The territory formerly known by the name of the District of Maine, having been received by Congress as an independent state, and the Church therein having become organized, it was admitted as a member of the ecclesiastical union.

That part of the forty-fifth canon which requires the reading of episcopal addresses from the journal of the state conventions, being thought to occasion an unnecessary spending of time, was repealed by the first canon of this

convention.

The first canon of 1816 having heen accommodated to the existing circumstances of the Church in the state of Ohio, and the object of it having been accomplished, it was repealed by the second canon of those now passed.

By the third, the pastoral letters, to be issued hereafter at the times of the Triennial Conventions, are required to be read by the clergy in their respective congregations.

By the fourth, an improvement was made in the seventeenth canon of 1808, in reference to testimonials to be accommodated to the respective cases.

By the fifth, the same canon of 1808 was so far altered, as to require from a candidate for the ministry, not a citizen of the United States, and having officiated as a minister of another denomination, that he produce evidence of his residence for one year.

The sixth concerned the consecration of bishops. The testimonials of the bishop elect, instead of being presented to any three bishops, are to be presented to the presiding bishop, who is to communicate them to the other bishops. In the event of the consent of the major number of them, the presiding bishop, or any three to whom he may communicate the testimonials and the consent of the major number, may proceed to the consecration. But if a bishop have been elected within one year of a General Convention, his consecration is to be deferred to the time of their assembling.

It was thought conducive to the exercise of discipline, to moderate the publicity of ecclesiastical censures on any offending minister, in the event of his voluntary renunciation of the ministry: which is the purport of the seventh canon.

The eighth provides, that in the case of a candidate for orders, his sufficiency in the acquirements exacted for the first examination, prescribed by the tenth canon of 1808, shall be ascertained before his admission as a candidate ; and further, that the said acquirements shall not be dis

pensed with, unless there be a testimonial from at least five presbyters," stating, that, in their opinion, he possesses extraordinary strength of natural understanding, a peculiar aptitude to teach, and a large share of prudence."

On an application for the sanctioning of a selection of Psalms and Hymns, made from the authorized Book of Psalms and Hymns in metre, there was a refusal, on the ground of the resolution of the two houses in the convention of 1814, against the giving of a conventional sanction to any publication not issued as of authority in this Church.

The convention thought it a matter of sufficient importance, to give instruction concerning the title page of future editions of the Book of Common Prayer, for the securing of accuracy; and further, for the observing of the due distinction between the said book, and other books and documents not the same, although of equal authority in this Church.

The House of Clerical and Lay Deputies requested the House of Bishops, who referred it to the presiding bishop, with such aid as he may think proper to employ, to take measures for making known any errors or omissions in the edition of the Book of Common Prayer, printed in NewYork, by Hugh Gaine, in the year 1793, and established by the forty-third canon of 1808, as the standard book, so that they may be avoided or supplied in future editions.

There was a similar request and a similar reference to the presiding bishop, to correct or supply any errors or omissions in the calendar and tables prefixed to the said book, and to extend the table of the days on which Easter will fall for two cycles of the moon, from the year 1823. [By an evident typographical error, it is 1813 on the Journal.]

The two houses appointed a joint committee, to make a collection of the journals of the General Conventions, and of the several Diocesan Conventions, and of other important documents, connected with the history of the Church in the United States, and to deposit the same, subject to the disposal of the General Convention, in such hands as may be deemed proper for the present, and until a further order of the convention. The difficulty of procuring sets of the journals of the preceding years, was strong proof of there being a use in the present measure.

There was also a committee appointed by the two houses, to take such measures in the recess of the convention, as they might find suitable "for the establishment of a stand

ard, according to which all copies of the scriptures, to be recommended to the use of the members of this Church, shall be printed." This matter, at the rising of the General Convention of 1817, had been submitted by the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, to the consideration of the bishops during the recess. The bishops, in the convention of 1820, noticing the cause of the reference in a corruption of a particular text in a late edition, tending to sustain a species of ordination unknown in scripture, had reported to the following effect. They were of opinion, that in consequence of the exclusive privilege enjoyed in England for the printing of the Bible, and the heavy fines which may be inflicted on the patentees for a falsifying of the text, the English editions may in general be depended on; there having been noticed but few inaccuracies in any of them, and those being unimportant. An edition by Eyre and Strahan, in 1806, and another by them in 1812, had been spoken of as the most perfect extant, but the bishops had not been able to procure a copy. They gave a caution against certain fraudulent copies of the Bible imported from England, printed by unauthorized individuals, who avoided the law by a few notes in the lower margin, which may be cut from the text, but favours the pretence of the editing of a commentary. Such copies had been found exceedingly corrupt.

In regard to editions issued in the United States, the bishops had found them generally as correct as could have been reasonably expected, considering the difficulty of avoiding typographical errors.

Further, they were aware, that their report did not go to the desirable extent; and it was this consideration which led to the appointment of the joint committee.

There came before the two houses, the proposal of the last General Convention for the changing of the time of the meeting from May to October. The House of Bishops proposed the ratifying of it, but the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies now convened, signified their non-concurrence. Then there came from the latter house such an alteration of the first article of the constitution, as subjects to the discretion of every Triennial Convention, the time as well as the place of the assembling of the next, with authority in the presiding bishop, in the case of the occurrence of epidemical disease, to make a change of place. In this the House of Bishops concurred, and it will rest with the next convention to decide.

The principal subject of discussion related to the Theological Seminary, the location of which became transferred by this convention from New-York to New-Haven, in Connecticut, adopting sundry measures for the furtherance of the design. When the bishops concurred in the proposal, they unanimously declared, that they did not "mean by this concurrence to interfere with any plan now contemplated, or that may hereafter be contemplated in any diocese or diocesses, for the establishment of theological institutions or professorships; and further, they esteem it their duty to express the opinion, that the various sums. subscribed, having been thus subscribed under an act of the convention establishing the seminary in New-York, the subscribers who have not paid are not now bound, except they think proper, to pay their subscriptions; the institution being removed to a different city." This declaration was received, and read, and not objected to, in the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies.

There was proposed by the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, and concurred in by the bishops, a constitution of a missionary society, for foreign and domestic missions, which became inefficient from an irregularity in the choice of the trustees. The society was located in the city of Philadelphia, and the members there resident, after frequent consultations, did not think themselves authorized to proceed. The error resulted from the press of business on the last day of the session.

When the convention adjourned, it was with the determination that the next General Convention should meet in Philadelphia.

The whole was concluded with prayer by the presiding bishop. T.

The next General Convention being special, was held in 1821, in St. Peter's Church, in the city of Philadelphia, from October 30th to November the 3d, inclusive. The bishops present, were Bishop White, of Pennsylvania, presiding bishop; Bishop Hobart, of New-York; Bishop Griswold, of the Eastern Diocese; Bishop Kemp, of Maryland; Bishop Croes, of New-Jersey; and Bishop Brownell, of Connecticut. In the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies, the Rev. Dr. William Wilmer presided, the Rev. Ashbel Baldwin was secretary, and the Rev. John C. Rudd was assistant secretary. The Rev. William Augustus Muhlenburg was secretary of the House of Bishops.

This convention assembled on the call of the presiding

bishop, induced by the desire of the major number of the bishops; it being induced by the desire of the trustees of the Theological Seminary, to consider whether any or what measures should be adopted, for the obtaining of a legacy of about sixty thousand dollars, bequeathed by Jacob Sherred, of the city of New-York, to a seminary which should be instituted within the state, either by the General Convention or by that of the diocese in which the testator lived and died. It became a question, which of two seminaries was entitled to the legacy. On the one hand, the general seminary being the first named, was thought entitled to it, on the condition of removal to New-York: and several eminent gentlemen of the law had given their opinions in the affirmative. On the other hand, legal gentlemen of equal eminence were of opinion, that as the diocesan seminary was in a capacity to go into immediate operation, it had the preferable claim.

The convention was opened by a sermon from Bishop Kemp. U.

The two houses became immediately occupied by the business for which they had been called together. There was appointed a joint committee, who, after contemplating the subject in its various points of view; and after discussing various projects for the combining of the seminaries now existing in New-Haven and New-York; all in the spirit of conciliation and mutual concession; arrived at the result, which appears in the organization as it now stands. All the members of the committee concurred in giving praise to Judge Cameron, of North-Carolina, for the ability and good temper manifested by him in the progress of the business: and the same were again displayed by him, when it came before the House of Clerical and Lay Deputies.

However, it did not pass in the house without opposition; which was almost confined to the clerical and lay gentlemen from Virginia; with whom it is a favourite idea, to establish a theological professorship in the college of William and Mary, in Williamsburg.

The outlines of the newly organized institution are as follow. The school of New-Haven, and that of New-York, are to be combined, and to be seated in the latter state. All the bishops are to be trustees officially. The other trustees are to be chosen in the several states, and to be residents in them respectively. In each state there is to be a trustee chosen for every eight of its clergy, and for every two thousand dollars contributed; except, that when ten