Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1899-10-06
CHURCH CONSTITUTIONS.
Rev. Raymond and Others Draft Canon'

Rev. Raymond and Others Draft Canons
| and Constitution for the New Diocese.
y session of dignitaries of the Mlchi-
gan City diocese of the protestant epis
copal church which began at South
Bend Monday afternoon came to an
end late Wednesday afternoon.
The object of the meeting was to
draft a constitution and csnons for the
recently formed diocese and the COM
mittee, consisting of the Rt. Rev. John
! Hazen White, the Rev. A. w. Seabrese
of Fort Wayne; the Rev Francis ~
W. Averill of Peru, and the Rev. W. W.
Raymond of Plymouth and Laymen
Stuart Mackibbin of South Bend and
Hon. James ). Dodge of Elkhart went
over the matter carefully, framing the
constitution and drafting cancns On the
general subject of the diocese. They
included CanOns On the subject of
council Of legislation of the diocese,
time and place of meeting; caDOns on
the general subject of procedure there
in and the finances and revenues of the
diocese. Also the election of officers of
the diocese and prescribing their duties
and TO the subject of the finances of
the diocese, canon on the subject of
parishes, which includes subject of or
ganiZation, elections, membership, OIL
GERS, records and matters pertaining to
the election of rectors. Under this
head the titles regarding the missionary
system of the diocese were assigned 20
sub COMMITTEES to draft and to report
at the next meeting of the committee.
which will be held in about three
weeks.
The constitution as drafted covers
the question of name, boundaries of di-
geese, the declaration of allegiance of
the protestant episcopal church In the
United States and declaration as TO
what is the law of the diocese. Arti-
Giles prescribing what is the legislative
power, and prescribing the qualifica-
tiOns of officers are also included. The
election of the bishop and certain srti-
Giles delegatine certain powers to the
council of the diocese and defining GER
tain terms nsed in the constitution and
canons aud al article regarding an
amendment to the constitution are
thoroughly covered. The work already
accomplished has been placed in the
hands of subcommittee for revision
and 1t is expected that when the next
meeting takes place the matter will be
in compact form. If such is the case
the constitution will be submitted to
the council of the church which will
meet in Michigan City some time dur
ing November
The diocese was organized last April
after the meeting of the general con-
ventiOn of the church in Washington
last October. 1t consists of sixteen
parishes and eight missions and en-
braces all of Indiana north of the south
line of Benton, White, Carroll, Howard,
Grant and Jay counties, more than one
third of the state. The diocese con-
trolls real estate property in Indladap
oils valued at $4,000, which is its share
from the old Indiana diocese. Over
$4,000 of personal property also be-
longs to the diocese and as long as
Michigan City remains as the city the
church will have the use of the rectory
school building and the church to be
used as cathedral. The diocese is in
better shape than is usually the case
when being organized.