The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-11
P. E. TRIENNIAL COUNCIL
CHANGES IN CONSTITUTION DIS
CUSSED BY HOUSE OF DEPUTIES.
EpiscopaIians in Japan and Hawaii
Anxious to Join American Church
New Missionary District.


abatement to-day to the public interest at
tending the triennial council of the Epis-
copal Church. The expanding influence of
the church was indicated by the memorial
received by the house Of deputies from the
Japanese diocese urging the creation of a
southern jurisdiction in that country and
from the Anglican Church in Honolulu here
tofore fostered by the English church, ask
ing that in view of the annexation of Ha-
wall to the United States the church of
Hawaii be amalgamated with that of this
country, becoming missionary jurisdiction
The proposition were referred, the Hawaiian
subsection going TO the committee on the
increased responsibility of the church.
The divorce question came up and was
placed on the calendar for discussion fol-
lowing the resolution on the Cars peace
conference. The resolution to close the
doors when the divorce question came up
led to spirited debate. Several deputies
criticised the move towards secrecy. The
question of closing doors finally went over
until the divorce subject was considered
Among the resolutions presented and re-
ferred was one expressing thanks for the
sympathy of Great Britain toward this gov
and hoping the time would come when the
two great nations would stand shoulder to
shoulder and flag to flag in the progress
This cleared the way for the main dis
cussion of the day on the amendment of
the constitution This related mainly to the
internal organization of the church and to
the amendment of Article for the estab
lishment Of standing committees in each
diocese. Article 4, in relation TO standing
committees of dioceses, was agreed to after
the adoption of an unimportant amend
ment.
Article 5, governing the formation of new
dioceseS, led to considerable debate Dele
gate Lightner, of Minnesota, moved to
strike out that feature of the article which
provides that no city shall form more than
one diocese except when the civil authority
consoldateS into one city portions of terri
tory belonging to different dfoceseS, in which
case each portion of said territory shall re-
main attached to the diocese to which it
previously belonged until change is made
by the consent of the General Convention
1t was urged that the diocese of New York
and Brooklyn was so large as to be I'M
wieldy and that division was essential: The
amendment finally prevailed. Article was
then recommitted for further consideration
by the committee.
Article S was adopted on a vote by
dioceses. Article Z led to sharp division over
the so-called provincial system: The COM
mittee report provided for uniting dioceses
into provinces. DIR. John Fl. Egan, of the
committee. presented a minority report,
holding that the civil division of the coun-
try into States should be followed by. the
church without the creation of strictly
ecclesiastical provinces" The subject final
ly went over until tomorrow.
The deputies agreed to a resolution of the
bishops repeating the canon establishing the
Prayer Book Distribution Society, this work
now being attended to by the diocesan asso-
Citations.
members of the joint committee on the Sc
lection of city in which to hold the con-
vention of 1901 Messrs. Potter, New York
Randolph, Virginia. Worthington, Nebras-
ka; Lawrence, Massachusetts, and Morri-
son, of Duluth An invitation was received
from San Francisco to hold the next con-
1t was decided to create a new missionary
district in Japan to be known as the Kyoto
district. which is coterminous with the
Japanese diOceSeS. The missionary will be
selected by bishops
The bishops considered the proposed new
canon relating to the question of marriage
Secretary Hart announced that considerable
progress had been made, but no decision
reached.
The marriage and divorce canon under
consideration by the bishops to-day was IS
follows:
Section l. No minister shall solemnize
marriage the parties to which are within
the degrees of consanguinity and affinity de-
fined in the eighteenth chapter of the Book
of Leviticus.
Sec. q a. 1t shall be the duty of the
ministers to admonish the people from time
to time that the church dscountenances
clandestine marriage. o. No minister shall
solemnize the marriage of any person who
is minor under the law of the place of
marriage. unless the parent OF. guardian of
such minor is present, or shall have given
written consent to the marriage, or is per-
manently resident of foreign country. g.
No minister shall solemnze marriage ex-
cept in the presence of at least two witt
nesses, himself or the witnesses being per-
sonally acquainted with the parties. a.
Every minister of the church shall, at the
time of the marriage, record in the register
of the parish in which the marriage takes
place the name, birthplace. age and resi-
dence of each party and such record shall
be signed by the minister who performs the
ceremony. and by at least two witnesses of
the marriage.
Sec g. No minister of this church
shall solemnize the marriage of either party
to a divorce during the lifetime of the other
party"