FOURTH MEETING, SEPT. 24, 9 A. M.
By Editor
Prayer by Elder Loughborough. The Nominating Committee reported, recommending the following persons as officers of this Conference for the coming year:— For President, S. N. Haskell; Secretary, J. D. Rice; Treasurer, Pacific Press; Executive Committee, S. N. Haskell, W. C. White, J. H. Waggoner, J. N. Loughborough, M. C. Israel. A motion to adopt this report was withdrawn, and it was voted to defer action upon it until after the adoption of the constitution. The motion to adopt was then taken from the table, and the constitution as revised was considered section by section. After quite a lengthy discussion, and several amendments, it was adopted. Following is the constitution in full:— Believing that we have committed to us the great work of disseminating light upon "the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus," and the truths of the Third Angel's Message, for the purpose of securing unity and efficiency in our work, and of promoting the interests of the cause of present truth, we adopt the following as the Constitution of this Conference:— This Conference shall be known as the California Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Section 1. The officers of this Conference shall be a President, Secretary, Treasurer, and an Executive Committee of five, of which the President shall be one, and they shall be elected annually. Sec. 2. The duties of the President and Secretary shall be such as usually pertain to those offices. Sec. 3. It shall be the duty of the Treasurer to keep an accurate account of the receipts and disbursements of the Conference funds, to pay out the same as may be provided by the Conference, to report to the Conference Secretary each quarter the amount of money received and paid during the quarter, and the amount on hand at the close of the quarter, and to make an annual report thereof at the meetings of the Conference. Sec. 4. It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to appoint through the SIGNS OF THE TIMES the time and place to hold the annual Conferences, and to call special Conferences whenever in their judgment it may be needful to do so; to take the general supervision of all labor performed within and for this Conference; to take charge of and care for all the property belonging to the Conference; and to exercise a general watchcare over all matters pertaining to the interests of the cause within the bounds of this Conference. Sec. 5. It shall be the duty of the Conference to elect or appoint a committee of four, who shall not have been in the employ of the Conference during any part of the preceding year, who, with the Executive Committee, shall constitute an Auditing Committee to examine and settle all accounts which are presented to the Conference at which they are elected or appointed. Section 1. It shall be the duty of the churches belonging to this Conference to adopt the tithing system of the Bible, and the funds so raised shall be paid to the Treasurer of the Conference, to be used for the ministry of the gospel. Sec. 2. In addition to the tithes, the Executive Committee is authorized to call for donations as the wants of the cause may, in their judgment, demand. Sec. 3. All money paid out by the Treasurer shall be upon an order by the President, or by one of the Executive Committee designated by him, which shall be signed by the Secretary. Section 1. It shall be the duty of each church to make a written report every quarter to the Conference Secretary, of its standing, its additions and losses, the amount of its tithes, and the number of members of its Sabbath-school and Missionary Society; and to make a like report for the year to the regular annual meetings of the Conference. Sec. 2. When any church, or scattered brethren, wish ministerial labor in their vicinity, their call shall be made to the Executive Committee. Section 1. It shall be the duty of the Conference to determine who are the approved ministers within the bounds thereof; to grant suitable credentials to the same; and to grant licenses to those whom it shall consider suitable to labor in the cause. And in the interval between the regular meetings, the Executive Committee are authorized to perform such duties. Sec. 2. Those who may feel it duty to exercise their gifts as preachers or colporters, shall lay their exercises of mind before the Conference Committee, and the Committee may license them if they consider them qualified. Section 1. It shall be the duty of the ministers of this Conference to make a written report to each annual meeting, of their labors each week during the Conference year, or of so much of the year as they may have been in the employ of the Conference. Sec. 2. It shall also be the duty of the ministers of this Conference to report to the annual meetings thereof, all donations which they have received during the year from churches or individuals, and such donations shall be considered by the Auditing Committee in settling the accounts of said ministers. Section 1. The delegates to this Conference shall be elected according to the following ratio: Each organized church shall be entitled to one delegate, and one additional delegate for every ten members. Sec. 2. The members of the Executive Committee shall be members of the Conference, ex-officio, and all ministers holding credentials from this Conference shall be considered delegates at large. Sec. 3. In case that any of the delegates to which a church is entitled do not attend the Conference, the delegates attending may cast the full number of votes to which said church is entitled. Sec. 4. Unorganized companies of believers shall be represented in Conference by the delegates at large. This Constitution may be amended at any regular meeting of the Conference by a two-thirds vote of the members, provided, that such amendment shall not conflict with the Constitution of the General Conference. After the adoption of the constitution, a motion to adopt the report of the Nominating Committee was made and supported, when Elder Loughborough stated that as he was already president of a large and destitute Conference, he could not consent to act in an official capacity in California unless help were sent to that Conference. If he were elected, he should consider it a promise to send a laborer from California to the Upper Columbia Conference. Brother White then told the object for which Elder Loughborough was called to this country. It was not to be tied to one place, to labor in new fields, but to help the churches. He thought his request was just. The persons above named were then elected as officers of the Conference. Adjourned to call of chair.