The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-10-16
Church.

burning question OF revision, upon which
the leading minds of the episcopate, the
clergy and the laity of the Episcopal
Church in the United States have been
engaged for three years, which has been
productive of tons of literature appealing
to reason and to prejudice. and which has
caused the eyes of the entire church in
this country TO be directed toward the
present general conference, has been
shelved until a more convenient season.
Recognizing from the experiences of
the past two weeks the utter futillty of
any further effort TO so complete consld-
GRAFTON of the revision that 1t might be
sent down to the dioceSes for their action,
the House of Deputies to-day, by an al
most unanimous vote, decided to refer
the entire matter to committee, With in
structions to report to the triennial con-
vention in Washington in 1898. The test
ballot upon the proposition to shelve was
1S1 TO 80, less than one-half of the dele
gates being in their seats, but later,
hen the house had filled up, and it was
put as the su ubslantlatlVo motion, scarcely
dozen voices were heard in the mega
tive, and with sigh of relief Secretary
and all.
BY general consent Article ". of the
constitution, which provides for the
establishment OF what is known as the
provincial system" was exempted from
its Immediate operation by tho resolu-
ton in order that the delegates might
avail themselves of the opportunity of
putting themselves on record concerning
this innovation. Debate was inaugu-
rated at the afternoon session and con-
tinued until adjournment, some out
spoken language being occasionally in
dulged in.
| The House of Bishops this afternoon
decided TO erect Alaska into d missionary
Jurisdiction and 10 proceed at once to the
nomination OF a Presbyterian TO be
elected Bishop. A considerable portion
of the missionary district of Texas was
also detached and added to that of New
Mexico.
The report of the Committee on State of
the Church, presented by DR.. Duncan OF
Louisiana, put the delegates III good
humor at the outset of the days proceed
ings. 1t showed that in the last three
years the increase i'll communicates had
been II per cent. and III clergy per
cent. The entire strength of the denomi-
nation, its institutions and alnSgiving
was summarized as follows, the contri-
buttons covering three years: \ lumber of
clergymen, 4,543; Bishops, ~; priests.
4OZ2; dioceses, 422; deacons ordained,
662: priests ordained, 5I1; candidates for
holy orders, 567; lay readers. l,363: bap-
tisms, I90 $50; persons confirmed, l3l, ,473;
communicates, 6lS,000; Sunday-school
officers and teachers, 43.5l3; pupils, IT,
45I; pupils in industrial schools, 1885,
contributions, S3I ,634. .Z43; Tor diocesan
purposes, S3,907, ,444 40; missionary pur-
poses other than diocesan, 81, 4O6, l5l 90;
cd n q.
total for all purposes, $50, o,3I3, 259 Al. The
number oi communicates was said 10
have increased 10 per cent. while the in
crease IN the clergy had been but per
cent
After Hon. Pierrepont Morgan had Sc
cured the passage OF resolution prohlb-
iting the distribution on the floor of the
house of books, pamphlets and other
printed matter, the question OF referring
the constitution was taken up, with the
result already stated.
Alter the ilnal vote recess was taken.
Consideration of Article ". WAS the
special order upon reasSem bling. This
section of the constitution as 1t has been
approved by the Bishops provides that
the dioceses and missionary districts
shall be united into provinces by the
General Conference, each province to ill.,
cIuue not less than five contiguous dlo-
ceses, and that in each province synod
composed OF Bishops, clergy and Iaity
shall be constituted and endowed with
specific legislative powers allowing them
the trIals by PresDyteries and conven-
tions, con nvicted parties having the right
of appeal TO court of Bishops. 1t also
provides that the Bishops OF each province
shall elect one OF their number 10 be Pro-
vinciai Archbishop.
Debate was inaugurated by Dean Hoff-
man of Now ork, who made a strong
argument III favor of the plan, taking the
ground that the church was now one
great province and must be broken up
into smaller ones, ii practical consider
alton was hereafter to be given to many
vital questions affecting The denomina-
ton. Other systems OF provincial synods
had been tried and utterly failed, and the
one under consideration was the best yet
suggested.
A series of amendments to the section
were offered by Rev. DIR. Huntington of
New York. These in brief provide for
system OF Stale provinces, to be created
III each Stale having three dloceses 10 be
composed Of two houses, meeting every
three years. making their own rules, but
exercising only such powers as should be
conferred upon them by The General Con-
ference. DIR. Huntington was opposed to
the creation of Arch bishops. lie had, be
said, stood by "Primate'' to the death,
but twelve ArchDishops marching across
the horizon were TOO much for him. He
believed in Stale rule. and it was au evil
day, ia 1855, that the General Conference
siruci. out the word "State' and replaced
it by Diocese" The day was coming
hen the Bishops would necessarily be q
representative body, and The provincial
synods would be precisely the organIza-
tons TO say who should sit in the Senate
OF Bishops.
The debate was continued by Drs. Carey
of Albany and Button OF Philadelphia,
who laid emphasis upon the tact that the
Presbyters who might be grievously
wronged in ecclesiastical trial courts had
now no appeal; and by DR.. Carmichael of
Virginia, who said that the experience of
the church showed that the decadence OF
the provincial system was only Ques-
ton of time.
DR.. Spaiding of Alabama said it was
useless 10 try and keep the church in this
country in swaddling clothes, and equally
useless for the web-footed conservative
element in the conference to keep pace
with the swift-foo ted, light-winged, pro-
gressive young American element.
DIR. Mchlm OF Maryland opposed the
section. and the debate was then ad-
journed.
4 message from the House of Bishops
announced the appointment OF these
Bishops as members of tho joint Com
mittee on Ecclesiastical Relations: The
Bishops OF Western New York, Central
New York. Long Island. Iowa. Spring
field, Delaware, Fond du Lac, Michigan
ana the coadjutor Bishop OF Springfield.
The House approved the appointments
and named its own representatives:
Dean Hoffman OF New York, Rev. Drs.
Iaidon, Nevin, Hibbaru, Hodges, Doh
erty, Salerlce. jewel aud Deroset; Messrs