The San Francisco call., 1895-10-16
Bishops at the EpisCopaliar
Convention Debate Many
Interesting Topics.
GREAT SPREAD OF THE FAITH
Alaska Created Into a Missionary
Jurisdiction Without Further
Opposition.

great and burning question OF revision,
upon which the leading minds of the
Episcopate, the clergy and the laity of the
Episcopa Church in the United States
have been engaged for three years past,
which has been productive of tons OF
literature appealing to reason and to preju-
dice, and which has caused the eyes of the
entire church in this country TO be di-
rected toward the present general signiti-
canoe, has been shelved until more con-
venient season.
Recognizing from the experiences OF the
past two weeks the utter futility of any
further effort 10 complete consideration OF
the revision that it might be sent down to
the dioceses for their action, the House OF
Deputies to-day, by an almost unanimous
vote, decided to refer the entire matter to
q special committee of its own members,
with instructions to report at the triennial
convention at Washington IN 1898. The
test ballot upon the proposition to shelve
was 1877 to 80, less than half of the dele
gates being in their seats, but later when
the house had filled up and it was put as
the substantiative motion scarcely dozen
voices were heard in the negative, and with
q sigh of relief Secretary Hutchins laid
aside the report for good and all.
By general consent article of the con-
stitution, which provides for the establish
ment of what is known as the provincial
SYSTEM" was exempted from its imme-
diate operation by resolution in order that
the delegates might avail themselves of an
opportunity of putting themselves on
record concerning this innovation. De-
bate was inaugurated at the afternoon ses-
sion and continued until adjournment,
some outspoken language being occasion
ally INDUCED in.
The House of Bishops this afternoon de-
cided to create Alaska into missionary
jurisdiction and to proceed at once to the
nomination of a presbytery to be elected
by a Bishop. A considerable portion OF
the missionary district of Texas was also
debated and added to that of New Mexico.
The report of the committee on the state
of the church, presented by DR.. Duncan of
Louisiana, put the delegates in good
humor at the outset of the days proceed
ings. 1t showed that in the last three
years the increase in communicates had
been II per cent and in clergy per cent.
The entire strength of the denomination,
its institutions and alms-giving, was sum-
married as follows: Number of clergy,
4543; Bishops, 79; priests, 4022; dioceses,
442; deacons ordained, 621; priests or
dained, 511; candidates for holy orders,
567; lay-readers, 1868; baptisms, 100, $40;
persons confirmed, 131 Alb; communicates,
618, 500; Sunday-school officers and teach
ers, 45, ,513; pupils, 22,451; pupils in parish
schools, II, ,541; pupils in industrial schools,
$3.50; contributions, $31. .634 ,243; for do
cesar purposes, $3,977, ,444 %; for mission
ary purposes other than diocesan, 81, ,406,
Isl 09; for education of the ministry,
$8S, ,4S6 %. Total, for all, $38,373, ,259 A.
After Pierpont Morgan had secured the
passage of a resolution prohibiting the dis
tribution on the floor of the house OF
books, pamphlets and other printed mat
ter the question of referring the constitu-
ton was taken up with the result already
stated. After the final vote recess was
taken.
Consideration of article was the special
order upon reassembling. This section of
the constitution provides that missionary
districts shall be united into provinces by
the general conference, each province to
include not less than five contiguous do
ceses and that in each province a synod
be constituted and endowed with specific
executive powers allowing them the trials
of presbyters and deacons, convicted par
ties having the right OF appeal to court
of Bishops. 1t also provides that the
Bishops of each province shall elect one oi
their number to be provincial Archbishop
Debate was inaugurated by Dean Hoff
man of New York, who made strong ar
gument in favor of the plan, taking the
ground that the church was now one great
province and that it must be broken uI
into smaller ones if practical considera
ton was hereafter to be given to many
vital questions affecting the denomination
Other systems of provincial synods haC
been tried and utterly failed, and the ont
under consideration was the best yet sug.
gested.
Lay Deputy Steven P. Nash of New
FORK spoke vigorously. He said the pro
posed provincial synods would utterly
lack authority. The delegates woulc
simply meet and talk. He would like tt
see the first step taken by any diocese with
pride in the direction of surrendering it
power to any sypod. The scheme woulC
bring the whole synodical system of tn,
church into disgrace.
A series of addresses on the section wa
offered by Rev. DR.. Huntington of New
York. These in brief provided for a sys
tenn of State provinces, to be created il
each State having three dioceses, to b,
composed of two houses meeting every
three years, making their own rules, bu
exercising such powers as should be con
ferred on them by the general conference
DR.. Huntington was opposed to the crea
tion of archbishops. He had, he said
stood by "Primate" to the death. bu
twelve archbishops marching across tn
horizon were 100 much even for him. H
believed in State rule, and it was an evi
day when, in 1888, the general conferenc
struck out the word ''State'' and replace,
it by diocese" The day was coming
when the bishops would necessarily be
republican body and the provincial synod
would be precisely the organizations t.
say who should sit in the senate of th
bishops.
The debate was continued by Drs. Care,
of Albany and Button of Philadelphia
who laid emphasis upon the fact that th
presbyters who might be grieyousl