The Portland daily press., 1899-11-30
Most Of Them Come From Out Of the
State.
Question Of High and
Low Church.
Some Boston Man Likely To Be
Selected.

Not many days have pafs,d sinos the
death OF the Rt. Rev. Henry A. Neely.
bishop Of Maine, but there have been days
enough for dozen men TO get themselves
menti ioned as possible successors to the
late head Of the diocese. Three or four Of
these names have already been mentioned
In the rapers. There are many Others
and IL looks now. as II there might be
Quit, q little contest before the vacancy Is
filed. While all those who are to have
any thing to say declare they have now
nothing to say yet 10 Is quite certain
work Is being done all over the diooess by
the friends Of some Of the candidates.
And all this lends interest to the history
of the diocese and Its elections.
Fran the tine Maine became o separate
state there was more or less talk about
organizing a new diocese, bat 1t was not
until ls47 that the thing WAS accom-
plisted. At the annual convention in
that year the chu, ches Of this portion OF
the eastern diocese finally resolved upon
separation. There were only seven
parishes in the state and eight clergy men.
Ths first bist op. the Rev. George
Burgess, was elected at n special oonven-
ton held on the fourth OF Octoter, 1S47.
Ii 10 election was unanimous and his con-
secration took p,acs In Hartford, Conn,
where he had bsen living on TIE 3lst OF
the same month. 1t nay be interesting to
recall tho names of the clergymen Of that
day. Those who were present and voting
when Bishop Burgess WAS elected wers
REV. Messrs. william X. Bab,ock.
Nattanisl ]. Bent, Alexander Burgess,
Samuel Durkorow. Thomas +. BALES,
Frederick Gardner, d. q. Hsskins and
JAMES Pratt.
The election of the second bishop was
nos SO easily accomplished. At the annual
convention In July, 1866, not long after
the death of Bishop Bur CESS. s1coes
Was chosen, who refused to soospt the
office. On the first ballot Of the clergy
Rev. DR.. Al,xsnisr Burgess rsceived ten
votes, Rev. N. A. DeMolfe Howe, one.
Rev. +. ID. Huntington one. and there
were two blanks. DIR. burgess declined
and on the second ballot DIR. Huntington
received ten votes. Dr. Howe two and
Rev. DIR. Henry q. Pratt three. This
choice the la!ty agreed to. giving DIR,
Huntington eleven out OF thirteen votes,
But he refused the honor. Three years
later he was elected bishop of Centra
New York and accepted.
A special convention was called which
met October 80, 1866. On the first billot
Rev. DIR. Alexander Burgess received
nine votes. Rev. DR.. W. q. Doane three
and Rev. DIR. W. w. Niles one. The
name OF DIR. Burgess was withdrawn
and the clergy baliottsi again with the
following result: Burgess one, Doane
two, Hilss two. NJ. A. DeWoif Howe SIX.
Henry A. Nicely two, George Leeds one.
On the third clerical ballot DR.. Leeds re-
ceived twelve votes and DR.. Nesly two.
But the lnity did not agree to this.
Upon the first ballot Of the lay delegates
DR.. Neely received nine votes to ons for
DIR. Leeds Twice more the clergy voted
and on the fifth, which was their final
ballot, DIR. Nsely was chosen by a vote Of
eleven to three for DIR. Leeds. The lay
delegates voted again, this time concurr-
ing In the action Of the clergy.
Three months passed tefors the new
bishop was conseo-atsi. At the time OF
his cor s,crstion Bishop Neely was thirty
six years old. His predecessor was thirty
eight years of age when chosen.
Very soon after the death Of the late
bishop several names were suggested for
the succession, some of them being such
as would naturally cocur to anyone. Mr.
Degsn of Augusta, a southern man, not
then year a resident of the state was
named. be came from Tennessee last
November and has been . popular and re-
spected clergy man at Augusta. 1t Is said
that In the far northeastern corner Of the
state the clergymen are for the election of
the Rev. j. o. S. Huntington, q son of
the bishop OF Western New York as
mission preacher. He belongs to q
brotherhood Of such a character that he IL
sometimes called can American monk"
That doss not interfere vita the esteem
in which he ia held as preacher and lead
or. IL has been said men like MIR. Michel
son, now Of WatervilIe and MIR. Papineau
of OldtOwn will vote for him. The>I'an-
gor and Bar Harhor delegates to the con.
ventioa will give. 1t is reported, a compli-
mentary vote to the Rev. q. S. Lifiing-
we'll OF Bar Harbor, wto has been a
clergy man In this diocese for more than
thirty years, o louger term than any man
except the Rev. DIR. Dalton OF this city.
1t 10 alleged the Lewiston and Bidde'ord
people favor the Rev. Percy Web er, a
mission preacher like Father Hunting
ton, as their first choice. THIN there 10
the Rev. DR., Sills OF this city who wal
early mentioned for this SUCCESSION, and
whose standing is such az to need no
com me ent.
The Rev. DR.. John S. Lindsey OF st.
Paul's church, Bosom. has been spoken
of. He Is Virignian BY birth and man
Of the needed qualifications, but it Ia not
thought he would leave the place he holds