May 26. do. collected at New-Haven, 50 00 31. do. from Y'g Men's Miss'y Soc'y, Norwich, by Bp. Brownell, 14 00 do. do. Ladies' Miss'y Soc'y, do. do. do. Parish of Brookfield, do. do New-Canaan, do. do. Chatham, June 2. 66 do. do. West-Haven, by Rev. Mr. Potter, 300 do. do. 200 $765 25 June 2. By balance in the hands of the Treasurer, including $200 permanent fund, 447 19 Cash from Hartford Aux'y Soc'y, 77 50 do. collected at Hartford, 23 11 $547/80 Humphreysville, 1/25 1067 20 67 900 500 Norwich, (by Rev. B. G. Noble,) Collection at Norwalk, during session of Convention, June 8. To cash paid Rev. Mr. Noble's bill, do. Wm. D. Starr's bill, for printing Journal of Convention, Balance in the hands of the Treasurer, DR. jdols.jets. 300 4300 106 1831 CR. 1827. June 4. By balance due the Fund in the hands of the Treasurer, 8. Cash from Ridgefield, Middletown, Trumbull, Wilton, Stratford, New-Haven, idols.cts. 2299 50 350 150 150 200 600 OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH, IN THE Diocese of Connecticut. [Made in Convention, June, 1821--And adopted by more than three-fourths of the Parishes.] Article 1. There shall be a Convention of the Protestant Episcopal Church, in this State, on the first Wednesday of June, in each year, at such place as shall have been determined upon by the Bishop; and in case of vacancy in the Episcopate, by the Standing Committee. Art. 2. The Protestant Episcopal Church in Connecticut, as a constituent part of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, accedes to, recognizes and adopts the General Constitution of that Church, and acknowledges its authority accordingly. Art. 3. Every Convention shall be opened with prayer, and the celebration of the Lord's Supper. And it shall be the duty of the Bishop, either to deliver a charge, or sermon, or to appoint one of his clergy to preach, at the opening of each Convention :-and in case of a vacancy in the Episcopate, the Standing Committee shall appoint. Art. 4. The Bishop shall preside in Convention; but in case of absence, or of vacancy in the Episcopate, the oldest presbyter present shall preside. Art. 5. The Bishop shall have power to call a special Convention, when he may judge it conducive to the good of the Church; or when applied to for that purpose, by the Standing Committee, or five presbyters. And in case of vacancy in the Episcopate, the Standing Committee shall have power to call a special Convention. Art. 6. The Convention shall be composed of both Clergymen and Laymen. Every officiating minister of this Church, regularly appointed to the charge of a congregation, in union with this Convention; ministers employed as Missionaries, under the appointment of the Ecclesiastical Authority; clerical instructors of youth, in any Seminary of learning in this state, constituted by civil or ecclesiastical authority; and ministers whom age, or infirmities prevent from exercising their clerical functions; shall be members of this Con vention. Each parish in this state, which shall have been received into union with the Convention, shall be entitled to a representation in Convention, by one delegate; and if it shall consist of more than fifty families, by two; to be chosen by the parish. But before any delegate shall take his seat, he shall produce a certificate of his appointment, signed by the wardens, or parish Clerk. And one third of the members of the clerical order, and twenty members of the lay order, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business; but a smaller number may adjourn. Art. 7. The Clergy and Laity in Convention shall deliberate in one body; and on every question a majority of the votes of those present, shall decide :-But if upon any question, it be required by five members, the two orders shall vote thereon separately, and a concurrence of a majority of each order shall be necessary to give validity to any measure. Art. 8. When the Episcopate of this Diocese shall become vacant by death, or otherwise, the Standing Committee shall call a special Convention, within three months from the time when such vacancy shall happen, at Hartford or New-Haven. And the time and place shall be notified in three or more respectable newspapers in this state, at least four weeks previous to said meeting; when the Convention may proceed to an election, or adjourn to such time and place as may be deemed expedient. Art. 9. The election of a Bishop of this Dicoese, shall be in the following manner;-The two orders shall separate, and the order of the clergy shall choose, by ballot, some fit and qualified presbyter, for that office; and thereupon, such choice shall be communicated to the order of lay-delegates; and if, on ballot, the person so chosen is approved by the lay order, he shall be declared to be duly elected. In the above mentioned election, a majority of each order shall determine a choice; provided, that two-thirds of all the clergy entitled to vote, be present; and two thirds of all the congregations entitled to vote, be represented ;-otherwise, two-thirds of the votes of each order present, shall be necessary to determine a choice. Art. 10. A Secretary shall be chosen immediately upon the opening of the Annual Convention, from the clerical members thereof. It shall be his duty to take minutes of their proceedings, to preserve their journals and records, to attest the public acts of the body, and faithfully to deliver into the hands of his successor, all books and proceedings relative to the concerns of the Church, which may be in his possession. And it shall also be his duty to notify, through the channel of such public prints, as may be designated by the ecclesiastical authority, the time and place appointed for the meeting of the succeeding, or special Convention. Art. 11. The Standing Committee shall be elected at the Annual Convention; and shall be composed of five clerical members, who. shall be rectors of parishes, or instructors of some Seminary institu ted by the ecclesiastical or civil authority of this state. The first member elected, shall be president; and at their first meeting, which shall always be on the day of their election, they shall appoint a Secretary, who shall keep a journal of their proceedings, subject to the inspection of the Convention. Any three of the Committee, (the whole having been summoned,) shall be a quorum, except for such purposes as, agreeably to their own rules, or the canon of the General Convention, may require a larger number. Art. 12. The Secretary and Standing Committee of this Convention, shall be appointed by ballot, and shall continue in office until their successors shall have been appointed. Art. 13. A Treasurer shall be appointed by the Convention, to continue in office during their pleasure; and it shall be his duty to receive and manage all funds, which may at any time belong to this Convention; and to lay before the Convention an annual statement of all such funds. Art. 14. Each order in Convention shall appoint delegates to the General Convention by ballot; and the delegates thus appointed and confirmed by the concurrent vote of both orders in Convention, shall continue in office three years, or the time that may intervene between the stated meetings of the General Convention. Art. 15. No clergyman shall be suspended, or receive any public censure, from the Bishop, or Standing Committee of this Diocese, without having been adjudged thereto, in the way to be provided for by canon. Art. 16. This Constitution shall be unalterable, except in the following manner :-A proposition for amendment shall be introduced in writing, and considered in Convention; and if approved of, shall lie over to the next Annual Convention; and if again approved of in the next Annual Convention, by two-thirds of each order voting thereon separately, the amendment shall take place, and the Constitution so altered shall be valid and obligatory. Art. 17. The foregoing Constitution shall be printed, and submitted to the consideration of the several parishes in this Diocese, for their approbation; and if approved of by three-fourths of said. parishes, in their Annual Meetings, the evidence of which shall be by certificates, under the hands of the Clerks of the several parishes, the same shall become the Constitution of the Episcopal Church of this Diocese. |