ANGLICAN SYNOD.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 25, 30 January 1907, Page 10

ANGLICAN SYNOD.

THE TITLE OF PRIMATE. [BY TELEGRAPH. — PRESS ASSOCIATION.] DUNEDIN, 29th January. At to-day's sitting of the synod Archdeacon Harper moved : — "That a commission be appointed to consider and report to next session whether it is expeoient to constitute ono of the existing Sees a metropolitan See of tho province, -whether it is expedient that the titlo of Primato be altered, and that of Archbishop and Primate substituted, and whether any improvement can be mado in the system of election ef Primate." Tho mover referred to ; the importance of the matter and the j need for carcfnl consideration. For j this reason, though in favour of the Primate taking the title of Archbishop, j ho voted against the motion on the i picvious night, because he did not think they should make such a new departure on tho spur of the moment, as it were. A commission should go into the whole matter, and consider it in all s its bearings. He proposed that tho commission should consist of ' the Diocesan Chancellois, the Dean of Dunedin, Canon Mac Murray, Revs. H. W: Williams, T. H. Sprott, I. P. Kempthorne, and the mover. Mr. Henderson, in seconding the motion, favoured fixing a permanent metropolitan Sec, and thought it should always meet in one place. Roy. T. H. Sprott thought there was need for alteration in tho method of tne election of Primate. Under the present^ system it seemed the mind of the church thart the senior bishop should be Primate, unless he waa in some special way disqualified. The result of this was that . the senior bishop jyas practically placed upon his trial, and if not chosen it was equivalent to saying that he was in some way unsuitable, which could not fail to have a humiliating effect. Mr. Sprott also favoured a fixed Primacy for historic associations. It seemed to be necessary to give expression to tho essential dignity of the office. The present was not the proper time to go into the question as to where the permanent Primacy should be. Mr. J. White strongly urged that the Primate should have the title of Archbishop. He thought that the commission should report on this question to a special session of the synod, so that the Primate should be able to tako the titlo of Archbishop before the next Lambeth Conference. Mr. Wells said, as regards the title of Archbishop, if the bishops were of the same opinion as indicated in their vote of the previous night, it \va3 no use setting up a commission. He strongly favoured the present system of election of the Primate. He thought it was an excellent method, and objected to the deductions drawn from it by Mi*. Sprott. The Primate said he would not vote against the motion. Ho would point ont, however, that the , proposal that the title Archbishop should bo added to- that of Primate was by no means a novel ono. On being put to the vote, the Primate declared the motion carried on the voices, but Mr. Wells called for a division, which resulted as follows :—: — Ayes — Bishops 6, clergy 14, laity 7. Noes — 'Bishops 0, clergy 1, laity 4,