ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXII, Issue 5726, 29 January 1876, Page 3

ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PAUL'S CHURCH.

Tirr. annual ineetiug of tlio mem 1 '"" - " Rt. Paul's Church was held ycsterda,, > \ i n.ng, in the School-iooin, Eden Crescent, tlie Rev, C. M. Nelson, the incumbent, in the chair, when the following business was tiansacted. The minutes of the last meeting were read and contirmed. The Secretary, Mr. Ashton, read the annual report, of which the following are the pnncipal portions : — The receipts on the general account for the past year amount to £9">7 19s. 5d., and the disbursements to £8"5 10s. 9d , leaving £102 8s. 8d. as a balance of income over expenditure. The total offertories have amounted to £534 8s. 4A., as compared with £540 4s., of last year. The slight diminution may be easily accounted for by unfavourable weather, especially on the occasion of the offertories for the Sunday-school, when the amount contributed was more than £10 less than in 1S74. The sum received during the past year for seat rents is about the same as in the (previous year, still showing a large amount of arrears outstanding. The proposed restoration and improvement of the church is Jbcing proceeded with under the under the able superintendence of Messrs R. Keals and Son, architects, the contract being let to Mr. Rhodes, whoso tender for the whole of the improvements amounts to £582. The vestry have had under consideration the erection of a larger vestry -room, the present one being very cramped and inconvenient, and also of a new porch at the north-west corner of the church, to correspond with the one at the south-west. They could not, however, venture to proceed with these works in the present state of the subscription list for the improvements. While refening to the improvements now being made, the vestry desire to lecord thenthanks to two parishioners for their liberal offers, each to lend £30 without interest to enable the vestry to complete the works contracted for. The vestry have also to thank the Rev. C. M Nelson for the present of a new and handsome altar cloth for the church, which it is proposed to use for the first time when the internal alterations are finished. Considering the necessities and usefulness of the Home Mission, and believing the parish to be entirely free from debt, the vestry in the early part of the year guaranteed the sum of £75 as the contribution for 1875 from St. Paul's to that Mission. The special offertories on three Sundays in the year, with a donation from a lady of the congregation, had to be supplemented by .i payment of £S 0s Oil. out of the genei al revenue to make up the amount promised. In List year's report the vestry stated that the parish was then entiiely free trom debt. This they believed to be the case. They were therefore greatly surprised when they received in March last a demand from the Standing Committee for payment of £140 for interest accrued for seven years on a sum of £200 said to be owing by St Paul's parish, and to have been borrowed in 1856 for the erection of the gallery. The vestry understood that all the several amounts owing by Sb Paul's pausli to the Standing Commi'tue had in 1804 been consolidated under one bond, which bond has since been paid off. It was natiuvlly supposed that if any debt on the gallery weie at that time owing, it too would have been consolidated with the other debts, especially as debts due not on the fabric of the church, but on the parsonage and school, were included in the consolidation. The vestry therefore felt that they were justified in requiring most exj>licit evidence that the parish !was still indebted, and that it would be reprehensible in them otherwise to admit the claim. It was not until tlu last session of the Diocesan Syno 1, when a Select Committee of the S^nod was appointed to inquire into the matter, that any such evidence was forthcoming. That Select Committee reported that they found that the debt was still due and owing by St. Paul's parish to the Standing Committee. A copy of the report of the Select Committee, and of the evidence upon which it is based, is in the hands of the vestry for the information of the parishioners generally. The Staudiug Comsaitloo liavo eonk in n alaim on this account for £37 13s 4d , which is (in accordance with a resolution of the Synod) at the rate of 4 per cent, per annum for arrears of interest to the end of 1875. The interest to be charged on the debt from the beginning of 187G will be at the rate of 7 pel cent., and the principal is required to be repaid by yearly instalments of £23 at the least. — The Sunday School, under the very able superintendence of Mr. E. Hammond, is still in a probpeious condition. The best thanks of the parishioners are due i)oth to him and the band of teachers by u h m\ he is assisted. The vestiy desire to acknowledge the efficient aid rendered by the choir in the sei vices of the church dm nvj, the pvot year. The vestry have to lepoitthe resignation of Mr. Livingston of the oihee of organist of the chinch, and the subsequent appointment of Mr. J. A. Beale. A surplici'd choir of chon&ter boys has during the past year been established, and it is ti ustud that it will tend to increase the heai tineas of the services. In conclusion, the vestry have to congratulate the parishioncis on the lecent marriage of the incumbent. The vestry are sure the pansh will heartily welcome to her new position a lady so well known and respected among them, and who has been so intimately connected with Sb Paul's as a leading member of the choir for a considerable time ; and that the parishioners will unite with the vestry in wishing both Mr. and Mrs Nelson, under the blessuig of the Almighty, all prospeiity and happiness, both temporal and eternal. The balance-sheet showed — Receipis: Offertories — General, and almsbo 1 :, £417 14s. 7d. ; Special offertories. £116 3s. 10d; donations, £57 14s 9d.; seat lents, £200 6s 8d. ; paiochial endowment interest, £G8 9s. 3d. ; refund of insurance by Day School Committee, £2 ; Bank mteiest on deposit, £3 5s. ; discount allowed on bills paid, 5a. 4d. ; total receips, £927 19a. 5d. ; balance from 1874, £130 2s. Id. Available total, £1,064 la. Cd. Expenditure : Special offertories, as per contra, £11G 3s. lOd. ; special donations and subscriptions, as per contra, £57 14s. 9d. ; Home Mission balance of account (£75) guaranteed, £8 0s. 9d. ; Sunday school—special vote of parish ineetiug, £10 ; stipend and salanes, £4G5 5s. ; miscellaneous, £137 12s. 2d. ; credit balance — In Post Office Savings Bank, £105 5s.; in Union Bank of Australia, £133 Gs. 9d.; total, £l,0G4 Is. Gd. Improvement Account to December 31, 1873 : Dr.: Subscriptions received, £108 5s ; special offertory, January 24, 1874, £11 15s. 3d. ; mtciest on deposit in Savings Bank, £1 17s. Gd ; total, £121 17s. 9d. Cr. : Cheque book, 2s.; balance in bank, £121 15s Od ; total, £121 17s. 9d. Nnw Organ Fund Account : Bank deposit, £120 ; interest, £G 12s ; new subscriptions, £3 : total, £129 12b. Cr. : Balance due to Treasuier, 14s. 4d. ; balance in bank, £128 17s. Sd ; total, £129 12s. The following office - bearers for the coming year were then elected, viz, : — Palish warden, Mr. G. W. Woon ; minister's warden, Mr. It. W. Dyson. Vestiymen : Messrs. S E. Hughes, M. ltawhngs, A. Jiuld, E. Hammond, J. Sawkins, T. Birnie, R. Ashton, and C. Burton, | Major Tisdall, and Captain Thomas. Auditors • Messrs. Embly and Brinsden.— A long discussion then took place relative to a demand made by the Synod for money and niteiest, said to be due since 185G. — A resolution was finally agreed to, to the effect that seeing that no demand had been made until now for tho amount said to be due, the meeting dcclim d to pay any interest on tho amount claimed. Neither the present nor any fonnei vestiy having had any knowlengo of the debt in question, the meeting considered that there should be paid no more than 7 per cent, on the amount claimed, such inteie3t to commence on tho 1st January, 1876.— A resolution with regard to the Mehne3ian Mission Fund was agreed to. In this it was stated, that in view of the large surplus funds belonging to tho Mission, and the great demand for repairs, &c., to St. Paul's, that the offertories hitherto devoted to it shall, during the current year, be divided between itself and the Ministers' Pension Fund.— Votes of thanks to the choir, the out-going churchwardens, and the chairman, concluded the meeting.