ANGLICAN PRIMACY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 746, 19 February 1910, Page 5

ANGLICAN PRIMACY.

!., POSITION -IN AUSTRALIA. ■;

By Teleeraph—Press Aseoclatlon-Oopyri# ■ Sydney, February • 18, In view of the fact that the refcent election of an Anglican Primato (in sue-) cession to the late, Dr. Sanmarez Smith,' Archbishop of Sydney) resulted in two candidates (the Archbishop of .'-' Sydney, Dr. Wright, and the Ardibishop of Brisbane, Dr, Donaldson) receiving eight votes each, the Bishop of Bathurst, Dr, Camidgo, who is senior Bishop, hps 're- ' quested the Archbishops to exercise'their fight to vote when a fresh" vote for th»' Primato is being taken. ' Dr. Donaldson has conditionally offered 7 to retire in favour of Dr. Wright, '<

\ RESULT,OF PREFERENTIAL: I I BALLOT. I, | Under date February I2tha "Sydnor '• nanng failed, it is assumed' in chnrcK I " circles, thut Dr.Camidge, who; as seninih , bisbop, 13 charged ; with • - responsibility I in tho niatuaiywill at onco arrange at v second, ballot.- The . Church ordinances 1 ■■ ■ do not provide for preferential voting, liiat system , was adopted iby agreement : among the bishops, and it is.quite com- " petent for them to rarort to the older and simpler method of election', . U that V • he done, and tho .votes be cast, as in' the 1 1 j C ?® 6 ' Archbishop.. of ■ Sydiiey ■ :<■ would. become'-Primate; with seven 'vbtea ? n -h>S favour, and nine against liim.'■ ( ' Importance, however, is . attachedto election by ai) absolute majonty of votea?' and m order to achieve end, Arch- . bishop Clarke (Melbourne), for whorq .' threo votes were oast, may decide : to ■■ withdraw, and: leavo tho issue to 'Dr. 1 " Donaldson (Brisbane), and Dr. Wright. ! liien .that WQwld not .necessarily ensure I hnalify, unless, at least'two of the three ' . votes cast for "Br,-: Clarke . were "trailsferred to Dr. Wright, If only one', of ■ tho votes in question- were transferred to Sydney, there would again ba a tie,with 'eight .votes-on: each side.' It ia possible' that such a result would traniK i'er tho Primacy to Brisbane, for, if a third ballot became neoeesaryi the Bishop V ' of New; Guinea might then be in' Alls-' . ' ; s ' traua, and exercise his votq in favour of Dr, .Donaldson,. Again,: though Dr. Glarks ' may. formally withdraw, "that, irould not "' necessarily prevent hi^, three pupportera i'— again voting for him. ' S^'i 1 v 'J-'bo whoje' position : arises > out of the W ■ legislation ! of • nine years . ago, when ; tho - - diocese: of Sydney, l in order to make itself entirely free -and .qntrammeljpd ; ® tlje; choice of its bishop, • consented to sep? arate the positions of Bishop of Sydney and Primate. Up to . that timo' tlww mshops,, collectively,;]iad a .voice in the .vi, ' selection, inasmuch as they possessed a power of 'veto, The feeling lead" ing members of, the Church 1 "in Sydney' is that, not only should. they be! left free ?: I' in tho.soleotion of;.their episcopal head " hut tbftt the; primacy. should he attached I to tho . Sydney Diocese—first, because-of<! .tho .part this diocese played in tho history of tho Church in, Australia,' as th»« first See created, and, next, because of] : - ,tho status of thci Bishopric, and the cam-| ■ manning , salary, attached to. the office-