Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-11-05

shtSfolc aul DIoCtedD O0uuCitSs -
ART. 3. The General Council of this Church
shall meet On the second Wednesday of No
vember, in the year of our Lord one thousand
eight hundred and sixty-two, at Augusta, Ga,
and on the same day In every third year
thereafter, in such place as shall be determin-
ed by the Council
In case there shall be an epidemic disease
or other good cause to render it necessary to
alter the plsce appointed for such meeting,
the Presiding Bishop may designate another
convenient place for the holding of such
Council; and specia Pmeetings may be called
at other times in the manner hereafter to be
determined.
The General Council shall consist of two
Houses: The House of Bishops and the House
of Deputies.
The House of Bishops shall be composed of
all Bishops of this Church, having Jurisdic-
ton within the Confederate States or the Ter
ritories thereof
Each Diocese shall be entitled to an equal
representation, clerical and lay, in the House
Of Deputies. Such representation shall con
sist OF not more than three clergymen and
three laymen, commandments in this Church;
resident in the Diocese, and elected by the
Council thereof
Before they shall proceed to business, q
majority OF the Dioceses, which shall have
adopted this Constitution, shall be represen-
ted in the Council. The representation from
Dioceses shall be sufficient to adjourn.
In all business of the Council. freedom of
debate shall be allowed.
Each House shall have a right to originate
acts, and, when any act shall have been pass
ed in either House, it shall be transmitted
tOithe other Houses for its consideration. No
act shall have the operation of law, uni SIS
concurred in and authenticated by both
Houses.
When any proposed act shall have passed
the House of Deputies. and shall be mega.
lived by the House of Bishops, the House of
Bishops shall, when requested by the House
OF Deputies, signify to it in writing their nom
concurrence within three days after such re-
quest shall have been made.
In all questions, when required by the
clerical or lay representation from any Do
cese, each order shall have one vote, and the
majority of suffrages by Dioceses shall be
conclusive in each order; provided such ma
Jorlty OF the Dioceses represented in that Or
der. The concurrence of both orders shall
be necessary, in such case, to constitute a
vote of the House.
If any Diocese should omit or decline to
elect Clerical Deputies to the General Coun
Gil, or should omit or decline to elect Lay
Deputies, or if any of those of either order
elected should fail to attend, such Diocese
shall, nevertheless, be considered as duly
represented by such Deputy or Deputies as
may attend, lay or clerical. And if through
the neglect of any Diocese, which shall have
adopted this constitution. no Deputy there
from. either lay or clerical, should attend
the General Confederation Council, the
Church in such Diocese shall. nevertheless,
be bound by the acts of such Council.
ART. 4. Whenever any of the Confederate
States shall contain more than one Diocese,
said State may. with the consent of all the
Dioceses thereof, constitute an Ecclesiastical
Province. in which may be held, at least
once in three years, Provincial Council,
which Council shall be made up of all the
Bishops having jurisdiction within the Pro-
vice, and of such representatives,, Clerical
and Lay from the Diocese, within the Pro-
vince, the Senior Bishop, by conservation,
shall preside in the Provincial Council, and
when there shall be three, or more than three
Bishops, they shall form separate house.
Whenever such Council shall legislate, its
acts shall be of force within all the Dioceses
embraced within the Province.
ART. 5. There shall be held annually, in
each Diocese, Council, to be composed of
the Bishop or Bishops of the Diocese, and of
Lay and Clerical representation from each
Parish of the Diocese. This Council shall
legislate for only Diocesan purposes.
2 ART. 6. The Bishop or Bishops in each Di-
Geese shall be chosen by the Council of the
Diocese, agreeably to such rules as it may
prescribe, and every Bishop of this Church
shall cOnfine the exercise of his Episcopal
Office to his proper Diocese, unless requested
to perform any act of that Office by the &C.
clesiastical authority of any other Diocese.
ART. z. A new Diocese formed in any of
the Confederate States, or in any Territory
thereof not now represented, may, at any
time hereafter, be admitted to union with,
and represented in, the General Council of
this Church, on acceding to this Constitution:
Provided there were at the time of organiza-
ton, and at the time of making application
for admission, at least six officiating Presby-
teries within such Diocese, regularly settled
in Parish or Church.
A new Diocese may be formed within the
limits of any existing Diocese. with the con-
sent of its Council and Bishop or Bishops
thereof; or, If there be no Bishop, of the &C.
clesiastical authority thereof; and new Di-
Geese may be formed with like consent: Pro-
vided, that no such new Diocese shall be
formed, which shall contain less than ten
self-supporting parishes, or less than ten
Presbyters, who have been for at least one
year economically resident within the bounds
OF such new Diocese, regularly settled in
parish or congregation, and qualified to vote
for Bishop; nor shall such new Diocese be
formed, il thereby any existing Diocese should
be so reduced as to contain less than fifteen
seii-suppOftnS parishes, or less than fifteen
Presbyters, who have been resident therein
and settled and qualified as above mentioned.
Provided, that no city shall form thus one
Diocese. s - $50. M
In case Diocese shall be divided into two
or more Dioceses, the Diocesan of the Diocese
SO divided may elect the Diocese over which
he will preside, and shall become the Dio
cesar thereof. Aud the Assistant Bishop, if
there be one, may elect the Diocese to which
he will be attached, aud if it be not the one
elected by the Bishop, shall be its Diocesan
thereof
ART. 8. The mode of trying Bishops shall
be provided by the Conference Council. The
court appointed for that purpose shall be
composed OF Bishops only.
In every Diocese, the mode of trying Pres
byters and Deacons shall be prescribed by
the Council of the Diocese embraced
None but Bishop shall pronounce sem
tence of admonition, suspension, or degrada-
ton from the ministry, on any Clergyman,
whether Bishop, Presbyter or Deacon. :. -
ART. 8. No person shall be admitted to Ho-
ly Orders, until he shall have been examined
by the Bishop and by two Presbyters, and
shall have exhibited such testimonials aud
other requisites as the Canons in that case
provided may direct. 70 zoe - = 3
Nor shall any person be ordained either
Deacon or Priest, until be shall have subscri-
bed the following Declaration, viz: ~ IS -
{ 81 do believe the Holy Scriptures of the