St. MICHAEL'S & ALL ANGELS.

«*> ■ A meeting of parishioners was held at the schoolroom last evening, the Very Rev. the Dean in the chair. The objects for which the meeting was called was to elect a vestryman in the room of Mr Stedman (resigned), and to take into consideration the question with regard to the erection of a new parish church. Before the business of the. meeting was proceeded with, the chairman informed those present that the Standing Commission at Auckland had decided that it was competent for parishioners to elect vestrymen who resided outside the parish. The election of Messrs Graham and March was validated. Therefore it was competent for the meetiug to elect, in the room of Mr Stedman, a gentleman not residing within the boundaries, provided he wa? a communicant. Mr Ainger proposed Mr Packer, sen. Mr Packer said he could not attend tlie meeting, and his name was consequently withdrawn. Mr Hawkes proposed Mr John Grigg. Mr Waitt seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The Chairman said tbat six months had elapsed since there was a meeting of parishoners on the subject of the new church. The delay had occurred through various causes, but not from any lack in the desire to ccc a new church erected. At the present time the amount of subscriptions known to the vestry was £1155 lOs 6d, including the £100 from the Christiau Knowledge Society and the £85 odd in hand from offertories. Altogether, there was now in band the sum of £222 7s 9<l, including the £85, or nearly one-fifth of the amount promised. He might say that in no instance was payment asked for at the time the canvass was made. Therefore the list contained nothing but sums which were freely offered. There had not yet been any solicitation for the payment of subscriptions. It was thought better not, to ask subscribers for the amounts of tbeir subscriptions until after this meeting — until it was ascertained that the work would really go forward. He hoped the subscription list would appear to the meeting so far satisfactory that they would consider it wise and safe to go on. They would recollect that the proposition to leave the matter to the vestry was rejected by the parishioners at the former meeting. At the same time the vestry thought it would be most desirable to be prepared with something which would enable this meeting to come to a conclusion. They had procured the sketches now on the table, which, he m'ght add, they were not committed to. He thought i*. desirable that they should have something before them; otherwise, the meeting could come to no conclusion. He had no desire to prejudge the matter, but he confessed that to his mind the plan now on the table looked an extremely nice one, and one which would suit both internally and externally. He trusted that they were all pretty well of one mind. They shewed by their presence such a wet night as this the great interest which they took in the contemplated work; and he wai glad to say that there was a strong and hearty feeling in favour of the prosecution of the work. He hoped that steps would at once be taken for its commencement. It must be recollected that the canvass was not yet complete. Therefore it must not be thought that the present sum was all they should obtain. The material of the present building would realise something; he had mentioned £100, and this amount was not excessive. Something i was also expected on the laying of the foundation stone. He had read from an English newspaper of a plan pursued at the laying of a foundation atone in that country. Cards were given to the school-children, and a large amount in small suras was subscribed in this way, and deposited on the stone by the children in tbe course of the cerem my. He intended to adopt this plan in the laying of the foundation stone of the new church. He would now call on . Mr Harman to afford the meetiug some further information. Mr Harman said that the vestry had considered two things — what the church should be built of, wood or stone; and what should be its size. Owing to the late severe shocks of earthquake, the vestry came to the conclusion that it would be useless to attempt building any part of stone. Therefore it was decided that wood should be the material. They thought that a church capable of holding a congregation of 600 would in all probability be as much as the parish required. Looking to the probable amount of money which would be at disposal, they decided that they should not venture to a greater height than 24 feet for the main walls of the building. They set Mr Crisp, architect, to work, to see what kind of a building could be erected for £1500 or thereabouts. By the liberality of Mr Mundy, the vestry was able to place photographed sketches of the church before the meeting at a very low cost; in fact they were really a gift from Mr Mundy. The church sketched out consisted of a main building 80 feet x 50. Of the 50 feet width, 13 feet on each aide comprised the aisles. The main portion of the building was therefore 24 feet wide and 20 high. In order to secure strength, it was proposed to adopt a tie beam resting on the principal timbers. At tbe top of all the gables of the church a current of cool air would come in. The height of the side walls

of the aisles was 10 feet, and the height of aisle roof where it left the main building was about 17 feet. The ground plan of the building comprised a greater area than was shown on the drawing. The complete design would be 36 feet longer, comprising the chancel. If the parish felt itself bound to stop at the building, as shewn on the photographs, of course the other 36 feet would have to be abandoned. The vestry requested Mr Crisp to compare notes with a practical builder, and ascertain what sum a church upon the scale indicated would be likely to cost, and whether it could be done for £1500, to which amount the vestry thought it right to limit themselves. Mr Crisp did so, and the result was that a building, with the 36 feet added, would cost somewhere about £1800, and that the cost of such a building as was shown on the photographs would not exceed £1500. There was every reason to believe that when a full canvass was made they should be able to work safely on the basis of assuming £1500 to be within their means. It was decided that the church should be erected throughout on a stone foundation. In reply to Mr George Oram, the chairman said that all the names on the subscription lists were good ones. Mr Oram suggested that steps should at once be taken for getting in the money, in order that it might be ascertained what it would really amount to. Mr J. E. Graham said that the money could be got in next morning, if it were wanted. Mr George Hart approved of the building as now shown on the photograph, remarking that it would be a great advancement in churcb. architecture here. After some discussion, Mr Hawkes moved, " That a building committee, consisting of the Dean, the Churchwardens, and Messrs Packer, sen., Mollett, George Hart, and J. C. Boys, with power to add to their number, be appointed, whose special duty shall be to take the needful steps for gathering in the , promised subscriptions, with power, as soon as the money in hand shall reach £1000, to procure complete designs in general accordance with the sketches laid before the meeting, and to call tor tenders for the erection of the same, and to accept any tender not exceeding £1500, which may be recommended by the architect." The resolution was unanimously agreed to. On the motion of Mr Harman, a vote of thanks w<ts passed to Mr Mundy. On the motion of Mr Hawkes, the Building Committee was empowered to appoint an architect. A vote of thanks to the chairman terminated the proceedings.