The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-10-16
Tho National NpiscopaI Convention
NlacQrd RHfNeen the Txa Hauaaa.


According TO our telegraphio despatch from
Richmond, tho House Of Bishops have refused
to restore Bishop Onderdonk. We have the
vote, but no other particulars.
The Convention Of the Protestant Episcopal
Church Of the United States has been holding
it's annual session during tho last two weeks in
the city Of Richmond. We have had tho pro-
cecdings specially reported for the HERALD,
and have devoted considerable share Of our
epsce to their publication. On examining
these proceedings, however, we fail to discover
anything. except the vote on the restoration of
Bishop Onderdonk, that has been accomplished
for the good Of the church or for the advance
mcnt OF religion by this Convention. The only
thing noteworthy in the whole affair." for so FAR, is
the marked presence Of jealousy and discord be-
tween the House of Bishops and the House of
Clerical and Lay Delegates. What the one
body resolves to do, the other body Is sure TO
resolve not to do; and in some instances there
has been manifestation Of feeling almost as
strong as took place in the two houses Of Con-
gress last session on the swbject Of the Post
! Office Appropriation. bill,
In ether respects the Nationsl Episcopal
Convention may be ,aptly comparable the ma
tional legislature, with this difference, that the
one Is irestfietea 10 things spiritual, and the
other to things temporal In their organization
they are remarkably similar. They both re-
present the whole country. Each consists Of
| two houses, having distinct rules Of business;
and save in exceptional matters, the concur
renee of both houses in any law or canon is
requisite. In this church congress the upper
| house is composed Of bishops and assistant
bishops having charge Of diocesses within the
United States, and the lower house of an equal
number Of clerical and lay delegates elected
| from each diocess An amendment to the consti-
tuition, which is pending before the Convention,
Gxes the number of clerical delegatesfrom each
diocess at four, and Of lay delegates at the same
| figure. That would leave the House of Dele
gates eight times more numerous than the
House of Dishops-a disparity about double
| that between the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives at Washington. The House Of Bish-
| OBS sits with closed doors-as the Senate
does in Executive session-but the House
| of Delegates Is open to the press and the pub
lie.
| Most Of the business hours of the Convention
have been consumed in discussions and move
| ments affecting proposed changes in the canons
or laws Of the church. These appear to refer
mainly to matters Of discipline, although some
| Of them may aim at Interior objects and special
cases. but for so far no progress has been made.
On almost every subject on which action has
been taken there has been disagreement be-
tween the two Houses. Indeed, SO marked
has this been that one Of the delegates con-
ceived i! his duty to make speech defending
the House of Bishops from the charge Of ton
| dency to tyrannize and override the clerical
and lay members. We may cite one or two in
stances illustrative Of this feeling.
Tho National Episcopal Convention being
ambuatory in its character, like the political
conventions and national fairs, always fixes
| where the succeeding years session is to be
held. The House of Delegates took the initia-
tive the other day, and after pretty long strug
gle agreed to meet next year at Chicago. The
House of Bishops to whom the resolution was
sent for concurrence refused to concur in il,
and adopted an amendment substituting Phila-
delphia for Chicago, and assigning reasons for
the change. The House of Delegates took up
the matter again, declared the reason assigned
by the House of Bishops invalid, and insisted
on their former action. Thus stood the ques-
ton at the date of our last dispatches from
Richmond.
Then again: the conservation of four
bishops elect being part of the programme at
Richmond the presiding bishop decided that
the conservation should take place in the open
air, in the Capitol grounds, and under the
shadow of the Washington monument. The
House Of Delegates was duly notified of this
arrangement, which, to say the least, had the
merit of novelty and originality. Although it
was a matter over which the House of Dele
gates had no control whatever, they nevefthe-
less proceeded to express very emphatically
their disapprobation of the arrangements. One
delegate wanted to know how the sacrament
of the Lords Supper, an essential part of the
conservation service, was to be administered
al .fresco. Another delegate suggested that the
Bishops were ignorant of the Rubric, which evil
IDENTIFY contemplated that the service should take
place in church, and held that Capitol square
was not essentially church within the mean
ing Of the rule. The presiding bishop was
supposed to be sitting in his chair near the
communion table and this delegate could not
see how that direction was to be observed in
Capitol square. The delegate then got off an
irreverent joke about the disagreeableness of
such seat for the right reverend father In God,
and for those who, like him and like another
celebrated character in Virginia
Had no wool on the top Of their heads,
The place where the wool ought to grow.