The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-06-26

tlOHs
The one hundred 9th annual convention
of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont con-
vened in Christ Church last week wednes-
day morning, with thirty clergymen and
ffty.fve lay delegates present, Prior to
the convention hour, morning prayer was
read and the holy communion was Cele-
brated Mr.. I. H. Garfield of Burlington
and Colonel Fred e. Smith of Montpelier
were elected secretaries Wednesday morn.
ing Bishop Hall delivered his annual adj
dress, in which he said, in part:
"My Brethren Of the Clergy and Laity:--
Next year it will be my duty to deliver
formal charge to the diocese on some point
of faith or morals of the church's doc
trine, discipline or worship. | desire on
this occasion to confne myself to diocesan
concerns, and more particularly to sugges.
tons that arise from parochial reports
which have received.
"First, let me report, myiown official acts
and ministrations. Since the last conven-
ton have visited all the parishes and mis-
sion stations in the diocese, many of them
more than once, and have held services in
several places where we have had no regu.
lar ministratons ! have celebrated the
holy communion within the diocese and
outside my own charge 122 times, with
forty-seven celebrations in my own chapel
and thirty-four outside the diocese. l have
baptized on ten occasions eighteen persons
of whom six were adults, / have admins
tered confirmation on forty eight occasions
to 270 candidates in the diocese and have
confirmed eleven for the bishop of Massa
chusetts on three occasions. My sermons
in the diocese number 227 with fourteen
addresses and twelve catechisms. Outside
the diocese, l have preached seventy-one
sermons and made sixteen addresses.
have ordained one priest, cousecrated
one church and have given my canoncal
consent to the conservation of one bishop
DIR. John Hazen White, elected to the see
of Indiana. The clergy of the diocese now
number, in addition to the bishop, thirty five
priests and one deacon. Twenty-six lay
readers hold bishops license from Advent,
1894, to Advent, 1895. At five places have
made prolonged visitations in nature of
mission. At Montpelier during the session
of the legislatures at White River Junction
in connection with the conservation of
church; at Middlebury during the first
eight DAYS of the Advent; at St. Johnsbury
during Holy Week, and at Brattleboro,
where l preached eight evenings in the
town hall at a special request of number
OF the citizens. Personal friends outside
the diocese have enabled me to give seven
scholarships of 500 each, to pupils at Bishop
Hopkins Hall, who could not afford the
regular charges. With our splendid prop
erty unsurpassed in beauty and health and
fullness, we may appeal to those who value
Christian education to aid us in putting our
schools in position to receive pupils at
charges that can be reached by all
Only second in urgency to the needs
and claims of Barre are those places in the
eastern part of the diocese in the neighbor-
hood of ST. Johnsbury. deacon working
in this district under the rector of St. Johns
bury, will. / believe, be able to accomplish
much in these places.
" In regard to the payment of stipends,
there have been very few cases in the past
year that have fallen short of the amount
promised. The missionary committee will
present our need OF larger contributions
than we have received or asked from the
congregations last year. Our contributions
for domestic and foreign missions are lament
ably small. The parochial reports show
1882 81 from the diocese for domestic mis-
sions and S367 10 for foreign missions. Less
than 81 400 in all. In some places during
Lent or in the winter ii has been customary
to hold services in private houses. This,
am sure, is a mistake. l am thankful to
note the decrease of such elastic devotons
as that of three hours on Good Friday.
The celebration of holy communion in the
afternoon has, hope, been abandoned by
the churches in the diocese. There are six
teen churches that celebrate communion
every Sunday. The Sunday school teachers
ought to have more instruction. A regular
teachers meeting would be as valuable az
the choir rehearsalS, There has been
great advance spiritually among the clergy.
men during The past year, but there is
plenty of room for Improvement There
are 4,6S3 names on our commencement list
and 4,SSS including the nominal commune
cants, seventeen per cent of which are not
in the habit of receiving communion. There
is room for improvement in our canons, but
as the canons of the general convention are
now in the process of reconstruction, to re-
wise ours would be unwise at the present
time"
vention committees; Standing committee
Mrs. Babbitt of Bellows Falls, Messrs,
Woodfn of Rutland and Deming of Airing
ton; committee on canons, Rev. +. w.
Smith of Burlington, Rev. DR.. Bliss of
Woodstock, Rev. Z. n. Goddard of Wind
sor, Messrs. Briggs and Haskins; commit
tee on miscellaneous business, Revs. Homer
White of Randolph, j. L. Bliss of Burling-
ton and Aaron Wilson; committee on edu-
cation, Rev. E. b. Smith of Vergennes, Rev.
G. l.. Richardson of Bennington, Rev. j. A.
Davis, Messrs. Elias Lyman of Burlington
and James II. Williams; committee on pa
rochial reports, Rev. G.. b. johnson OF
Burlington and G. Y. Bliss. The auditors
for trust funds elected for the ensuing year
We're G. X. Bottom of Rutland, James b.
Jones of Woodstock and Daniel w. Robin
son Of Burlington.
K. l.. Temple was reelected treasurer,
Fred E. Smith of montpelier trustee, and
Rev. f. w. Smith of Woodstock register
The report of the treasurer showed that the
funds of the diocese are safely and judi
ciously invested. The sum of S175 was
voted to assist in defraying the expenses of
Bishop Hall and four clerical delegates to
the Minneapolis convention. The delegates
elected to that body are Rev. DIR. j. l.
Bliss of Burlington, Rev DIR. A. b. Elan
ders of St. Adams, Rev. w. III. Collins of
Brattleboro, Rev. K. N. Goddard OF Wind
sor, Hon. George f. Edmunds of Burling-
ton, e. L. Temple Of Rutland, T. Fl. Can
field of Burlington and Myron w. Bailey of
st. Adams.
Wednesday evening was given up to the
consideration of mission work, after which
reception was rendered Bishop Hall and
the visiting delegates at the home of Ed
ward Dewey on State street.
AT the Thursday morning session the fol-
lowing clerical and lay aternates to the
Minneapolis convention were elected: Cler-
ical Rev. Francis w. Smith of Woodstock,
Rev William f. Weeks OF Brandon, Rev,
b. w. Atwell of Shelburne and Rev. Chas.
M. Niles OF Rutland. The lay deputies were:
Charles f. Parker of Vergennes, Colonel
Fred E. Smith of Montpelier, Henry Wells
of Burlington and f. w. Childs of Brattle-
al ha