The San Francisco call., 1896-05-07

Ihe lady delegates again refrained from
answering to their names. The commit
tee on credentials has passed on all these
lady delegates and has accepted them, the
decision being that when any lady dele
gate answers the rollcall she shall be
seated on the floor with the other dele
| gates.
Speaking on this subject yesterday,
George Hook, assistant secretary of the
| diocese, and a member of the committee
on credentials, said:
''The statement in THE CALL of to-day is
| perfectly correct. According to the amend
ment of the canon, made last year, ladies
are entitled to vote. The committee on
credentials which passed upon the dele
gates acc epted all the ladies, and resolved
| that If they answered the rollcal they
should be seated upon the floor.
"Any opposition which might be caused
by this act would call for vote of the
convention as a whole. The ladies are not
officially here unless they answer the
rollcall. and so far but one of them
has brought the question to an issue by
doing so.
"I do not think there would be any de-
cided opposition if the ladies were seated
among the other delegates. There might
De few protests here and there, but be-
| lieve the convention as whole would be in
favor of accepting them, as the committee
| on credentials has already done. No one
questions the fact of woman being now
entitled to vote for vestrymen, etc., and
sooner or later the convention will have
to face the question of whether the right
to vote entities to seat in the convention.
The situation may not have to be faced at
this convention, but it will undoubtedly
come up before very long"
1t is Mr.. Hooks opinion that the ours
ton will not have to be faced by this con-
ventlon. Questioning among the delegates
revealed the fact, however, that it may
come up to-day, for w. G. Am broise, dele
lare, who is delegate from the same mis-
sion, will be present to-day and intends to
answer the rollcsll.
A good deal of business of interest to
the diocese was transacted yesterday. The
morning session, after motions, opened
with the report of the special committee
on plan of assessment for diocesan ex-
penses. For the last three years the vari-
GUS churches have been assessed certain
percentage on their incomes, derived from
pew rents, offertories and pledges.
The substance of the minority report was
to give this plan longer trial. The ma
lority report Of the committee of seven,
pared by Rev. F. J. Mynard, Rev. J.. A.
Emery, Rev. F. H. Church, H. G. Davis.
William Van Bokkelen and Rev. w. H.
MoreIand, and this report proposed to
assess each parish or mission upon the
basis OF its current expenses.
William Van Bokkelen. who presented
the report favoring the latter plan of as
sessment. said the sliding-scaie was less
ilard on poor parishes, and that it made
the rich parishes bear their share of the
burden better. He added that for the last
three years the finance committee had
been ignoring the canons and tightening
the burden on the poor parishes.
Rev. Robert r. Richie spoke against the
proposed new system, saying that it would
hamper parish benevolence. Rev. John
Emery said the old system was an unjust
one, as number of parishes raised their
incomes by other means than offertories.
pew-rents and pledges. On a motion be,
ing put to the house both reports were re-
iected, but William Van Bokkelin moved a
reconsideration of his report and this be-
ing carried, Rev. DR.. Spalding amended it
by inserting the statement that in assess
ing each parish or mission according to
current expenses, these expenses were not
to include money paid on mortgages or on
permanent improvements. The amend
ment was accepted and the report was
adopted almost unanimously.
The Bishops annual address, which con-