EVENING SITTING.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 245, 15 October 1889, Page 2

EVENING SITTING.

, GENERAL ELECTIONS. It was agreed, on the motion of Archdeacon Willis, that the second reading of the bill to amend regulations 54, 93, and 94 and the schedules attached to the regulations be now considered. ' The Synod went into committee, Colonel Haultain in the chair. ; . 4 The clauses were considered seriatim.

Regulation 54 : " The. Returning Officer shall give nob less than ten°"nor more than thirty days' notice of election, by posting such notice on the church door and in any other convenient public place or places in the parish and parochial district, and shall at the same time .fix a period within which the nomination of candidates will bo received by him, in the form No. 1 qf the schedule at the end hereof." It wa3 resolved to alter this regulation by inserting after the word " period " the following words, "of not less than seven, nor more than fifteen days." Regulation 94: "The Returning Officer, or Deputy Returning Officer shall give not less than thirty nor' more than sixty days' notice of the election, and of the period in which the nomination of candidates will be received by him, and all such notices shall be given in such manner as the Standing Committee shall prescribe." It was resolved to alter this regulation by inserting, after the words "election, and," the following words: "Not less than 14, nor,morethan3o days'notice." . ■ • > Regulation 93, which describes the form of voting paper, was altered from Schedule No. 5 to Schedule No. 3. ! It was also resolved to alter and amend the first four forms in the schedule of forms according to the proposals agreed upon, and to cancel form No. 5 as not required.

The only point upon which any discussion arose was as to the propriety of retaining the heading " Church of England " in the schedule of forms 1, 2, 3 and 4. It was resolved to strike out the word " England ": and alter the heading so as to read " Church of the Province Of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England, Diocese of Auckland, etc." ; Several minor alterations were also made, after which the Synod resumed; and the resolutions adopted in Committee were confirmed. , ~ - . . Standing Order 44 was suspended and the bill was read a third time and passed...

"' PENSION BOARD. "•''"''", '; The Synod went into committee to consider the report of the Pension Board. The following clauses'were passed without discussion-:-(l) During tbevear 18.88 there were 63 subscribers to the fund, viz., Auckland, 40 European clergy, 12 Maori clergy ; Waiapu, 9 European clergy ; Melanesia, 7 European cleray. For the year 1889, 61 clergy have subscriptions. (2) No grants have been made from the special fund, and tho capital now stands at £2,851128 W. (3) Eleven grants have been made frora *h*o Augmentation Fund. The capital is now £6,308 los 8d (4) Two grants have been made .from the Emergency Fund, and. there, is now £1981 18s to the credit of the capital of this fund. This amount is less than for the previous year, as the.fund suffered a loss on the realisation of one of its. securities, as showb by the accounts . (5) The increase to the capital of the Pension Fund during Sf^ib^n- £667 tho total capital now being £U,l'U os.

Clause 6 giving a list of 6urplice fees paid and neb paid was read. His Lordship said there was a misunderstanding under this heading on:the subject oE marriage fees. The regulation required that any sum not exceeding 5s should be paid for marriage fees. A clergyman was supposed to contribute the sum of 53 on account of each marriage fee received to the Pension Fund, and he had personally, when he had not received thab amount, contri buted the required sum out of his own pocket. This subject he had understood was discussed warmly last year, and he understood thab remarks were then made which were unbecoming of gentlemen to hear. He urged that the amount should be more definitely fixed. Mr Upton regretted that such remarks had fallen from anyone in the Synod, and more especially from the chair. He thought bhe disoussion bhab book place lasb year was perfecbly legitimate, and he knew of no remarks bhab were made unbecoming of a gentleman. His Lordship regrebted that anything he said had given pain, bub repeated what he had said as being that of which he had been informed.

Rev. Mr Nelson urged that the scale of charges for marriages should bo made perfectly plain. Mr Speight said that the point upon which warmth was displayed last year was as to whether a portion of the marriage fees or the whole of the fees Bhould be handed over to the Pension Fund. Ab tho same time he agreed with the Bishop that bhe amount to be paid to the Pension Fund should be fixed definitely.

His Lordship stated thab he had given his opinion on thi3 subject on a former occasion, and now repeated thab he considered if anything more than 5s were paid for marriage fees, the surplus was intended as a present to the clergyman. Archdeacon Willis moved an amendment the eli'ecb of which was that the fees for marriage by banns should be 5s and the fees for marriage by license 15s. He wanted to bring the whole charge which bhe clergy had lo make for marriage within £1, becauso oblier denominations performed the service within that amount.

Archdeacon Dudley said he would have moved that this regulation be rescinded, except for respect for Bishop Selvvyn, who instituted the same with tho view of permitting the town clergy, to indirectly assist the country clergy in contributing towards a deserving object. He intended to move, when tho Synod resumed, "That tho fee for marriage by banns bo 5s and the fee for marriage by license 10s." Col. Haultain said that he had a good recollection of what took place on this subject last year. He did not recollect anything having been said which a gentleman should not 'have said, or anything having been said which a gentleman ought to have resented. If anything of the kind had been said he felt sure it would not have escaped his memory. Clause 6 was passed. Clause 11 dealt with the pension scheme contained in the report of the Special Committee on pensions adopted by the Synod lasb session, and gave rise to some discussion.

Mr Speight gave a r<_-um6 of what had been done, and expressed bis intention of moving, "That ail the regulations of the Synod at present in operation with reference to the Pension Fund which are in contravention of the regulations contained in the Committee's report are now repealed." He pointed out that unless the scheme were adopted by the 31st March, IS9O, it would lapse. In conclusion, he moved, "(a) That inasmuch as a number of parishes and clergymen in the diocese have tailed to comply with the call made upon thera.thePension Board is herebyinstructed tobring into force the29thsection of tho said report., after the 31sb. March, 1890. ; (b) Thi--'tbe sums'chargeable for clergyp_en under these resolutions shall be held to be due on the 31st March, 1890, and if not, such parishes as are in default shall not have the right to representation upon this Synod until this order is complied with, and that clergymen and districts in default be deprived of participation in any of the benefits of the fund." The question at issue, he urged, was simply whether the Synod was to be obeyed or not. He believed the localities would pay to the Pension Fund if tho clergymen wished them to do so.

Archdeacon Willis opposed the resolutions proposed by Mr Speight. He was an opponent of tho scheme, but if the Synod adopted this scheme he would loyally carry out its provisions. The point of his objection was that the districts could pay, but that they could only do so by taking it out of the pockets of the clergy. Ho also contended that the scheme was unduly oppressive on country districts. Archdeacon Dudley stated that ib was contemplated to make the payments lighter when the scheme was in working order, and suggested that these reductions could bo made so as to ease off on the country clergy. Mr Speight said there was nothing in the scheme except in the way of business, and under it the clergy would receive only what they were entitled to as a right. If it were true that the people were paying all they could pay and thab they could nob pay any more, then in the name of common sense they should burn their pension scheme; bub if otherwise the scheme should be enforced.

Rev. Mr Richards spoke in favour of the scheme proposed, and against the old scheme, declaring the latter to be on no business footing. Archdeacon Dudley said he would certainly support the first of Mr Speight's proposals. The result of its adoption would be bhat after the 31st March the clergy would simply pay 10s more per year and the disbricts £3 more per year than they did at present. Dr. Purchas referred to the existing scheme as a scheme of charity, the pensions being dependent on a vote of the Board. Hedid not believe there was any substantial objection as to the inability of certain districts to meet the payments required.

Mr H. Crispe stated that his experience of collecting in the country for this fund was by no means encouraging. Rev. Mr Eatterns objected to life assurance being compui.ory on clergymen and parishss. Mr Skelton,. of Paparoa, stated that efforts to collect payments on behalf of the Pension Fund had been a failure. Mr Carnell, of Coromandel, supported Mr Speight's resolutions heartily, being of opinion that the money could be raised easily enough if any real sincerity were shown in the matter.' Rev. Mr Fox supported the resolution..

Mr Speight informed an inquirer that the reason why the scheme ahould be made compulsory was because the clergymen would nob make provision for themselves. He also explained that the sum' now paid was. £2, and what was asked was the payment of £7 10s, and the additional payment gave the insured an interesb in £11,000 ....accumulated fund,, while the balance went towards a pension. . Rev. Mr Richards spoke in favour of the resolution. The resolution moved,by Mr Speight was then submitted.. Clause a wa_. carried, there being two dissentients, Archdeacon Willis and Mr Crispe. s The Rev. J. S. Hill speaking to clause & suggested that the payment;in question should be made a first charge on the funds collected by the vestry instead of being enforced in the manner proposed by Mr Speight.. 5....:..-> : , _ . Mr Speight withdrew the second part of the motion. The. Diocesan, Pension Board account was passed, and the Synod resumed. - — N The resolutions adopted in commitbee were passed, Archdeacon Willis, Messrs Skeltion and Chrispe objecting,