The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-05-18
Episcopal Convention Dis
cusses the Qualifications
Of Voters and Poll
ing Period.
RECTOR'S POWER OF CHALLENGE
Dates Of Annual Election
Fixed and Rules Passed
for Filling Vacancies.


ORANGE, May IS, 1S9s.-All yesterday
| afternoon the clergy and laity attending
| the annual convention of the Protestant
| Episcopal Diocese OF Newark, picked 20
| pieces the proposed supplement to the
| Religious Societies Act prepared by the
| joint committee of the Dioceses of New
| Jersey and Newark in 1887. Having the
| entire afternoon before them and no other
business to worry over, the convention
proceeded to enjoy itself by splitting
hairs over the meaning of words, and
| generally, as one clergyman put it, %
| strain at gnats and swallow camels.
Bishop Starkey's hearing is very imper-
feet and to prompt him as to what was
being said, Archdeacon w. R. Jenvey OF
the Jersey City district sat beside him.
The archdeaeon's post was no sinecure,
| especially when there were half a score
of clergymen at the same time shouting
"Mr. Chairman" and clamoring to be
| heard. Just such a din was.at its height
| yesterday when Rev. w. w. Holley of
| Haekensack, interpreting the Bishops
nod as his right to the floor, shouted
| above the rest
81 think / am entitled to the courtesy
of hearing what I am going to say
Gaughter.) 1t may not amount to much,
but it would afford me some qualification
to say it, Renewed laughter.)
AS the rector of Christ Church. Hacken-
| sack, is a general favorite he was allowed
to proceed and discuss that part of Sec
ton Q of the supplement which said that
the parish election should be by ballot
and the polls should remain open for one
hour or longer. Sue a leeway didn't suit
the rector and he fought vigorously to
strike out the words zone hour Did
anybody suppose. he asked, that he would
sit in the parish room for one hour wait
| ing for a handful of voters, when three
| constituted a quorum?
TITS only for once a year." explained
Rev. Edwin A. White, of Bloomfield, who
had charge of the bill.
II don't care if it was only once in five
| thousand years. retorted DR.. Holley. Il
| wouldn't sit there for an hour (Roars
of laughter.)
This quibbling about a small thing like
that is %wearying and a waste of time
| exclaimed Rev. Horatio W. P. Hodson of
| Town of Union, who is also a lawyer.
1.-The idea is to have a thing like this
| broad. We clergymen ought not to re-
/ gard the law as governing US; duty as
| Christians should prevail. Why. you
| can't get a law passed that I can't get
away from" (Cries of "Oh, Oh" and
iaughter.)
Lawyer Edward @. Keasbey explained
that the object of putting in one hour
for the time of keeping of the polls open
was done to prevent any snap election.
| Three men, constituting a quorum, might
| come there and make their elections. The
law of the State commanded all corpor-
| atoms to keep the polls open for not less
than an hour for that very reason.
Yes" said the Rev. George S. Ben
| nit. of Grace Church, Jersey City, "and
for one hour before sunset
A vote was taken and the motion to
strike out was lost. The consideration OF
| the preceding part of Section 8, that per-
| aiming to the notice of the annual parish
election, stirred up another sharp de-
bate. The paragraph proposed in the
supplement read:-"Notice of the time
| and place of the annual election shall be
read by the rector, or the officiating min
lister, on Sunday preceding such election,
in time of public service"
"What an ambiguous paragraph" said
the Rev. Reeve Hobbie of Newark. 1.-The
canon provides that the notice shall be
| posted on the door of the church"
(which door?' asked the Very Rev.
A~rchdeacon A. Mann.
o the main door" replied the Rev.
E. A. White, where it can be seem"
ssBut some doors open outwards, and
| then it wouldn't be seen," replied Rev.
Reeve Hobbie, land l can tell you that in
my neighborhood a notice wouldn't be
| three minutes on the door before the
| boys would nave it off," Gaughter.)
Lawyer E. G. Keasbey Strengthened out
the difficulty by moving as a substitute
that the notice should be read by the
rector at public service two Sundays pre-
| ceding the time of the election, and that
| the same notice shall be posted in some
| conspicuous place ten days before the
same, the latter phrase following the
| canon on that subject. The amendment
was carried.
Another breeze waited over the con-
vention when Rev. E. A. White moved
! that THE chairman shall be the judge OF
the qualifications of the voters, and shall
| receive the votes and declare the re-
suit"
~ssSupposing a voter is not challenged"
asked Rev. Cornelius Abbott, "and he
hasn't the right to vote; what then?"
THE rector can challenge him. replied
Rev. E. A. White.
Mr.. G.. G.. Frelfnghuysen said that the
rector could not be judge, jury and prose-
cutor too. In law it was absurd, and the
rector had nc right to challenge any
voter and then rule on his qualifications.
He would suggest that the words lin
case of challenge of any voter be in
serted, giving the rector power to rule
on the right to vote when that right had
been questioned. That was agreed to. AS
to the time of the election the following
section was adopted
THE annual election of any such
parish, hereafter Incorporated, shall be
held on such secular day in the week
commencing with the first Sunday in Adj
vent, as may be designated in its certifl-
cate of Incorporation. The annual cleo
ton of any such parish heretofore incor-
/ porated shall be held on the day fixed by
its charter or certificate of Incorporation,
but If no date. shall lave been so fixed,
then on the Monday following the first
Sunday in Advent"
Another change, a minor one, was made
in reference to election of vacancies, the
new rule reading
s.And in the event of a vacancy caused
by the death. resignation, removal or in
capacity, or refusal to serve, of any duly
| elected i warden or vestryman, such
vacancy may be filled by the vestry until
the next annual meeting"