In addition to the above, a committee of seven per- sons is chosen at each Conference, by ballot, to transact the business of the Connection between one Conference
(WESL.) M. NEW CONNECTION 930 (WESL.) 3r. NEW CONNECTION
and another; four of the members are preachers and three are laymen, one year, and vice fersit the following year. It is the duty of this coinniittee to see that the resolutions of Conference are carried into effect; to give advice in all matters of dispute and difficulty, and to make provision for such circuits as may through death, new openings, or other causes, need supplies during tlie ecclesiastical year, A report of it3 proceedings is pre- pared by the corresponding member, and annually pre- sented to Conference.
2. District Meetings. — Tliese meetings are composed of all the circuit preachers in the district, with an e(pial number of laymen (including the representatives to the last Conference), who are elected by the respective quar- terly meetings. These meetings are designed to form and carry out plans for the revival of the work of God in the district; to investigate the condition of the soci- eties, chapels, and Sabbath-schools, and to prepare cor- rect returns of the number of members, probationers, Sabbath-school teachers and scholars, etc., for the use of Conference; to ascertain the amount raised in each cir- cuit for the different Connectional funds; to investigate all claims on the yearly collection and chapel fund; to receive applications for the division of circuits; to ex- amine candidates for the ministry; to lay before the district any resolution of the Conference affecting the circuits, and to ascertain whether they have been car- ried into full effect. These meetings are designed and calculated to shorten the duration of Conference, to strengthen the executive, to secure more correct infor- mation on points of local interest than can be done at a greater distance, and to afford a legitimate channel through which many evils may be altogether prevented or speedily rectified.
3. Qiiarterli/ Meetings. — These are held in each cir- cuit, and are composed of the circuit preachers, the cir- cuit stewards, the secretary of the local preachers, and representatives of the people chosen from the local preachers, leaders, trustees (being members), and other experienced persons from the different societies. Each society sends one or more representatives according to the number of its members. Any member of society has free admission to the quarterly meetings, with lib- erty to give his opinion, but without the power to vote. It is the business of the quarterly meeting to pay the preachers' salaries; to determine the amount that each society is to contribute for the support of the ministry'; to make by-laws for its own regulation and for tlie management of the circuit, providing they do not con- travene the rules of the Connection ; to appoint persons to make the preachers' plans for the circuit ; to recom- mend local preachers to be taken into the regular min- istry; to determine respecting the qualifications of can- didates for the Incal ministry, and to examine and de- cide upon the affairs, both temporal and spiritual, of the circuit generally.
4. Leaders' Meetings. — These consist of leaders, soci- ety stewards, one or more of the circuit preachers, a male representative for each of the female and circuit preachers' classes, and a representative from the trustees of the chapel, provided such representative be a member of society. Leaders' meetings are held weekly, or once a fortnight, and regulate the affairs of each society and jdace of worship. It is the province of these meetings to inspect the class-books, and to receive the weeklj' or other payments; to inquire after the sick or absent members, that they may be visited; to determine on notices for the pulpit; to fix the hours for public wor- ship, and appoint the times for making the collections for its support; to recommend persons to act as exhort- ers or local preachers; to judge and decide upon the fitness of candidates for Church membership; to ascer- tain whether any members are walking disorderly ; and prayerfidly to devise plans for the advancement of the work of God, and for the general improvement of the society.
5. Local Preachers' Meetings, — These are held previ-
ously to the circuit quarterly meetings, and are composed of the circuit and local preachers. Their business is, in addition to mutual counsel and encouragement, to con- sider the recommendations given by the leaders' meet- ings of persons to be employed as local preachers or ex- horters; make suitable inquiries respecting probationers, and any alleged irregularities in the conduct or preach- ing of any of the brethren; ascertain if any alterations are required in the places or times of preaching, and re- port thereon to the quarterly meeting through the medi- um of their secretary.
The religious, social, and society meetings of the New Connection are conducted in the same manner as the like meetings of the Wesleyan body, the parent society.
IV. History. — The incidents of history in the Meth- odist New Connection are comparatively few, and they relate chiefly to the personal histor}- of the preachers and the steady spread of the movement. At the first Conference the number of adherents was five thousand and thirty-seven. Surrounded by difficulties of more than ordinary urgency and gravit}', the society made very slow progress, not so much from want of sympathy on the part of the people as from want of funds and agents to commence new circuits. The new itinerancv commenced with seven circuits and seven preachers. In 1798 seven other preachers entered the ministrv — Messrs. AV. Haslam, W. Styan,.Tohn Kevil, Charles Don- ald, W. Driver, G. Wall, and John McClure. That fact inspired cheerfid hopes of progress, but in five years only two hundred and forty-three additions were made to the membership. A monthly magazine was com- menced in 1798, which has been continued ever since. The first and second conferences were presided over by ISIr. William Thom, the secretary being Mr. Kilham. The Conference of 1799 was presided over by John Grnii- dell, the secretary being Mr. Robert Hall, of Nottingham, a holy man, and a generous supporter of the cause. In December of the previous year the first heavj' blow and discouragement came b}' the unexpected death of Mr, Kilham ; many were disheartened, and some among Mr. Wesley's followers were glad, they viewing the occurrence as a judgment upon him personally. All the surround- ing circumstances, calmlj' considered apart from preju- dice, show that Mr. Kilham's death was more the re- sult of earnest overwork and exposure in bad weather. Viewed from any human standpoint, the premature death of that able minister was much to be regretted, and the good work for which he lived and labored was considerably retarded by the occurrence. Exactly two months after IMr. Kilham's death, the Connection suffered another serious loss by the death of their very liberal and zealous layman, Mr. William Smith, of Hanley, who expired peacefully Feb. 20, 1799. He liad been brought up in j\Ir. Wesley's society, but his sympathies were with ]Mr. Kilham, whom he visited at Nottingham, Dec. 19, 1798. He was born at Walsall, Staffordshire, in De- cember, 17G3; was religiously brought up; frequently preached as occasion offered; attended the first Confer- ence of the New Connection ; opened his house at Han- ley for preaching, and soon afterwards had a chapel erected there, which became the central home of one of the largest and most prosperous societies in the Con- nection.