The Right Reverend the Bishop of the Diocese appeared and took the chair. The Right Reverend the Bishop then proceeded to deliver his ANNUAL ADDRESS. On motion of Hon. John A. King, it was Resolved, unanimously, That this Convention do cordially respond to the sentiments expressed in his Address by the Right Reverend the Bishop of the Diocese respecting the return of peace to our land, and the condition of the Church in our Southern Dioceses. On motion of the Rev. Dr. Payne, it was Resolved, That a Committee of five Clergymen and two Laymen be appointed, to prepare and report a suitable form of expression of the sentiments of this Convention, in relation to the three Bishops who have died during the year past, and who were some time Ministers of the Church in the Diocese of New York-the Rt. Rev. Bishop Brownell, of Connecticut; Bishop De Lancey, of Western New York; Bishop Potter, of Pennsylvania; and as well as respecting Bishop Boone, of China. The President appointed as this Committee the Rev. Drs. Haight, Payne, Littlejohn, W. F. Morgan, A. H. Vinton, Hon. John A.. King, Hon. Hamilton Fish. The Bishop of the Diocese introduced to the Convention the Rt. Rev. Wm. I. Kip, D. D., Bishop of California; the Rt. Rev. Joseph C. Talbot, D. D., Missionary Bishop of the Northwest; and the Rev. Charles T. Quintard, M. D., Bishop elect of Tennessee. The following Churches applied for admission into union with the Convention: THE CHURCH OF THE HOLY TRINITY, NEW YORK. ST. JOHN'S CHURCH, LONG ISLAND CITY, KINGS COUNTY, These applications were referred to the Committee on the Incor poration of Churches. The Inspectors of the Votes for the Standing Committee of the Diocese presented their Reports: Whereupon the following persons were declared duly elected, by the concurrent vote of the Clergy and Laity, to be members of THE STANDING COMMITTEE. CLERGY: THE REV. JOHN MCVICKAR, D. D., LAITY: HON. GULIAN C. VERPLANCK, FLOYD SMITH, Esq., STEPHEN P. NASH, ESQ., GEORGE T. STRONG, ESQ. The Inspectors of the Votes for the Missionary Committee presented their Reports: Whereupon the following persons were declared duly elected, by the concurrent votes of the Clergy and Laity, to be THE MISSIONARY COMMITTEE. CLERGY: THE REV. SAMUEL R. JOHNSON, D. D., LAITY: STEPHEN CAMBreleng, Esq., GEORGE C. COLLINS, ESQ., GEORGE Merritt, Esq., JAMES POTT, Esq., HAMILTON BRUCE, ESQ. The Report of the Education Committee was presented and read by the Rev. Dr. McVickar, as follows: Report OF THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING RELIGION AND LEARNING. The Society for the Promotion of Religion and Learning, as the canonical agent for the reception and distribution of Educational Funds in the Diocese, respectfully reports— That during the year past its Treasurer has received from collections in Churches, as remitted to him, the sum of $1,174.73; which by the Society, has been faithfully expended in the aid of destitute Students for the Ministry within the General Theological Seminary; the same, however, being a sum so manifestly inadequate to the ends proposed by the Canon, and so unworthy of the great Diocese of New York, in the great cause of Ministerial Education, as to show either wide neglect of the provisions of the Canon, or else a very false appreciation of its value and necessity. So great, however, has been the need, that the above Society has yet, from its own independent funds, legally open as they are to all claims for the promotion of Religion and Learning, from the necessity of the case, concentrated all its efforts to the support of this great and neglected cause, and during the past year has actually expended upon it more than tenfold the amount contributed to that end by all the Churches of this wealthy Diocese, as will appear by the following statement of items, which is here reported to the Convention, not as its canonical agent, but for the satisfaction of the Church at large, and in the earnest hope of awakening both Churches and Churchmen to more liberal contribution and more faithful obedience to Canons which they have themselves solemnly passed and bound upon the Diocese. Payments of the Society have been as follows: To Twenty Students of the Senior Class in the General Theological 200 00 To Feeble Parishes-Church Books, To Society for Seamen-Church Books... To General Theological Seminary in its need. To Assistant Librarian.... To Books to Graduating Class.. To Text-Books for Students in Seminary. To Church Books for the Public Institutions, N. Y. Total Expended for Church Education 150 00 1,000 00 75 00 168 00 200 00 300 00 $15,019 00 To this statement, as arguing for larger and more faithful contribution from the Churches and Churchmen of the Diocese, the Society, as their almoner, would add these further considerations pleading for in crease: 1. The diminished value of money, adding largely and necessarily to the sum required for the support of students. 2. The great importance of making the stipend paid to them adequate to their support, without the aid of extra labor in teaching and other out-door services, withdrawing them from regular duty. 3. The fact that other similar Institutions in our Church are now outbidding our Diocese in its provisions for students, and thus withdrawing from us many even of our own candidates. To this great cause, therefore, the Society herewith pledges itself to the Convention to devote all its energies and most of its funds, and to double, if not quadruple, every dollar it receives from such canonical collections the present Report exhibiting every single dollar thus received through the past year, as mult.plied by them more then tenfold. 'Tis true a portion of the Society's own expenditure has been devoted not directly to the support of the student, but to the deeper want of provision for those who are to teach him. Hence our large expenditure in building up St. Stephen's College, Annandale, an Institution the fulfilment of our Church's great need and our Society's early and persevering aim-a Training School for the Diocese at large, and more especially fo. the General Theological Seminary. This long-cherished design, forwarded but not begun by the liberal gift of a noble-hearted Churchman, stands now before the Diocese no longer an experiment, but a success, already furnishing its annual supply to the ranks of our Clergy, limited but by the funds provided for its support, and furnishing to our Church what we have never before possessed-a true Church College: and it now stands before the Diocese with more than half the number of its students supported by the liberality of the Society now reporting, and more than half its certain income-an annual donation from its independent treasury. Under these facts, as now exhibited, the Society for Promoting Religion and Learning would herewith plead, with earnestness and confidence, that the canonical contributions for Ministerial Education may, during the coming year, be made more adequate to a cause that lies at the foundation of the Church's prosperity, and to which the good faith and honor of this convention stand solemnly pledged. All of which is respectfully submitted on the part of the Society: JOHN MOVICKAR, Superintendent of Education. The Report of the Trustees of the Episcopal Fund was presented and read: Report OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE EPISCOPAL FUND. The Trustees of the Episcopal Fund of the Diocese of New York report to the Convention as follows, viz.: The Disposable Fund remains the same as it was at the time of the Report of the Trustees made to the last Convention.. $67,500 00 |