The San Francisco call., 1895-10-17
Proposed Change in the Title
Page of Prayer-Books
Defeated.
PLAN OF CHRISTIAN UNITY.
Discussion of DR.. Huntingdon s
Scheme Cut Short by an
Adjournment.


possible dispatch was manifested by the
House of Deputies to-day. For the tenth
time the house declined to obliterate the
designation Protestant Episcopal Church
in the United States" from the rubrics of
the church, the matter coming up this
time on motion from the Bishops to
change the title page of the prayer-book.
The Provincial SYSTEM" which had been
made the special order of the day, was dis
posed of by reference to one Of the three-year
committees, and a similar fate overlook
the perennial motion providing for the ac-
ceptance by the general conference of &C
cession of parts of dioceses.
The majority and minority reports to the
amendment to the constitution making it
lawful for Bishops of the church to take
under their spiritual oversight congrega-
tions OF Christian people not heretofore in
communion with the church, or the plan
of Christian unity, of which Dr. Hunting
ton of New York has for years been the
earnest advocate, were taken up this after
noon, but the hour of adjournment ar
rived before the debate was well advanced.
The House of Bishops decided to erect the
present missionary Jurisdiction of North
ern Texas into diocese, which will prob
ably be known as the See of Dallas.
Tomorrow the election of Bishops for
the missionary Jurisdiction of Kioto
(Japanl and Alaska will take place.
When the House of Deputies reassembled
this morning another attack upon the
present title OF the denomination immedi-
ately made itself manifest in the presenta-
ton OF report from the committee TO con-
slider 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 substitution OF the words "Ac-
coTding to American use."
There was a minority report signed by
]. Pierpont Morgan of New York, Messrs.
Biddle and Blanchard OF Philadelphia and
Mr.. Perkins of Kentucky, in which the
proposed change was characterized as a
virtual reopening of the subject of prayer
book revision, which has already been set
tied, and was therefore unwise and to be
deprecated. A disposition to cut off de-
bate on the issue was manifested by the
delegates, and after DR.. Eaude of Mime
sofa had characterized the proposal as one
of bad faith and DR.. Groton of Rhode
Island had spoken to the same effect, a
vote by dioceses and orders was taken. 1t
resulted: Clerical Vote-Ayes 10, noes 80,
divided 8. Lay vote-Ayes II, noes 80, di-
vided 8. The house therefore again re-
fused to change the title as designated in
the prayer book. and the formal resolu-
ton OF non-concurrence with the Bishops
adnpta1 hy- 10 mo
Dean Hoffman, from the committee on
constitution and canons, made final re-
port, containing the proposed canons on
marriage and divorce, and upon which the
committee has been laboring ever since
the assembling of the convention. The
canons, which were received and placed on
file, read as follows:
''No minister of this church shall solemn
ize the marriage of any person who has a
divorced husband or wife still living. but
this prohibition shall not be held to apply
to the innocent party in a divorce, or to
parties once divorced from each other
seeking to be united again. If any minis
ter of this church knows or has reasonable
cause to believe that a person has been
married otherwise than as the discipline
of this church allows, he shall not minister
holy baptism or the holy communion to
such person without the written consent of
the Bishop of the diocese; provided, how
ever, that no minister shall in any case re-
fuse the sacraments to penitent person in
imminent danger of death"
This was concurred in by vote of 1876 to
SO.
The House OF Bishops decided to read
just the boundaries of the missionary
jurisdictions, and the Bishops of Spring
field, Central Pennsylvania and California
were appointed committee for that pur-
pose.
One of the most powerful of the speeches
in favor of the provincial system was made
at the morning session by Rev. DR.. Edward
B. Spalding of California. He said that
there were needs in different sections of
the country TO which the general conven-
ton could not give attention. The peo-
pie of California were greatly interested in
the provincial question. There were needs
on the Pacific Coast which would take the
people of New England ten years of in
teIlectual acclimation to enable them to
deal with intelligently.
The provincial system was the last link
of the episcopal system and they should
not allow the pre]udlces OF the present to
hinder the growth of the future. 1t was
possible for what was called conservatism
TO prove inertia. DR.. Spalding told of the
80, 600 Cinnamon Haunting their idolatrous
worship i'll San Francisco, and then di-
gressed to tell story about wealthy lay
man of California church who was over
conservative. He objected to the singing
of the hymn, "Lead, Kindly Light" be-
cause it was not in his hymnbook, and
upon being informed that 1t had been
sanctioned by the general convention, had
declared that the appropriation for the
hymn was unwarranted.
He furthermore declared that if the
hymn was sung again he would leave the
church.
"Was it sung?" inquired deputy, and
the house broke into an uncomfortable fit
of laughter. When he was able to pro-
ceed DIR. Spalding said:
The hymn was not sung. He was a
wealthy layman, and realty interested in
the church work"
DR.. Spalding went on to say that the
hymn was sung over the grave of the I'M
fortunate iayman, and the deputies
laughed louder than ever.