The San Francisco call., 1904-10-19
NO AGREEMENT
As TO DIVORCE
House of Deputies Fails to
Ratify the Action Taken
by the Episcopal Bishops
QUESTION SIDETRACKED
Brisk Skirmish Develops,
but the Matter Is Shelyed
Without Final Action

BOSTON, Oct 1S-The divorce issue
again came before the Episcopal con-
vefltion to-day, but no final action was
taken on several resolutions referring
to subjects which were presented. The
House of Bishops sent a message to
the deputies informing them that the
Bishops had voted to forbid the remar-
riage of any divorced persons, but when
the matter was laid before the deputies
on the question of concurrence Rev.
Doctors Lewis Parks and w. D. Hunt
ington, both of New York, Immediately
set the parliamentary machinery in
motion to defeat or at least sidetrack
the Bishops resolution.
After a brief but spirited skirmish
the matter was referred to the commit
tee on canons, from which it can be
called at any time. During the fore
noon several resolutions favoring a
stricter canon on marriage and divorce
were referred to committee.
The divorce matter again came to the
fore through a resolution by George
Foster Peabody of Brooklyn, calling
for the appointment of twelve mem
bers of both houses to consider
the entire question and report to the
next general convention. The commit
tee is to confer with other religious
bodies as to some uniform standard of
legislation bearing on marriage and di-
vorce. 1t was referred to the commit
tee on canons.
A joint commission, appointed three
years ago, presented an extended re-
port, recommending that all dioceses
and missionary districts be grouped to
seven provinces, each province to have
authority to legislate on matters which
do not conflict with the general con-
vention. Each province is to elect a
primate to preside over it. The report
will be acted upon later.
The House of Deputies to-day decid-
ed to refer a proposition to elect a
negro Bishop for the Southern States
to the next convention.
The House of Bishops nominated Rev.
Logan F. Roots of Arkansas for Bishop
of Hankow. China: Rev. Frank S.
Spalding of Erie, Pa, for Bishop of
Salt Lake, and Rev. A. w. Knight of
Atlanta. Ga, for Bishop of Cuba. The
nominations will have to be ratified
by the House of Deputies to become
elleCllNe.
The House of Bishops to-day adopted
the following section part of the
canon on divorce:
THE judgment of the Bishop shall
always be taken before a divorced per-
son, who has former husband or wife
still living and who is married to
another. may be confirmed or permit
ted to receive the holy communion;
provided, that the sacraments shall in
no case be refused to any penitent per-
son in imminent danger of death. nor
to the innocent party in a divorce
granted for adultery"
The effect of this action is to make
the regulations cf the church more
binding and more definite.
In the House of Deputies the commit
tee on amendments to the constitution
reported a definition of the words
within the boundaries of the United
States.
in the constitution to mean all terri
tory and possessions within the juris-
diction of the United States, and not
merely that territory lying between the
Atlantic and Pacific and between Can
ada and Mexico. The House voted to
accept the definition as presented.
T. F. Ringwatt of Omaha surprised
the House by offering resolution ask
ing that Congress be petitioned to erect
statue to Edmund Burke in Boston.
The resolution went to committee