New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-05-19
NUMBER 237
Protestant Episcopal Convention of the bio.
cese of Louisiana.
me Convention me- 7aaterday At ths appointed

The morning business before the arrival of noon,
which had been fixed for entering on the election
OF bishop, was principally confined to routine
affairs
4he heV' Mr.. shckney presented report of the
missionary committee, which showed that there
was dehclt IN the treasury and he called on the
| congregations 70 pay the usual contributions II
also requested applications for missionary appoin+
ments to be addressed to the secretary and recon-.
mended that the instruction Of the colored peon,a
should be conducted under the control of tbe can
yention. The report was unanimously adopted
The President announced that the Office Of the /
treasurer, Mr.. Dix, was at 81 Poydras street and
he invited those who were prepared to pay the |
quota required by the canon in the convention, to
/ call there and do so.
| The Rev. Dr. Lewis presented a report on the
assessment for the bishops fund. It amounted to
$2625, which will be increased to $1,000 by Febru-
ary next The report was adopted.
The hour of noon having arrived, the president
announced that it was the order of the day that the
convention should now proceed to the election of
a bishop. Article seven Of the constitution re-
quires the clergy to select fit candidate, and the
laity to approve him before he could be elected.
This necessitates a separation of the orders, and
provision had accordingly been made for the ac
the basement of the church. The clergy would
retire thither, and the lay delegates remain in
session until they received an announcement that
, the clergy had agreed upon nominee, when they
would proceed to determine the choice. Under
the provisions of article seven Of the constitution,
already referred to, there not being two-thirds Of
the clergy or thirds of the laity present, ent
tied to vote, the vote would have to be decided
by twothirds of the whole vote taken. He then
directed the secretary to call the roll.
q 1t was found that of the clergy there were "a
present. absent; and that of the parishes %
! represented by lay delegates.
s Mr.. Mcconnell contested the declaration of the
!. president, that one order should retire to deb
n crate The delegates under the constitution had a
right to be present while the clergy deliberated
the nomination, and the clergy had right to be
u present while the laty deliberated on the ratica
ton or the rejection of that nomination. All the
IF constitution required was that the orders should
IS vote separatey-not in separate rooms or
70 buildings, but by separate ballots; while it
ID pressly directed that the whole convention shall
IN deliberate one body.
pit A very lengthy discussion took place upon this
Il point. Before it decided recess was taken
n. On resumng, the president said
er wish to say one word to the members before
III.
proceed to the election of some fit person to be
of consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of Louisiana
is 1t is the most important and responsible duty
which they are ever called to discharge, involving
he the highest and most lasting interest Of the King
as dom of Christ upon earthand so it has ever beeI
the godly custom of the church. according to the
ID pattern Of the apostesbefore entering upon tina
to sacred duty, to lift up their hearts to God, an
during brief interval of impressive silence to as
er, from Heaven the grace and guidance of the Hol
os- Ghost that their lotmay fall upon one who is full
;G,Ik koo oOFffC nf tn
glory of God and the edifying of the people,
. Following this apostolic example, few m
0s ments will be afforded to the members of this co
ers vention to offer up silent prayers and suppcao
ase to Almighty God after which we will join in
OF Lords prayer and short collect-in which &C
of devotion, lis not to be doubted these Christi
people, whom the interest OF the occasion \
ent called this morning in the house of God, will
lice glad to unite
he'd The Rev. Mr. Mccoy then read from the thi
and chapter of the first epistle of Paul the Apostle
for Timothy and from the first epistle of Paul to Tit
as the requisite character of bishop He paid We
md high eulogy to the lamented late Bishop Polk.
A motion being made that the clergy should r
er- tire to deliberate and vote for nominee, it wa
ire, on motion,
der ResolUed, That Bishop Green, of Mississippi
mr. should be requested to give his opinion upon Il
practices of dividing the house as proposed.
~, Bishop Green stated that in his experienc
,ns either the laity or the clergy proposed candidat
to the convention; that after the nominations, Il
r4 clergy retired to chamber near at hand delibe
ated, and if majority agreed, reported the
ost choice to the laty After this the laity either
nal tired, or without leaving their seats confirmed
ock rejected the nominee.
mi After some further discussion, and various n
re- tions, the clergy retired. On returning it was
,ain nounced that on the seventh ballot Bishop L
rplf had been chosen as the nominee by vote of
,e a to 8.
,or Another lengthy discussion took place
the question of the orders separation to delibera
der. Eventually the convention, by vote of 26 to
bfn resolved to permit the lay delegations to retire
nav consultation.
ana. At quarter past five it was announced in c
yention that the lay delegates considered that
constitution expressly required the two orders
L. deliberate in one body on the subject, and t
this therefore the retiring of the bodies for the purp
the of deliberahng was unconstitutional.
en- discussion ensued, at the close of which
rom clergy proceeded in convention to ballot for ano
re- nee. Four ballots were taken without any res
are when, at about O'Clock, the convention toe
ssrs' recess till haf.past7 o'clock.
and On resuming at that hour, the balloting rec
ad- menced; and after thirteen ballots had been ia
se in vain, ON motion of the Hon. D. S. Cage, re,
OF uVe UlluulGS wis lthGH W diOW tuS ClSFB
consult and concentrate on a nominee.
'he The result was, that after two more ballots,
'nen !si votes stood: Lay I6 Wilmer G.; Beckwth l.
WIN The president then announced Bishop Lay as
,ring romiras of the clergy.
recess of ten minutes was then taken to a
>, oe the laity to consult.
.tiso. On resuming and proceeding to ballot, the
ano, failed to ratfy the nominee of the convention.
tho The Rev. Mr.. Giraut then proposed as
We nominee Of the clergy, Bishop Wilmer, an
rtrv their proceeding again to ballot, he was cho
oor' the vote standing Wilmer IS, Mahan 4, Lay l.
men this nomination being submitted to the lay, it
, the ratified by II to 5.
IaLo On motion of Mr.. Mcdonnell, his election
W. declared unanimous.
,wns The president then announced that the Rev.
This j. P. B. Wilmer, of Elk RIDGE Maryland, had b
howe duly elected bishop of this diocese.
ract. The convention then ehanted the Gloriatn EX
lao.i ,.,, sis
WIN Adjourned to 10 O'Clock this morning
pre- ADJUSTMENTS THIS EyEEtNa.-At the Varie
rade the Three Guardsmen.p
Canal At the Academy of Music, " Eustache Bau