The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-12
VENERABLE DELEGATES
Members Who Were in C0un.
 Gil Fifty Years Ago.
One of Most Successful Meetings in History of Diocese-Laymen and
 clsrgymen Have Return -r
 -ytfO ttsTH nI ,-
 cd Aome.nocW v .-.

The fourth days session of the Epis- copal Diocesan Council began yester- day morning at 10 o'clock. There was a quorum of the clergy and of lay delegates present, but a great many had gone home.
 After devotional exercises the busi- ness in hand was soon disposed of.
 Date of Next Meeting.
 Rev. Mir. Fitzsimmons of St. Mary's Church, Birmingham with which the Council is to meet next year, stated that for several reasons. the date had better be changed from May 1Ath to either 7th or 21st.
 On motion of Rev. MT. Adams the change was made to Wednesday. May 2lst. 1901.
 Resolutions of Thanks.
 A resolution of thanks to the rail- roads and to the press for courtesies was unanimously adopted.
 MT. Adams also offered the following resolution:
 Resolved, That the members of the sixty eighth Council in the Diocese of Alabama, return thanks to the Rector, assistant minister and congre- gation of St. Johns Church. Mont. gomery, for their cordial welcome and general hospitality extended the dele gates.
 To the Rector and congregation of the Holy Comforter and the citizens of Montgomery for their hospitality, al- so to the Guild of Christian Service for the reception with which 1t honorsd us on the evening of May Sth.
 The resolution was unanimously adopted.
 Rev. Mr. Murphy. asked that the resolution be so amended as to read with thanks to Assistant Minister and Rector" etc., inaemuch as the Assts- tant Minister, MT. Cobbs had been so indefatigable and successful fin most of the work of caring for the members of the Council. The resolution will be printed in the minutes in the form suggested by Mir. Murphy.
 Regard for Venerable Delegates.
 On motion of Rev. MT. Mcqueen. the secretary was instructed to have 600 copies of the Journal published as soon as practicable.
 MT. Mcqueen also offered the tol. lowing resolution:
 Resolved, That the secretary be in- structed to convey to our brothers the Rev. Messrs W. A. Stickney and F. Goldman our sincere regrets on &C., count of their absence from this meet ing of the Council.
 The resolution was unanimously adopted.
 MT. W. K. P. Wilson offered the following which was unanimously adopted:
 Resolved, That the Council has noted with profound pleasure the presence at its sessions of the Rev. J. M. Bannis- ter, D. D.. and Messrs H. A. Tayloe and F. B. Clark. That the presence of these venerable and beloved dele gates has been both inspiring and en- curaging to the members of this Coun- cil.
 These gentlemen were in the Church Councils of the Diocese more than fifty years ago.
 A Beautiful Reminiscent Incident.
 The following letter was read to the Council by Rev. MT. Murphy1
 Sante Fe, N. M.. May {. 1se1. My Dear and Reverend Brothers
 As this is the anniversary of my orG nation which took place in St. Johns Church, Montgomery. fifty-six years ago, during a session of the Dio- cesan Convention, and as you are on the eve of another. perhaps you would like to receive few reminiscent words and thoughts f&om the sole clerical Slr- vivor of that of 1s45.
 In looking back over the by-gofie years what thoughts come trooping in vlA& ta mostly indeed for the better. but not ing edifice, stood then, as remember, somewhat near the river in a north west direction. The clergy in attend ance were, besides dear Bishop Cobbs. 14evis, Knapp. Wright, Hanson. Scott, Linebaugh and myself. All these names have disappeared from our clergy list except my own, and of the laymen in attendance as far as l can recall them, not one Is now among the living There was no representa- tive of either order from North Ala bama, and none south of the river, except from Lowndes County and per- haps from Carlowville, while I. a poor deacon and MT. Smith alone repre- sented the eastern side of the State. How these dear brethren come before me in memory today. No fresh color warns their cheeks, no life blood pulses through their fleshlesS hands, yet the grasp of those loving hands, and the we'll remembered tones of those fraternal voices arg, with me to- day. How general and hearty the re- sponses, hove reverent their behavior how sweet the singing from the whole HOW edifying and up- lifting the preaching, yet no one of the clergy would now be thought of as a great preacher, yet their earnest ana affectionate sermons went to the heart and often brought tears coursing down faces unaccustcmed to weep.
 We had never heard much about ritual, nor church decorations. The hest ornaments of the chancel were the faithful ones who knelt at the rail. No one ever heard of any other name for the church but the Episcopal. It was a name that everybody understood and respected, because they knew and loved him or them who bore the Epis- copal office.
 I shall carry tender and loving and thankful memories of the church in Alabama. know of none to more ad mire. more trusted and more helpful. May God abundantly bless her in the future AS he has so signally done in the past.
 Very faithfully and atfectionateiy yours in Christ and His Church.
 J. l.. Gay. Rev. Edgar G. Murphy. Montgomery
 Ala.
 The hand writing is clear and easily