The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-10-10
PASSED BY THE BISHOPS Canon on SOlemniZatiOn
 of Marr'r :.
 -s WILL GO g DEPUTIES
  Expected &.t Warm Debate Wip, the Result. Boston Unanimously Chosen as the Place for Holding the Triennial Convention-Canon 37 to
 Be Considered.

San Francisco, Oct. 9.-The action of greatest importance taken today by the triennial Episcopal convention was the adoption by the House of Bishops by a vote of 37 to 21, of canon 36, which re- lates to the solemnization of marriage. All of it's provisions had previously been | argued. except those contained in section four, which forbade the marriage of per- sons divorced for any cause not existing | before marriage.
 For any cause not existing before mar riage," is understood to refer to such causes as insanity, inability to execute a contract, the existence of living wife or husband, or like reasons which practi- cally render the marriage null and void. This section has been a bone of conten- ton, a strong element in the church hold ing that the remarriage of the innocent party to a divorce granted on the ground of infidenity should not be forbidden. The Bishops have lrefused to accept this view of the matter.
 The question is by no means settled, as the whole subject is now to come up in the House of Deputies, where it is ex- pected to cause a protracted debate. The canon as finally passed by the House of Bishops reads:
 The Canon as Passed.
 Canon 36, Of the solemnlzation of matrimony. The solemnization of mat rimony in this church in which the mutual consent of each party entering into this state of life Is given in the presence of a minister, who having pro- nounced, in the name of the Holy Trinity, to be man and wife, invokes the Divine blessing upon their union.
 "IT The requirements of the laws of the state regarding the conditions for the civil contract of marriage shall in all cases be carefully observed before the marriage is solemnized.
 I'll. No minister shall solemnize the marriage of any person who is minor under the law of the place of marriage unless the parent or guardian or such minor Is present and consenting, or shall have given written consent to the mar riage, or Is permanently resident in foreign country.
 "No minister shall solemnZe d mar riage except in the presence of at least two witnesses, the minister or the wit nesses being personally acquainted with the parties. Every minister shall, with out delay formally record in the proper register the name, age and residence of each party. Such record shall be signed by the minister who performs the cere- mony, and, If practicable. by the married parties and by at least two witnesses of the marriage.
 "IV. No minister shall solemnize marriage between any two persons until by inquiry he shall have satisfied him. self that neither person has been nor is the husband or wife of any other per son then living: Unless the former mar riage was annulled by a decree of some civil court of competent Jurisdiction for cause existing before such former mar riage."
 Yet to Be Considered.
 The Bishops have yet to consider canon 37. providing for the discipline of per- sons marrying after having been divorc- ed. This will also cause lively discus sion.
 Another feature of the work of the House of Bishops today was the appoint ment of a committee of five to act with similar committee of priests or laymen in considering the proposed change in the name of the church. The commit tee has no power to act but is to report it's findings at the next general conven- tion to be held in Boston in 1904.
 The House of Deputies adopted the report of the joint committee on marginal readings, after agreeing to an amend ment eliminating those readings which are original with the committee.
 The vote on the main proposition as amended was: Clerical-aye, 52 diOceses, nay. 6 dioceses; divided L Lay-Aye, 45 dioceses; nay. 6 dioceses; divided. ?.
 The report as amended will go back to the House of Bishops for action on the amendment.
 The House of Deputies will tomorrow take up the canon on marriage and divorce. Both houses unanimously select7 ed Boston as the place for holding the next triennial convention.
 House of Deputies.
 At the morning session of the House of Deputies, J. Pierpont Morgan of the joint committee on the place of meeting of the next convention reported that it was de- cided to recommend the selection of the city of Boston and so moved, the House of Bishops concurring. The motion was unanimously adopted by the deputies The special committee submitted suitable in regard to the death of President Mckinley. which were unani- adopted by a standing vote Af- ter a brief discussion of a proposed of an explanatory nature to Section of Canon 1S the matter of mar ginal readings was taken up. pr. Cam eron Mann, the first speaker, believed that the plan of marginal readings was the only feasible way of accomplishing the general desire of the church that rec ognized imperfections in the present au- thorized version might be corrected in the reading lessons. but he thought those marginal reading proposed which are not taken either from the English or Ameri- can revised version. or the margin of the King James version, should be omit | ted. Dr. McKim of Washington, said the | effort of the committee in making its re- | port was to conserve the old version as | far as possible while providing for cor | recting recognized errors or infelicities | In that version.
 Census Report on Nurseries |