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where communicants have been found too poor to contribute even the small sum asked, it has not been paid at all.

In the last annual report of the Board it was stated that a lot of ground had been tendered to and accepted by the board, on which was to be erected an Episcopal residence. It is hoped that in the course of the year the House may be commenced and carried well on towards its completion. It gives the Board pleasure to say that beside the donation of the lot, some liberal subscriptions have been made toward the building, which, it is possible, may yet be augmented. The sums thus supplied for this specific object relieve the permanent fund to that extent, and enable the Board to charge a rent which will amount to no more than the interest, they would otherwise have felt themselves bound to realise for the portion of the permanent fund so employed. It is only necessary further to observe on this subject that the sum heretofore received over and above the investments made, together with the amount of the permament fund received since the last report has been retained by the Treasurer to be applied to the erection of the building.

By order of the Board,

On motion, it was

SAM'L. I. DONALDSON, Secretary.

Resolved, That an extra number of the report of the Trustees of the Episcopal Fund be printed, and a copy sent to each parish and congregation, with a request that the minister read it upon some occasion of public worship.

On motion, the Convention adjourned.

FRIDAY MORNING, June 2, 1848.

The Convention assembled at 9 o'clock.

Morning Prayer having been previously said at 6 o'clock, and the Holy Communion administered at 8, the Bishop took the Chair and called the Convention to order.

The roll was called, and the minutes of yesterday afternoon's proceedings were read and approved.

Kensey Harrison, Esq., lay delegate, presented his testimonial and signed the declaration.

The following rule of order was offered, and on motion, adopted as the eighteenth rule; the rule previously the eighteenth becoming the nineteenth :

No question shall be taken upon any report, unless upon a motion to print or recommit it; but reports shall of course lie on the table. If a committee deem any action of the Convention desirable it shall be their duty to present such resolutions, acts or canons as they think it should adopt, which only shall be subject to the action of the Convention.

The following communication was made by the Bishop:

Under the eighth Canon of this Diocese, a nomination of seven Presbyters, to act as an Ecclesiastical Court, has to be made by the Bishop, subject to the advice and consent of the Convention; and the Presbyters so nominated are to convene immediately after the election, at a time and place appointed by the Bishop, to elect a President and Secretary. A failure to elect in such manner might cast a doubt upon the legality of any action of the Court, should occasion occur for its services.

At the last Convention, a nomination was made and approved by the Convention; but this having taken place at a late period of its session, there was no opportunity afforded the Bishop to notify the presbyters nominated of a time and place of meeting, before several of them had left town; there was, therefore, no meeting, and consequently no election.

To make the Constitution of the Court perfectly safe, the Bishop requests the Convention to receive a second time his nomination of the members, as provided by the Canon: and, if the Convention consent, will proceed to make the nomination accordingly.

The leave asked was granted.

The Bishop made the following nomination:

I nominate to the Diocesan Convention of Maryland, the fol

lowing Presbyters, to be an Ecclesiastical Court for the Diocese

of Maryland, as provided by Canon 8th, viz: the

Rev. Wm. H. Rees,

Rev. Thos. James Wyatt,

Rev. John R. Keech,

Rev. Hugh T. Harrison,
Rev. Henry Williams,
Rev. Alex. M. Marbury,

Rev. Henry Brown.

WILLIAM ROLLINSON WHITTINGHAM,
Bishop of Maryland.

On motion, the nomination was approved.

The following resolutions were offered, and on motion, adopted:

Resolved, That in accordance with the recommendation of the General Convention at its last session, the Secretary of this Convention be requested to receive the subscriptions of the members, whether clerical or lay, of this body, or of any other persons in the Diocese who may be desirous of subscribing for the forthcoming Church History of the Rev. Dr. Jarvis, and that he report the number of volumes so subscribed for, to the Rev. Historiographer as early as may be practicable.

Resolved, also, That upon the receipt of the volumes so subscribed for by the Secretary of the Convention, he shall distribute them to the Rectors in whose parishes the subscribers may reside, who shall collect and pay over to the Secretary the several subscriptions, to be by him transmitted to the Rev. Dr. Jarvis.

A motion was made to re-consider the postponement of the further consideration of the resolution in reference to the ordaining of Deacons, under the 5th Canon of the General Convention, of 1847, and upon a division on the question, was lost.

Leave of absence was granted to the Rev. Mr. Kehler, and to the Lay delagate from St. Michael's Parish, Talbot county.

The report of the Committee of the best method of collecting the salaries of Clergymen was called up, and the propositions therein contained were offered in the form of resolutions, as follows:

Resolved, That three Boards be constituted; to be designated Bible and Prayer Book, Tract and Diocesan Missionary Boards; each Board to be appointed annually by joint ballot of Convention; and to consist of residents of the city of Baltimore-and lay members of the Protestant Episcopal Church of this Diocese.

Resolved, That the Missionary Board have charge and control of all Missionary operations appertaining to the Diocese, except the collection of funds; the money paid over to said Board to be used by them in aid of weak Parishes. Said Board to ascertain the pecuniary wants of the Diocese for Missionary purposes, as far as may be in their power, and to meet the same by a tax on each Parish,-keeping in view, in laying said tax, the principle which now regulates the assessment of the Diocese for Conventional purposes; and to report their proceedings to the Annual Convention of the Church.

Resolved, That the Bible and Prayer Book Board have charge and control of all operations necessary to the procuring of the same; and supply as far as may be in their power as many copies of both or either, as the Rector may order;-to tax as aforesaid, with a sum adequate to the demands of the Board for this purpose, and report their proceedings to the Annual Convention of this Church.

Resolved, That the Board for Tracts have charge and control over all operations necessary to the procuring of the same; to procure and publish none except those approved of and ordered by Convention; to tax each Parish as aforesaid with a sum adequate to the payment of the same; to supply, as far as may be in their power, each Parish with as many Tracts as the Rector may order, and report their proceedings to the Annual Convention of this Church.

Resolved, That in all instances where two or more Vestries have employed a Rector to take charge of the Parishes which they severally represent, we recommend the same to be dissolved. The Parishes which may be rendered too weak for self-support by this dissolution, to be aided by the funds in the hands of the aforesaid Missionary Board, as far as in their opinion may be necessary and to the extent of their ability. No clergyman to accept a call to a vacant Parish until the salary due his predecessor shall have been tendered or paid; a receipt of the Rector or his legal representatives to be evidence of settlement.

Resolved, That the Rector and Vestry of each Parish be constituted a Parish Board, whose duty it shall be to collect such funds as may be called for by each of the foregoing Boards, and to transmit the same to

the Secretary of each Board; the amount so transmitted to be stated by the Rector of each Parish in his Annual Report to the Convention. In all Parishes without Rectors the Vestries alone shall constitute the foregoing Board and perform the duties thereof.

Resolved, That the Lay-delegate of each Parish report to the Convention the amount paid yearly to his Rector. Said report to be referred to a special committee of the Convention. Every delegate failing to make said report to vacate his right to a seat in Convention.

On motion,

Resolved, That so much of the Bishop's address as relates to the action of this Convention, together with the report of the committee on the salaries of Clergymen, be referred to a committee consisting of the Bishop and four lay members of this Convention, with instructions to report thereon to the next Annual Convention of the Diocese.

The following resolutions were offered:

Resolved, That it be urgently recommended to the several Vestries throughout the Diocese, where the plan has not already been adopted, to pledge to their Rectors a specific amount of support; and that the amount so pledged be apportioned among the members of the Vestry so as to give to each a certain amount to raise, and that payment in all instances be made quarterly, in advance.

Resolved, furthermore, That it be the duty of each Lay dele'gate to report to a Standing Committee, to be annually appointed by the presiding officer of the Convention, the amount of salaries raised in their respective parishes for the support of their Rector. On motion, they were referred to the same Committee. On motion, the Convention proceeded to elect two members of the Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Fund, in place of two who retire in order.

John S. Gittings, and
Robert Neilson, Esqrs.,

were nominated and declared to be duly elected.

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