ANGLICAN CHURCHES. 



the first instance; (c) that if an appeal l)e carried 

 to the provincial court, it should there be heard 

 before a court constituted as hereinafter pro- 

 posed." The resolutions further embodied recom- 

 mendations concerning the constitution of the 

 diocesan courts and the provincial Court of Ap- 

 peal, with a provision that in all cases arising in 

 the diocese of the archbishop the archbishop of the 

 other province shall take his place in the Court of 

 Appeal. These resolutions were concurred in by 

 the lower house, except the one concerning the con- 

 stitution of the provincial Court of Appeal, which 

 the archbishop was requested to refer to the joint 

 committee. Resolutions were adopted contem- 

 plating a national system of elementary educa- 

 tion, working according to principles which were 

 set forth, to take the place of the present system, 

 to be administered by authorities representing 

 and acting over large areas, embracing one or 

 more administrative centers. In the lower house 

 the proceedings at the confirmation of the elec- 

 tion of bishops were considered, especially with 

 reference to the hearing of objections. The reso- 

 lution adopted by the house advised: " 1. That no 

 objection should be received that has not been 

 communicated to the vicar-general in writing at 

 least seven days beforehand, and allowe'd by him 

 to be presented as an objection in due form of 

 law. 2. That a copy of the schedule of objec- 

 tion should be sent at the same time to the 

 bishop-elect and to the dean of the chapter by 

 whom he was elected. 3. That the schedule of ob- 

 jection should be read aloud in court by an officer 

 of the court, who should then similarly read 

 such reply, if any, as the bishop-elect or the 

 dean and chapter shall have sent in writing 

 to the vicar-general. 4. That the vicar-general 

 shall, at his discretion, use the power of proroga- 

 tion to another place not consecrated." A reso- 

 lution was passed expressing the earnest hope of 

 the house that the Government would see its way 

 to include the financial relief of voluntary schools 

 as an integral feature in its forthcoming measure 

 of educational reform. The resolutions of the 

 joint committee on the accession service were 

 agreed to in both houses. The House of Laymen 

 took up the consideration of the report of the 

 joint committee of the late houses of laymen of 

 the two provinces on the representation of the 

 laity, which had been sent down to the house by 

 the archbishop in February preceding. No con- 

 clusion was reached. 



The two houses were invited to assemble in form 

 of a committee (July 3 and 4) to meet the Con- 

 vocation coming in the same form from the 

 northern province for the discussion of the ques- 

 tions of the future of voluntary schools, the 

 course to be taken by the convocations in regard 

 to the convocations of the clergy bill, and eccle- 

 siastical dilapidations. 



Convocation of York. At the meeting of the 

 Convocation of York, Dec. 11, 1900, Chancellor 

 Elpin was unanimously elected prolocutor of the 

 lower house for the fourth time. Addressing the 

 house, he said that he would specially recommend 

 to its consideration the question of the lay fran- 

 chise, because it was quite certain that if any 

 greater measure of self-government was to be ac- 

 corded to the Church, it could be obtained only 

 on the representative system. 



At the meeting of the Convocation, Feb. 21 and 

 22, the lower house, in the discussion of a mo- 

 tion approving the Convocation bill then before 

 Parliament, adopted an amendment approving of 

 the participation of the laity in Church affairs, and 

 requesting the president to Commend the work- 

 ing out of the problem to the House of Laymen. 



At the session of May 8 and 9, a resolution 

 of Feb. 6, 1898, declaring that the present pro- 

 cedure at the confirmation of the election of 

 bishops needs to be amended, and requesting the 

 archbishops to consult upon the subject, was re- 

 affirmed by the upper house. The draft bill en- 

 titled Convocations of Clergy Bill was ap- 

 proved. The House of Laymen adopted a resolu- 

 tion, concerning the report of the joint committee 

 of the houses of Canterbury and York on lay rep- 

 resentation, concerning the constitution of the 

 primary electoral divisions in any scheme for lay 

 representation, to which was added a clause 

 defining the qualifications of electors. A resolu- 

 tion was passed in favor of the maintenance of the 

 existing Book of Common Prayer, " subject, how- 

 ever, to such alterations and modifications as 

 from time to time may be approved by the House 

 of Laymen and sanctioned by Parliament." The 

 house expressed approval of the recommendation 

 of the lower house for a retranslation of the 

 Athanasian Creed, but deferred expressing any 

 opinion as to the compulsory or optional use of 

 the creed. 



The House of Convocation met July 2 .to con- 

 sider the form of the revised accession service. 

 The service as submitted was unanimously agreed 

 to by the lower house. 



Convocations of Clergy Bill. The preamble 

 to the convocations of clergy bill relates that 

 the convocations are desirous of amending their 

 constitution and their representative system, and 

 of obtaining power to sit as one body, but that 

 doubts have arisen as to their pow r er to make these 

 changes without the authority of Parliament. 

 The first clause enacts that, notwithstanding any 

 doubts arising by reason of 25 Henry VIII, chap- 

 ter xix, the convocations may have powers with 

 the royal assent and license to make, promulgate, 

 and execute the necessary canons for the above 

 purposes. Clause 2 directs that if the bishops 

 and clergy of the convocations lay before the 

 King in Council a scheme for the union and joint 

 sittings of the two houses, the Council may issue 

 an order confirming the scheme, and this order 

 " shall have effect as if it were enacted in this 

 act." Otherwise the bill does not add to the 

 powers of the Convocation. 



Qualifications of Laymen. The committee 

 of Convocation that was appointed to inquire as 

 to the methods of self-government at work in the 

 various Anglican churches outside of England 

 and Wales, and especially with respect to their 

 franchise and to matters of doctrine and of ritual 

 in which doctrine is involved, have published a 

 report embracing particulars concerning all the 

 churches referred to in the resolution, and infor- 

 mation in regard to more than one hundred sees. 

 In a general review of the position of laymen in the 

 parish and in the synods as illustrated in the 

 tables appended to the report, it is shown that 

 if a man is a communicant he is at once admitted 

 to the congregational franchise, and in certain 

 dioceses no others are admitted. If not a com- 

 municant he makes a declaration of church mem- 

 bership; but no church accepts the declaration 

 unless it is supported by guarantees which vary 

 in different places. Mere payments for secular 

 purposes are nowhere accepted as a qualification 

 for ecclesiastical privileges. Women are admitted 

 to the franchise in more than half of the American 

 dioceses and in a third of the colonial ; also in the 

 Established and the Episcopal Churches of Scot- 

 land. Parochial administration, the committee 

 report, contemplates normally vestries or parish 

 councils restricted to matters of finance, congre- 

 gational registers, etc.; but never includes power 



