The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-10-16
STATE OF THE CHURCH
REV. HI. G. DUNCAN'S REPORT TO
THE HOUSE OF DEPUTIES.
COMMITMENTS Increasing Faster
than Ep~iscOpaIians Can Supply
Clergy-Alaska to Have a Bishop.

MINNEAPOLIS, Mimi, Oct. 15.-The
House of Deputies of the Episcopalian con-
vention to-day first listened to the report
of DR.. Littel. Of Delaware, on the general
theological seminary of the church, its
progress and it's needs. The petition for
the new missionary jurisdiction Of Duluth,
approved by the bishops yesterday. was pre-
scented to the house and referred. Resolu-
tions were passed recommending that the
expense committee raise a fund to pay the
travelling xpenses of bishops in Europe WIS.,
iting churches there, and declaring it ex-
pedient to name q deputation to attend the
next meeting of the Canadian synod of the
Church of England.
Rev. H.. c. Duncan, of Louisiana, in his
report on the state of the church, said that
since the last conference, in 1892. ten bish-
ops had died, fourteen had been conse-
Grated. four of whom went into missionary
districts. The church now had IS bishops,
4,544 clergymen, 567 candidates for lay or
ders, $780, so baptisms in the past year and
1904 combinations. There were now
61S,5 500 communicates, 5,117 churches and
nearly 500 institutions of a benevolent or
ali sources had reached s3S, 900, 900. DIR. Dun
can showed that the body Of communicates
was growing more than the number OF the
clergy SssI : III The w lherea fse IN list the Of tri erIesan h had
grown but Isl, a fact he attributed to in
suficiency and diminution OF stipends.'
The income for the three years was $1,000
less than for the preceding period. The
committee made recommendations for pa
triotic services on the 4th of July. for
s~tricter regard of the divorce law OF the
church, for better Sunday observance and
for a more active propaganda for Christian
teaching.
It being sought to thank the author of a
publication for its gratuitious distribution. a
resolution refusing TO permit the dlstribu-
ton in the convention of any publication not
officially recognized was offered by j. Pier
pont Morgan and unanimously adopted.
The deputies finally passed the Packard
resolution, referring the subject of constitu-
tional revision TO a new commission. COM
posed of six clerical and six lay members.
The bishops will have no connection with
the work of this commission. The house
had previously defeated a proposal to refer
mission. The establishment Of a provincial
system was excepted from the matters re-
ferred TO the new commission
The House OF Deputies spent the entire
afternoon debating the question OF the
e shIs country. Dean HRo p I favored Ssass% havn
territory. but DIR. Huntington and others
favored organizing the dioceses of different
States into the provinces; Stephen T.
phatically opposed to the adoption OF any
provincial system and did not believe that
the convention would care TO delegate TO
provincial synods any great amount of
authority and unless IL did the synods
would become mere debating societies
that TO adopt the proposed plan would
place the church in danger OF disintergra-
ton. The debate was still on when the
deputies adjourned.
The House Of Bishops to-day concurred in
the action OF deputies providing for final
adjournment on Oct. 2. on which day the
morning session was devoted to congtitu-
tional revision. An amendment was