ANGLICAN CHURCH CONSTITUTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXV, Issue 36, 11 February 1904, Page 2

ANGLICAN CHURCH CONSTITUTION.

FURTHER DEBATE. ! The debate on .the bill to amend the j ,-oiistitution of the Church in New Zealand i n> give it the necessary autonomy untro- j duced by Archdeacon ilarper) was continued last night, but saw no linality. l)i an Fitchctt said that it was clear that the Church was free and mistress of its own destinies; no person sitting half a century ago had power to bind the Church to actions for all time. He did not think the time, however, was opportune, and he could not see the urgency of it. We are familiar in our political history to anacnrouisniM such as this one (i.e., calling the Mew Zealand a branch of the Church in i=:uglaud), and it was not essential to chauge it. it was argued that the clause should be removed because, it was not eo.eetive ; a board prohibiting one from trampling on the grass was no effective deterrent, but when tutsign was taken down there was nothing to check t&o people at all. Their true protection should be the Bench of liishops, which had a controlling power which should be quite enough. He attributed the movement to the unrest of the elerev soni eof wliuni feared without reasou sacerdotalism. Ue deprecates meddiiug with tlie prayer book, with the ooject Of bringing down the standard of the service to that of the young woman OUU tne eveulUg U serS cttnrciiM. This he would not agree to, and he thought mat tlie synod should let the matter rest for three years, when it would be so mucu the wiser Ue would vote against the proposal because it was not opportune. d,pre,at*d the threat held out by a reverend member to the motion in the statement that he would (It) all 11 Uis power tv thwart the operation of tne ouject of having it* considerably pruned in C 7ufttk. Mr Williams quite admitted completeiy revoke the whole eoust.tut.on L,u the Synod at this time was. iio the %rsss *% meeting of the Synod. TUe°debate was then adjourned.