The Committee of Wesleyans appointed to arrange the details of
lay representation in Conference have agreed without dis- cussion that the numbers should be esual, 240 laymen and 246 ministers constituting the governing body. It has also been de- cided, by 33 to 26, that ministers should be elected by ministers and laymen by laymen, and not both orders by a com- bined vote, a decision which is considered of great im-
portance. As far as we understand over-summarised reports, the ministry generally were in favour of the plan adopted, think- ing that, as Dr. Rigg said, "ministers understand ministers best ;" but we suspect they have, as far as the interests of the clerical order are concerned, made a great mistake. The laymen, denied all power in the election of ministers, will choose laymen to oppose them, while the ministers lose the immense influence they -might have had in the selection of laymen. The laymen will be the more antagonistic, because the reserved power of the Legal Hundred still makes the Ministers masters of the situation.
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