The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-10-31
NEW YORK LETTER

Editors JOurnai:
Since my last letter the General
Convention has accomplished con
siderable business and listened to
several very fine addresses, and the
attendance of the public has been
quite large, in spite of the weather
which has not kept up the re tation.
usually acquired by October. Rain
has been abundant and mud
New York mud at that-has made
progress in the streets anything but
agreeable. Even the ladies, those
venturesome creatures, have scarcely
dared to face the cold storms, and
without them the streets of The city
are dull and gloomy; for however
ready the well-clad lady may be to
cross a street just muddy enough to
give her a good excuse for showing
her feet. of which she is, and perhaps
with reason, proud, yet, no q de-
sires mud so mortary and adhesive as
that it stains the whitest stockings
and deiles the snowiest of skirts.
Everybody is pleased with the
change to the Church of the Trans
fguration. All the speeches are dis
tinctly heard, and the strain upon
both attention and patience is almost
entirely removed. s
Two new Bishops have been elected,
the Rev. DR.. Robertson for Missouri,
and the Rev. B. w. Morris, of Phil
adelphia, for Oregon and Washing
although much to be hoped for, has
not yet been signifed. Every one
speaks highly of him, and noble trib-
utes were paid In the Convention to
his excellent qualifications for the
peculiar field for which he has been
selected. Those who know him best,
speak the most highly in his praises,
which is always a good sign, and his
conduct at present is in pleasing con-
trast with that of others whose readi-
ness to wear the Episcopal robes was
perhaps greater than their fitness.
A change will probably be made in
the canon respecting Assistant Bish-
ops, providing for the very important
amendment that the Assistant Bish-
ops shall have no vote in the House
while the Bishop, whose assistant he
is, is present. This provision will do
away with some of the most serious
objections that have been made
against the practice that has become
too common, of electing assistants
to Bishops who are perfectly able to
perform all their duties. A measure
passed the House of Clerical and Lay
Deputies removing nearly all the re-
strlotions which now surround the
whole subject of division of dioceses,
but 1t met nc concurrence in the
House of Bishops, who probably
thought that the door was opened
almost too widely. Doubtless a com-
mittee of conference will agree upon
some compromise, and give us a canon
which will, at least, be far preferable
to the present one.
Some sharp disputations has been
held upon proposed changes in the
canon under which the Tying trial
was held, and | was amused the other
day as a strong speech by the venera-
BILE Rev. DR.. Mead; of Cincinnati, in
condemnation of all such unlawful
proceedings, while With every motion
he made, his hand would almost
touch the Rev. S. H. Tying, Jr., who
as a visitor to the Convention, sat
directly In front of the speaker, and
it is to be hoped that he has been
edited by what he heard, and that he
may at least suspect that his opinions
are not the opinions Of the Church.
Inc best speech so far has been
made by Mr.. Barbour, a Lay Deputy
from Virginia, who made a warm an
pealon behalfof the suffering church,
es at the South, and It is somewhat
remarkable that the great mart of the
speaking has been done by the South
ern members, perhaps MAKING mn for
the share OF which they have heen
deprived during the last nine wears
Among the Northwestern members
the Rev. DIR. Adams is most frennent.
" upon the floor, and the influences
which his ability should win is much
lessened by the fact that he is looked
upon as the funny man of the House.
aud his speeches are productive of
more merriment than Influence.
A very earnest and interesting re-
port was made by the Committee on
Christian Education, but the discour-
aging statistics are unfortunately
dAACduy GOO well AuOMu W tic
church. How long will she
remain so passive, while her
children are being inveigled away from
her by Roman Catholic. schools? A
great change must come over
the spirit of her members
before she can do her duty,
as the Catholic Church in America,
feeding the lambs and preventing
them straying away from her fold.
The subject of the inadequacy of
clerical support has come up for con-
sideration, but it has not vet been
finally acted upon. 1t is to be hoped
that something more will be done
than pass resolutions, for it is time
that positive action was taken to
remedy, if possible, this shameful evil
the Church. Gentlemen of educa-
ton are expected to give all their
time and talents for a compensation
which the uneducated laboring man
would refuse with disdain; and min
lsters have not only to give ND all
hopes OF providing means to support
families when they are taken
away, but have actually to paw in cash
TOT the privilege of ministerine In the
Church.