The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-10-15
DECLINES TO
MAKECHANCE.
Episcopal House Of Bishops Re
jccts Proposed Amendment
10 Divorce Canon.
SURPRISING CHANGE
III Committee Of Whole Reform
crs Gained Victory That
Was Worth Nothing
nv Associated Prcss.l

(By Associated Prcss)
BOTTOM, October 14.--Tlie House OF
Deputies Of the Episcopal General Con-
vcnt.on at the close OF four days de-
bate to-day rejected an amendment to tho
divorce canon, which sought to prevent
the rcmarrlage of divorced persons BY
clcrgyrnen Of the denomination. While
the House OF Bishops may yet act on
the matter, It Is certain that no change
will Be made by the present convention on
Unexpected Change.
The present law Of the church, which
has been In operation since 1853, allows
the rcmarriage OF the innocent party to
divorce granted for infidelity In sev-
eral conventions attempts have been to
repeal this law, and when a vote vas
taken to-day. by the House of Depu-
ties sittin- as a Committee Of the Whole,
on the question OF reporting the proposed
amendment to the house itself. the re-
formers were successful by vote Of "a
Z to 1911. and this vote was regarded q .
the actual strength OF the
contending forces.
The final vote. however, was taken bys
dioceses and orders. and where do.
cese was evenly divided in sentiment, its
strength was, counted n In the negative J
The vote ny 1loccses was: Clerical for
the amendment, 20; against, 81; divided
TO- lay vote, for 25; against, -; d.
vided, 6. i
Practically the entire strength of the
Middle Western States. the stronghold
OF the High Church party, declared for
the proposed reform, but the Pacific
States and number Of the Southern
States voted against q change OF the pres.
ent canon. The diocese of New Y orlt OPP
posed the amendment, while that OF Penn
sylvania favored 1t. In New England,
vermont, New Hampshire and Western
Massachusetts voted for a change as did
the Slay$d deputies from Rhode Island. The
clerical deputies from Maine favored the.
amendment, but the votes OF Connecti-t
cut and Massachusetts were castBin the
negative. The Issue was not a party one,
although the whole strength Of the High
Church forces were given to- the reform!
ovement. The president Of the House
of Deputies, Rev. Dr.. r. "A. McKim, OF
Washington, voted for the old canon. al
though the clerical vote Of his diocese
supported the proposed change.
Dr. Huntington Speaks.
Il In he course OF the debate, Rev. DR..
William r. 4 Huntington. OF New York,
said that all the delegates were agreed
as TO The sanctity Of matrilnony and the
evil of divorces and declared that the
whole question was how the integrity8of
the family may best be preserved He
thought the present law offered the So
luton. The speaker said s
While matrImony Is an estate, 1t is
also 1. a contract. When the contract is
annulled, the union is broken n tile
church wished to Influence the legisla-
lures It must do It In conjunction with
the Protestant denominations. II the
Episcopal church took the proposed step
1T would be placed outside OF the inter
3denomlnational conference and the
church's Influence would be nil, =
FL II. Rev. Or. Davenport. OF Memphis, Tenn.
chairman Of the Committee on Canons
made the concluding argument in a brief
address for the amendment. e
. The i house took an adjournment until
Monday