Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1859-10-17
Episcopal General Convention.

K
The General Convenlionof the Episco-
pal Church in the United States, which
meets once in three years, begins to-day
4 its trlennial assemblage IN Richmond,
1.-THE fret session it has ever held 10 a
Southern city. In this connection, a
4 brief history Of the influential ecclesiastic-
Ial body which Is here represented, may
not be luninteresting 81
Before the American Revolution, the
i Episcopal Church, in an organized form,
could scarcely be said to exist in Amer
| lea. There was no Bishop residing ia
4 this country, and the clergy being under
the superintendent Of the Bishop of
London. The congregations were chiefly
indebted for the religious. ministrations
which they enjoyed to tie members Of
| the Church Of England, who, acting UNI
der the sanction Of the English Bishops
land formed into the Society for the Prop
Iagation Of the Gospel ia Foreign Paris,
fsupplied the churches in the colonies
with missionary labor. After the term
nation Of the Revolutionary war, the first
lstep taken for the organization of the
Church was meeting Of few of the
clergy of New York, New Jersey and
| Pennsylvania, at New Brunswick, N. j.,
| in May, 1871; The meeting was NOT
[called for that purpose, but the project Of
iIageneral union Of the churches through
u out the States became topic Of sufi-
Gent interest 10 lead 10 the calling of AM
other meeting, to be held in October fol-
flowing in the city Of New York. lii the
interim. the Episcopal churches Of Com
!; neeticut having elected Rev. D. SEABgRY
Bishop Of that diocese, he proceeded to
England with ayiew to conservation, but
/ the English bishops having at that time
doubts of the reception which bishop
might meet, under the then imperfect. or
ganization Of the Church in America,
land also objections Of a political nature.
II DR.. SEABuRY was not successful in. his
application, and resort was, therefore,
had to the Episcopal Church in Scotland.
where Or. SEABuRY received CONSERVATION
lin November. 1894, and was thus the
first Bishop Of the Episcopal Church in
America. l. taf| IagZ5Els#. =l
. The adjourned meeting in New Y ork,
, in October, 178 recommended that the
. several States should send clerical and
Hay deputies to future meeting iii p hifa-
!, delphia, on September 27th. Of the fol-
lowing 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 reyisal Of the prayer
book, to adapt it TO the political changes
\ which had recently taken place articles
Eof union were adopted an ecclesiastical
constitution was framed and. the FIRST
i steps taken for the obtaining Of al Epis4
. fcopate direct from the Church Of Eng
/, land. Il pr. PRoyoosT was afterwards
! elected Bishop BY the Church ir New
! York, and Dir. WHITE by that In Penn
i sylvania, and having sailed for England
, Lin November, 1886, were consecrated at
|, Lambeth ID the following year, BY the
, most Reverend JoHN MOORE. Archbishop
of Canterbury. In September, 1890,
DR.. MADISON was consecrated Bishop vi
d Virginia, at the same place and BY the
same Archbishop, and there being now
I three Bishops Of the English succession,
besides one Of the Scotch, everything
requisite for the continuation and extern
! sion Of the Episcopacy in America was
] complete. ~ 4iggt 4.f EI#HIf +
i Accordingly, the line Of conservation
by American Bishops opened il 1893,
with the conservation Of Rev.. DR.. .CLAG-
eETT, Bishop elect Of Maryland. 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 clergymen There are
4 tnow thirty -one dioceses, twenty-nine
|, Bishops, and about two thousand other
|clergy. There is general Theological
4 Seminary. established To- New York BY
Bishop HOBART ID 1917, and diocesan
seminaries in Virginia, Ohio and Ken
, lucky The Domestic and Foreign Mis-
, sionary Society was established ia 1886.
The Episcopal Church 10 England,
i Through which the Episcopal Church III
America traces its descent, numbers thir-
lily Bishops; that in ireland, twelve; ID
Scotland, seven n in the English Colo
lnies, thirty-eight, having under them \
vast number Of priests and deacons.
The General Convention Of the United
States branch Of the Church. which
4 meets in Richmond to-day, is composed
of HouseEof Bishops, consisting Of all
the Diocesan and Missionary Bishops i'd
! the United States, and Of the House oil
Clerical and Lay Deputies, consisting d
four Clergymen and four Laymen from
each Diocese. It legislates for thu Epis-
copal Church within the linitsHof the
United States. but It can make no altera7
ton IN the Constitution, or ii the Liturgy
and officers, unless the same has been
adopted in one Convention and submitted
to an the Dioceses and afterwards adopt
4 ed i'll another Convention richmond
Dispatch, Oct. 4. s+$
Sheridan and Fox, with each a !" brick
in his hat. staggered into The House o.
Commons one evening. Fox was %
J, lcorned that ha h1,uld ga Yifl sneaker