the Board present at any regular or spe

cial meeting.

ART. IX. Vacancies in the offices may be filled at any monthly or special meeting, one month's notice having been given of the election.

ART. X. This Constitution shall not be altered except by two thirds of all the members present at a meeting called for that purpose, and such alterations must be in harmony with the provisions of the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Journal, 1876, May 31.

20. Bible Study for the Family and SundaySchool.

Resolved, That we cordially approve the course of Bible study for the family and the Sunday-school, adopted in 1872 by the Sunday - school Union of our Church, embodying the Lessons of the International Series, the Catechism of the Church, select passages of Scripture to be committed to memory, and special lessons on the doctrines, usages, and benevolent agencies of the Church.

Resolved, That we urge upon our Pastors the importance of employing this system of Church Lessons in all our Churches, and that we especially insist

upon the use of the Catechism by the Pastors, according to the Discipline of the Church, in the family, the Sundayschool, at special meetings, and at public meetings appointed for that purpose.— Journal, 1876, May 31.

21. New Conferences.

1. The Nebraska Conference may, during the next four years, by a vote of two thirds of its members present and voting, with the approval of the Bishop presiding, divide into two Conferences on such a line as may be agreed upon.

2. The North-west Iowa Conference may divide into two Conferences during the coming four years, by setting off Dacotah Territory into a separate Conference, whenever two thirds of the members present and voting shall so agree, and the Bishop presiding shall concur.

3. The Rocky Mountain Conference may divide into two Conferences during the next four years, when two thirds of the members present and voting shall ask for such division, and the presiding Bishop shall concur, on such line as may at the same time be agreed upon.

4. The South-western German Confer

ence may divide into two Conferences within the coming four years, if two thirds of its members shall so decide, and the presiding Bishop shall concur therewith.

5. Whenever two thirds of the Swedish members, both of the Central Illinois and of the Minnesota Conferences, shall in any one year, at the regular sessions of these respective Conferences, with the concurrence of the said Conferences and of the presiding Bishops, ask to be organized into a separate Conference, their request may be granted, and a Swedish Conference may be organized, within such bounds as may at the same time be agreed upon.

6. The boundary line now dividing between the Indiana and the South-eastern Indiana Conferences may be removed, and the two Conferences merged into one, to be known as the Indiana Conference provided that each of said Conferences shall at its next session, by a majority vote, so agree; and provided also that the respective secretaries of the said Conferences shall give notice of such action to the Board of Bishops, whose concurrence shall be necessary to complete such action.

7. The Bishops may have power during the next four years to transfer the German Churches now in the Louisiana Conference to the Southern German Conference, if they deem it advisable, provided said Churches desire such change.

8. The Bishop having Episcopal supervision of the Conferences in India is authorized to annex the District of Cawnpore to the South India Conference at any time during the next four years; provided, the consent of both the Annual Conferences in India to such change of boundaries be first obtained.

9. The Bishops are empowered, at their discretion, to extend the boundaries of the Conference of Norway so as to inelude Denmark; and in case that be done, the Conference shall be called the Conference of Norway and Denmark.

10. Authority is granted to the Bishops to organize an Annual Conference in Italy before the session of the next General Conference, if they shall deem such action desirable.

11. The new Conferences in foreign lands shall not be organized until one of the Bishops shall be present.-Journal, 1876, May 31.

22. Action of General Conference restricting, in certain cases, the Authority of the Agents to pay Drafts of the Bishops.

Whereas, The impression prevails that the support of the Bishops rests upon the Book Concern; and,

Whereas, The Discipline provides for their support by the Church; and,

Whereas, The advance made by the Book Concern to the Episcopal Fund is only a loan for which the General Conference in 1872 promised to make provision: therefore, in order the more clearly to present this matter to the Church, and more certainly to protect the Book Concern,

Resolved, 1. That we insert in paragraph 476 of the Discipline, after the word "charges," the following, namely· "The amount apportioned to each pastoral charge for the support of the Bishops shall be a pro rata claim with that of the stationed Preachers and Presiding Elders, and no such preacher or Presiding Elder shall be entitled to his allowance except to the extent to which the claims of the Bishops are met by the Sta