The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-17
.EP|SCOPAu|AN CONVENTION
Important Measures Considered at
Minneapolis.
As TO MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE
CanOns Concerning the Subjects Are Re.
ccivcd nnd Placed on File-AnOther
Attack Upon the Present Tito
OF the Denomination.

Minneapolis, Minn., Oct. 1G-At to-
days session of the house of deputies
of the Episcopal convention another
attack upon the present title of the de-
nomination made itself manifest In the
presentation of report from the COM
mittee to consider the message from the
house of bishops, recommending that
the title page of the book of common
prayer be changed by the omission OF
the words according to the use of the
Protestant Episcopal church In the
United States OF America" and the sub
stitution of the words according to
American use" There was a minority
report signed by j. Pierpont Morgan, of
New York: Messrs. Beddle and Blanch-
ard, OF Philadelphia, and Perkins. OF
Kentucky. in which the proposed
change was characterized as virtual
reopening of the subject of prayer book
revision, which has already been set
tied, and therefore unwise and to be
deprecated as calculated to alarm the
members of the committee.
vote by diocese and orders was
taken. 1t resulted: Clerical VOTE ayes,
10; nays, 30; divided, 3. Lay vote, ayes
l2; nays, 80: divided, 4.
The house refused again to change
the title of the church as designated
in the prayer book, and the formal reso>
luton of inconvenience with the
bishops was adopted by "a large major
ity on a viva voce vote.
After the receipt of another message
from the bishops announcing that they
had designated the bishops of Milwau-
kee and the coadjutor bishop of Mime
sofa as delegates to the next meeting of
the Canadian general synod. Dean Hoff-
man, from the committee on the con-
e,tt tt,,tt a do An.,
port containing the proposed canons on
marriage and divorce, upon which the
commission has been laboring ever
since the assembling Of the convention.
The Canous Received.
The canons. which were received and
placed on file. read as follows:
First-No minister of this church shall
solemnize the marriage of any person who
has divorced wife stil living; but this
prohibition shall not be held to apply TO
the innocent party in a divorce which the
court shall have granted for the cause Of
adultery, or to parties only divorced from
each other. seeking to be united again.
Second-If any minister of this church
know or have reasonable cause to be-
lieve that a person has been married other
wise than as the discipline of this church
doth allow, he shall not minister holy bap-
tism or the holy communion to such per-
sons without the written consent of the
bishop of the diocese.
Provided. however. that no minister
shall in any case refuse the sacraments
to a penitent person in imminent danger
of death.
For an hour or more the house was
in legal tangle over a request from
the Joint commission that 1t be con-
tinued In existence to consider such
canons as may not be acted upon by
this convention. special committee
having been appointed yesterday to
deal similarly with the constitution.
The bishops had already decided in fav-
or of continuing the commission on the
canon question only. and after a tedious
and desultory debate the house con-
Cured by a vote OF 1876 to SO. This mat
ter disposed Of, the order of the day,
the establishment of the provincial
system" or the formation Of dioceses
into provinces was called for, and Dr.
Taylor, of Springfield, made a lengthy
address in its favor
The house finally shelved the pro-
vincial question by referring 1t to a
special committee to report In 1898.