The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-12
MAY REMARRY NO
DIVORCED PERSON
PROPOSED CHANGE DEBATED
BY THE CONVENTION OF THE
EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

In the House of Deputies the Debate
on the Proposed Change in the
Canon Governing the Marriage
of Divorced Persons Took Place.
Committee VIII Take Up the Mat
ter Again Later in the Week.
Some of t%e Views Advanced.
Boston, Oct. ia proposed change
in the canons Of the Episcopal Church.
whereby clergymen are forbidden to
remarry any person who has been di-
yorced, was discussed for two hours
by the House of Deputies at to-days
session of the Episcopal General Con-
vention.
The House OF Deputies was sitting
as a committee of the whole and the
consideration Of the subject. regarded
as one of the most important to come
before the present convention, will be
taken up from time to time until the
matter is finally disposed of.
The present canon on marriage per-
mits the remarriage of the innocent
persons in a divorce suit wherein in
fidelity is alleged. For some time there
has been strong sentiment in the
church that the clergy should not
marry the innocent party.
To Remarry No Divorced Persons.
The committee on canons, of which
Rev. J. +. Davenport OF Memphis
Tenn, Is chairman. presented an
amendment to the present canon, for
ut lt~r-fu % nf 4
who have been divorced. A minority
report, permitting the present canon
TO remain at II is, with the exception
Of an added provision for the presen-
tation OF court evidence when an APP
plicant for marriage appears before
a clergyman, was submitted by Rev.
Dr. J. Lewis Parker of New York and
others.
Rev. DR.. Parks, H. Battle OF Raleigh.
n. G, and Rev. G.. Bevan Waters Of
Portland, Oregon, spoke in behalf Of
the minority report, while the ma
FORTY report was advocated by Rev
John williams OF Omaha, Neb.; L. p.
Bailey of Chicago, Rev. samuel Ring
gold of Knoxville. Tenn. and G. II.
Stanley Of Washington, d. Z.
r.. II. Battle of Raleigh. n. c.. a
member of the committee, thought no
civil court in America should adjudge
any one to be divorced unless the case
appeared in the records, and declared
that the breaking OF a vow or coven-
ant taken in the marriage ceremony by
one of the principals frees the other,
according to the practice OF common
law. He said there was nothing In the
nrayer hook to prevent remarriage OF
the innocent person.
woaId Be Loose Divorce Laws.
Rev John Williams OF Omaha, Neb..
thought that II the deputy OF North
Carolina was correct in his argument
az to the marriage vow, the church
had laws as loose as those OF south
Dakota.
Two members announced that since
the san Francisco convention three
years ago they had been converted
~ the side of those who oppose the
rernarriaRe of divorced persons. They
were Z. p. Bailey Of Chicago and Rev.
DIR. Samuel Ringgold OF Knoxville.
Tenn. The church, said DR.. Ringgoid,
has no power TO unmarry and should
have none to remarry any one.
The committee arose and WAS given
permission to take up the matter later
In the week.
ri Rev. Edwin G. Weed. Bishop OF
Florida. who has been confined 10 his
hotel on account OF an injury received
in New York, appeared IN the House
OF Bishops for the first time during the
convention to-day.
The Archbishop OF Canterbury was
present during the debate.
The members OF the House OF Bish-
OPS. In their individual capacity. have
arranged 10 present the Archbishop
with a mammoth loving cup.