The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-14
ECCIEssAsrICAL.
. csnsennisl Of. . church.

EPISCOPAL BISHOP. .n
The next General Convention oi inc FRO,
testant Episcopal Church oil thc Snltea
states will celebrate in proper and most
.n,~rostino way the one-hundredth ami |
worsarv OF the conservation OF the first
American b,shop. For this celebration the
Convention will assemble in old Christ
church. Philadelphia, the same place where
n handful OF clergy and iaity met one nun,
dred wears ago. Bishops from Engtand
and Scotland win lie present. IL most APP
propriately falls TO the lot OF the venerable
Bishop OF New York TO preach the opening
sermon. At the convention in 1888 tnt uele-
gates met as one body, there being no DishoP
in this country nj that time. Seven states
were then represented in the convention
namely. New York, New Jersey, Pennsyt
vania. delaware. Maryland, Virgins, ana
south Carolina. Forty-fve delegates com
posed the number Of the first convention,
while In the hast convention, 1850, there
were G2 bishops and nearly 100 delegates.
The first convention was in session but I'VE
tiays. the last convention three weeks.
The principal business OF the first conyen-
tion was that OF making arrangements 10
secure succession OF the Episcopate- In
I7S6 permission TO that effect was granted
nv the Church Of England. In l2S'
Bishops White and Provost returned TO
this country, having been consecrated IN
Lambeth Palace. Bishop Seabury, Of Con-
nectieut, had previously been consecrateu
in Scotland. From 1892 until now the
Church has held her general conventions
friennialIy.
There have been thirty-thrce OF these
conventions, including two special ones,
and there have been one hundred ana
twenty-eight bishops consecrated witlnn
This century. The conventions have met IN
New Brunswick. \. j.; New YORK city,
PHILADELPHIA. Trenton. n. j.; Baltimore,
Cincinnati. Richmond, New Haven, and
Boston. The senior or presiding bishops
have been Bishop Seabury, Of Connect
,ut. Bishop White. OF Pennsylvania
Rishop Griswold. OF Massachusetts, 4; Bishop
Chase. Of Illinois; Bishop Browne'l. OF
Connecticut; Bishop Hopkins, OF Yer
mont, and the present presiding bishop,
the Right Rev. Benjamin b. Smith, of Ken
fucky.
At the first convention the Rev. William
White. ID. d., of Philadelphia, was presi-
dent, and the Rev. David Griffith, OF Viz
ginia, secretary. The former was Bishop
of PENNSYLVANIA for forty-nine years, and
the latter was elected the first Bishop OF
Virginia, but declined the honor. The
present presiding bishop, the Right Rev.
Benjamin b. Smith, is ninety years OF age.
and has held the Episcopate tifty-one years.
AT the first convention New York was re-
presented by the Rev. DIR. Samuel Pre-
yost, rector Of Trinity church, and the
Hon. James Duane. The Rev. DIR.
Provost was the first bishop OF
New York, being consecrated in
England February 4, 1877. The Rev.
BENJAMIN Moore was consecrated bishop
OF New York September IL, 1901; the Rev.
John Henry Hobart, ID. D., May 20. 1911
the Rev. Benjamin T. OnderdOnk, No
yember 26. 1880; the Rev. Jonathan NJ.
wainwright, November 10, 1852; and the
Rev. Horatio Potter, the present diocesan,
November %, 1854. Since the first con-
yention the one diocese OF New York has
been made into five-namey, New York,
ALBANY, Long Island. Western New York,
and Central New York. There have been
twelve presidents Of the House OF Deputies,
and three OF them have been made bish-
ops-namely, White, Cross, and Burgess.
There have been seventeen secretaries
OF the House Of Deputies, and five
have received the honors OF the
Episcopate - namely, Hobart, Onder-
dOnk. Howe. Randall, and Perry, while
braska, was assistant secretary OF the
House OF Deputies. There have also been
seventeen secretaries of the House OF
Bishops, and six OF these have been or are
now blshops-viz, Hobart, Kemper. b. L.
Onderdonk, De Lancy, and Wainwright,
while the present secretary is the Rev. DR..
Henry G.. Potter. Since the last conven-
ton New York has lost one of its clerical
members in the person OF the Rev. John
Cotton Smith, ID. ID. The Hon. Hamilton
Fish has been for many years one OF the
most prominent members Of the conven-
ton.
There are many interesting associations
connected with old Christ Church, where
the first regular convention met in 17S5
On the both OF July, 1915, the Continental
Congress assembled within its walls for
worship, that day having been set apart
for "genera humiliation, fasting, and
PRAYER throughout all the American prov
inccs." Benjamin Franklin was a member
of the yestry and George Washington
was regular communicate, as well
as Robert Morris, the great Ameri-
can fnancier. The Hon. Francis Hop
kinson was volunteer organist ut that
time. Bishop White was baptized, con-
firmed, and ordained in this old edifice;
even the font in which he received his
baptism is still in the old spot. The Book
OF Common Prayer rs arranged for the
American Church was ratified here. Pey-
ton Randolph, the first President OF the
Continental Congress, appears on the par
ish record. The parish was organized IN
1895, twelve years after the laying out OF
the city by William Penn. In lI2l the
present edifice was constructed wholly
hot fro,
England. IL was nine years in build.
ing. In the tower there is chime
OF bells that was brought from England
and il Is said that during the time the Bri
fish held possession OF Philadelphia tn,
bells were sunk in the Delaware river. In
the work of restoration the wooden foo
has been taken up chat covered the orgina
filjng- and here were found in the aisle
several tablets bearing the names OF tn
persons buried beneath. Bishop Whit,
WAS buried under the chancel OF Chris
church. The pew in which " ashingtol
sat was removed in 1886 and presented [,
the keepers Of Independence Hall. Phila
delphia. The communion service consists
OF seven pieces, all Of solid gold. and wa,
presented In 1906 by Queen Anne.
A Council Of Prelates.
CONFERENCE HELD AT ARCHBISHOP Glib
BoNs's-CoNJECTUREs AS TO THE TOPICS.
baltimore SUM-
The conference OF Catholic prelates VIII,
will 20 TO Rome next month lasted seye
raj hours yesterday afternoon, at IN,
rchiepiscopal residence, on north Charlie
street. There were present Archbisb
ops Gibbons, Of this city: Williams
OF Boston,; Corrigan, OF New YORK
Feehan, OF Chicago; Heiss, Of Milwaukee
Bishops Ryan, OF st. Louis, and O'Hara'
OF Scranton, Pa, and Rev. DIR. Walsh. ad.
ministrator OF the Archdiocese OF Phila.
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