The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-06
THE FIRST SESSION.
General Convention of the Eplsoop;
Church Begins at Washington.

Washington. Oct. 5.-With impress
sive ceremonies the general convention
Of the Protestant Episcopal Church
opened today at Epiphany Church. The
sessions beginning today have q far
reaching interest and Importance to
the Episcopal organization Of the
country ana indeed to the church world
at large. A great concourse Of people
gathered for the opening services. No
table among the lay delegates were
observed Chief Justice Fuller Of the
United States supreme court, Of the
lay delegation from Chicago; J. Pier
pont Morgan, William Bayard Cutting,
Francis Iinde Stetson and Capt A. I.
Mahan, representing New York; Geo.
Q. Thomas and James S. Diddle Of
Philadelphia, while the clergy was rep
resented by many prominent in the
church work Of the country.
Promptly at s o'clock the strains Of
the great church organ and the mixed
voices Of the chorus floated through
the edlace, initiating the council with
the imposing entrance of the bishops
Following the choir came that stately
body of ecclesiastics occupying the
highest places in the church They
entered according to their length of
service as bishop, walking in pairs to
the chancel The venerable Rt. Rev.
DR.. Williams, of Connecticut, the pa
triaroh of the body, was necessarily
absent by reason Of his advanced age
and infrmity and so, too, was BlSnop
Clark of Rhode Island.
The actual business Of the council
began at $3.50 o'clock, when the two
houses met separately, the house OF
bishops in the Sunday school room and
the house of deputies in the church,
the latter being open to the punac.
Rev, Dr. Morgan Dix of New York city
was unanimously chosen presiding Off
Ger. On taking the chair, DR.. Dix ex-
pressed the belief that the present
council would bring forth great and
lasting results. Rev. DR.. Charles II.
Hutchinson of Concord, Mass, was
chosen secretary of the council.
The committee appointed at the last
council to report upon the revision OF
the constitution, submitted it's report,
through DR.. Elliott of Washington. It
was determined to take up the constitu-
ton tomorrow and make it continu-
Gus special order until disposed of.
This brings Immediately TO the front
some interesting questions relating to
the church, including the name by
which the Episcopal church in Ameri-
ca will hereafter be known, the last
council having designated 1t as the
Protestant Episcopal church in the
United States of America
According to the rules of the council
this change must be passed upon again
at this council A communication in
Spanish was received from the Filipino
delegates now in the city. A special
committee was named to translate the
document and lay it before the house.
It was determined to make q pilgrim
age on the 18th instant to jamestown
Island, in the James river, Virginia,
where, in 1907 the Episcopal church
was first founded in this country.
1t was resolved that the houses Of
bishops and deputies meet together at
10 30 next Friday and receive a deputa-
ton now in the city representing the
Canadian church. The house of bish-
ops organized by eleeting Bishop Doane
Of Albany as presiding officer and re-
eleoting Rev. DR. Samuel Hart of Hart
ford as secretary. A dispatch was sent
to the venerable Bishop Williams Of
Connecticut senior bishop in the
church, expressing cordial greetings
and assurances of affection. The bish-
ops also accepted the invitation for a
pilgrimage to Jamestown Island on the
| 18th