Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-10-25
AGREE ON DIVORCE
Episcopal Bishops Draw Up a
Rigid Canon as to
Remarriage
ONLY ONE GROUND EXCUSED
ny Divorced Persons Except innocent
Party When Charge Of Infideity
Was Sustaincd-Year Must EIapse
and Court Records be Shown.

| Boston, Oct. 25.-An agreement on
| the divorce question was reached yes
terday by the house Of bishops and the
| house Of deputies of the Episcopal
general convention, after many days Of
discussion. That section of the canon
| bearing directly on the remarriage Of
by the bishops Saturday, and assented
to by the deputies yesterday and be-
comes effective at once, is as follows:
NO minister, knowingly, after the In
quiry. shall solemnize the marriage of
any person who has been or is the hus-
band or the wife of any other person
then living, from whom he or she has
been divorced for any cause arising
after marriage. But this canon shall
not be held to apply to the innocent
party in a divorce for adultery; pro-
vided, that before the application for
such remarriage a period of not less
than one year shall have elapsed, after
the granting of such divorce; and that
satisfactory evidence touching the
facts in the case, including a copy of
the courts decree, and record If prac-
ticable, with such proof that the de-
PENDANT was personally served or APP
peared in the action be laid before the
ecclesiastical authority, and such
ecclesiastic having taken legal advice
thereon shall have declared in writing
that In his judgment the case Of appli-
cant conforms to the requirements OF
this cannon, and provided further that
it shall be within the discretion Of any
minister to decline to solemnize any
marriage.
The bishops adopted an amendment
to section referring to the admins
tration of sacraments, providing that
if a clergyman shall have reasonable
cause to doubt whether person has
been married otherwise as the word
Of God and discipline Of this church
allow such clergyman. shall refer
the matter to the bishop before admin
istering the sacraments. The depu-
ties had made an exception in favor
of the innocent party divorced on the
ground of adultery, who had remarked,
but the bishops struck out the except
ion. Their action was accepted by the
house of deputies yesterday.
Leading church men expressed the
opinion that the restrictions placed
upon the remarriage of an inocent
party to divorce are so stringent
that the remarriage of divorced per-
sons will be rare in the church here-i
after. 1t is understood, however, that
an attempt will be made to have the
next convention specifically declare
against remarriage under and condi-
tons.
The house of deputies yesterday re-
iected, after long debate, a resolu-
ton introduced by Rev. B. Talbot Rog-
ers of Fond du Lac, Wis, to strike out
the words Protestant Episcopal from
the title page Of the book of common
prayer.
Both houses have appointed joint
commission to consider the advisab1lity
of electing a presiding bishop of the
church. AS president, the senior bish-
op occupies this position, and 1t is
claimed that the duties are too heavy
for an aged diocesan.
The commission will report to the
next convention.
Rev. Francis Taitt of Chester, Pa,
was yesterday elected assistant bishop
of South Dakota. Many deputies left
for home last night, and the conven-
ton will adjourn finally today.