At the Cont^erence of 1848 arrangements were made for the establishment of home missions in England ; but the work grew slowly, and ten years afterwards, in 1857, a plan was adopted for the management of home mis- sion chapels. In 1865 the present Home Missionary Society was inaugurated. In 1880 there were thirteen mission stations, with 1249 members.
Although the Ju!)ilee Fund had been of much use in relieving the Connection of some financial burdens, yet great embarrassment was felt in many places from in- adequate funds in 1849, and at the following Conference a plan was adopted which entirely extinguished the debts of the Connection at that time.
In 1851 the Methodist societies in England were in a ver}' painful state of unrest, owing to the expulsion in 1849 from the Wesleyan Conference of several promi- nent preachers— the lievs. James Everett, Samuel Dunn,
William Griffith, James Bromley, Thomas Rowland, and others. Although in three years more than one hun- dred thousand members were separated from the parent society, very few of them were attracted to the New Connection. In 1851, 1853, and 1854 this body had to report to each Conference a decrease, which was a source of much anxiety and solicitude, and a special service of humiliation before God was held at the Con- ference of 1853. In 1851 overtures were made from the Wesleyan delegates — the secedcrs from the parent so- ciety— towards union with the New Connection, but no union took place. In 1854 an effort was made to change the name of New Connection, as it was not then new, and many thought the name was a hinderance to oth- ers uniting with them. It was, however, resolved by the Conference of that year not to change the name, as the new deed-poll had only been adopted a few years. The rules of the Connection were revised in 1854.
The Manchester Conference of 1859 was memorable for the establishment of a mission to China. From a conviction that the encouragement of foreign missions would not hinder home work, that step was taken. The Rev. William Cooke was the president, and by his ge- nial advocacy a successful work was commenced in that country, which in 1880 reported 43 chapels, 27 societies, and 902 members, under the superintendence of the Rev. John Innocent, who is the principal of a training insti- tution in China. In 1862 a mission was established in Australia, which has but two societies at present — one at Adelaide and one at Melbourne — with two mission- aries and 115 members.
At the Conference of 1860 a Trustees' Mutual Guaran- tee Fund was established against losses by fire, to in- clude all Connectional property.
A training institution for the preparation of young men for the ministry was for some years under con- sideration. The Conference of 1861 resolved upon hav- ing one; and owing to the noble generosity of Thomas Firth, of Sheflield, such an institution was erected at Ranmoor, near that town. Its trustees were appointed in 1862, and the college was opened and a tutor selected in 1864. In 1880 there were nine students in residence, who paid £10 per annum. The president of the Con- ference was the principal and only tutor at that period. The college building cost £8710.
The Conference of 1865 resolved that a copy of Bag- ster's Bible, the Conference Joiinud, the deed-poll, and the general rules of the society should in future be the insignia of office of the president, to be handed down in succession. The same Conference resolved that all fut- ure conferences of their body should meet on the second Monday in June, instead of 'Whit-Monday as previous- ly, the latter being a movable date, which was often attended with much inconvenience to both ministers and laymen. Mr. Alderman Blackburn, of Leeds, a wealthy layman, presented to each of the ex-presidents of Conference for fourteen years previously to the year 1863 a copy of Bagster's Bible and the new hymn-book, then first published. A new tune-book, adapted to the hymn-book, was prepared by the Rev. J. Ogden, and published in 1866.
The Conference of 1868 resolved on a new departure from existing usage, and consented to ministerial ap- pointments being continued for five successive years in circuits where two thirds of the quarterly meeting request it. The limit had previously been three years.
A further attempt at union was made at the Confer- ence of 1870, when the terms for a federal union with the Bible Christians were considered, and resolutions recorded thereon. The same Conference resolved that home missionaries of fourteen j'ears' standing be allow- ed to attend the Conference, but not to vote.
The Conference of 1871 approved of the raising of a fund to extinguish the Chapel Fund debt. The sum of £4672 was raised, which accomplished the object de- sired.
(WESL.) M. NEW CONNECTION 933 WESLEYAN REFORM UNION
The Conference held at Manchester ill 1872 was presided over by the Rev. Joseph H. Robinson, the secretary be- ing the Rev. J. C. Watts. Both these ministers had spent many years in the Canada mission. Methodist union in Canada was fully considered in 1873, and the union was consummated in 1874.
It was resolved in 1875 to establish a training institution in Cliina for na- tive teachers. The principal is the Rev. John Innocent.
The Conference of 1876 was made memorable by acts of fraternization of considerable interest. The Meth- odist Church of Canada sent as a dep- utation to the Conference the venera- ble and Rev. Egerton Ryerson, D.D., and Mr. David Savage, who presented an address of brotherly fraternization. They were most cordially welcomed. Dr. Ryerson remained some time in England as the guest of various friends of the Connection. His portrait was ordered to be engraved and published in the magazine as a pleasant memo- rial of his visit. At the same Confer- ence, the Rev. Alexander Clarke, D.D., presented a fraternal message from the General Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church in the United States of America. Fraternal messages were returned to both documents. The same Conference sent its first fraternal mes- sage to the Primitive INIethodists of England, which greetings were con- tinued and reciprocated for three years, when, in 1879, the New Connection Conference, seeing how kindly their written messages had been received, appointed two of the members of the Conference to visit the ensuing Primi- tive Methodist Conference, two others to visit the Methodist Free Church Conference, and two others to visit the Wesleyan Conference. Each of the conferences appointed representa- tives to return these visits of fraternal good-will, and the good work has since been continued with very happy re- sults; and the feeling of surprise now is that such pleasant reunions by rep- resentation should have been so long delayed. Thej^ serve to facilitate the arrangements for holding the (Ecu- menical Congress in 1881. At the Conference of 1876, Mr. Mark Firth presented £1000 to the endowment fund of the college, and the home and foreign missionary societies were united under one committee of man- agement.