ST. MATTHEW'S PARISH. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXIII, Issue 3123, 20 July 1867, Page 4

ST. MATTHEW'S PARISH. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.

LAST craning the annual general meeting of the parishioners of St. Matthew's was held in the schoolroom, Hobson-streefc, the Rev. D. Jones in the chair,. Prayer having been offered by the Rev. Chairman, the ninutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The CHAIRMAN said it was gratifying to see so large an assemblage, which he thought augured well for the future of the parish of St. Matthew's. The objeot of the meeting was to lay before those present the accounts of the p*9t year, and to elect officers for the fnsuing one. The usual annual report would not be furnished, and this omission was caused by his (the Chairman's) absence from the colony. He waa glad to say that there was no foundation for a rumour affecting the honesty of an old parishioner who it was alleged had misappropriated a portion of the funds, but on investigation it appeared that there was no evidence whatever of malversation. There might have been some carelessness in expending monty without sufficient authority from the Vestry, bnt nothing to justify the slightest suspicion of money having been appropriated for private purposes. With respect to the Endowment Fund, he considered that no part beyond the old boundaries of the .parish should be entitled to bmefit by it, but no doubt something might be said on the other side, and it was a question of grave importance. It would perhaps be better to leave the matter as it now stood until the return of the Bishop. With respeot to the Stone Church Building Fund, it had no doubt been well administered by Mr. Weston, but that gentleman deolined to execute any deed which would bring it within the administration of the Synod. With respect to what amount of aid should be given to the struggling parith of All Saints', in aid of the clergy and. maintenance fund, he thought that no portion of the parish funds of St. Matthew's should be expended outside its boundaries ; but of course every inhabitant should assist, if he could, a young and struggling community. With respect to matters of a more spiritual nature than some previously referred to, his recent visit to 1 Bngland prevented his being able to eay so much as ho otherwise might have done ; but he augured well of the (future of St. Matthew's. Its Sunday-school wm wtU Attended, but perhaps might be more so. With repeat Jo,4he boys' school, it was in a, rery

healthy state, numbering 80 toy" ; but the girls 1 ■ohool was not so well attended, owing, no doubt, to the prerailing depression. The choir wai a credit to the pariah, and a debt of gratitude was owing to \ht> ladies and gentlemen composing it. He was glad to be once more in the chair on suoh an oocaBi.on, and trusted all who would addreu tht meeting w^outd do io in a Christum spirit. Mr. Williams submit; ted the following balancesheet, and moved its adoption : — St. Matthew's Chuboii Accounts trom Jttlt 1st, 1866, to June 30th, 1867. Kuoirrrs.

Mr. Hbndebson. seconded the motion. Mr. Cadman wished to ,say a few words. The liabilities were not correctly put down. It was not quite true that the parish owed the Bishop £750. It was th&t sum less £200, as l"> (Mr. C.) understood the account. The Rev. Chairman said Mr. Cadman. was mistaken. Mr. Cadman thought he was correct. Several parishioners pointed out that Mr. Cadman was mistaken. The motion was then put and cairried. The Eev. D. Jones nominated Mr. T. W. Doonin as Minister's Churchwarden for the ensuing year. Mr, Cadman proposed Mr. John Henderson as Parishioners' Warden. Captain Williams geoonded the motion. Mr. Mokkin proposedMr.Williamsas Warden. Mr. Bsady seconded the motion. Mr. Cadman hoped no one living o\»tsid» the boundaries of the parish would vote. The Chairman said they had no right, to do so. Only thoie whose names appeared on fo.e Churohwardens' book could vote. Mr. Watmouth asked if the Churchwardens ha any power to vote money to All Saints' pariah, an received an answer in the negative. On the vote being taksn, by the show of hands, Mr. W. Williams was declared elected. The following gentlemen were elected vestrymen for the ensuing year : — Messrs. Henderson! Dixon, Hooper, Hamilton, Maud, Brady, Taylor, Morrin, Walker, and Davis. The Eev. Chairman read an extract from a pastoral letter of the Bishop in reference to the endowment fund, and suggested that all aotion in the matter should be lefb in atatu quo until the return of his Lordship. Mr. Dixon said some objections had been raised to the Bishop's views, and it had been said that his Lordship and others wished to divert funds into a channel different from that to whioh they were intended, but such was not the case. Mr. Hamilton read a letter from his Lordship in reference to parish boundaries, recognising thaWhau as part of the parish of St. Matthew's. Mr. Cadman read the resolutions of a parish meeting held in 1853, relating to this fund, which resolutions, he considered, confined the fund to St. Matthew's Church as then understood. Mr. Dixon said the minutes of that meeting, as read by Mr. Cadman, did not convey a correct 1 impression, and urged that the minutes of the official book should be referred to as to what took place at | that meeting. i After some discussion, a resolution was moved by Mr. Hamilton embodying the Chairman's suggestion to leave the matter as it now stands until the return , of the Bishop, which motion was put and passed. Mr. Williams wished to take the sense of th» i meeting in reference to the trust of the Stone Church Building Fund, now in Mr. Weston's hands, to which the chairman had alluded. Mr. Waymouth moved that the Vestry express their confidence in Mr. Weston, but take such aotion in the matter as would place in their hands the power orer this fund, by appointing Mr. Weston and two other trustees. Mr. Dixon moved an amendment to strike out Mr. Weston's name from the last clause of the resolution. Mr. Weigo seconded the amendment. The CHAiBMiN said it would simplify matters to move that it is the opinion of this meeting that the fund should be brought under the control of the Vestry ; and a resolution to this effect was put and passred. Mr. DooNnr moved that the repayment of the Bishop's loan of £750 and interest be made a first i charge on the funds after the payment of certain necessary expenses — alms, minister's salary, and maintenance of public worship. This was seconded, put, and oarried, after some objection by Mr. Maud and others. Mr. Hamilton moved that a committee of six persons be appointed to co-operate with a similar committee from All Saints' district, to solicit subscriptions in aid of the clergy maintenance fund for that district. The mover urged that the district of All Saints had peculiar claims on that of St. Matthew's, as many of the residents of the former were old parishioners of the latter. Mr. Brady seconded the motion, and laid, if proper exertion was made, all that was requisite would be raised. Mr. Williams had put his name down for £50. and others for smaller amounts. The district of 'All Saints had a great claim on the sympathy of St. Matthew's. Mr. Watmouth thought the motion "extraparochial," and that it had nothing to do with » vestry meeting meeting of St. Matthew's. Mr. l£siGHTON supported the motion, .which, after some discussion, was carried, and a committee appointed. The thanks of the meeting were voted toth» choir of the parish. A vote of thanks to the rev. Chairman terminated; the mietang.

£ I. d. Cash in hand, July/ 1st, 1866, 6 5 5 Rent of parsonage 30 0 0 Kent of sohool ... 5 0 0 Seat rents * 19^ 0 0 Offertories ... ,, £g4 14 4 Loan ',. 750 0 0 Collections ... , 35 jg 2 Donation ... 10 0 £1,606 14 11 I XPINDITDRTt. Qrerdrawn aooour it at Bank, July lit, 1886 £46* 16 1 Interest on ditto ... ,„ ... 25 1 6 Bent of Mr. Br» i f g home 76 5 0 Cleaning church »nd school, and oommiision on neat rents 48 18 0 Repairs to par? ionage 58 11 Q Gas and fittin- gg 58 10 0 Church requifitef, rates, and sundries 24 11 10 Fir* and life insurance 68 0 0 Tuning and repairing otgan 5 5 0 Sunday school books, £12; alms, £29 IBs. 6d 41 13 6 Organist** salary 62 2 0 Trustees of Hall's estate 53 4 10 Owen and Fendelow's account ... 16 0 0 Repayment of balance of old loan ... 205 11 3 Interest on old loan 103 11 0 Waitemata Archdeaconry account .. 141 0 10 Melanesian misiion, home mission, and maintenance of clergy ... 65 4 11 Contribution, to Diooesan Sjnod ... 5 0 0 Balance in Bank of New South Wales, July 2nifl, 1867 87 2 10 Balance in Mr. Williams'a hands£7 0 9 Balance in Mr, C*dm»n's hand £0 4 1 7 4 10 £1,606 14 11 ASSETS. Cash on hand «nd in Bank, July 2nd, 1867 ../ ... ,694 7 8 IilXBIUTHS. Gatland'a aocount for repairs to school. *c £2 3 10 Cleaning school 1 10 0 Gas company's account 18 6 0 Organist's salary, for quarter ending June 30, 1867 20 0 0 Walker's salary, bell-ringing 10 15 6 Loan from the Bishop 750 0 0 Loan from bell fund 152 18 3 Liabilities 955 8 7 Assets 94 7 8 Tetal Liabilities £861 0 11 STONE CHURCH BUILDINd FUND. Invested on landed security, 30th June, 1867 £2,802 0 0 In the trustees' hands 149 19 2 £2,951 19 2 BILL TUND. In Saringa 1 Bank, June 30th, 1867 £22 4 7 Lepfc to general account, principal and interest, to June 80, 1867 ... 152 18 3 £174 17 10 Richard Dickson, ) J. Davh?, > Auditors, T. W, Hoonin. )