Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-15
THE NEGRO BISHOP ISSUE
The Open Pulpit Question Brought
Up for First Time.
ORDAINED PASTORS TO PREACH
Resolution Adopted Indorsing Ell
forts Of Hague Conference for
World Peace.

flCHMOND. va, october 1o.-The tWt
houses Of the general convention of tn,
Protestant Episcopal Church VIII eacl
hold morning and night sessions and will
meet at pm. in Joint session for mis-
sionary work. the consideration Of which
has been an especial feature OF the grea
gathering.
In the house OF deputies the majority
and minority reports on the question o
appointing negro bishops were read ant
precipitated warm discussion No actio,
Is likely to be taken until the night ses
sion. however
The majority report provides that tn,
house of bishops may establish missionary
districts upon racial lines. namely, for G
specified race or races within the bound:
OF dioceses and missionary districts estab
l1shed as authorized in section one, either
severaliy or In such groupings as 1t may
dete rhine; provided. that in the case of {
diocese such racial Jurisdiction within the
diocesan borders shall be first cedeG
by the bishop and the convention of the
diocese.
The minority report provides for the ap-
pointment OF bishops to preside over the
negroes. with seals In the house. but
makes no mention of appointment or
racial lines.
DR.. Fiske of Rhode Island today
brought up the question of the open
pulpit in the house Of deputies for the
first time since the convention opened
HIS report set forth that no clergyman
should conduct services in the Episcopal
Church unless ordained In the church
and further set forth that a minister OF
Christian faith might deliver a sermon
or address in the church only with the
consent OF the bishop of the diocese in
w hfCh the church L.
DR.. Thomas Nelson Page of WASHINGTON
introduced resolution indorsng the eff
forts for peace as treated at The Hague
conference, which was adopted.
Marriage and Divorce.
The resolutions Of the committee on di.
vorce offered Friday by DR.. J. H. Eccle.
ston Of Baltimore were adopted yesterda,
afternoon. and DIR. Eccleston offered a
resolution to concur with the house OF
bishops in a suggestion made by that
body. This was that a committee of five
bishops. five clergymen and five laymer
should be appointed to consider again and
report to the next convention the whole
subject contained In canon 80 regarding
clergymen OF the Protestant Episcopal
Church marrying divorced persons. The
new commission Is one more effort on tn.
part OF Bishop Doane to pass a canon
forbidding Protestant Episcopal clergy
men performing q marriage ceremony for
any divorced persons, no matter for wha,
cause they were divorced and irrespective
OF their being the innocent or guilty party
This 10 termed q stringent canon.
The house Of bishops has appointed the
following on the commission: Rt Rev
William c. Doane. Bishop Of Albany;
George w. Peterkin, Bishop Of West Vir-
ginia: William David Walker, Bishop OF
Bishop Of Maryland. and Arthur c. A.
Hale. Bishop Of Vermont. It was voted
to concur with the house OF bishops. but
the house Of deputies has not yet ap-
pointed the clerical and lay members.
Stir About Provinces.
The report Of the commission Of prov
inces occasioned some stir In the house.
A majority report was submitted with
twelve signatures. and q minority report
bearing the signature Of Rev. Edwin
Barnes Niver. rector OF Christ Church,
Baltimore. The comparative merits OF
the two commissions were sidetracked nv
arguments in regard to the wisdom of
creating the diocese and missionary d.s-
tricts into provinces at ALL A province
was to consist of a group OF adjacent do
ceses that should meet annually or at
fixed dates for federated needs.
The western dioceses appeared to feel
their needs were not wholly understood
by the central committee on mtssion ex-
pendfture. In q way they felt they de-
sired representation as we'll as taxation.
Others urged that those Interested in
creating provinces were In no way inter-
ested nor concerned in tho expenditure
Of the mission funds. but that they were
vitality concerned In stimulating enthusi-
asm In mission work, and this could best
be done by bringing isolated dioceses in
touch the one with the other. The idea
was that such cooperative work would
broaden and make less provincial these
districts. The entrance of an individual
diocese into provinces should be optional
with the diocese.
Warm Argument at Night.
The matter was taken I'D again last
night and personal debates. oftentimes re-
sulting IN several delegates attempting to
take the floor at the same time. character
lied the session. Rev. DR.. Grammer Of
Pennsylvania recommended that the oues-
ton Of dividing dioceses and missionary
districts into provinces be finally decided
at this convention and not referred to a
committee and carried over to the next