three thousand churches in all parts of the republic. The Loan Fund now amounts to $360,000, and over $-------- has been expended in the Loan Fund. Nebraska has shared in the benefactions and help of the Board. We hail with pleasure the movement of building four hundred churches along the frontier line, and offer the following:

     Resolved, That we will work heartily in harmony with the Board to carry out this great design, and welcome our Bro. McCabe to our Conference and churches, believing that we owe much of our success in the past in the work of building churches to his labor, and that we may depend upon his generous plans for the future;

     Resolved, That we recommend our people who propose to build churches to carefully examine the plans for churches issued by the Board of Church Extension.

     Your committee would, first of all, emphasize the duty of the members of this Conference towards our church periodicals.

     No matter how faithfully and well our editors and publishers may perform their work in the preparation of this literature, it will fail in accomplishing its high
        3

and noble mission unless we, their accredited agents, put forth corresponding zeal in placing this literature in the hands of our people. Therefore

     Resolved, That while we rejoice at the greatly increased subscription for our church papers during the year, we will endeavor to be more faithful in our canvass the coming year, and will, if possible, put one of these silent but eloquent preachers in every home;

     Resolved, That we hail with hearty approval the announcement that hereafter our church papers will be free from all patent medicine advertisement, and that we will show the sincerity of our approval by so far increasing our subscription list as to fully compensate for the loss of this source of revenue;

     Resolved, That with increased fidelity we will maintain the interests of our official paper--the Central Christian Advocate;

     Resolved, That we will not allow our grand, judiciously prepared Sunday school literature to he supplanted by the cheap, trashy, indiscriminate, catch-penny literature that irresponsible parties thrust upon our attention;

     Resolved, That we recommend that every preacher subscribe for and read the Quarterly Review.

W. K. BEANS,     
Secretary.     

     Your committee beg leave to report as follows

     The object of this society is the education and salvation of the women of Pagan lands, and hence an auxiliary of the Parent Society.

     The following figures attest to what extent it has accomplished this end. Since its organization in 1869 it has disbursed for all purposes $591,000. Its contributions have steadily increased, their appropriations last year being $76,000; this year $114,000; increase being $38,000.

      They have in the foreign mission field 38 missionaries, 202 native teachers, 8,160 pupils in various schools.

     The organ of the society--the Heathen Woman's Friend--has 15,556 subscribers, and has paid its own expanses from the beginning without expense to the society during the eleven years of its work.

     The society has 2,291 auxiliary societies, with 60,269 members.

     The society is, by action of the General Conference, under the supervision of the Parent Society, with which it harmoniously co-operates.

     It has received the indorsement (sic) of the General Conference and of our bishops, who have observed its workings in the foreign field. Therefore

     Resolved, That we have entire confidence in the devotion and wisdom of the women who have undertaken and so successfully prosecuted this work; and we will welcome them to our churches and recommend their paper to our people.

     Your Committee offer the following:

     Resolved, That as the Tract Society is an acknowledged efficient agent in spreading the Gospel and securing the conversion of sinners, we will order tracts from the Tract Society, and will distribute the same on our charges; and further, that we will take collections as provided by the discipline, at every appointment, for the tract cause.

     We are glad to hear of the prosperity of our Sunday schools, and especially the manifest interest taken in missions.

     We recommend that our schools be organized into missionary societies and that collections be taken at least once in every month.

     We also recommend that great care be taken in the selection of Sunday school singing books, for the vary obvious reason that much is done for good or ill in impressing the mind or affecting the heart of our pupils.

     We re-affirm our position as a Conference on the questions of union Sunday schools and our Methodist Sunday school literature.

J. H. PRESSON,     
Chairman.     

     WHEREAS, The rum power is putting forth every effort to obstruct the work of temperance by the calling of conventions, legal enactments, and the use of large amounts of money in defending the law breakers in the courts, therefore

     Resolved, 1st, That we will use every lawful and honorable means in our power to counteract the evil influence of the rum power.

     2d, That we as a Conference will recommend that the next legislature be requested to submit to the people of the state an amendment to the constitution to prohibit the sale and manufacture of intoxicating liquors.

     3d, That we recommend our people and all temperance organizations to memorialize the legislature to enact at once a stringent local option law.

P. S. MATHER.     

     Your committee to audit the P. E. accounts beg leave to report that they have carefully attended to their duty, and find the accounts correct.

S. D. ROBERTS.     

     Amount paid in, $154.26. The amount to be raised the coming year is to be $250. And

     WHEREAS, The Book Concern will be prohibited from making up the deficiencies in the salaries of our beloved Bishops from the first of January next; therefore

     Resolved, That we do pledge ourselves to raise the amounts as apportioned to our respective charges on or before the first day of January, 1881.

Respectfully submitted,     
E. J. HANCOCK.     

     Your committee on Bible Cause respectfully submit the following report:

     WHEREAS, The Bible is God's message to men, and therefore designed for all men, in that it is sent to man as a race; and

     WHEREAS, Many in these western districts are destitute of the Bible, in which, primarily, this message is contained; therefore

     Resolved, That we commend the zeal with which the work of the American Bible Society has been carried forward, and rejoice that so much has been done.

     Resolved, That we request our preachers hereafter to take up their collections for the Bible cause in their own congregations, that they may be able to report the same.

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