THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY

Evening Post, Volume LXIV, Issue 121, 18 November 1902, Page 2

THE PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY

MEETING ON MISSION WORK. The Assembly resumed at 7 o'clock last evening. Reports upon the obituaries of the Rev. Dr. Copland, Rev. James Kirkhmd, and the Rev. Andrew Bett (pioneers of the Otago Church), and the Rev. Thomas tSmaill (one of the Assembly's missionaries to the New Hebrides) were presented and adopted. THE MAORI MISSION. The Rev. D. Gordon (Marton) presented the report of the Maori Mission Committee. The report showed that the work had been very succes&ful during the year, both with regard to the labours of the Assembly's two missionaries and with regard io the contributions given to the special fund. The fund had started the year with a credit balance of £138, and closed with a credit balance of £592, the total raised during the year having been £900. The report recommended the appointment of a third missionary, to be located at Kawhia, as soon as funds allow, and that consideration be given to a proposal to establish a, boarding school for Maori girls. Mr. Gordon moved the adoption of the report. The Rev. S. S. Osborne, in seconding the report, spoke highly of the good work done for the Maoris of TaTanaki by the Rev. Mr. Bennett (of the Anglican Church). He recommended the appointment of a medical missionary. The report was adopted with >an amendment to the effect that a report should be presented at the next meeting of the Assembly lipon the prospects lor a third missionary. « FOREIGN MISSIONS. The Rev. Wm. Hewitson (Dunedin) read the lengthy report of the Foreign Missions Committee. The report showed that the Assembly had five missionaries at work in the New Hebrides, and these principals had a number of assistants. Besides these, Dr. Lamb was on furlough, and there-, were several missionaries ,and students at work among the Chinese, both in the- ; colony and'- in China. ' Reference was made to the death of the Rev. Thos. Smaill, r whilst on Epi. t (Ne'w Hebrides). A tribute was also paid to tha good work done by Mrs. femaill. Details were given of the work done by the faithful in the foreign mission fields. Reports were also presented giving details of work done in the New Hebrides group, in j>he Chinese mission conducted in Dunedin, in the Canton [Villages Mission in China, in India, and in "Stewart. Island among the Maoris. The general cry in the reports was for more teachers — European and native. Mr. Wm. Milne, of JSTguna (New Hebrides) wrote that he had 700 communicants on his roll. Dr. Bowie, of Ambrim (New Hebrides) reported that the missionaries' relations with the'natives were as good as they could be, and the people were greatly interested in the mission work. -The hospital work had been. extremely valuable. Mr. Hewitson also read a letter from the Captain of H.M.S. Wallaroo, who stated that great and good work had been done by, the Assembly's missionaries in New Hebrides — once peopled by the most savage of islanders. The reports went to show that the Presbyterian Women's Missionary Union of Otago and Southland had played no small part in providing funds for the upkeep of missionary interest. Efforts are now. being made to form similar unions in the centres of the colony, and already Christchurch and Auckland had taken up the proposal. The committee recommended the Assembly to accept the services, of Mr. Wm. , Mawson, M.A., of Dunedin, who desired to take up mission work in the Canton villages. The committee also recommended that a grant of £130 should be made to the widow of the Rev. T. Smaill. Otlier recommendations were that, one. or two extra ladies should be appointed missionaries, that a man should be appointed to replace Mr. Smaill, and that the Assembly's sympathy should be- extended to the Rev. Dr. Lamb in his illness, to Mr. M'Naughton, Dr. Bowie's assistant, who had lost his wife, and to Mrs. Smaill in the loss- of her husband. Miss Henderson, of Christchurch, then gave an interesting account of her six years' work in Madras (India), on behalf of the Church of Scotland Mission. The speaker said i!hat female workers -were not easy to .get among the natives. A large boarding school was kept for the girls, and day schools, were provided for caste and non-caste children. Miss Henderson ui'ged her hearers to contribute towards a fund which she was raising for providing a home for young widows in Madras. Mr. Wm. Mawson gave his reasons for desiring to' take up mission work in the Cantonese villages. He said the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand had exceptional opportunities for doing a great work in China. Mr. J. G. W. Aitken asked the women of Wellington to meet on the morrow to form a Missionary Union. On the motion of Mr. Hewitson, the recommendations of the Mission Committee were adopted. Miss Henderson was given a vote of thanks for her address. The Rev. D. Borrie announced that from a fund which a lady had placed at his disposal he would, grant £25 to Miss Henderson's fund, and another £25 to the fund for a boarding school for Maori girls. The Assembly rose at 10 o'clock.