New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-29
THE EPISCOPAL GENERAL CONTENTION

Probably the first important question to come
before the Episcopal General Convention, which
meets in this city Wednesday next, will be
Pfayer-Boo< revision But. as indicated in the
last Gene raj Convention, the final outcome of the
movement to revise and enrich the Prayer-BoOI is
likely to be small So conservative is the temper
of the Church that the able men who started the
revision movement few years ago have only
venturcd TO propose slight changes and improve
mcnts and of these only few are likely to be
adopted Such radical revision of the Prayer
Book MS has been contemplated by many Epsco-
palians does not appear to be desired by the
Church. and even if it were desired, it would be
impossible TO effect it in body so cumbrous and
Heterogeneous as the General Convention. In the
meanwhile such revision as is likely to be made
will add considerably TO the completeness and
dexibity of the Prayer Book
The work of the Church among colorcd people,
involving as it does the whole colored question,
is likely to come before the Convention in some
form or other. The conference of white and col
ored clergymen which met in this city last week
decided to present a memorial on this subject to
the Convention, which that body can hardly
ignore The memorial declares that in its deal
ines with tie colored race the Episcopal Church
has rot lived up to its fundamental principles
that in two doccses South Carolina and Virginia,
the canonical rights and privileges OF colored
clcrgymen are denied to them, and that for these
reasons intelligent coorcd people generally have
lost confidence in the Church's catholicity. The
memorial concludes by asking these categorical
questions:
What is the position of the colored race in the
Of the church that when have once been admit
ted TO the sacred ministry. or 10 membership IN inc
o1,e tbere should be discrimination against them
because Of their coorl Does the action which mas
recently been taken in two docsseS IN the hurh rep
General Convention 10 give an emphatic and une1uvo-
cal answer to this, our earnest ana almost do'parng
appeal.
Tho Conference also criticised the refusal Of
the last General Convention to put any coored men
ON the Commission which it appointed to take
charge of work among colored people. Altogether,
il hardly seems possible for the Episcopal Church
to natter with this question any longer without
Indicating its claims TO he branch of the Catholic
Church In dealing with the issue before it, the
Conytntion will have to face most unpleasant
dilemma. If it forces the Southern diOceses to
accord 10 colored men their canonical rights and
privileges. irrespective of color, a schsm will in
All probability be precipitated in the South. If,
on the other hand il consents to the establishment
Of separate organization for the colOred race. it
will violate the principles of cathohcity on which
the Episcopal Church has always stood. IT, lastly,
the Convention tries to avoid this dilemma by
doing nothing it will offend large number of
Northern Churchmcn and drive cOlored EpiscOpa-
lians out of the Church.
Another burning question that may come up in
the Convention is the necessity OF reforming the
represcntation in that body. AT present each do
cese irrespective of it's numbers and influence,
is entitled to send the same number of deputies
to the Conventions that diocese with less
nd bun drul Of
municants has as much legislative power as n
great diocese like New-York 1t is argued that
this amounts TO an actual misrepresentation, which
is contrary TO all principles of right and justice
And an attempt will therefore be made TO nitro
duce the principle Of representation in proportion
to the number OF communicates In each diocese
II this point comes before the Convention, it Will
40 once become party question of the most in
tense kind, for 1t is intimately related to the
question of changing the name of the Church,
which has been agtated for some years. The
chief strength of those who desire change OF
name lies in the smaller doceses and they will
therefore bitterly oppose any measure that would
reduce the voting power OF the smaller dioccses
and az the same tmr increase the voting power of
the larger dioccseS. rs they probably hold the bal
ancc of power in the Convention, it is not likely,
therefore. that the existing representation will
be changed for the present 40 least
1t is not at all certain that the question of
changing the name Of the Church will come up