ANGLICAN CHURCH MEETING.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 251, 23 October 1893, Page 5

ANGLICAN CHURCH MEETING.

The annual Anglican Church Meeting in bhe diocese of Auckland was held in the Chora* Hall last Friday evening. There was a good attendance, those present including a number of clergy. Bishop Cowie presided. A strong choir was in attendance, and a number of hymns and anthems (including " Crossing the Bar," the words by Tennyson) were sung during the evening. Mr V. E. Rico acted as conductor. THRIFT AND FRIENDLY SOCIETIES. The Uev. W. Beatty read an able paper on "Thrift and the Friendly Societies." In the course of the paper h3 said thab the Church ought to set an example to bhe community by their hearty hatred of debt—bub instead of thab, their churches were in debt. He spoke of the crying need for reformation in the habits 'of many of the professional, mercantile and farming classes, and he referred to the reckless manner in which people entered on business without training, and on credit, and condemned the bankruptcy laws in strong terms. He impressed on his hearers to give no private charity unless in delerving cases, and he concluded his interesting paper with a euloey of Friendly Societies and the benefits to be derived from joining some financially Bound society. He earnestly urged all those who could to join ft Friendly Benefit Society as poon as possible. Mr John Batger, in speaking on Mr Beatty's paper, warmly commended the aims and objects of Friendly Societies, and detailed their many advantages to individuals and to the community.

Mr Boardman also spoke, condemning .debt and the gambling habits of the age. He said a plain church paid for was more acceptable that a more ornate building nob paid for. He condemned some persons as showing a bad example to their parishes in the matter of thrift. The parsons were anxious to get fine churches, irrespective of the debt incurred. He also condemned business companies carrying on operations with little capital, and on borrowed money. Horse racing was not so much a .centre of gambling as ordinary commercial business. There wae more gambling in rommerce, in bank?, public companies aud building societies than in all the horseracing in the colonies. In the commercial world ib was all a case of how much men could or would bet. THE WOMEN'S FRANCHISE. Mr J. H. Upton read a carefully-prepared and very able paper on the " Women's Franchise," in the coarse of which he referred briofly to the great political reforms in England, and to the movement which had resulted in women being enfranchised in New Zealand, and which would certainly result in their beiDg enfranchised in England also. He regretted that the Church had not followed the State and given the ecclesiastical franchise to women. He thought thab the influence of women in politics would have a steadying effect, and thab their power Would be felt rather in a Conservative than B revolubionary direction. ; The Rev.CM.Nelson spoke in support of Mr Upton's paper, and said he was strongly in favour of the ecclesiastical enfranchisement of women. The movement to enfranchise women in the Church would be brought up again, and, no doubt, the Church would follow the same course as the State, and while granting the women power to vote would prohibit them from holding office. 11 POLY-CHCRCHISM." I The Yen. Archdeacon Dudley read a paper on ••Poly-Churchism," written by Canon Hammond and read by him ab the Income Conference. A collection was taken up to defray expenses, the Bishop announcing that the balance, if any, would be given to the Home Mission Fund. Votes of thanks were passed to the gentlemen who had read papers.