The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-18
DIVORCE QUESTION UP AGAIN
EPISCOPAL BISHOPS VOTE FOR
THE NEW CANON.
IL Now Goes TO the House OF Deputies.
which Voted II Down Last Week
Amendments TO the Marriage Rules
OF Churci--Praycr for wars Victims.


which Voted II Down Last week
Amendments 10 the Marriage Rules
OF Churcii--Praycr for wars Victims.
BOSTON, Oct. l7.--Aithough the House OF
Deputies OF the Episcopal General Conven-
ton refused on last Friday to adopt the
amendment to the canon on marriage and
divorce forbidding the remarriage by any
Episcopal clergyman Of person who has
been divorced, the House OF Bishops this
afternoon, by vote Of 81 to 2s, adopted
this same amendment, which reads:
"No minister shall solemnize a marriage
between any two persona unless by inquiry
he shall have satisfied himself that neither
person had been, or Is, the husband or the
wife Of any person then living. from whom
he or she has been divorced for any cause
arising after marriage"
The fact that the Bishops passed the
amendment, which was turned down by
the deputies last Friday, caused surprise
among the latter when it was transmitted
to their, and 1t would not surprise close OBJ
servers Of the proceedings Of the past week
II the deputies concurred with the Bishops
and made the amendment canon OF the
Church. 1t is necessary that any action
Of Deputies be concurred In by the other
body before it becomes law OF the Church.
Three other minor amendments to the
canon on divorce and marriage were also
passed by the Bishops. The first requires
the clergyman to secure the Observance
OF the law Of the State governing the civil
contract of marriage in the place where
the service shall be performed. The second
amendment requires the presence OF the
witnesses at each marriage ceremony,
and the third relates to the formal and
complete record of the marriage, with the
names OF the witnesses thereto.
In the House Of Deputies the divorce and
OF three amend leuts to the present law of
the Church The Kew. DR.. j. A. REGISTER
Of lister, ". Y, presented a new draft Of
o divorce canon providing that at least
year shall elapse after the issuance OF de-
party in such suit, may be married
by a minister of the Church.
Joseph Packard, of Maryland, handed
In an amendment dealing principally with
the method of presenting evidence to estab-
a suit for divorce. The amendment pro-
posed that the party claiming to be innocent
shall make application TO the clergy
man, stating that he or she is in
nocent, and that then the matter shall
be referred to the Bishop, who shall employ
legal service to investigate whether such
divorce was obtained without deception
or collision. If the legal report ia salts
factory, then after one year from the issu-
ance Of the divorce decree the innocent
PARTY may be remarked by minister OF
the Church.
Then the Rev. W. F. Faber OF western
New York offered an amendment, pro-
viding that no minister Of the Church who
refuses to officiate at the marriage OF
Divorce shall be subject to censure or
discipline All the amendments went to
the committee on canons.
The Rev. W. VI. Grosvenor OF New York,
Of the special committee appointed to con-
slider the subject Of lynching, offered
resolution that as the Church is opposed
to all form Of violence M, special action
is necessary at this time and he moved that
the matter be laid on the table. J. P. Stots-
berg Of Indianapolis dissented from MIR.
Grosvenors motion and as a substitute
moved that lynching be condemned specif-
calendar and will come up later in the
session.
A resolution was read in effect that the
House of Deputies request the House of
Bishops t o set forth special form OF prayer
for the wounded and dying in both the
Russian and Japanese armies and that peace
be readily restored such prayer to be used
at the discretion Of the clergy.
The special order of the day was the
report Of the committee on courts Of review
and appeal. The report was very long.
comprising a canon OF twenty-four sections
for establishing courts OF review for the
trial Of presbyter or deacon, and canon
OF Twelve sections for establishing courts
OF appeals.
The Rev. F. p. Davenport Of Tennessee,
pointed out that the proposed court was
For the purpose of giving protection to
clergvmen from the simple forms Of dis
honest attack that are easily possible to
be brought agains them. He said that
former priest OF the Episcopal Church was
now lying in an unnamed grave, a victim
OF the persecution Of those whom he refused
d to marry.
In revenge they brought forward charges
AGAINST his character and by the testimony
Of disreputable women drove him to such a
rental state that. yielding to the pressure,
he took an overdose of ohloroform.
Dr. Davenport said that the proposed
court would give protection to the victim
Ct such an attempt at defamation and
would not put him at the mercy Of any one
Tishop.