Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-08
EPISC0PALIANS AT WORK.
APropostion to Select Life Time Presiding
Bishop Brought About More Talk.
No Vote Reached.

Minneapolis, Mimi, Oct. Limitations
from Atlanta and Boston to hold the next
triennial convention at those Cities re-
spectively, were presented to the house
this afternoon, and We're referred to the
committee on location. The question of
printing the bishops pastoral letter of
1894 in the journal provoked considera-
bic discussion and parliamentary spar
ring. Finally, on motion of DR.. Park
of Pennsylvania, the whole matter was
laid on the table by vote of 200 to III.
The resolution presented by Rev. DR..
Fairbanks Saturday, providing that any
diocese may set apart portion OF Its
territory as a mission, was taken up
again and discussed. Mr.. Alsop of Long
Island objected to the amendment on
the ground that 1t would invite dioceses
to throw off their outlying and more
troublesome districts and would greatly
increase the work of the mission board
Dean Gardner of Omaha took issue
with him, stating he did not believe such
action would be taken except where 1t
was necessary. A motion to lay on the
table was lost, and a motion to refer to
the mission committee was presented by
DIR. McVicker of New York, but before a
vote was taken Dean Hoffman moved the
order of the day, the report of the COM
mittee on revision.
The house then went into committee
of the whole.
By viva voce vote, which was suffi-
GENTLY large in the volume to restrain
the minority from challenging a divis-
ion, the house of deputies of the Epis-
copal convention placed itself on record
as being willing to surrender one of its
most valuable prerogatives and especially
the only one which enabled it to hold the
whip hand and in preventing the house
of bishops from making of ITSELF If 1t
were so disposed, literary oligarchy.
But for the fact that 1t is now recognized
that the present debate is but an inter-
change of opinions between the repre-
sentatVes of the various dioceses and
that the old constitution Is likely to re-
main the foundation of the church, the
refusal of the convention to reenact the
clause putting into effect within three
days all legislation concerning which
the bishop had made no sign, might be
fraught with grave consequences to the
denomination. The clause from the new
revision, after debate in the commit
tee, which it is said lasted a week, would
enable the house of bishops to approve
just as much of the legislation of the
junior body and to indefinitely kill by
failure to act on all resolutions, reports
and other matters, with which it may
not he in accord The result would be
to make the lower or representative
house little more than spoke In the
wheel of the church..
number of deputies, both lay and
clerical, declare tonight that if the con-
sideration of the revision was completed
at this meeting and the document went
to the diocese the old clause would be re-
instated by an overwhelming majority.
This was the first victory for the revis-
ion committee after several days of de-
bate, but their jubilation was short
lived. BY an Overwhelming majority the
house refused to exclude domestic mis-
sionary bishops in the counting of a. quo
rum, the legal effect of which exclusion
would be to make 1t possible for seven
teen or eighteen bishops to form ma
jority even on questions of the gravest
| Importance to the church which are I'M
| der consideration. Then came the cele-
brated section 8, providing for the cleo
| ton of a primus, or head of the house
| of bishops, to hold office for life save in
| the event of voluntary, resignation.
| Quickly the amendments piled up. One
delegate favored a designation of pres
ident bishop another archbishop" an
other presiding bishop" and one more
''primate."
The house was not in favor of any of
| the first three, nor did II kindly regard
as a substitute that the bishops elect
| their own presiding officer and give him
whatever designation they might see fit.
A vote had not been reached on the
| "primate" proposition when the house
| adjourned.
The bishops also devoted themselves
| this afternoon to the revision.