JOSEPH PILMORE, Rector of the United Churches of
Trinity, St. Thomas, and All Saints.

GERARDUS CLARKSON,

TENCH COXE,

FRANCIS HOPKINSON,

SAMUEL POWEL,

}

Lay Deputies from the State of
Pennsylvania.

DELAWARE—Joseph Couden, A.M., Rector of St. Anne's.

ROBERT CLAY, Rector of Emanuel and St. James'
Churches.

MARYLAND-JOHN BISSETT, A. M., Rector of Shrewsbury Pa

rish, Kent County.

JOHN RUMSEY,

CHARLES GOLDsborough,

Lay Deputies.

VIRGINIA-JOHN BRACKEN, Rector of Bruton Parish, Williams

SOUTH CAROLINA-ROBERT SMITH, D.D., Rector of St. Philip's Church, Charleston.

WILLIAM SMITH,

Lay Deputies from the State of

WILLIAM BRISBANE, S South Carolina.

THE CONSTITUTION,

AS ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL CONVENTION, AND PUBLISHED IN

ITS JOURNAL OF 1880.

I

UNIVERSIT

CALIFORNIA

CONSTITUTION,

ADOPTED IN GENERAL CONVENTION,

IN PHILADELPHIA, OCTOBER, 1789, WITH AMENDMENTS,
AS PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL OF 1880.

ARTICLE 1.

Convention.

Change of

Place.

There shall be a General Convention of the Protestant Episco- General pal Church in the United States of America, on the first Wednesday in October, in every third year, from the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty-one; and in such place as shall be determined by the Convention; and in case there shall be an epidemic disease, or any other good cause to render it necessary to alter the place fixed on for any such meeting of the Convention, the Presiding Bishop shall have it in his power to appoint another convenient place (as near as may be to the place so fixed on) for the holding of such Convention: and special meetings may be called at other times, in the manner hereafter to be provided for; and this Church, in a majority of the Dioceses which shall have adopted this Constitution, shall be represented, before they shall Quorum. proceed to business; except that the representation from two Dioceses shall be sufficient to adjourn; and in all business of the Convention freedom of debate shall be allowed.

ARTICLE 2.

The Church in each Diocese shall be entitled to a representation of both the Clergy and the Laity. Such representation shall consist of not more than four Clergymen and four Laymen, communicants in this Church, residents in the Diocese, and chosen in the manner prescribed by the Convention thereof; and in all questions when required by the Clerical or Lay representation from any Diocese, each Order shall have one vote; and the majority of suffrages by Dioceses shall be conclusive in each Order, provided such majority comprehend a majority of the Dioceses represented

Special
Meetings.

Freedom of
Debate.

House of
Clerical
and Lay
Deputies.

Vote by Dio in that Order. The concurrence of both Orders shall be necessary

ceses and

Orders.

Dioceses unrepresented are bound.

House of
Bishops.

Negative upon the Lower House.

Jurisdiction of Bishops.

to constitute a vote of the Convention. If the Convention of any Diocese should neglect or decline to appoint Clerical Deputies, or if they should neglect or decline to appoint Lay Deputies, or if any of those of either Order appointed should neglect to attend, or be prevented by sickness or any other accident, such Diocese shall nevertheless be considered as duly represented by such Deputy or Deputies as may attend, whether Lay or Clerical. And if, through the neglect of the Convention of any of the Churches which shall have adopted or may hereafter adopt this Constitution, no Deputies, either Lay or Clerical, should attend at any General Convention, the Church in such Diocese shall nevertheless be bound by the acts of such Convention.

ARTICLE 3.

The Bishops of this Church, when there shall be three or more, shall, whenever General Conventions are held, form a separate House, with a right to originate and propose acts for the concurrence of the House of Deputies composed of Clergy and Laity; and when any proposed act shall have passed the House of Deputies, the same shall be transmitted to the House of Bishops, who shall have a negative thereupon; and all acts of the Convention shall be authenticated by both Houses. And in all cases the House of Bishops shall signify to the Convention their approbation or disapprobation (the latter with their reasons in writing) within three days after the proposed act shall have been reported to them for concurrence; and in failure thereof, it shall have the operation of a law. But until there shall be three or more Bishops, as aforesaid, any Bishop attending a General Convention shall be a member ex officio, and shall vote with the Clerical Deputies of the Diocese to which he belongs; and a Bishop shall then preside.

ARTICLE 4.

The Bishop or Bishops in every Diocese shall be chosen agreeably to such rules as shall be fixed by the Convention of that Diocese; and every Bishop of this Church shall confine the exercise of his Episcopal Office to his proper Diocese, unless requested to ordain, or confirm, or perform any other act of the Episcopal Office in another Diocese by the Ecclesiastical Authority thereof.