Meetings. To Quarterly In the notice, the appellant shall specify to which of the two he means to present his appeal. If he has made choice of the first, and circumstances should arise to prevent him from pursuing his intention, he shall be at liberty to bring the appeal to the second quarterly meeting, provided that previously thereto he renew his notice to the monthly meeting. The monthly meeting receiving notice of appeal as first mentioned, shall appoint respondents to act on its behalf, and shall inform the appellant that an appointment has been made. If, in the judgment of the monthly meeting, such notice of appeal be given before a final decision in the case, the monthly meeting instead of appointing respondents shall send forward to the quarterly meeting a minute, stating that a final decision has not been given in the case, and that consequently the appellant has no right of appeal, which minute the quarterly meeting shall, without entering into the case, record as its judgment. But, after the final decision of the case, the monthly meeting shall not be at liberty to omit or delay the appointment of respondents, either because it does not deem the case one that admits of appeal, or on any other ground. III. The following regulations are to be observed in the conducting of appeals to quarterly meetings: monthly meeting appointing But, if no respondents have produced from the monthly 1. The appeal, in writing, and sealed up, shall be delivered to the clerk for the time being, soon after the representatives are called over, with an endorsement simply specifying the appellant, his assistant, or assistants, (if any are intended,) the meeting appealed against, and that appealed to. The indorsement shall be read, and also the minute of the respondents to act on its behalf. been appointed, nor any minute meeting, informing the quarterly meeting that a final decision has not been given in the case, the quarterly meeting without appointing any committee or otherwise entering into the case, shall direct the monthly meeting to make the necessary appointment in order to the appeal being heard at the ensuing quarterly meeting. If, at the ensuing quarterly meeting, no appointment Meetings. of respondents is reported, the quarterly meeting without entering To Quarterly into the case, shall at once record a reversal of the decision appealed against. 2. Unless an appeal relate to matter of faith and doctrine, and unless the quarterly meeting is satisfied thereof, and also inclines that without any previous reference, it should be heard. in the meeting itself, such meeting shall, when any appeal is so brought as above, proceed to nominate a committee of twelve disinterested friends, to hear the same and judge thereof, the appellant, and the assistant or assistants of an appellant, and the respondents having withdrawn previously to such nomination. No member of a monthly meeting appealed against, is to be at liberty to take any part in nominating the committee of the quarterly meeting. 3. After the nomination has taken place, the appellant and respondents shall be called in, the names of the proposed committee shall be read in their presence, and each party shall be allowed, (after having had the opportunity, if desired, of withdrawing a short time for consultation,) to object to any of the committee, not exceeding three. In objecting, no cause shall be assigned. The places of the friends who have been thus objected to, shall be supplied by a fresh nomination; which nomination shall be final. 4. The appointment of the committee being completed, a time and place shall be fixed for their meeting, of which due notice shall be given to the parties concerned. On the principle of the importance of promoting the speedy settlement of differences, the time shall be as early an one as can with convenience be chosen. 5. The committee, not less than ten of whom are to be a quorum, shall, when met, proceed upon the business referred to them, by opening and reading the appeal in the presence of the appellant and respondents. In case an appeal, referred to a committee, shall be found by them to relate to faith and doctrine, the committee shall, To Quarterly without proceeding further, report accordingly to the quarterly meeting, that the said meeting may decide whether the appeal shall be heard in the meeting itself, or be again referred to the committee. 6. In all appeals heard by a committee of a quarterly meeting, the appellant shall, after the appeal has been read, be heard in support thereof, and afterwards the respondents in reply, in the presence of each other, until both parties have been fully and fairly heard; after which the parties shall withdraw previously to the committee's deliberation on the case. 7. When, in the committee, the whole or the greater part of the members present (such members present not being less than the quorum) have agreed in a judgment on the case, a report in writing shall be prepared, which is to be signed, as the report of the committee, by those so uniting in judgment. If the members so present as above are equally divided in judgment, the report shall be in favour of the appealing party. The committee shall not be expected to assign any reasons for the judgment expressed in their report; and it is recommended, that the purport of it be simply the confirming or annulling of the decision of the monthly meeting. 8. The committee shall give notice in writing to both parties, of the time when it is intended to deliver in the report; which is to be at an adjournment of the quarterly meeting, or at the next quarterly meeting in course. 9. The report of the committee shall be read in the quarterly meeting, in the presence of both parties, if they incline to attend ; and, except when the circumstance occurs which forms the subject of the next succeeding section (Sect. 10), and with the exception also of such appeals relating to faith and doctrine, as may come to be opened in the quarterly meeting itself, according to the liberty hereafter given (Sect. 11), the judgment expressed in any such report, shall be recorded as the decision of the quarterly meeting in the case. 10. If, in the case of an appeal not relating to faith and doc- To Quarterly Meetings. trine, brought by an individual in consequence of his disownment, the report of the committee, confirmatory of the judgment of the monthly meeting, be signed by less than eight of its number, such judgment is to be reversed. 11. The report of any committee expressing a judgment on the merits of an appeal relating to faith and doctrine, may be objected to by the party against whom it is given, and such party may require the case to be heard by the meeting itself. 12. Whenever an appeal relating to faith and doctrine, comes to be heard in the quarterly meeting itself, the following regulations are to be observed: First-The appeal shall be read in the presence of both parties, and the appellant shall then be heard in support of the same, and afterwards the respondents in reply, in the presence of each other, until both parties have been fully and fairly heard. Second-In stating and replying, no persons are to be permitted to speak on the case, but those who, as or for the appellant and as respondents, are immediately concerned in the appeal; except that any friend, (not being a member of a monthly meeting concerned in the appeal, or of a committee that may have heard it, and reported a judgment on the merits thereof,) who may apprehend it proper for a question to be put to either party, shall have the liberty of requesting that it may be done through the clerk. Third-The parties immediately concerned in the appeal shall withdraw, previously to the meeting's deliberation on the case; and, after they have so withdrawn, or during their absence in consequence of any prior withdrawing, no member of a meeting concerned in the appeal, or of a committee that may have heard it and reported a judgment on the merits thereof, is to be allowed to speak on the subject before the meeting. To Quarterly To the Yearly the Fourth-When the meeting has come to a conclusion in case, its decision shall be entered on minute, and then the parties shall be at liberty to come in again and hear it read. 13. In all cases, a copy of the minute of the quarterly meeting, recording its decision in the case, shall be sent to each party. 14. Should any quarterly meeting be unable to appoint, on an appeal, a committee of disinterested friends to the number of twelve, such quarterly meeting shall, after making its own appointment, apply to some neighbouring quarterly meeting, for such an addition as may be necessary to complete the number in which case notice shall be given to the appellant and respondents of the intended application, that they may have the opportunity of attending such neighbouring quarterly meeting, and exercising (according to Sect. 3,) their right of objection, if such right has not been before exhausted. And such meeting is to be informed by the applying quarterly meeting, whether any and what right of objection remains to the respective parties, Appeals to the Yearly Meeting. IV. If any person shall think himself injured or aggrieved by the judgment of any quarterly meeting given against him, he may appeal from such judgment to the yearly meeting; in which case, notice, in writing, of his intention to appeal, is to be given by him, not later than to the second quarterly meeting after that at which such judgment has been recorded. V. A quarterly meeting receiving such notice shall appoint respondents to act on its behalf, and shall inform the appellant that an appointment has been made. But if notice of appeal be given to a quarterly meeting relating to a case in which the said meeting has been informed by minute of the monthly meeting concerned, that a final decision has not been given, the quarterly meeting, instead of appointing respondents, shall send forward to the yearly meeting a minute, stating that a final decision has not been given in the case, and that consequently the appellant has, at that time, no right of ap |