Birmingham state herald., 1895-10-18
EPISCOPAL CONVENTION
A Vote Taken on Dr. Huntngton's Committee Report-The BaDtisma Founts Must
 Be Made Mu,h larger.

Minneapolis, Oct. 17.-When the house of deputies of the Episcopal church as- sembled this morning Charles T. Mallory of Milwaukee started the debate by call ing attention to the fact that in ma jorty of cases the founts were not of sufficient size to permit candidates for baptism being dipped in accordance with the rules relating to baptism. He there fore advocated the adoption of a new canon making it the duty of every parish to provide a fount of sufficient size to permit of the baptism of infants, making it unlawful for a parish to continue the use of fount too small for this partic- ular use ana providing for the end of tho year 1900 that each church and cathedral shall provide therein Iount or bapuIstry Of sufncient size to permit of the dipping or adults. two-third vote was neces sary for the introduction Of the canon and the house refused to entertain the question. It also declined to take up for action resolution submitted by MT. Prall of Michigan asking for the appoint ment of committee to consider the ques- tion of alienation of the masses from the church and the relation thereto of the breach between capital and labor. By vote of 121 to 7S the house adopted a resolution emanating from the Rev. Dr. Nelson of western New York resembling the resolution adopted by the general convention of 1878, forbidding the binding of the hymnal with the prayer book.
 The fact has developed that the action Of the house of bishops in receding from its position on the Alaska question and In deciding to elect a bishcp for that juris- diction was due to the announcement from Bishop Potter that a wealthy lay man had promised to bear the entire ex- pense of the bishoprick for at least three years.
 It is an open secret that the layman in question is J. Pierpont Morgan, the New York bond financier.
 By unanimous vote the house agreed to resolution presented by Rev. pr. Beaver of Easton, Pa. designating one Sunday in each year for an offering of general clergy relief fund. In supporting the resolution Dr. Spaldng of California said that aged bishops were now provided for by endowment and it was an indel- ible stain upon the church and burning shame to them all that no provision was made for the faithful soldiers who grew feeble in the work, and that so strong a disposition was manifested by dioceses and parishes to release the gray hairs in favor of young men from theological seminaries The church ought not to do less than the general government, which put it to shame by retiring the off cers of the army and navy on a sum suffi- cient to enable them, to live in comfort for the rest of their lives.
 Debate was resumed after the routine business of the opening hour had been disposed of, the pending question being the majority report of Dr. Huntingtons committee, admitting to the oversight of the church other Christian bodies willing to accept the apostolic and ni- cene !creeds, and to submit themselves tNf fnA a,,th tfxr Of tni who should prescribe the form of ser vice which the body might employ.
 The venerable pr. Fred s. Jewell of Milwaukee led the opposition with fiery speech, which Dr. McVicker of Phil adelphia subsequently, characterized as the most powerful arraignment of the lambeth conference that has yet been made. He denied that there were any large bodies of Christians knocking at the door of the Episcopal church for ad- mission, insisting that 1t was proposed to allow the people outside the church rights and privileges that had always been denied to their communcants, and which gave to individual bishops power that they would not confer collectively upon their house of bishops.
 Dr. McKim of Maryland said that three years ago the general convention adopted the Lambeth platform as it's own, and consistency demanded that this proposi-
 
 the previous action be rescinded. Dr. McVicker of Philadelphia ridiculed the alarmist appeals of the opponents of the plan.
 A stirring address was made by pr. George M. Christian of Newark, N. J. He asked if the convention was prepared to make every individual bishop of the church the sole interpreter of the liturgy of the church 1t large, or even of his own diocese, and there were a thunder of noes" Let them lay down the law that all who come into the church must ac- cept the prayer book, cover to cover. After Drs. Fround and Huntington had closed for their respective sides the ballot was taken.
 This was the final vote on Dr. Hunting tons report, the minority document hay ing been withdrawn to enable square vote on a square issue: Clerical yeas, 19; nays, 23; divided, 1. Laymen, yeas, 15; nays, 27; divided, 3.
 Of the clericals the dioceses of Califor- mia, Indiana, Iowa, Georgia, Louisiana, Massa chusetts, Mississippi. Pennsylva- mia, Pittsburg, southern Ohio and west ern Michigan voted with pr. Hunting ton. New York, Ohio, South Carolina and Missouri were divided. Of the lay votes Massachusetts and Pennsylvania were divided and New York, New Jersey Rhode Island, Maryland, South Carolina and southern Ohio were among the dio- ceSeS in support of the proposition. The ballot was taken a t o'clock amidst more evidences of suppressed excitement than have been manifested at any pre- vious session of the convention. The mi nority, which up to late hour in the de- bate had calculated on a bare majority in it's favor, died hard. The scene was in- tensely dramatic during the closing speech of Dr. Huntington of New York.
 The house met in joint session at noon to consider the subject of Christian edu- cation.
 A resolution came in at the end of the meeting from Dr. Fulton recommending that the board of regents consider the question of uniting all divinity schools into a theological university in connection with the general theological seminary. It was adopted and the house adjourned.
 Minneapolis. Minn., Oct. 17.-Tonight the house met in joint session at the general missionary board with Bishop Deane of Albany presiding A lengthy report of the women's auxiliaries, junior auxilaries and order of deaconesses was presented by Deputy Whitaker of Penn sylvania. who laid stress upon the fact that the women's auxiliary had given $1, 900 900 to the cause and deserved the support of the bishops and the church at