payment of his annuity. The Board of Management shall have power to act on such recommendation, and the decision of the Board in such matters shall be final.

424. It shall be the duty of the Board to call the attention of the Annual Conferences to the relation of all claimants of less than twenty-three years' standing, at the close of the third year of their superannuation, and also to all other cases with regard to which a review may be deemed expedient.

425. The minimum allowance in the commutation of an annuity shall be an amount equal to the sum of the claim ant's personal subscriptions to the fund, with four per cent. compound interest on the same, and, in addition, $10 for each year of post-probationary service.

426. The maximum allowance in the commutation of an annuity shall be equal to the aforesaid sum of a claimant's personal subscriptions, with compound interest at four per cent., and, in addition, $20 for each year of post-probationary service; provided, however, that the total amount paid in commutation of a claim shall in no case be more than $2,000.

427. The Board, in determining the sum of a claimant's personal subscriptions, shall reckon $10 for each year of service prior to the year 1883-4, and $12 from that year to the year 1894-5, and for each subsequent year the sum credited shall be as per Article VI. of this Constitution. If the claimant has received one or more annual payments from the fund, an amount equal to not less than one-half the sum of such payments shall be deducted from the allowance.

428. The Board, in determining the allowance in the commutation of an annuity, shall take into consideration reversionary interests, also the age, health and probable longevity of the beneficiaries, and shall pay the maximum allowance only when the claimant's wife is living, and when there is also a strong probability of both parties reaching their expectancy.

429. The Board shall have authority to commute an annuity only on the recommendation of an Annual Conference; but in any case recommended for commutation, it shall be optional with the Board either to commute the claim or not, as it may deem expedient; and it shall be optional with a superannuated minister, who has a standing of twenty-three years or upwards, whether he shall accept commutation or not, but in all other cases the decision of the Board shall be binding on the minister concerned.

430. The commutation of an annuity shall, in all cases, cancel the reversionary interest of a claimant's wife and children.

XI. Refunds.

431. A minister who is located, and who has rendered less than twenty-three years' service, thereby ceases to be a member of the fund, and shall have his annual subscriptions refunded with six per cent. simple interest; if he has rendered twenty-three or more years of service his interest in the Fund shall be commuted by the Board on the scale hereinbefore provided.

432. In all other cases, when a member of the fund ceases to be a minister or probationer of the Methodist Church, he shall have one-half the amount of his annual subscriptions refunded; nevertheless, if he is a superannuated minister, the sum of the payments he has received shall be deducted from the sum of his annual subscriptions, and the balance only, if any, shall be refunded.

433. In the refunding of subscriptions, the Treasurers shall ascertain whether any loans that may have been granted the applicant by the Educational Society have been repaid. If such loans have not been repaid, no refund of subscriptions shall be made until a certificate of payment is furnished. The Treasurers shall be authorized to protect the Book and Publishing House in the same

manner.

XII. Regulations.

434. The Secretary of each Annual Conference, immediately on the rising of the same, and on blank forms provided by the Board, shall furnish the Treasurers of the fund with a certified statement containing:

1. The name and date of birth of each preacher received on trial.

2. The name and date of birth of any minister received from another Church.

3. The name and latest P.O. address of each minister or minister's widow that has died during the year, also of claimant children.

4. The names and addresses of those who have received a superannuated relation.

5. The names of superannuated ministers who are recommended to commute their claims.

6. The names of ministers who are located, made supernumeraries, dropped, suspended or deposed from the ministry.

7. The names of superannuated, supernumerary, located or suspended ministers restored to the active work.

8. The names of ministers left without an appointment at their own request.

9. The name of the Conference Treasurer of this fund.

10. The amounts raised on each charge for ministerial support, and for the funds forming the basis of circuit apportionment, as per Article VI.; also the amount paid each minister and probationer, from all sources, for "salary, board and fuel."

435. A superannuated minister who changes his place of residence shall notify the Treasurers, and also the President of his Annual Conference, of such change within thirty days thereof.

436. The names of subscribers of $5, or more, annually to the fund, shall be printed in the minutes of the Annual Conference.

i

SECTION III.

SUPERNUMERARY MINISTERS' AND MINISTERS'

WIDOWS' FUND.

CONSTITUTION.

I. Name.

"The Super

437. This fund, heretofore known as numerary Ministers' and Ministers' Widows' Fund of the Conference of Eastern British America," shall hereafter be designated, “The Supernumerary Ministers' and Ministers' Widows' Fund of the Methodist Church," embracing the Provinces of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and the Bermudas.

II. Membership.

438. All members of the Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland Annual Conferences, complying with Article IV. of this Constitution, shall be members of this fund.

III. Management.

439. The representatives of the aforesaid Annual Conferences to the General Conferences shall, at some time during the session of each General Conference, at a meeting summoned not later than the sixth day of the Session of the General Conference, by a General Superintendent, at