The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1902-04-01

morning.
The scene and occasion was one Of
considerable power and some pathos as
the prelate, who. COnseCrated thirty
years ago i'm far Off Canterbury, resign
ed the fruits of three decades of work
into the hands Of the representative Of
the church whose forms We're confirm
able with the laws of the country Of
which the diocese has now become a
part. Hawaii passed also from the
glory of a fully organized diocese and
local see to the minor though no less
important position of a missionary dis
triCt The representative Of the Anne
rican church received the transfer and
assumed his new authority with a calm
dignity that augured well for the sue
cess of the church under the new juris-
diction, his address and the whole pro-
Cedure of the transfer being marked
with sense of the change that was in
evtable and, however slight yet a
wrench for the people who had for so
long worshipped under a different
rubric.
Morning prayer with choral service
was the first procedure of the day, Dean
Kitcat conducting the services. After
the regular mathis had been concluded,
a hush of expectation fell over the al
ready silent assembly, as Bishop Willis
advanced to the chanCel rails, for the
last time as head of the Anglican COM
munion in Hawaii assembled for the
last time under that title and jurisdtc-
ton Slowly and emphatically the pre-
late spoke to the following effect.
1T is my purpose before this assem-
bly, to conduct the transfer of the juris-
diction of the Anglican communion of
! the Anglican Episcopal Church of the
diocese Of the Hawaiian Islands, first
founded i'm 1862 by Bishop Staley. The
steps already taken for this transfer
are as fOllOWs:.
In November 1899, the Hawaiian ISL
ands having been incorporated as a
| territory of the United States of Amert-
ca, in the diocesan synod of the Angli-
| can church resolutions were adopted
| binding them to conduct the church in
common with the episcopal church OF
| America on certain conditions set forth
in the resolutions. In October 1901, the
| House of Bishops being in session in
| San Francisco and the situation involv-
/ ing episcopal oversight, it was promised
| that a missionary bishop should be con-
secrated as speedy as possible upon
/ the taking over of the Anglican church
| by the American epiSCOpaCy. In DeCem-
Der 1901, changes were adopted in the
FORMULA and rubric Of the book Of COM
mon prayer in accordance with those
made by the American episcopal church
/ in 1889 The Anglican synod in due
convention expressed the desire Of
/ drawing up a charter of incorporation
| in accordance with the changes of juris-
diction made and proposed and the said
charter was duly granted on January
! Is, 1902 to the trustees of the Anglican
| church, the corporation being known as
| the Episcopal Church in the Hawaiian
Islands under the United States of
| America"
ION February "a. 1902 a private letter
to the presiding bishop of the Episcopal
..I,r lRN
| one expressing his full approval of what
| had been done in the matter. The re-
/ SignatiOn of this see was rendered &c
the Archbishop Of Canterbury the re-
signation was duly accepted and the
| papers connected with the resignation
certified to by the principal registrar OF
| the province of Canterbury and filed in
the principal registry of the same pro-
vince, among the archives of the
church"
The diocesan registrar, Edmund Stiles
then read copies of the documents anC
letters mentioned by Bishop Willis. The
private letter to the presiding DishoI
of the American episcopate stated thai
| condensed reports of proceedings anC
notatiOnal reports had been forwarded
under separate covers explaining the
procedure taken by the diocesan SYNOD
of the Anglican church in Hawaii rela,
tive to the transfer of jurisdiction.
The Right Reverend Thomas March
Clarke, presiding bishop replied In
letter in which he regretted his inability
to be present at the transfer owing {,
his feebleness, the bishop being now in
his forty eighth year Of ConsecratioI
and ninety years Of age. He mentioned
the convention of bishops to be held il
Ohio on the sixteenth of this month, d
which meeting missionary bishol
would be appointed, and stated so ia
tF,T A.
steps taken" Bishop Clark condOleJ
with Bishop Willis on the stress AM
trial that must be incident to such
. transfer and closed the letter i'm Cleri
cal friendliness.
The formal notice to "all people" b
) the Principal Registrar Of the principa
/ registry of the province of Canterbury
was read wherein was set down tina
] the letters and papers connected wit
, the resignation of Bishop Willis frOr
the see of Hawaii had been received
dated December 1901, the resignation [
take place in Auril 1902 and that tn
resignation, with its acceptance, wa
duly registered and deposited with hin
as principal registrar. Then fOllOWe
the acceptance of Frederick primat
of the English church Archbishop O
Canterbury of the resignation of BishO
Willis NJ. A. from the Jurisdiction of IN
see Of Hawaii, for which he had beel
duly COnseCrated and styled bishop Ol
the seventeenth of December 1901, sue
resignation having been made after
regular diocesan synod meeting haD
made resolutions of transference of tn
church and property to the American
| Episcopal church and the American
church having promised a bishop a
soon as possible. The authority of m.
Lord Bishop Willis was therefore de
clared to wholly cease and return a.
far as the diocese of the Hawaiian o
Sandwich Islands and such lands calleD
for general convenience the Hawaiian
| Islands.
Bishop Willis then briefly presen
Bishop Nichols of California as the re
preventative Of the presiding bishop o
the American church who was himsel
unable to be present.
Bishop Nichols in full, clear and ne
sonant tones then announced his mis-
sion. 81 come here under the seal an
signature Of the presiding bishop, as hi
substitute in charge and Representative
until a new bishop Is cOnsecrated." Tn
. | HrTfhnWftVr rriNran a EQiahnn Michele "a