Litchfield enquirer., 1881-06-23

The Episcopal Diocesan Convention met at New Haven, last week. Bishop Williams denounced divorces in his opening address On Tuesday there was a sharp debate on the following resolution presented by Prof Johnson of Trinity College:
 Resotoed That committee of three clergy men and two laymen be appointed to exam inc inc nlan nf chnrni. tnnnaronna eao.~ty, and report to the next convention the eXpedi- ency of establishing branch in this diocese.
 Dr. Beardsley opposed the resolution. MT. Sherman, of Brookfield, also spoke against it, claiming that the church should preach Christ and him cruciticd, and not descend to the rum business The debate which fol- lowed is thus reported in the Palladium:
 One delegate thought the committee pro- posed should be asked to formulate plan to eradicate the evil One has never been discovered. Dr. Tatlock endorsed the resolution. Rev Mir. Richards of Bridgeport favored the measure but thought the church should go right on embracing all good measures and not making special eff. fort in one direction. Rev. MT. McCook of East Hartford spoke eloquently of the neces- sity of speaking out on the subject. Ex.Gov-
 
 Legislative body of the true church in Connec ticut would refuse to pass such resolution and go out to the world as opposed to it. No member could hold mp his head on the street if it were so. The world would ku1w it, for the action could not be kept secret, even if it were so desired, and he trusted no such ef- fort would be made. It must not be said that the oldest and leading diocese in the United States had taken action in opposition to tenn perance. Governor Minor spoke of his devo- ion 10 the temperance cause, but gave it as his firm conviction that law-the Maine law for instance-could not effect reform. Men would not be forced they must be led by the church and other means.
 The resolution was amended ny an addi- ton that the committee also report the duty of the church on the subject of intemperance. The resolution, thns amended, was carried by seventy-one votes Tn the affirmative to five in the negative. The bishop appointed on the committee Professor Johnson, Rev Dr. Desh on, Judge o. s. Seymour and John c. Hollis. ter.
 William Walter Phelps, our United States minister to Austria, inherited nearly $2, 900 . 900 from his father, John J. Phelps, who died ten years ago. MT. Phelps went to New York from Hartford in 1886 aud engaged in the dry k'OuS uuSuCSS WILL htttOS h FLU. dit6f A very successful career both partners retired with very large forum s. Mr. Enc, who is still living, built the Fifth Avenue hotel and has seven or eight millions invested in real estate. William Walter Phelps has fine place of 800 acres at Eaglewood, N. J., and is the wealthiest of all our diplomatists - Pal tgdiuna
 John J. Phelps was native of Simsbury In 1923 he entered the printing office of the New Haven Journal as an apprentice under Sherman Converse. There were nine appren- l tices in the office at the time, among whom was our townsmau Charles Adams, who is the only survivor of the nine. After his success | ful business career with Mr. Enc, Mr. Phelps was for sveral years a silent partner in tue firm of Geo. B iss & Co.,, one of the most prominent Dry Goods establishments on Broad way. He was very charitable. and among the participants of@his bounty was his old mas | ter, MT. Converse. who was the first publisher l of Webster's Quarto Dictionary and Swift's Digest but spent the closing years of his life l in utter poverty,