The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-10-05
Rirbnlollh qispatch.

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MORNING. OCT. $ is0s
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Episcopal General Convention.
The Genera, Convention Of the Episcopai
Church in the United States, wnien "ee's
once In three Year,. begins to-day fs 'f'cnhiai
Sssernh,ase in Richmond, the hrst session !"
-. .~ar held In Southern city. In this con-
nection. a brief history OF the innuenual &C.
c,ss,..tics, body, which is here represented,
may not be uninteressing.
BEFORE the American Revolution, the Epfs-
eopai Church, in an organized form, could
scarcely be said to exist in America There
was no Bishop residing in this country, all
the clergy being under the superintendent of
the Bishop Of London. The congregations
were chiefly indebted for the religious minis
tra,ions which they enjoyed to the members
Of the Church OF England, who, acting under
the sanction of the English Bishops, and
formed into the Society for the Propagation OF
the Gospel In Foreign Parts, supplied the
churches in the colonies with missionary Ia
Dor. After the termination OF .the Revo'u-
tionary War, the first step taken Tor the or
xsnization of the Church was at meeting Oh
a few of the clergy OF New York, New 1er-
sey aud Pennsylvania, at New BruhswicK, ~.
J., in May, 1884. The meeting was not caiiea
for that purpose, but the project OF generai
uuion Of the churches throughout the States
became a topic OF sufficient interest to lead to
the calling OF another meeting, ~ DO held in
October following ia the city OF New York
In the interim, the Episcopal churches of
Connecticut having elected Rev. DR.. SgABuRr
Bishop Of thatdiocese, he proceeded to England
with a view 20 conservation, but the English
bishops having At that time doubts Of the
reception which bishop might meet, under
the then imperfect organization OF the Church
in America. and also objections Of a political
nature, DR.. SRADCRY was not successful in his
application, and resort was, therefore, had TO
the Episcopal Church in Scotland, where DR..
SEABrRY received conservation in Noyemb Der,
1874, and was thus the first Bishop of the Epis-
copal Church in America.
The adjourned meeting in New York, in Oc-
tober, 1874, recommend ed that the several
States should send clerical and lay deputies
TO a future meeting in Philadelphia, on Sep
TENDER 27th, of the following year. AT that
time and place the first General Convention
assembled. with delegates from seven of the
thirteen States. At this Convention measures
were taken for n revisal Of the prayer book,
TO ADAPT 1t to the political changes which had
recently taken place; articles of union were
adopted; an ecclesiastical constitution was
framed and the first steps taken for the OBJ
tanning Of an Epscopate direct from the
Church of England. DIR. PRovoosT was az
forwards elected Bishop by the Church in
New York, and DIR. WHITE by that in Penn.
syivania and having sailed for England in
November, i7e6, were consecrated ut Lam
BETH In the following year, by the M ost Reye-
reno JOHN MOORE, Archbishop Of Canter-
bury. In September, 1890, DIR. MADISON
was conseerated Bishop of Virginia, at the
same place and by the same Archbishop, and
there being now three Bishops OF the English
succession, besides of the Scotch, every
thing requisite for the continuation and
extension Of the Episcopacy in America was
complete.
Accordingly, the line demonstration by Amer
lean Bishops opened in 1892, with the consecra.
ton of Rev. Dir. CLAGGgrT Bishop elect of Ms .
ryland. AT the beginning of the present century
the Church had become permanently settled
In Its organization. In 1911, there were already
eight Bishops, and two hundred and thirty
other eiergymen. There are now thirty-ons
thousand other clergy. There is a General
Theological Seminary, established in New
York BY Bishop HOBART in 1sI7. and diocese
seminaries in Virginia, Ohio and Kentucky
The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Socie.
fy was established in 1875. The Episcopal
Church in England, through which the Epis.
copal Church in America traces its descent
numbers thirty Bishops; that in Ireland
twelve; In Scotland, seven; and in the English
COLONIES, thirty-eight, having under them a
vast number of priests and deacons
The General Convention of the United State,
branch OF the Church, which meets in Rich
mond to-day, is composed of House of
Bishops, consisting of all the Diocesan and
Missionary Bishops in the United States and
OF the House of Clerical and Lay Deputie,,
consisting of four Clergymen and four Law
men from each Diocese 1t Iegislates for the
Episcopal Church within the limits Of the
United States, but it can make n alteratio in
1he Constitution, or in the Liturgy and ON.
GERS, unless the same has been adopted in ono
Convention and submitted to all the Dioceses
and afterwards adopted in another Conyen-
ton