New-York tribune., 1913-10-11
.EP|SCOPAL|ANS TAKE UP
f||CEN|CS At CONVENTION
sdpouate Assurance of Marital
Mental and Physical Sound
ness Required in Resolution.
enR A BROADER DEMOCRACY
Bishops To-day to Vote on
proposition to Open Meetings,
Always Secret, to the
Press and Public.

r,a subject Of missions occupied the
...a,,ion of the Episcopal General Con-
.,,,on most Of yesterday. In the brief
,.nr however. preceding its Joint con-
s.,.nca with the House of Bishops on
.s,s subiect the House of Deputies nibbled
sso,n AT the bait presented by the mar
..rA question. Sooner or later the con-
,,oversy over marriage. divorce and Gu.
.a,ics II was said, will cause intense eX-
ss,sroent on Cathedral Heights.
Yesterday II was the formal introduce
,,or a, the eugenics issue which produced
-. r,nnle Last May in its annual con-
v.nton the Diocese Of Michigan, under
,ss leadership OF Bishop Charles f. Will
,,ms indorsed by an overwhelming ma
.o.ty the proposition that clergymen
.hould require of couple before marry
,,g them some adequate assurance Of
,hsr mental and physical soundness. The
Paw. DR.. Tatlock. Of that diocese, pre-
.s,,ed this resolution TO the House Of
nsputjes yesterday morning:
'Resolved, the House of Bishops con-
.r,r,ng. that a Joint commission Of FIVE
si.hops FIVE presbyters and five laymen
ba appointed TO consider the desirability
~ amending Canon SO so as 10 require
b.,or. the solemnization Of a marriage
nv a minister of this Church. first. the
ruhljcation Of the banns OF marriage in
he church or the publication Of the civil
p,osnse for marriage in some newspaper.
ard secondly. the presentation on behalf
Of each OF the parties desiring TO be mar
r,.d Of certificate Of legally practising
lnhrstcian certifying that he or she is nor
wal mentally and is not afflicted with a
disease rendering marriage inadvisable."
Bishop Williams will lead the fight for
hs adoption of this measure in the House
p, Bishops. The public may have the
,,vilege OF following the discussion of Il
;r both houses from day to day, since the
bishops seem TO have caught the pro-
Srss.ve spirit prevalent in the conven-
don and are considering the advisability
o, holding open sessions. like those Of the
House OF Deputies.
Step Of a Radical Nature.
The radical nature OF such step may
b appreciated when It is realized that for
,hs first time In the history OF the Church
n America. covering period Of l2S years
The House Of Bishops Is seriously discuss
ing it. A resolution providing for the hold
ing Of open sessions has been made the
order Of the day for this morning. An
rouncement 10 this effect was made yes
tsrday afternoon by the Rev. Samuel
Hart secretary Of the House OF Bishops.
The House Of Deputies had time also 10
receive another resolution dealing with
ratrimony. The Rev. William Maccor-
mack. Of the Diocese Of Los Angeles, In
rgiuced the following:
Resolved, That the convention Of the
Diocese Of Los Angeles memorializes the
General Convention to amend the canon
On divorce so as to make marriage after
tEorce uncanonical."
This is in support Of the High Church
attitude toward divorce, Frederick Cook
Morehouse, editor Of The Living
Church." Of Milwaukee, Thursday intro
dUced a similar resolution. It will be re-
called. And, in spite Of the Low Church
complexion Of the House OF Deputies, as
evidenced in the election Of the Rev. Dr.
Alexander Mann. of Trinity Church. Bos-
Ten. as president. these resolutions may
receive more attention from the house
than might naturally be expected.
Those who believe the committee on
canons, to which they were referred BY
the president, will report them back TO
the house instead OF letting them die in
Committee base their conviction on the
announced impartial attitude OF DR.. Mann
toward the rival parties. 'Dr. Mann's dec
sraton OF policy is considered to be al
most revolutionary.