The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-10-08
BUSY WITH THEIR BISHOPS.
THE HOUSE WILLING TO GIVE UP A
VALUABLE PREROGATIVE.

Z, REFUSES TO Re-enact the Clause
Putting in Effect within Three
NAYS All Legislation CONCERNING
which the Bishops Have Made M
siru-The Vote the First Victory
for the Revision COmmissiOn-The
House Then Rejects One of the
commissions Propositions.
minneapolis, Mimi, Oct. 7.-Invitations
.r,o Atlanta and Boston TO hold the next
,-iennial convention at those cities re-
s,setively were presented to the house of
5snuties this morning and were referred
- the committee on locations.
The question of printing the bishops
-.storal letter of 1894 in the journal pro-
LoEsd considerable discussion and parlia-
-,sntary sparring. Finally, on motion of
Dr Park of Pennsylvania. the whole mat
-er was laid on the table by vote of 200
10 III.
The amendment of Rev. DR.. Fairbanks,
the secretary, providing that any diocese
NV set apart a portion of its territory as
a mission was taken up again and dis
Mr.. Alsop of Long Island objected to
the amendment on the ground that il
would invite the dioeeses TO throw OF their
outlying and more troublesome districts
and would generally increase the work OF
ne missionary board.
Dsan Gardner of Omaha took issue with
him stating that he did not believe such
action would be taken except where il
was necessary.
motion to lay on the table was lost,
and a motion TO refer to the revision COM
mittee was presented by DR.. McNicker
of New York. but before a vote was
taken Dean Hoffman moved the order or
the day, the report OF the revision COM
MI The house then went into committee
of the whole.
By viva voce vote, which was suffi-
GENTLY large in volume to restrain the
minority from challenging a division, the
house of deputies of the Episcopal CON
vention to-day placed itself on record
as being willing to surrender one of its
most valuable prerogatiVes, and practi-
cay the only one that enables it to hold
the whip hand IN preventing the house of
bishops from making of itself, it were so
disposed. a literary oligarchy. But for the
fact that is now recognized that the pres
ent debate is but an Interchange of opin-
ion between the representatives of the
various dtOceses and that the old constitu-
ton is likely to remain the foundation
Of the church, the refusal of the conVen-
tOn to re-enact the clause putting into
effect within three days all legislation
concerning which the bishops had made no
sign, might be fraught with grave conse-
quences to the denomination. This clause
from the new revision, after a debate in
the commission, which, it isfsaid, lasted a
week, would enable the house of bishops
10 approve just as much of the legislation
of the Junior body as ii pleased, and to
Indefinitely kill by failure to act all reso-
lutons, reports and other matters with
which 1t may not be in accord. The re-
suit would be to make the lower, or rep
resentatiYe house, little more than a spoke
in the wheel of the church.
A number of deputies, both Law and
clerical, declare tonight that if the con-
sidera ton of the revision was completed
at this meeting and the document went to
the dioceses, the old clause would be re-
instated by an overwhelming majority.
Most of the delegates to the present con-
vention were elected before the
mission was issued and conse-
quently in voting represented more
ther own views and sentiments than
those of the dioceses, the latter not having
had an opportunity of officially expressing
their views.
This was the first victory for the re-
vision commission after several days of
debate, 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 it possible for seventeen
or eighteen bishops to form majority
even when questions OF the gravest i'm
portance to the church are under consid-
Grafton.
Then came the celebrated section 3. pro-
vlding Tor the election of a primus. or
head of the house of bishops, to hold Of
flee for life, save in the event of voluntary
resignation. Quickly the amendments piled
up. One delegate favored a designation
Of president bishop another "arch-
bishop" still another presiding bishop"
one more "primate."
The house was not in favor of any one
Of the first three, nor did 1t kindly regard
as a substitute that the bishops elect their
own presiding officer and give him what
ever designation they might see fit.
A.vote had not been reached on the ''pri-
mate" proposition when the house ad-
journed. The bishops also devoted them
selves this afternoon to the revision.
Boston put in a strong plea before the
house of bishops this afternoon for the
honor of entertaining the next triennial
convention. Each house will record its
choice tomorrow. The friends of the Hub
are working hard among the western and
northwestern delegates tonight and claim
that the contest is alreay settled in their
favor. Louisville had the field to itself
until this afternoon