Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-02
AGAINST THE LAITY.
The Diocesan Convention on the
Standing Committee.
no NEED FOR A CHANGE NOW
Bishop Paret Closes the Argnmer and
Speaks Against the Proposal-The yestry
Act - ST. Margaret's Church Trouble
Taken Up.


noon sessions in discussing the subject the
American diocese convention at Baltimore yes
terday decided not to indorse the proposed
change in the constitution providing for lay
representation on the standing committee
The vote, es is required By law when changes
in the constitution are contemplated, was by
orders, and the measure was lost because the
two houses failed to agree. The clergy cast 50
votes against it and 40 for it. The laity cast
A votes in favor of and 25 against the change.
ARGUMENTS FOR AND AGAINST.
Among the arguments presented in favor of
placing lsymen on the standing committee of
the diocese were the following: of the seventy
two dioceses. only three do not have laymen on
the standing committee where there diff
ferences between the clergy and laity, as be-
tween rector and his vestry. the case should
not be tried BY clergy only the Emperor Con-
stantine. layman. presided over the council of
Nice:placing laymen on the committeewas recon-
mended BY Bishop Nottingham. one of the
best guardians of the church the Spirit. in
speaking to the Seven Churches in Asia. adj
dressed the laymen- IL the order clergy
should control only clergy. then bishops
alone should vote at the election of bishop;
the clergy assume responsibility when
they oppose lay representation; the laymen
are required to consent TO being a
more interested than the clergy az to who
shall enter the ministry, because the laity are
the scholars and the clergy the teachers; the
committee needs the learning and knowledge
Of Lsymeu. especially OF lawyers: the standing
committee il to advise the bishop. and there
are questions in which the laity are earnestly
interested; the clergy are admitted 10 families
of layme1 in the most intimate relations. and,
therefore. the laity should have a right to say
who shall be admitted to the ministry.
Of he n cd
change were: As trades unionists and profess
ions control their memberships. so should the
clergy do when acting on standing committee.
The present plan has been considered best by
the great men of the church; placing laymen
on the committee is mere matter Of senti-
ment- The standing committee performs all
the functions of the bishop when the diocese
has no bishop. and if laymen that COM
mittee the anomaly would exist of lay man
serving a bishop.
BISHOP PARErs REMARKS.
The debate closed by Bishop Paret. He
said he did not think the question at stake was
a very terribl, one and did not believe it would
make much difference. no matter how it was
tween clergy and laity." he continued. Il
stand here to say there is no such strife This
impression seems to have gotten abroad be- |
cause of the trouble IN st. Matthews Church, I,
Oakland, and St. Margarets Church. in Anne
not between the clergymen and laymen, but
was between contending factions of laymen. !
Needed changes in the constitution should be
made, but we should not make changes |
on merely sentimental grounds The laity !
now Join with the clergy in elect |
ing the standing committee and are thus repre- |
scented in its composition The two dIoceses of
Maryland and Connecticut. without Law repre- |
sentation on the standing committee, have best |
gained the respect OF the people according to
49,. II r.NS
represented IN the admission Of candidates for /
the ministry. They guard the entrance to the
ministry at every point. While l am perfectly |
willing To have laymen on the committee and
will be perfectly happy il it Is carried, still
must say see no need for the change.
The minority report was voted down and
that Of the majority adopted.
THE MONT SESSION.
Nearly all the night session taken up by
. discussion Of the report Of the committee
which had been appointed to consider that por-
ton Of bishop Psret's annual address relating
to the vestry act The report which sub !
mitted by Rev. DR.. Randolph II. McKim, con- |
tanned series of resolutions. which were
adopted They stated that ii Is against the law J
Of the church for any but baptized members Of
the Protestant Episcopal Church to hold Office I
vestrymen. and that such practice may, upon |
occasion. involve gross outrage upon the !
rights Of the clergy and upon the interests of |
the church Continuing. the resolutions are as
follows:
That il is not the intention of the vestry act
tn require rs a qualification for the right of !
suffrage ut the election of vestrymen. that every
voter should first apply to the register to be en-
rolled. but that entry OF the name of the voter
on the books Of the parish furnished by the ves-
try as a member of the Protestant Episcopal /
Church. whether made by the rector or the !
register. shall be sufficient if made at least I
one month before the election. provided the /
other requirements of the law as to residence, |
age and support of the parish be complied with. |
That the convention recommend that the !
rectors of parishes enter into arrangement
with the registers OF their respective parishes |
whereby the two shall unite in keeping the
same Sc. of parish books. the register record |
ing in earh Of these his official declaration that
thew are kept with his approval as required by
the vestry act. the rector acting IS the deputy |
or clerk OF the register"
81. MARGARErs CHURCH TROUBLE
Mr.. William A Meloy of the special commit
tee appointed to investigate the St Margaret's
Church trouble made a report of the case. He
reviewed the history of the contest on Easter
Monday last, when the members of the parish |,
divided into factions each electing set of YES
trymsn- Each set of vestryrnen duly qualified. |
and each elected its registrar and lay delegate.
one faction electing Nr. James z. Tate and the |
other Mr.. III. $. RidOut. The committee did |
not bring in any resolutions, bnt Mr.. William !
H. Baldwin, a member of the committee. |
moved to seat Mr.. Ridout. Tie made fifteen |
minute argument in support of his motion
large portrait of Bishop Stone. the third !
bishop of the diocese, was presented to the con-
vention by DIR. J. 5. b. Hodges representing |
the donor, a granddaughter of Bishop Stone.
Bishop Paret. with the consent of the conven- |
tion. named the following clergymen to COM |
pose the ecclesiastical court: Rev. George A. |
Leakin. Rev. DIR. Il. q. Addison. Rev. George !
4 Warner Rev DR. A II Stewart Rev Fred |
erick Gibson, Rev. Osborne Ingle and Rev. VIM. |
c. Butler. |
The bishop also appointed the committee on
Episcopal library follows: Rev. DR.. j. III. |
Eccleston. Rev. DIR. J. S. Il. Hodges. Rev. Dr.. |
G. George Currie Rev. T. E. Pattison. Mexsrs. |
c. T. Taylor. H. F. Thompson, j. Leroy White |
and David l. Bartlett
fastening Work on the Philadelphia.
The possibility of trouble in Peru has re- |