Delaware gazette and state journal., 1884-06-05
PRESIDING BISHOP LEE
The DEMOORATIC COUNTY MEET
ING ON SATUND.1Y.

mo ON sATUKD1Y.
A Harmonious Gathering Which
Soon Disposed OF the Business BE
fore It-Baxraphicai Sketches o.
Bishops Smith and Lee.
The death of the Right Rev. Benz jamir
Bosworth Smith, on Saturday at his resi
dence in the city Of New York, leavsi
Bishop Les OF Delaware, the senior and
presiding bishop Of the Protestant
Bpioopal church.
Bishop Smith WAS born at Bristol, RI
IN June 18th, 1894, and therefore lacked
only few days Of having attained the
venerable age Of 80 years. He was grad.
uated at Brown University in 1916 was
ordained deacon In 1918 and presbyter in
1873. He was first settled at Msrblehead,
Msss., and afterwards suoosssively in Acco.
mac county and Chsrlestown, Va, Middle.
bury, VT, Philadelphia and Louisville,
Ky. During his residence in the latter
city he was elected bishop Of the diocese
OF Kentucky, and was oonseorated 0oto.
ber 31st, 1881, in St. Paul's Chapel, New
York, the venerable Bishop White par
oipa,ing In the services, to that the
terms of these two, 40 and 81 years, re.
spectively, together fill up the century OF
the organization in America. Az the
same time and place there were three
others oonsecrated. the last of whom died
more than II years ago.
Bishop Smith has been compelled since
1872 by age and infrmity TO abandon the
episcopal charge Of his diocese there
having been some years before an assist
ant bishop. Since that time he has re-
sided in New York. He succeeded Bishop
Hopkins in 1868 as the presiding bishop,
and in 1874 became also the senior bishop
OF the Anglican communion. During the
last two sessions of the general conven-
tion Bishop Smith has been unable to
preside or take part in the sessions of the
house of bishops, and Bishop Lee per-
formed most OF the time in 1880, and en-
tirely in 1883, the duties which have now
devolved upon him.
The Right Rev. Alfred Lee, like his
predecessor has now become not only the
presiding bishop Of the American church,
but the senior bishop of the entire
Anglican communion. He was elected to
be the first bishop of Delaware In 184l
by the unanimous vote OF the clergy and
laity present in the annaul convention at
Georgetown. Prior to that time the
diocese had been under the under the
episcopal supervision OF the bishops of
Pennsylvania.
Bishop Lee was oonseorsted by Bishop
Griswold, assisted by Bishops Moore,
Chase, Brownell and Underdopk, in St.
Paul's Chapel, New York, October 18th,
lS4l, during the session of the general
convention, and took his seat on the fol-
lowing day In the house Of bishops, being
the thirty eighth in the succession of the
American episoopste. That body then
consisted of 81 membsrs and was pre-
sided over by Bishop Griswold, who had
been conseorated in 1911. Since the
conservation of Bishop Lee there had
been, up to the meeting of tie last general
convention, 81 bishops conss.
Grated, Of whom 2S had then
died, one had been deposed
and four had resigned their Jurisdictions,
80 that the house Of bishops WAS COM
posed of SO membsrs, exactly three times
the number when Bishop Lee took his
seat. As already stated the bishop sur
wives rs OF those whose conservation was
subst tquent to his own, while nine OF
those who were his seniors have died
since Bishop Smith became the presiding
bishop.
Ont of 1872 bishops who have been con-
seorated during the century which will
have elapsed next November since the
conservation Of Bishop Ssabury, Bishop
Lee is only the eighth who has lived TO
be the senior bishop. His predecessors
have been Bishop Seabury from Novem-
Der 18th, 1884, to February 25th, 1896;
Bishop White to July 18th, 1886; Bishop
Griswold to February 18th, 1S42; Bishop
Chase to September 10th, 1852; Bishop
Brownell to January 18th, 1865; Bishop
Hopkins to January 9th, 1868, and
Bishop Smith to May 3lat, 1884.
Three of them lived 10 the ages of So,
SO and 80 respectively. and only one,
Bishop Ssabury did no, reach the present
age of Bishop Lee. w..
The rule that the senior bishop should
be president was adopted by the house OF
bishops at its first meeting as 3 separate
house, but did not remain without modi-
flcation. AT the next general convention
this rule was reoonsidefed and rescinded,
and 1t was determined that the office
should be held IN rotation beginning
from the north, and Bishop PROVOST
presided during the session and under the
same rule Bishop White in 1895, and also
In 1893 in the absence OF the bishop
whose turn it would have been, he WAS
requested to preside, Again in 1901,
some doubt having arisen in regard to
the meaning OF the rule adopted in 1792,
1t was resolved THAT until the same shall
be considered and explained by this
house the Right Rev. Bishop White be
requested to preside at the present
session."
At the next session In 1904 it WAS re
solved SIS a "standine rule" that the
senior bishop present at the opening OF
any convention should preside. Under
this rule Bishop White then for some
years the senior, took his seat. Finally
in 1892 1t was made a rule that the
senior bishop present should be the pre-
siding in the House, and thst the senior
bishop OF the church should be the pre-
siding bishop for all other purposes con
tanned in the cannons. This rule has
since been adhered to.