Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-12
REVISING THE CANON S
Recommendations of Special Committee
Submitted
Results of the Deliberations Directed
by the Episcopal Church Gem
ernl Convention.


The committee appointed at the general
| convention of the Protestant Episcopal
Church Of the United States to revise the
| constitution and canons Of the church has
submitted the results of its protracted de-
| alterations in a report which has been
made public.
The revision provides that there shall be
| general synod consisting of The house of
| bishops and the house Of deputies. which
| shall sit and deliberate separately, and that
freedom of debate be allowed. Either house
every act must be adopted by both houses,
and be certified by the signatures Of the
presiding officer and of the secretary Of
each house.
House of Bishops.
The house of bishops is to be composed
of every bishop Of the church having juris-
diction, every bishop coadjutor and bishops
whose resignation of jurisdiction shall have
| been accepted. A majority Of all the bish-
ops entitled to vote, exclusive of mission
airy bishops, shall be necessary to consti-
tute q quorum.
The house of bishops shall elect by ma
jority vote from it's own number prmus
to be it's presiding officer. who shall hold
office for life, unless he resigns or be re-
moved for incapacity or for canonical
cause
The church in each diocese which shall
have been admitted to the general synod
shall be entitled to be represented in the
house of deputies by not more than three
presbyters economically resident in the dio-
cese and three laymen. communicates Of
this church and having domicile in the do
cese. Each diocese shall prescribe the man
ner in which its deputies shall be chosen.
In either house any number less than a
quorum may adjourn from day to day.
house during session
general synod shall adjourn without the
consent Of the other for more than three
days, nor to any, place other than that in
which the synod shall be sitting.
Supreme Legislative Authority.
The general synod is to be the supreme
legislative authority. 1t shall also have
power to enact canons of discipline and ex-
elusive power to enact canons defining the
offenses for which bishops, presbyters and
deacons may be tried, and determining the
penalties. The court for the trial of a
bishop is to be composed Of bishops only.
Many other powers are clearly defined.
The revision also provides for the uniting
into provinces Of the diocese and mission
airy Jurisdictions. Every province must In
clude not less than five contiguous dioceses,
and in each province a synod, composed of
the bishops and clergy and laity, shall be
constituted by the action of a majority Of
the convention of the dioceses within such
provinces and of the bishops therein, for
the exercise of such legislative powers as
are not Inconsistent with the constitutional
powers of the general synod.
The bishops Of each province shall elect
one of their number to be primate of the
province.
In every diocese the bishop or bishop-co-
adjutor shall be chosen agreeably to such
rules as shall be prescribed by the conven-
ton of the diocese. Missionary bishops
shall be chosen by the house of bishops.
Jurisdiction of Bishops.
A bishop shall confine the exercise of his
office to his own diocese or missionary ju-
rlsdiction, unless requested to perform some
episcopal act in another diocese or in a
missionary jurisdiction by the ecclesiastical
authority thereof. authorized and an
pointed by the house of bishops to act tenn
porarily in case of next beyond the terri
torial limits of the United States
No one shall be ordained and consecrated
bishop until he shah be thirty years of age,
ror without the consent of the majority OF
the bishops exercising jurisdiction in the
United States. No one shall be ordained
and consecrated by less than three bishops,
A bishop may not resign his jurisdiction
without the consent of the house Of
bishops.
Bishops may be consecrated for foreign
lands with the appreciation of majority
of the bishops of the church, but such
bishops shall not be entitled to vote on the
house of bishops. nor shall they perform
any act of the episcopal office in any do
cese or missionary jurisdiction of this
ecclesiastical authority thereof.
There is also a provision that in every
diocese there shall be a standing COM
mittee appointed by the convention of the
diocese.
Creation of New DfOcescs.
new diocese may be formed and erect
ed, with the consent of the general synod
and of the provincial synod out of the ex-
listing diocese. or by the junction of two or
more dioceses or parts of dioceses - in a
missionary Jurisdiction but such consent
shall not be given unless the proposed do
cese contain at the time the consent is
given at least ten duly organized and self
supporting congregations and ten presby-
tiers, who have been at least one year can
onically resident and for the same period
holding cure within the bounds of such
proposed diocese and qualified to vote for a
bishop.
Nor shall such consent be given If any
existing diocese shall be reduced as to
duly organized and self-supporting congre-
cations and fifteen presbyters residing
therein and qualified as above mentioned,
nor without the approval of the bishop or
bishops and of the convention or conven-
tons concerned, nor until the general synod
has satisfactory assurance of a suitable
provision for the support of the episcopate.
In case diocese shall be divided into
two or more dioceses. the bishop of the do
cese divided may choose the diocese to
which he will be attached.
In case diocese shall be formed out OF
Parts of two or more dioceses, each of the
bishops and Misrepresentation Of the sew
eral doceses out of which the new diocese
has been formed shall be entitled in the
order of seniority and conservation to the
choice. The general synod may accept the
cession of a part of the territory of dio-
&C Sc, both vote of two-thirds of all the
bishops present and voting, and two-thirds
of the house Of deputies voting by dio-
&C ses.
The articles referring to the qualifications
for ordination and conservation, the book Of
common prayer and future amendments to
the constitution contain no innovations.
The Standard Bible.
Canon SO defines the standard Bible OF
the church, and says:
Until further orders be taken the Brit
ish- Oxford quarto edition of 1852 of the
Holy Bible is recognized by this church as
the standard of Typography and punctua-
tion.'