The San Francisco call., 1895-10-08
FOR PRESIDING BISHOP.
Suggestions That He Be Styled
Archbishop Were Also
Opposed.
ALL AMENDMENTS DEFEATED
Little Progress Was Made In the
Consideration of the Revised
Constitution.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINI, Oct. by a
viva voce vote, which was sufficiently large
to restrain the minority from challenging
a division, the House of Deputies of the
Episcopal Convention to-day placed itself
on record as being willing to surrender one
of its most valuable prerogatives, and prac-
tically the only one that enables it to hold
the whiphand in preventing the House of
Bishops from making of itself, if it were so
disposed, literal olgarchy.
But for the fact that it is now recognized
that the present debate is only an inter
change of opinions between the representa-
tives OF the various dioceses and that the
constitution is likely to remain the foun-
dation Of the church, the refusal of the
convention 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 con-
sequences to the denomination. This
clause, which was omitted from the new
revision after debate in the commission
which, it is said, lasted a week, enables the
House of Bishops to approve just as much
of the legislation of the Junior body and
to indefinitely kill by failure to act all
resolutions, reports and matter with which
be to make the lower, or representative,
house little more than spoke in the wheel
q of the church.
A number of deputies, both lay and
clerical, declare tonight that if the con-
sideration of the revision was completed at
this meeting and the document went to
the dioceses, the old clauses would be rein
stated by an overwhelming majority.
Most of the delegates to the present con-
vention were elected before the preliminary
report of the commission was issued, and
consequently in voting represented more
their own views and sentiments than those
of the dioceses, the latter not having an
opportunity of freely expressing their
views. This was the first victory for the
revision commission after several days of
DEBATE, but their jubilation was shortlived.
By an overwhelming majority the house
refused to exclude domestic missionary
Bishops in the counting of a quorum. The
legal effect of this exclusion would be to
make it possible for seventeen or eighteen
Bishops to form a majority even when
questions of the gravest Importance to
the church are under consideration. Then
came the celebrated section 3, providing
for the election of primus, or head of the
House of Bishops, to hold Office for life,
save in the event of voluntary resignation.
Quickly the amendments piled up. One
delegate favored designation of "Presi-
dent Bishop" another Archbishop" still
another Presiding Bishop" and one more
"Primator." The house was not in favor
of any one of these, nor did it kindly
regard a substitute that the Bishops
elect their own presiding officer and
give him whatever designation they might
see fit. A vote had not been reached on
the "Primate'' proposition when the house
adjourned. The Bishops also devoted
themselves this afternoon to the revision.
Invitations from Atlanta and Boston to
hold the next tIiennial convention at those
cities respectively were presented to the
House of Deputies this morning, and were
referred to the committee on locations.
The question of printing the Bishops
pastoral letter of 1894 in the journal pro-
voked considerable discussion and parlia-
mentary sparring, and after being pre-
sented in several different forms was laid
on the table.
DR.. Elliott of Maryland then presented
resolution respectfully and tersely sug,
gesting to the House of Bishops the pro.
priety of printing the letter, which, after
being placed on the calendar and taken
from it again, was made an amendment to
the resolution of DR.. Faude, introduced
Saturday, and finally on motion of DR..
Parks of Pennsylvania the whole matter
was laid on the table by vote of 200 to
III.
The resolution presented by DIR. Fair
banks Saturday providing that any do
nf 70 or
tory as mission was taken up again and
discussed at some length. Mr.. Alsopp oi
Long Island objected in strong terms to
the amendment on the ground that il
would invite dioceses to throw off their
outlying and more troublesome districts
and would greatly increase the work of the
missionary board.
Dean Gardner of Omaha took issue with
him, stating that he did not believe such
action would be taken except where it was
necessary. A motion TO lay it on the table
was lost, and motion to refer it to the re-
vision committee was presented by DR..
McVicker of New York, but before a vote
was taken Dean Hoffman moved that the
order of the day, the report of the revision
committee be taken up. The house then
went into committee of the whole.
When the constitution was taken up
Judge Wilder of Minnesota was given per.
mission to withdraw his amendment ex-
pressing his Willingness to give concessions
to the Bishops if they would sit with open
doors. DR.. Davenport of Tennessee and
DR.. Edward B. Spalding of California
spoke strongly in favor of dealing with the
Bishops in an honorable manner. DIR.
Spalding said that later issues in the dis
cussion should not be prejudiced at this
time. He thought it eminently just that
the House of Bishops be put on
the same plane with the deputies,
and he regarded the report of the
commission as tending that way. He had
heard great deal about the equality of
the two houses. This was all right as far
as legislation was concerned. but the Bish-