Conferences as have but one Ministerial Delegate, which Conferences shall each be entitled to one Lay Delegate.

57. The Lay Delegates shall be chosen by an Electoral Conference of Laymen, which shall assemble for the purpose on the third day of the session of the Annual Conference, at the place of its meeting, at its session immediately preceding that of the General Conference.

¶ 58. The Electoral Conference shall be composed of one Layman from each Circuit or Station within the bounds of the Annual Conference, such Layman to be chosen by the last Quarterly Conference preceding the time of the assembling of such Electoral Conference; and on assembling, the Electoral Conference shall organize by electing a Chairman and Secretary of its own number; provided, that no Layman shall be chosen a Delegate either to the Electoral Conference or to the General Conference who shall be under twentyfive years of age, or who shall not have been a Member of the Church in Full Connection for the five consecutive years preceding the elections.*

*The Secretaries of the several Annual and Electora} Conferences shall send to the Secretary of the last General Conference a certified copy of the election of Delegates and Reserves to the next General Conference, in the order of their election, as soon after the election as practicable, so that a roll of Members and Reserves may be prepared for the opening of the next General Conference.

¶ 59. The General Conference shall meet on the first day of May, in the year of our Lord 1812, in the City of New York, and thenceforward on the first day of May once in four years perpetually, in such place or places as shali be fixed on by the General Conference from time to time; but the General Superintendents, or a majority of them, by and with the advice of two thirds of all the Annual Conferences, shall have power to call an extra session of the General Conference at any time, to be constituted in the usual way. But if there shall be no General Superintendent, then two thirds of all the Annual Conferences shall have power to call such extra session.

¶ 60. At all times when the General Conference is met it shall take two thirds of the whole number of Ministerial and Lay Delegates to form a quorum for transacting business.

¶ 61. The Ministerial and Lay Delegates shall deliberate and vote together as one body; but they shall vote separately whenever such separate vote shall be demanded by one third of either Order; and in such cases the concurrent vote of both Orders shall be necessary to complete an action.

¶ 62. One of the General Superintendents shall preside in the General Conference; but in case no General Superintendent be present, the General Conference shali choose a president pro tempore.

¶ 63. The General Conference shall have full power to make Rules and Regulations for our

Church under the following Limitations and Re. strictions, namely:

§ 1. The General Conference shall not revoke, alter, nor change our Articles of Religion, nor establish any new Standards or Rules of Doctrine contrary to our present existing and established Standards of Doctrine.

§ 2. The General Conference shall not allow of more than one Ministerial Representative for every fourteen Members of an Annual Conference; nor of a less number than one for every forty-five; nor of more than two Lay Delegates for an Annual Conference; provided, nevertheless, that when there shall be in any Annual Conference a fraction of two thirds the number which shall be fixed for the ratio of representation, such Annual Conference shall be entitled to an additional Delegate for such fraction; and provided, also, that no Conference shall be denied the privilege of one Ministerial and of one Lay Delegate.

§ 3. The General Conference shall not change nor alter any part or rule of our government so as to do away Episcopacy, nor destroy the plan of our itinerant General Superintendency; but may appoint a Missionary Bishop or Superintendent for any of our Foreign Missions, limiting his jurisdiction to the same respectively.

§4. The General Conference shall not revoke nor change the General Rules of the United Societies. § 5. The General Conference shall not do away

the privileges of our Ministers or Preachers of trial by a Committee, and of an Appeal; neither shall they do away the privileges of our Members of trial before the Society or by a Committee, and of an Appeal.

§ 6. The General Conference shall not appropriate the produce of the Book Concern, nor of the Chartered Fund, to any purpose other than for the benefit of Traveling, Supernumerary, Superannuated and Worn Out Preachers, their Wives, Widows, and Children.

¶ 64. Provided, nevertheless, that upon the concurrent recommendation of three fourths of all the Members of the several Annual Conferences who shall be present and vote on such recommendation, then a majority of two thirds of the General Conference succeeding shall suffice to alter any of the above Restrictions, excepting the First Article; and also, whenever such alteration or alterations shall have been first recommended by two thirds of the General Conference, so soon as three fourths of the Members of all the Annual Conferences shall have concurred as aforesaid, such alteration or alterations shall take effect.

The Annual Conferences.

65. There are now one hundred and eleven Annual Conferences in the year, and these shall severally become bodies corporate, wherever prac

ticable, under the authority of the laws of the States and Territories within whose bounds they are located.

¶ 66. All the Traveling Preachers, both those who are in Full Connection and those who are on Trial, shall attend their Annual Conference.

¶ 67. No Annual Conference shall be organized with less than twenty effective members.

¶ 68. The Bishops shall appoint the times of holding the Annual Conferences; but they shall al· low each Annual Conference to sit a week at least.

¶ 69. Each Annual Conference shall appoint the place of its own sitting; but should it become necessary, from any unforeseen cause, to change the place of its sitting after it has been fixed by the Conference, the Preacher or Preachers in Charge in the place where the Conference was to have been held, and the Presiding Elder of the District, shall have power to make such change. But this authority shall not be exercised without first consulting the other Presiding Elders of the Conference so far as prac

ticable.

¶ 70. A Bishop shall preside in the Annual Conferences. In case no Bishop be present, a Member of the Conference, appointed by the Bishop, shall preside. But if no appointment be made, or the person appointed do not attend, the Conference shall elect a President by ballǝt from among the Elders without debate.