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MISCELLANEOUS DEPARTMENT.

ART. I.-GENERAL CONVENTION.

We present to our readers in this number of the REVIEW a summary of the principal doings of the General Convention at Richmond, as a basis for future discussion.

A Digest of the Canons of the Church.

One of the most important of these measures is a Digest of the Canons of the Church. The Committee appointed for this purpose at the last General Convention reported a digest of the Canons of the Church under appropriate titles, canons, and sections. The canons are classed under four general heads. First, those which relate to the orders in the ministry, or to the worship or doctrine of the Church. Second, those which concern its discipline. Third, those relating to its organized bodies. And fourth, a few of a miscellaneous character. Each title is divided into canons, and the latter into sections. The sections are sometimes broken into subdivisions.

The Joint Committee to whom this digest was referred, reported as follows:

"The Joint Committee appointed to prepare and lay before the General Convention a Digest of the Canons of this Church, under appropriate titles, Canons, and sections, respectfully report in part:

"That they have compared the said Digest with the text of the existing Canons, in every word, and have confined themselves to alterations of the following nature in such Digest: verbal and clerical corrections; omissions of portions of existing Canons which occasionally occurred, and the restitution of the original language in instances in which it had been changed; the substitution of a somewhat different phraseology in some cases in which it appeared clearly to the Committee that the sense and intent of the law would be more clearly expressed and carried out; the introduction of the word 'Holy' before the word 'Orders,' where the ministry is designated, which in some cases had been omitted, both in the original text and in the Digest; a variation of the collocation of sections or portions of sections in a few instances; some changes in the titles of Canons, better calculated to indicate the subjects of the provisions.

"The Committee have also, from a minute comparison, satisfied themselves tha no part of the existing Canons has been omitted.

"The Committee are now engaged in executing the other part of the duty assigned them, namely, in relation to the modifications of, or additions to, the exist ing law, upon which they are not now prepared to report.

"The Committee submit the following resolutions:

"1. Resolved, That the Digest of the Canons of this Church now submitted, be approved and adopted.

"2. Resolved, That a committee of two be appointed to print such Digest, in such form, and with such reference to previous Canons on the same subjects by way of note, or otherwise, as they shall see fit.

"3. Resolved, That the following be prefixed to said Digest:

"A CANON OF RATIFICATION.

"The following are declared and adopted as the Canons for the government of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. Passed in General Convention, in Richmond, Va., October, 1859.'" JAS. H. OTEY.

Which report was adopted.

Resolutions upon the Resignation of Bishop Kemper.

The following message was received from the House of Bishops:

"The House of Bishops informs the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, that it has unanimously passed the following resolutions:

Whereas, The venerable Bishop of the Northwest has resigned his missionary jurisdiction, which has been under his charge for twenty-four years. Therefore

"Resolved, That in accepting the resignation of the Missionary Bishop of the Northwest (Rt. Rev. Dr. Kemper,) this House hereby expresses its deep sense of the faithful manner in which the Missionary Bishop has performed his arduous work; and they also feel it to be their duty and their privilege to assure him of the gratitude of the whole Church for his correct, self-denying, and apostolic labors.

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Resolved, That this resolution be transmitted to the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies."

The House of Clerical and Lay Deputies passed unanimously the following preamble and resolution:

"Whereas, This House is informed by message from the House of Bishops, that the venerable Bishop of the Northwest has resigned his missionary jurisdiction, which has been under his charge for twenty-four years; therefore,

"Resolved, That in accepting this resignation of the Missionary Bishop of the Northwest, (Right Rev. Dr, Kemper,) this House hereby expresses its deep sense of the faithful manner in which he has performed his arduous work; and they also

feel it to be their duty and their privilege to assure him of the gratitude of the whole Church for his correct and self-denying Apostolic labors."

Case of Bishop Onderdonk.

In the House of Bishops a motion for the restoration of Bishop Onderdonk was defeated by the following vote:

"Ayes.-Bishops Otey, Kemper, McCoskry, Delancey, Whittingham, Chase, Cobbs, Odenheimer-8.

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'Noes.-Bishops Meade, Hopkins, Smith, McIlvaine, Polk, Elliott, A. Lee, Johns, Eastburn, Hawks, A. Potter, Burgess, Upfold, Green, Rutledge, Williams, Whitehouse, Davis, Atkinson, Scott, H. W. Lee, Clark, Bowman, Gregg, Bedell, Whipple-26.

A motion that he should be restored to office and to the exercise of all the functions of the sacred ministry, was defeated by the following vote:

"Ayes.-Bishops Kemper, Delancy, Whittingham, Chase, Cobbs, Hawks, Upfold, Whitehouse, Odenheimer-9. Bishops Otey and McCoskry were absent, but would have made the vote 11.

Noes.-Bishops Meade, Hopkins, Smith, McIlvaine, Polk, Elliott, A. Lee, Johns, Eastburn, A. Potter, Burgess, Green, Rutledge, Williams, Davis, Atkinson, Scott, H. W. Lee, Clark, Bowman, Gregg, Bedell, Whipple-23.

A motion that he be restored when he shall place in the hands of the presiding Bishop the resignation of his jurisdiction as Bishop of New-York, was tabled by a vote of 19 to 11. Bishops Williams and Bowman voting with the minority.

Canons 1. and II. of 1853.

The following report from the Committee on Canons was adopted:

"The Committee on Canons, to which it was referred to take into consideration and report to this House, the facts as to the legislation and the status of such legislation of this House in the General Convention of 1856, upon Canons 1 and 2 of 1853, respectfully report:

"That on the 16th day of October, the 14th day of the session, a Canon entitled 'of the Abandonment of the Communion of the Church by any Bishop, Priest, or Deacon,' was presented by this House, by the 2d section of which, Canons 1 and 2 of 1853 were repealed.

"On the 17th day of October, the 15th of the session, such Canon was adopted by this House.

"On the 19th of October, the 17th day of the session, a message was received from the House of Bishops as follows: 'That this house does not concur with the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies in enacting the Canon of the abandonment of the Communion of the Church by any Bishop, Priest, or Deacon, because the House does not perceive any sufficient ground for changing existing provisions on the subject.'

"On the same day the following resolution was adopted by this House. “Resolved, The House of Bishops concurring, that Canons 1 and 2 of 1853 be repealed.

"And on the 21st of October, the 18th day of the session, the following message was received from the House of Bishops:

"The House of Bishops informs the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, that it has passed the following resolution:

"Resolved, That the House of Bishops do not concur in the action of the Clerical and Lay Deputies, respecting Canons 1 and 2 of 1853.'

"The action of this House on the 17th day of the session, was sent to the House of Bishops on the same day. The 18th day was the last of the session. "Upon this state of facts, the Committee is unanimously of the opinion that Canons 1 and 2, of 1853 are not repealed, and offer the following resolution: "Resolved, That in the opinion of this House, Canons 1 and 2 of 1853 are not repealed. By order of the Committee,

"WM. COOPER MEAD, Chairman."

Of Congregations or Parishes in Foreign Countries. The following Canon was reported by the Committee on Canons, and adopted:

"1. It shall be lawful for persons belonging to this Church, but residents in any foreign country (other than Great Britain and Ireland and the Colonies and Dependencies thereof) not within the limits of any foreign Missionary Bishop of this Church, to organize as a church or congregation.

"2. Such church or congregation shall be required, in its Constitution, or plan of articles of organization, to recognize and accede to the Canons, Doctrine, Discipline and Worship of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in order to its being received under the direction of the General Convention of this Church.

"3. In order to such reception it shall be required to declare its desire therefor, duly certified by the Minister, one Church Warden, and two Vestrymen or Trustees.

"4. Such certificate and evidence, and the Constitution, plan or articles of organization shall be submitted to the General Convention, during its session, or the Presiding Bishop of the House of Bishops at any other time; and, in case the same are found satisfactory, such church or congregation shall thereupon

become subject to and placed under the Episcopal government and jurisdiction of such Presiding Bishop for the time being.

"5. Such Presiding Bishop may, from time to time, assign to any other Bishop of this Church the exercise of any Episcopal power or function in relation to such church or congregation for such period of time as he may deem expedient. "6. The clergyman settled in any such church or congregation shall, in all respects, be subject to the jurisdiction of the Presiding Bishop, or of such other Bishop, named by him, as above provided, while in charge of such church or congregation."

The Consecration of Bishops during the Recess of the General Convention.

The following Canon was adopted:

"SECTION 1. If during the recess of the General Convention, the Church, in any diocese, should be desirous of the consecration of a Bishop-elect, the standing Committee of the Church in such diocese may, by their President, or by some person or persons specially appointed, communicate the desire to the Standing Committees of the Churches in the different dioceses, together with the necessary testimonials; and if the major number of the Standing Committees shall consent to the proposed consecration, the Standing Committee of the diocese concerned shall forward the evidence of such consent, together with other testimonials, to the Presiding Bishop of the House of Bishops, or, in case of his death, to the Bishop who, according to the rules of the House of Bishops, is to preside at the next General Convention, who shall communicate the same to all the Bishops of this Church in the United States; and if a majority of the Bishops consent to the consecration, the Presiding Bishop, or Bishop aforesaid, with any two Bishops, may proceed to perform the same, or any three Bishops to whom he may communicate the testimonials.

"SECTION 2. The evidence of the consent of the different Standing Committees shall be in the form prescribed for the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies in General Convention; and, without the aforesaid requisites, no consecration shall take place during the recess of the General Convention. But, in case the election of a Bishop shall take place within six months [in the old Canon 'one year'] before the meeting of the General Convention, all matters relative to the consecration shall be deferred until the said meeting.

"SECTION 3. Canon V. of 1832 is hereby repealed."

Officiating of Ministers within the Cures of Others.
SUBSTITUTE FOR CANON 9 of 1853.

The following Report from the Committee on Canons was received, and the proposed Canon adopted:

"The Committee on Canons to whom was referred the several Canons proposed as amendments to Canon IX. of 1853, with instructions to report on the VOL. VI.-47

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