WESLEYAN SOCIAL GATHERING.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3016, 27 March 1867, Page 6

WESLEYAN SOCIAL GATHERING.

A social gathering 6f< the members and friends'of the-Wesleyan connection w»s held in tile school-room . adioininiT Biglwtreet Ghapel -I*sfe evening, and numerously attended. iTHe meeting.was, feari^ ) mentary tarewell ta the Rev. William- Morley^ttlieknior minister lof the circuit, who. has-been :reoentiy< ittpointect bVthe'Oonference to fthen Hutt'diilrici-, - i»nd takes hil,dep«to"* f °n the 12th>prdximo<fbrrthe • -("Wellington circuit^ after (spending the period of bis. . rminiiterial probation, ikr Auckland, After the refreshing beverage - had beenfpartaken •■of, the'Rev. J. Walltsengaged,in prayer,.and J •T.The Rev. J.' BtfM*B»(Bup«rintendMg(mimi«ter) took the chair, iritroduomg ihe object of thagaihtr* liDgi which h» »»id'W«»oi a twofoldf'ehar«ctferj\id a(' -. pertinent speecbr ;^ fhey had to^eeeireifce quarteifly . financial statement at that meeting as well /as to ' take leave of their young and esteemed brdtbjer Mr. Morley; who was about to enter upon another field of usefulness-' Withireference to the financial statement, he regretted to find it was not of so satis1 factory a nature, owing" to'the dulness of the times,. 1m it would otherwise be. They had anticipated that the removal* wbuldibe greater,, owing to persons in town leaving for the country ; and the church felt, the pressure 'of pecuniary embarrassment'an the > somewhat diminished funds of the quarter..' The cirouit debt, they would be told, amounted to £165,! but he was glad to be < able to suggest a means of. reducing it A liberal-minded friend of the oause, whose name he was not privileged to mention,(had promised that if an effort was made to dear off the debt he would give £100 towards its liquidation,, leaving only £65 to be paid. The circuit trustees, at, their meeting that evening, had fully appreciated the offer, and subscribed one-half the balance wanting. The remainder ought, therefore, to beT>rocured by some means— honestly, of course-^in a month's time, if it was not done that evening. To keep ' out of debt would require all their efforts, or they would next year—he regretted to think—have to. do with two ministers instead-of three. . He could not see how such a contingency was otherwise ito, be avoided. ;After some! further observations on the position of the- churob, the rev.' gentleman stated that Mr. < Morley would' be suoeeeded by the Rev. Mr.. Harper,'whom he had known and "esteemed in the Christohurch circuit. Mr. Fletcher • (treasurer) then read the quarterly' financial statement of the- sooiety, which showed a deficiency in the receipts over the exf enditure of the 'quarter amounting to £36 13«. 7d. • The total debt of the society still to be provided for was over £160, and towards that sum- £28 had been' subsbribed at the circuit meeting, and £100 ' kindly promised by a gentleman whose name did not transpire, leaving £35 yet to be raised—a sum which he' hoped the meeting would supply, so ; that the committee might be relieved of the neees1 nty of applying to other sources. Mr. Wilkah Rowb' n«xt' briefly addressed the < meeting on the state, condition, and prospects of • the church, of which' he had, he said, been a - member and' a local preadher for 35 years. Mr, P. CILBT followed in wneat humorous ■ speech; He said he felt gloomy; because they could not weather the free air, although they . were by no means bankrupt or about to call a • meeting of creditors. He was, however, cheered ' Tjy'tho delightful intelligence' that^n unknown friend, >' had come to their relief,, and if they did not meet the Toffer they deserved to be in debt. "It had been sugf gested that they would lose their young .minister if •' the funds were allowed to decrease —a Fact which he • would specially ' recommend to the notice of the young ladies of the congregation. A resolution expressive of the thanks of the meeting to the Rev." William Morley for bis zeal and earnestness in the cause of religion during his stay amongst them, which had been passed at the circuit meeting, was then '.tendered to the minister ; and, Mr. J, M. Fbbnoh and others having spoken, The Rev. W. Moblby delivered a brief farewell addresa, after whioh The meeting was closed with the benediction,