Birmingham state herald., 1895-10-12
THE EPISCOPAL CONVENTION
Disturbed by Bishop Neelys Attack on the Management of Affairs in Alaska.
 Much Work Done.

Minneapolis, Oct. 1.-The shadow of
 the disturbed spirit brought into the mis-
 sionary meeting last night enveloped
 the Episcopal house of deputies today.
 Little else was talked of prior to the
 morning assembling and after the re-
 cesses at noon and in the evening. The
 bitter attack of Bishop Nicely on the ad-
 ministra tion of church affairs in Alaska,
 his showing of the fact that for an expen-
 allure of $12,O0O per annum for years
 past there was practically nothing to show, his insinuations that there was
 something behind the latest movement to
 elect a bishop of Alaska, his outspoken
 denunciation by name of the present Alaskan missionaries taken in connection with the trenchant and heated retor.s or blsnops, pr.es,s anu secular delegates, some or whom were forced to admit the supstantal accuracy or the facts sup- mltted by the venerable bishop, but dep recates their exposure to the public eye, all combined to create an episode unpre- cedented in the general conventions of the last century, the effects of which in various executive and other branches of the church will be felt for years to come. The deputies generally, even. those dis posed to side with the bishop, deplored the episode, and the feeling was made manifest immediately after the morn- HE pIdytI lIlIOuBH TeSOlullOH ted by George c. Thomas of Philadelphia, providing that the board of missions con tinue on the Alaskan question with closed doors. This was lost. ,,, The bishop house spent the day upon the revised constitution. A resolution was submitted calling for the full report of the committee on revision Monday, which brought the statement from Dean Hoffman, the spokesman for the com
 mittee on the floor, that the body did not expect to have constitution adopted at this convention. resolution providing for final adjournment on October IS was referred to the proper committee of the whole. The house then proceeded to give quietus to Dr. lBennetS pending motion that the dioceses be legally represented
 in future conventions by persons not re- siding within such diocesan jurisdiction. An hour was wasted on technical and on | unnecessary amendments concerning the manner of choosing deputies, but all were defeated, and article 1 to section in- elusive were disposed of. On section 6. which provides that one clerical and one lay delegate chosen by each missionary district shall have seats in the house without the right to vote, Ex-Governor Price of New Mexico protested that this took away from the delegates in that category all the privileges which they had enjoyed for fifteen years There was more debate, but finally the house did the fair thing by giving the missionary ueleRaleS all the TlSnlS or dil OtueT uel- egates when a vote by dioceses was taken.
 After being amended by Hill Burgwin of Pittsburg section l of the article was adopted, providing that future conven- tions shall assemble on the first Wednes- day of every October of every third year at place to be fixed by the preceding convention, each convention, however, being given the right in the exercise of it's discretion to fix a different time than
 that of the constitution It was then proceed to vote clause by clause on the portion of the constitution sent down by the house of bishops, and thus prepare a message to be returned in the form of concurrence or non-concurrence, the sec retary called the roll on the first section, the only amendment being the change of synod" to "convention." The clerical vote was unanimous. with the exception of two dioceses, while of the laymen only California voted no. The second section passed as 1t came from the bishops, and the clause providing that the presiding officer of the house of bishops shall be senior in service was again put through by large majority. After this an addi- tional vote was given to the unfortunate word 'primate.' and the question of rights to be given delegates from mis- sionary Jurisdiction came for the second time within sn hour. Many of the dele gates were visibIy disgusted with this state of affairs, but under. the rules, which provide for consideration of clause by clause of the bishops revision, there was no help for it. Another effort was made to give the missionary delegates the right to have their votes counted in ballots by dioceses. but it was defeated. Further consideration of the bishops revision was referred until Monday. The upper house sent down the report of the committee of conference concern ing the next place of holding the con- vention, and recommending that Wash | ington, D. C., be selected The house | concurred by unanimous vote, and then | adjourned.
 The bishops today followed the ex- ample of the lower house by laying on | the table the solemn declaration of faith, which served as a preface to the re- l vised constitution. In opposition to the report of a special committee it was | decided to elect second bishop for Ja- | pan, with the designation of bishop of | Kyolo.
 It was developed today that Ex-Gov- ernor Bullock of Georgia, whose face l has been missed from the convention for l several days, is seriously i'll at his rooms at the West hotel. His wife, assisted by & trained nurse is in attendance on him. The adjourned meeting of the mission ary board was called to order promptly | at o'clock tonight. The pending busi- | ness was the resolution of Bishop Gill bert of Minnesota that the house of bish- | ops be required to choose a bishop of | Alaska.
 After discussion that consumed the | entire night session the resolution was adopted by a rising vote--ayes 161, noes | 37. Adjourned.
 rr:L D~xx nollc o~l NN;1