Evening star., 1901-10-10
NEW CANON on MARRIAGE
ADOPTED BY THE EPISCOPAL HOUSE
OF BiSH0Ps.
1t Provides That Only Certain Di.
vorced Persons May Marry
Aaain.1

AAah.u
A dispatch from San Francisco Cal. last
night says: The action o6 greatest import
ance taken today by the triennial Episcopal
convention was the Ndoption by the house
of bishops. by vote of 81 to u, of canon
Sc. which relates to the solemnization of
marriage. All of its provisions had pre-
viously been argued, except those contained
| in section 4, which forbade the marriage of
| persons 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 Lrac-
| tically render the marriage null and void.
This action has been, a bone of .couten-
| tfon a strong element in the church hold
! Ing that the remarriage of the innocent
| party to a divorce granted on the ground
| of infidelity should not be forbidden. The
| bishops have refused 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 expected
| to cause protracted debate. The canon,
as finally passed by the house Of bishops,
| reads:
Canon 36-Of the solemnization of matri-
| mony. f4"' -
Il. The solemnization of matrimony in
| this church. in which the mutual consent of
each party entering into this state Of life
| Is given in the presence of minister who
| having pronounced them, in the name of
| the Holy Trinity, to be man and wife, in
/ Vokes the Divine blessing upon their union.
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. 81
3. No minister shall solemnize tn. mar
r1age of any person who is minor under
the law of the place of. marriage, unless
the parent or guardian of such minor is
| present and consenting, or shall have given
| written consent to the marriage, or is per
| manently resident in a, foreign country. No
| minister Shall solemnize a marriage ex-
cept In the presence Of at least two wit
| nesses, the minister OF the witnesses helng
| personally acquainted with the parties
| Every minister shall without delay formal
| ly record in the proper register the name,
| age and residence of each party. Such rec
performs the ceremony, and if practicable
by the married parties, and by at least two
| witnesses of the marriage.
Il No minister shall solemnize a marriage
between any two persons unless, nor until
| by inquiry, he shall have satisfied himself
| that neither person has been or Is the hus-
| band or the wife OF any other person then
| living; unless the former marriage was an
| u
| competent jurisdiction for cause existing
| before such former marriage"
The bishops have yet to consider canon
81, providing for the discipline of persons
marrying after having been divorced. This
| also will cause lively discussion. Another
important feature Of the work Of the house
| of bishops today was the appointment of a
| committee of five to act with similar COM
| mittees of priests and iaymen, constitut-
| ing joint committee of fifteen to consider
the proposed change in the name of the
| church. The committed has no power to
act, but is to report it's findings at the next
| general convention, to be held in Boston
| in 1904 {
The house of deputies adopted the report
Of the joint committee on marginal read
| ings, after agreeing to an amendment elm
| mating those readings5 which are original
with the committee PC
The vote on the main proposition as
| amended, was: Clerical--Aye, 81 dioeeses;
nay' .; divided, l. t4ay-1Aye, As dioceses;
The report as amended VIII now 60 back
to the house Of bishops Tor action on the
| amendment --s---tTsT4t 5Ii .z- q
The house of deputies tomorrow will
| take up the canon on marriage and di-
| vCrce.
Both houses unanimously selected Bos-
ton as the place for holding the next tri-
| ennial convention. --'-5s'.,e.
| The special committee submitted resoiu-
| tions in regard to the death Of President
| Mckinley, which were unanimously adopt
ed by standing vote. The resolutions
| follow:
! Resolved. That the general convention
of the Protestant church, meeting in the
| city of San Francisco, hereby records its
| feeling Of deep regret that so dastardly/a "a
crime resulted in the death of our chief
magistrate, William Mckinley and ex-
preston of hope that this common sorrow
may unite our people in a bond that may
I tend more and more to exalt our govern
| ment in truth and Justice.
| ''SecOnd-That the pyI1ilf n thjS sol,
ton is aggravated by the fact that it is a
| menace to the American idea Of law and
respect for the countrys rulers.
| "Third-That we appreciate the conscien-
| tious ability of his public service. the
| beauty of his private life, and the noble
| sense Of his great faith.
| BE 1t resolved, further. That copy of
| these resolutions be forwarded to Mrs Nc
kinley and to the Congress of the United
| States"
| After. brief discussion of the proposed
amendment of an explanatory nature to Sec
| tion 6 of canon 10. the matter Of marginal
readings was taken up.