Under what circumstances has the Episcopal church ever withheld
consent for the ordination of bishop-elect?

Hello ythdir-ga,

According to the Episcopal News Service (ENS), only two bishop
elections in church history were rejected, both in the 1870s.

"Gay issues could split Episcopal Church, world Anglican Communion"
(7/27/2003)
USATODAY
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2003-07-27-gay-church-debate_x.htm

The circumstances for those rejections are explained in this excerpt
from an ENS article:

"In 1874, George Franklin Seymour, the Anglo-Catholic dean of the
General Theological Seminary in New York, was elected third bishop of
Illinois.  Seymour was widely perceived as a 'ritualist,' introducing
what were then considered 'dangerous' Roman Catholic liturgical
innovations, such as candles on the altar, into what was then a very
Protestant-oriented denomination.  According to historians, his
election was refused by a technical majority of the House of Deputies
during a vote by orders, although the numerical majority was
favorable.

Another 'ritualist' whose election was denied, and who is now
commemorated on March 22 in the church's yearly calendar, was the Rev.
James deKoven, nominated as bishop for the dioceses of Massachusetts
and Wisconsin and elected bishop of Illinois in 1875, just one year
after Seymour.  His election was not confirmed by a majority of
diocesan standing committees."

"Mixed reaction to New Hampshire bishop election", by Jan Nunley and
James Solheim (6/8/2003)
Episcopal News Service 
http://gc2003.episcopalchurch.org/ens/3577_11165_ENG_HTML.htm

A more contemporary, and partisan, account of this episode is
contained within this 1891 biographical portrait of Rev. Seymour:

"The Right Rev. George Franklin Seymour, S.T.D., LL.D.", from
"Portrait & Biographical Album of Sangamon County, Illinois (Chicago:
Chapman Brothers, 1891)"
Sangamon County IL Genealogy
http://www.rootsweb.com/~ilsangam/1891/seymour.htm

- justaskscott-ga


I searched for the following terms, in various combinations, on
Google:

episcopal
"gene robinson"
bishops
rejected
"episcopal news service"
"two bishops"
"general convention"
1874 [Note: By counting back 3 years at a time from 2003, I
determined, correctly it seems, that there were three General
Conventions in the 1870s: 1871, 1874, and 1877.  My searches including
"1877" produced nothing useful, but using "1874" was successful.]
"george franklin seymour"
"james dekoven"

Thank you.  I have been unsuccessful in finding this information on my
own.  I appreciate the speed at which the question was answered, and
the links for my own pursuit of the subject.