The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-02-18
SPEECH OF JUDGE GARY OF OSH-
KOSH AT THE PRIMARY CON-
VENTI0N OF THE DIOCESE
OF FOND DU LAC.

Mr.. PRESIDENT: The section nov
presented to the Council involves a very
important change, and considerable
departure from all precedents that thc
! Committee have examined They deem
1t proper, therefore, that the nature o1
the proposed change be fully explained
and the reasons for it given, so that the
Council may act upon it with 4 full IN
derstanding of its import and effect.
| The first important change proposed
! in this article, is in the method of elect
| ing delegates 10 Council. The Couneil
| is the Legisia::ure-t iaw-rnahing body
OF the Church. Ii civil affairs il would
be novel proposition, that citizens OF
Illinois, Iowa, or other States, being
with Us, but not of rs, at the time Of
State elections, should vote for members
of the Legislature of Wisconsin, or that
foreigners acknowledging a foreign al
legience, should vote for members of
Congress. Yet in Church affairs we have
gone on hitherto undera system which
permitted members of other religious
bodies, members of no religious body,
men protesting no faith, and men hav-
no faith to profess in Christ or his re-
l1S lOlI, W oC1CSt, anu tlAl1l tt AStCEb pc
riod to be themselvs the legislators for
the Church. Here is an organization
protesting to be the body of Christ-His
Apostolic Church-permitting its legis-
lature to be influenced, perhaps con-
trolled, by those who are not practically,
often not theoretically, members of it.
know of no parallel, nor anything
analogous to this in any other institu-
Dr ~ Il
any human institution survive under
such system? Can any institution,
however Divine its origin, be reasonably
expected to flourish under it?
The proposition OF the Committee IS
that delegates to Councils shall be elect
ed by the adult male communicates of
the respective congregations.
The proposition commends itself to
my Judgment as one based upon a
sound logical principle, fundamental In
its nature, which cannot be violated
without danger, in any organization;
and lest some of my brethren Of TIE
laity should suspect some grasping de-
sign of the clergy in this provision, Twill
say to them that it was prepared and in
serted at my suggestion, and not upon
that Of any clerical member or members
of the Committee.
The second important change pro-
posed by the Committee, is in the basis
of representation III the Council The
proposition is that each congregation
shall be entitled to one = delegate, and
an additional delegate for every fifty
communicates; and that the delegates
from every congregation shall vote,
not In the aggregate as presentauyes
OF congregation, but each one as an
individual representative OF that part OF
the Church i'll his congregation. Each
viii be a representative OF the de fUctO
members of the Church, who viii be
represented somewhat III proportion to
their numbers. Thus a principle viii
be carried out, which Is the basis Of all
constitutional representative bodies, OF
which [ have any knowledge. Ii any OF
our brethren OF the clergy should be IN
clined to object to this as giving an IN
due preponderance to the lay vote IN
Councils, [ would remind them that a
vote by Orders VII always be sufficient
| to preserve due equilibrium.
The Constitution Of the Councile under
| this provision would be somewhat an
alogous to that of the Parliament of
England. When voting by Orders,
the two Orders are practically two
houses, or bodies. The clergy are mem
bers in their own right, Ike the Peers
of England and the House of Bishops in
| General Convention, representing only
| themselves and the Church of the
Diocese. The lay delegates are rep
resentatives of constituents, members
of the same church, III their respective
congregations.
Such briefly is the plan reported By
| the Committee for the Constitution OF
the Council of this Diocese, based, as
believe, on sound and just principles
For, we should bear in mind, the Councl
of Diocese does not exist for the same
purposes as the Yestry of a parish.
The organized parish Is q corporation
under the statutes of the State. There
is much reason why all the members O.
the corporation, whether communicate
or not; should have voice in the man
agement of its corporate affairs
But the organized Church Is corpo
ration under the law of God, or 1t is ;
sham and delusion. It is hard to dis
cover any good reason why those wh'
are not of it, who neither acknoWledg
It's authority, nor profess to submit
themselves to the law and rule OF 1t
Founder and Living Head, should claim
or desire to have any part III its leglsla
ton.
We submit the plan, hoping that
will commend itself to the Judgment o
the Council If it does not, sue
amendments can be made as the bette
Judgment of this Council shall dictate
&The word cone" was changed to t'two" by th