The evening times., 1895-11-12
ELEcTION OF | BISHOP
Trouble May Be Experienced in
Choosing One for This Diocese.
MAY COME FROM MARYLAND
Arrangements for the Reception and
Entertainment OF Delegates to the
Diocesan Convention to BE Held In
This City Complcted-List of Cam
didatcs for the BishOpric.

Arrangements for the reception and enter
tainment Of the delegates 10 the Diocesan
! Convention, which meets in ST. Andrews
Church on December 4, We're made late
yesterday afternoon at Il meeting OF Epis
| copal ministers in the church named.
Tic convention assemblies for the purpose
! of cecting bishop and otherwise estab-
| fishing a diocese, the new. diocese having;
been severed from the Maryland diocese by
| the last general convention. Rev. Dr.
Addison presided and Rev. DR.. Stuart, Rev.
| Mott and Rev. Mr. Williams were appointed
] TO look after the comfort of the delegates
| from out OF the city.
There will he about / 80 delegates to the
! convention, of whom half will be clergymen
! and half iaymen. In the election of the
| bishop "A peculiar state or affairs will come
| before the conventions. which it will be
necessary for the pariiamenta rims to settle
before the election can take place.
There is in The diocese OF II aryianda II c1 non
which provides that. for the election OF u
bishop The successful Candidate must receive
twothirds or the vote of both the laymen
and The clergy
AT the present time, although the diocesan
lines have been dra wn, Washington ard the
four counties-M MOntgomery, Prince Georgs,
st. Mary's and Charles counties-are still
part OF the diocese OF Maryland, and il is
supposed that they will remain so until
the election of the bishop.
MAY BE A AwAsHINGTONLAN.
At least they will remain So until the sit
ting of the convention, anG the question
now arises as to whether the convention
must elect IA bishop according to the rules OF
the diocesan conventions or Maryland or
whether il shall he guided by the rules OF the
other diocescs.
Of course, as soon as the diocese is estab.
lished the convention may make any ruling
IL pleases on the subject for the guidance OF
the other conventions. The general laws
OF the church say nothing on the subject,
1t being a matter of ofdiscipline.
THIS ruling will have a material effect
upon the selection of the new bishop in this
way: 1t will undoubtedly be "A hard matter
10 select one oI the clergy of Washington
for the position at the best, and if the twn-
thirds rule prevails it VIII become practi-
cally impossible.
While there are several clergymen in the
city who have been mcntioucd as possible
selections, there is NJ ou ewbo stands out
so prominently as tu make his selection u
IoregoDe conclusion.
1t mas been the custom in the past, as evil
dcnced by the selection of the ma Iurity
of the bishops OF the Baltimore diocese, to
most prominent city of the diocese, but
from Maryland or Washington.
1t Is the two-thirds rule which has been
responsible for the election of so many
dark borses,' as, for instance, Bishop
Wbittingham and Bishop Paret. The for.
mcr was elected after Il struggle that
promised Ia be ntcrrninabie. the friends Of
two prominent clergymcn having beenmost
steadfast in their determination Ia elect
their man, and as Il result Bishop Whiting
ham was finally elected as a compromise
and turned out to be one Of the
ornaments of the church.
THE TwO-THIRDS RULE.
The two-thirtis rule is also responsible
for another peculiar situation, in which n
although be was elected by a
majority Of both the clergy and the lay
delegates, never becomes bishop. II hap
pened that he was first elected by the
clergy, receiving twc-thirds of the votes.
This time he was rejected by the lay
delegates. The matter finally resulted in
another convention being called, and at
this convention he received the votes of the |
lay delegates. but was re- jecte1b by the eclergy.
The most prominent names now before |
the public are those of Rev. Dr. Elliott, |
Rev. Mr.. Mackay-Smith and Rev. Dr. Nc |
Kim. The first is the rector of Ascension |
Church, one OF the handsonest and most in |
as some OF the others.
DIR. Elliott is one of the most learned |
rlcrgyTnen in Washington, and has n lost of |
influential friends, both in the church and |
Dut of 1t. He has hecn rector of Ascension
Church FOR many years. andhis congregation
have several times refused to part with him.
DR.. McKini is the rector of Epiphany
succeeding Bishop Parct when the
after became bishop. He is also a learned
nan, and one who stands high in the affcc-
ion and regard of his parishioners and
friends.
Rev. Mr.. Mackay Smith is comparatively
/ young man and a newcomer to Washing
ngton. lie having become rector of st.
Johns Church about four years ago. He
5 one OF the most popular clergymen i'm the
ity and has the advantage Of a considerable
ortune and the rectorship OF the most
ashionable church in the city.
While ii is admitted that either of these
nree are likely to be selected, it is be-
lcvdc that the new bishop is just as likely
o be one of the outside clerg ymen as it is
hat he will be WashingtOnan.