The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-04-30
VANDERBILT WEDDING ROW.
PROTEST MADE TO THE BISHOP
or LONDON.
Case OF Minister VINO Performed the Ccre.
mouy brought Before the Diocesan
Confereuce--Bishop Promises an In.
yestigation--Ch Chancellor Takes Blame.

sss%s~ -~s~'.,~'
Special Cable De,pates 10 TIE Sun.
LONDON, April 2o.-The matter Of the
wedding Of W. X. Vanderbilt and Mrs.
Anne Hartman Rutherford last Saturday
was brought before the London Diocesan
Conference at its opening meeting at West
minister Abbey this morning. After q
communion service in the Henry VIII.
Chapel a business meeting was held In the
Church House, with tho RI Rev. A. +. W.
Ingram. Bishop Of London. presiding.
After about a dozen words Of introduce
ton, the Bishop read the following letter.
which he received last night:
LONDON. April 2s, 1908.
MY LORD BISHOP: We venture respect
fully to draw your lordship's attention TO
the fact Of the so-called remarriage OF
divorced person by the Rev. X. H MADDEN.
at St. Marks, North Audley street, on
Saturday, April rs, and request you to make
such reference at the Diocesan Conference
70 this scandalous and deplorable incident
a. shall serve TO allay. to some extent. the
distress OF the clergy, who feel keenly this
infringement Of tho marriage law In the
diocese, and may also lead Others TO realize
how serious q breach Of Church discipline
IL involved in such proceeding.
We know how fully your lordship 10 In
sympathy with us on this subject, and We
think that the conference, coming - II does
Immediately after the event. will afford q
useful opportunity for an expression OF
your lorcship's opinion. Had there been
a longer time in which to act We should.
OF course, have asked other clergy Of the
diocese to join us In this letter. As 1t 10.
1t seems best that the two proctors for the
diocese and the proctor for the chapter
OF st. Paul's Cathedral, together with q
few OF the clergy Of the rural deanery In
which ST. Marks Church Is situated should
make the suggestion. We beg to remain.
your obedient servants In Christ
ARTHUR J. INoRAHAM,
H. MONTAGUE vILLIKRs,
Proctors Of the clergy Of the Diocese Of
W. G. z. NRwBoLT,
Canon Proctor OF the Chapter Of st. Paul's
Cathedral.
JOHN SroRRs.
Rural Dean. by his attorney. Rev. A. Fair
banks.
W. b. FAIRBANKS,
Vicar Of St. Matthews, Westminster.
A. HASBURY.TRACY.
Vicar OF st. Barnabes's. Pimlico.
HENRY WASHINGTON,
Vicar Of st. Saviours. Pimlico
After reading this letter the Bishop Of
London declared that It WIS hardly neces-
sary for him TO state that even without the
above letter the matter would have been
investigated at once. lChees.l But this
morning he had telcgraphed the Chancellor
OF the diocese who came to zee him, and
who said, first. that he war the guilty person;
second, thar he was obliged by law TO give
his license II the parties could find . clergy
man to marry them; third, that this license
went out In the name Of the Chancellor
and not in that of the Bishop, and, fourth.
that his (the Chancellor's) jurisdiction
was entirely independent Of the Bishop's.
daughter, He Uhe Bishop made no
comment on these facts but said that when
he had a chance OF interviewing the clergy
| men Of the church. as he would have. he
hoped, within the next twenty-four hours.
| he would then state his opinion OF the whole
| matter.
The question raised by the Rev. Mr..
! Miller of West London as TO the legality
OF the Vanderbilt wedding may be dis
missed as unimportant. According to the
testimony OF several witnesses who ought
| to know, the doors were open. One OF
those in attendance. Henry White,
the First Secretary Of the American En-.
bassy, whose wife is q sister-in-law OF
Mrr. Vanderbilt. said to Mrs. Rutherford
as they drove to the church: See. the
doors are open. wonder how many people
are inside"
| Another ecclesiastical legal opinion on
the law in such cases is that the doors OF q
church arc not technically shut unless they
are looked. As no one tried the doors OF
St. Marks during the Vanderbilt wedding
who can say whether they were locked OF
1 pnt2