CONFERENCE, a coming together to consult upon any cause or course. In legisla tion there are often committees of conference when the two houses of congress or of a state legislature disagree on any measure. In that case each house appoints ai committee, and these committees either a single course, or report to their several houses that no agreement can be inatle. The two houses may incet in joint session for certain specified purposes, but never in conference. Between the representatives of nations there have been many important political and commercial conferences, such as those of Vienna in 1820 and 1831, of Paris in 1856, of London in 1864, 1867, And 1871. Of late years, con ferences have grown popular. There was an international conference (or congress) at Geneva in 1864, for the organization of the sanitary commission, and at Paris in 1867, on the money question. There have been many ecclesiastical conferences. One was held at Hampton Court palace, at the instance of James I., in Jan., 1604. It was composed of
prelates of the church of England and dissenting ministers, the object being to effect a general union. This conference led to the translation of the Bible known to English readers as the authorized version. Another conference was held in 1661, when some alterations were made in the prayer book. Similar conferences were once frequent in the Roman Catholic church; and in other churches there are pastoral and other con ferences. The annual meeting of the church of England is called the " Annual Conference;" and the same title is used for annual or other stated sessions in the Methodist Episcopal. the Quaker, the Evangelical, Baptist, and other denominations. Under the name of "Evangelical Church Conference," delegates from the German states and Austria meet for the consideration of questions affecting church matters. See CONFERENCES OF TILE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.