OPENING OF THE SESSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 248, 17 October 1894, Page 2

OPENING OF THE SESSION.

At the opening of the Synod yesterday afternoon there were present, the Acting Primate, Most Rev. Dr. Cowie, Bishop of Auckland, also:— : Clergy.. — ,Yen. . Archdeacons Clarke, Dudley, Willis, Revs. Canons Bates, Calder, Gould, Haselden, Nelson, Revs. Beafcty, Biggs, Boyes, Budd, Burrows, H. S. Davies, J. K. Davis, Dv Rieu, English, Evans, Fitzgerald, Gillam, Hapimana, Hawkes, Johnston, Katterns, Lußh, Macmurray, McFarland, Marshall, Matete, Maynard, Mulgan, . O'Callaghan, Purchas, Walsh, Williams, J. J. Wilson.

Laity.—Messrs Alexander, Andrews, Armstrong, Batger, Brigham, Calder, Cameron, Choyce, Churton, Clarke, Clayton, Clements, Cochrane, W. -H. Cooper, Cox, Crispe, Doonin, Haigh, Haul tain, Heather, JacksSn, Kensington, Latham, Luke, May, Nolan, ■Philson, Rice, Rutherford, Snelling, Speight, Templer. W. Thompson, Thorp, Upton, Watts, C. J. Wilson, Worthingbon. On the motion of Colonel Haul bain, it was decided thab the President be thanked for his address and asked to kindly allow it to be printed. SECRETARIES. The Rev. Mr Davis and Mr J. D. Jackson were as usual appointed secretaries for the session. , CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE. On the motion of ColonelHaulfcain it was resolved thab Mr J. H. Upton be appointed Chairman of Committee for the session. INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE. The President appointed .Messrs Alexander, Clarke, Crispe, Latham, and Swarbrick a commibbee to investigate the financial-reports laid before the Synod. NOTING CHANGES. The President next said he would name a committee of three to note changes made in the regulations during the session. Mr W. J. Speierht said the firsb Committee had been so rapidly passed that he had not had time fco note it. He musb, however, now cay that this nomination of committees by. bhe President defeated the object for. which those committees were to be set up, They were bo be appoinbed by the Synod as a check for the Synod. The Presidenb asked Mr Speight to name the Committee, bub bhab genbleman declined, whereupon Archdeacon Dudley moved and Mr Speight seconded the appointment of Canons Nelson, Macmurray, and Calder as the Committee. This was agreed to. • TIIE MAORI CHURCH. The Yen. Archdeacon Clarke laid upon bhe table the report of the Maori Church and the Maori Mission. It stated, with regard to the former, that nothing had occurred during the year calling for special notice. The clergy were working well, and Mormonism was gradually dying out, many having renounced, it and resumed their connection with their Church. During the year, 72 Maoris were confirmed. 1 The reporb also referred to the Maori mission, pointing out thab during the war the Maoris became Hauhaus, and since then a generation had grown up without knowledge of the Christian religion. It was also mentioned that the Society for the Propagation of Christian Knowledge •granted £100 per annum to the Maori Mission for five years. ' On the motion of Archdeacon' Dudley, the thanks of the' Synod were tendered to Archdeacon Clarke, and it was resolved that the report be printed. CATHEDRAL CHAPTER. This reporb stated bhab nine meetings had been held. It recommended than the Maoriß should apply for the special representation of the Maori race in th&diosese at the General Synod, also the propriety ■of Maoris setting aside landsfor religious and educational purposes, and that the Diocesan Synod take in consideration the arrangements as to the conducting of funerals from public institutions. " CHOBCH GAZETTE." This report stated thab the revenue from sales had increased, but that from advertisements had not. The receipts from all sources during the year were £397 14s 2d and the probable surplus, if assets were realised, was estimated bo be £34 19s 7d. Ib was resolved thab this reporb^be considered on Wednesday, SYMPATHY. Mr Doonin moved, " That a hearby vote of sympathy be. senb bo Mr Vickers, who was unable to be presenb owing to the results of an accident." He referred in eulogistic terms to bbc past services of Mr Vickere. This was seconded by Rev. Dr. Purchas. The Presidenb read a lebter from Miss Vickers stating thab her father's condition had improved. The motion was then adopted. , SPECIAL COLLECTIONS. On the mobibn of Archdeacon Dudley, a bill to provide for special collections was read, and its consideration fixed for Wednesday. It provided for the making of special collections each year for the Home Mission, Melanesian Mission, and Country Clergy Fund. FINANCIAL YEAR. A bill to provide for altering the period of the financial year was also read for the first time oh the motion of Archdeacon Dudley. ST. MARY'S PARISH, The Rev. G. Macmurray moved : " That the Synod do consent to the incorporation of the incumbent and churchwardens for the time being ot the parish of St. Mary, Parnell, under the provisions, of the Religious, Charitable, and Educational Trust Boards Incorporation Act, 1854." Mr Kensington seconded the motion. Mr Upton suggested that a solicitor should be consulted as to the advisability of the step, and Mr Speight supported this proposal. The motion was discussed ab some length, and was eventually postponed for the present. APPOINTMENT OF A COMMITTEE. Canon Nelson asked consent to move a resolubion. Ib was granbed, and he moved, " Thab a Committee be appointed to consider Clause 3 of the reporb of the Chapter, such Committee to consist of the Yen. Archdeacon Dudley, the Rev. G. Mac Murray, Rev. P-T. Williams, Messrs Cochrane, Kensington, Upton and the mover." The motion was carried. STANDING COMMITTEE. Tho Synod went into committee in order to consider the reporb of the Standing Committee. SELWYN MEMORIAL FDNJD. The first clause in the Standing Committee's reporb was as follows:—" The sum of £1,806 15s 4d is now to the credit of this fund. In accordance with the arrangement referred to in last year's report, £90 has been paid bo the parish of St. Sepulchre's for tho year 1893-94, in consideration of the incumbenb of bbab parish taking charge of the Hospital and the Gaol. Only one donabion of 10s has been received towards this fund during the year."

It was decided to capitalise bbc sum of £1,800, and bhe recommendation was adopted.

HOME MISSION ENDOWMENT FUND,

The Committee reported re the Home Mission Endowment Fund:—"This fund now stands at £35214s Id. The balance of Miss H. King's legacy, £25, is still due by the Home Mission Fund. No legacy, bequesb or donation has been received during the year. The Committee, in accordance with the direction of bhe Synod, have investigated afresh the sources from which

this fund was derived, and recommend that £75 of the amount be devoted to the creation of a new" fund, to be called the County Clergy Endowment Fund."—The proposition was agreed to. HOME MISSION FUND. The Standing Committee reported: "The income for the year for the Home Mission Fund, including balance to credit of £'£ 12s id on July 1, 1893, amounted to. ■£5,40 ?s Id ; the expenditure was £614 9a 6d, leav-1 ing a debit balance of £74 785 d. The in-1 come waa' made up as folldws: —From" Home Mission districts, £248 13s 4d ; from Home Mission Society, £90 ; offertory collections, £168 10s 7d ; direct donations, £30 5s lOd : tobalj £537 9s 9d. The following allocations have been made for 1894-95 :— Diocesan Missionary—Stipend. £280; house rent, £50;, horse keep, £20; parochial two-thirds of life insurance, £10. In view of the increasing demands of the work, and ol the probable early retirement of the Kov. T. P. N. Hewlett from his long continued and.faithful labours, the Committee advertised in May lasb for an assistantMissionary. Several applications were received, but in the face" of the diminished income of the fund, the Committee postponed further action until after the session of the Synod. The Committee, recommend as follows : — (1) That the accounts of the Home Mission Society be amalgamated with those ot the Home Mission Fund. (2) That the whole of the accounts in connection with tho Home Mission be kept by the Secretary of the Standing Committee. (3) That one of the city or suburban clergy be asked to take the Home Mission under his special charge for the purpose of obtaining subscriptions and donations, and of deepening and extending interest in the work. (4) That an immediate efforb bo made (1) to clear off the deficit in this fund ; (2) to augment the income of the fund by at leasb £130 per annum, the additional sum required to justify the engagement of an as3istanb diocesan missionary. (5) That churchmen throughout the dioceße be asked to become annual subscribers to this fund. (6) That the diocesan trustees be asked to contribute, At 10 p.m. progress was reported. KOTICES OF MOTION. Notices of motion were given by the Rev. G. Macmurray, to the effect that a special efforb be made by the Church, during the week for special mission intercessions ; by the Yon. Archdeacon Dudley to take steps to admit Maori lay members to the diocesan and general synods. Mr Templer will move with reference to certain irregularities in Church of England services, the Bishop to take steps to prevent encroachments on the liberty of the laity. Mr Andrews bo ask, " What action has been taken during the recess by the Governors of St. John's College, with a view to re-opening the Pamell Grammar School?" The Rev. W; E. Lush will move a motion relative to the licenses of clergy, and suggesting that all priests having cures of souls be called " curates " as in the Prayer Book; that all deacons in charge of districts be called " deacons," and that curates of parishes be called "rectors" byway of distinction. , .

Mr Edward Cox will move to commend to the support of churchmen the New Zealand Church Missionary Association.

The Yen. Archdeacon Willis will move, "That the Synod thinks it desirable that iv the training of candidates for Holy Orders increased attention should be given to training in elocution and extempore speaking ; and that the matter be brought before the General Synod, to give suggestions to the governing bodies of the various training colleges in the province." The Yen. Archdeacon Dudley is to move a resolution testifying to the worth of the late Roberb Maunsell, LL.D., Robert Boyd Kidd, LL.D., Charles May Burton, Charles Storey. Charles Arthur Lane, Martha Ford and Hannah Evans.