The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-09
EPISCOPAL CONVENTION.
Action of the Deputies on Amend
ments to the Constitution.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8.-The house of
deputies of the Episcopal Convention to-day
resumed consideration of the amendments
to the constitution, the pending proposition
being the incorporation into the constitution
of the canonical provision requiring the
sanction OF the standing committees of all
the dioceseS to the election of bishop.
Rev. Spalding, of California, opened to-
days discussion, resenting many of the ar
guments made against the change and max
ing an earnest appeal for the Incorporation
of the provision into the constitution.
Quite an unexpected interruption to the
debate occurred at this point by the INTRO
duction, by Rev. DR.. McKim, of this city,
of a resolution providing that amendments
to the constitution be indefinitely postponed
in view of the technical difficulties encom-
passing the matter. This was in keeping
with resolution adopted by the bishops on
Thursday. After a brief debate, in which
the opponents of DR.. McKim's motion re-
sented the idea that suspension of the dis
cussion of a subject by the bishops should
be accepted as an intimation that the depu-
ties also should stop, the house, by 242 to
SO, rejected DR.. McKim's motion.
The discussion of the amendment having
been resumed, strong appeals in favor of its
adoption were made by Rev. Morgan Dix,
of New York, the chairman of the revision
committee of the deputies, and by Rev. Mr.
Davenport, of Tennessee. Delegate Fair
banks, of Florida, voiced his opposition, and
then the motion to strike out the amend
ment of the committee was lost by an over
whelming viva. voce vote.
An amendment offered by Rev DR.. Jewell,
of Milwaukee, was adopted, changing the
phraseology. OF the section under consldera-
ton by making the provision Tor the con-
sent OF the standing committees or the do
ceseS to the ordination and conservation or
bishops precede the provision requiring such
consent of the bishops, which makes the
language conform to the canonical law. A
number of other amendments were proposed,
but all were rejected. and then Article III
of the constitution, reported by the COM
mittee with the amendment adopted of DIR.
Jewell, was carried by an almost unani-
nous vote. This article relates entirely to
the selection, ordination and jurisdiction or
bishops.
Article Of the new constitution was
adopted almost unanimously. 1t eliminates
the provision in the existing constitution
which prohibits bishops for churches in for
eign lands from having seat IN the house
of bishops and making them ineligible TO a
diocesan Office in the United states. For
the purpose of keeping fully alive the mis-
sionary interests il was determined by the
bishops, the deputies concurr1ng, that the
country be divided into four divisions in
each of which there shall be held mis-
sionary council every year IN which the gen.
eral triennial does not meet, instead or one
general missionary council In those years.
Its personnel Is 10 be made up Of the bish-
ops in the district and three clergymen and
three members of the laity from each do
cese.
The bishops referred to a committee the
deliberations OF the Lambeth conference for
the appointment by the church in the