The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-12-11

STATUTES
ADOPTED
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! Let me refer TO another point of his
tory When 1 came here in 1872, I found
that the synod OF the Reformed Catholic
Church under which title the corporate
/ powers of the church were held was,
through force of circumstances rather
than through any intention on the part
of its founders, was to all intents and
! purposes. an irresponsible, self-electing
body. The amended charter made consd-
tutiCnal government possible. In due
time what was made potential in
the charter was brought into az
tuaI existence by the constitution or
the Anglican Church In Hawaii. The
! Anglican Church in Hawaii is thus IN
! full possession of constitutional govern
ment on the lines laid down at Lambeth
] in 1867, as il passes under the jurisdiction
Of the Protestant Episcopal Church OF
the United States. under the changed
title OF the Protestant Episcopal Church
in the Hawaiian Islands.
( It is for you 10 hold fast that which
you have. The maintenance of the faith
itself may be imper;lled if you allow the
authority of the synod to be disregard
ed.
To warn you of the danger into which
you are running. q brief historical sketch
Is necessary. The member Of this synod
who, without any authorization from this
synod. proceeded to San Francisco as
the delegate of certain persons whose
names are at present unknown to this
synod. but who are styled members or
attendants of the Anglican Church in
Hawaii, arrived In San Francisco some
days before the opening of the general
convention, on Wednesday. October 2. In
consequence of an ordination which had
been arranged six months ago, to be held
IN the cathedral on Sept. %, it was not
possible for me to reach San Francisco
till the evening of Saturday October s.
the fourth day of the session. In 1858 the
Hawaiian matter did not come up until
the fourteenth day. 1t was therefore
some surprise to me to find when L was
received in the house of bishops on Mon
day, October 9TH, the fifth day Of the
session, that the bishops had already
been in council on the Hawaiian matter
and had decided on a course of action
to which my consent was asked Con-
Sequently, the question which a con-
ference took place between a committee
of the bishops in council and myself was
whether 1 was willing to consent to a
course already decided on by the bishops
in council, question which received my
answer in the affirmative. the course de-
cided to be followed being that which 1
had myself proposed in my address in
1t was not until the matter came down
to the house of deputies that it became
Ineligible why the bishops did not think
IT necessary to wait for my arrival before
deciding on the course to be taken. 1t
was stated on the floor of the house of
deputies that the members of the church
in Hawaii were prepared to subscribe
1880 year toward the stipend of an |
American bishop. The bishops had been
persuaded by the memorial presented
by member of this synod that Bishop |
Willis was persona fngrata to the mem |
bers of the church in Hawaii and that
nothing would be subscribed to the Epis- |
copal stipend as long as he filed the See, !
but that half the stipend would be forth |
coming for a bishop appointed by the |
house of bishops. In accordance with |
this, or from information received to the |
same effect, the Living Church. in its |
issue of October &c, contained the follow
ing:
(The bishop here read an extract al
ready published in these columns.)
1 now ask the synod to look forward !
a little and consider what the course of /
events will be II the warning voice am
uttering passes unheeded. In three
months time the See of Honolulu will
be vacant. You may then expect that |
the president of the standing committee
Will receive a letter from the presiding
bishop of the church in the United States
Of America inquiring whether the stand
ing committee is ready to pay half the
stipend of a bishop, according to a re-
ceived Interpretation Of a guarantee ex-
pressed in a memorial from members of
the Anglican Church in Hawaii, and
from Honolulu by a member
Of the diocesan synod so that the house
Of bishops may proceed to the election OF
a bishop. / need not picture to you the
dilemma in which the standing commit
tee viii be placed. Either that guarantee
has been given, or it has not. In either
case this synod knows nothing about II;
so that it has information to convey
TO the standing committee. If no guar
antee has been given, not only the stand
ing committee but the whole Anglican .
Church in the Hawaiian Islands will fall
under the reprCach of having allowed the
general convention to be deceived by a
from irresponsible persons, the
of which they had no
means Of discovering. If a guarantee
has been made as stated in the memorial
then this synod ought to call on the
member of the house who conveyed that
to San Francisco to lay before
this synod a copy of the signatures to
that memorial so that the synod may
know how many of the signers are bona
tide members of the church and also
copies of any promissory note, subscrip-
ton list letters or other documents bear
ing upon such guarantee. If 1t should
appear that no guarantee has been made
no time should be lost in so acquaintfng
the presiding bishop. If the member of
the synod referred to has these guaran-
tees in his sleeve it Is imperative for the
future safety, peace and progress of the
1-ocese, that the synod require him to
produce them, and place them in the
hands Of the synod, to be deposited with
he standing committee