PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

Evening Star, Issue 4952, 16 January 1879, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

Thursday, January 16. The Synod continued its sederunt, the Moderator presiding. The principal business was the question of the new choir in the University. The following resolutions, of which former notice had been given, came on for consideration Mr Will: “That when the proposed new chair comes up for the consideration of the Synod I will move that English literature and rhetoric shall be assigned to this chair, as recommended by the kirk session of East Taieri.'* Mr Bannbrmas : “ That, with the view of furthering the interests of education throughout the bounds, and securing more fully the. original purpose of the education fund belonging to this Church, the Synod delay the institution of a new, chair, and tike the necessary steps towards obtaining an amendment of the Presbyterian Church Lands Act, 1800, to the effect that the Synod may be relieved , from applying said fund' towards instituting -and - supporting a second chair in the University of Otago, and be empowered,to devote said fund for the payment of bursaries, as far as it will allow, to pupils of cither sex, from the High and District Schools of the Otago and Southland Education Districts who shall enter the University of Otago, having passed the matriculation examination of said University ; and, further, that power be obtained, in the event of the chair presently endowed by the Synod becoming vacant, and the University Council not acceding to its continuance, that the portic n of the fund now applied towards its support be devoted to the increase of the number of 'bursaries, and the giving of a bonus to. such teachers whose pupils shall be the successful winners of the bursaries.” Mr Rylet That the regulations passed as an Interim Act of Synod on the 16th day of January, 1878, be now Anally passed and adopted by the Synod, with the alteration that the words contained in the second line of the Arst regulation—namely, ‘or such other professor*—be omitted,” On a division as to which of the three motions should have precedence that of Mr Ryley was agreed upon. The Rev. Mr Rylet having put his motion, Dr Stuart took exception to the slander thrown upon the Professorial Board by the statement of Mr Ryley that the professors were propagators of Materialism. The assertion was utterly false and without foundation, and he insisted that it be withdrawn. The document emanating from that body simply said that provision had already been made for mental and moral science. Mr A C. Broo seconded the motion,. saying that he thought Mr Riley was quite justlAed in criticising the Professorial Board and deprecated the interruptions to which that gentleman had been subjected.

The Rev Mr Will’s motion was’ then put 'and seconded by Ur Johkstosb.

The Rev. Mr Banhbkmn in moving' his motion dealt with the criticisms passed upon hlm by the AttorneyGeneral at his meeting on Friday night. That gentleman had either spoken in. ignorance of the Mew Zealand Act being overruled by a Provincial Ordinance, or he must have calculated upon the gullibility of his audience. To trade upon ; the gullibility of an audience was unprincipled in a man, more unprincipled in a M.H.R., and still more unprincipled in an Attorney-General He (the speaker) concluded by saying . that no body of men in the pountry had more at heart the University of Otago than the ministers of this Church, and it did seem hard that they should be black-balled at the hands of those in charge of the University, and especially by the Attorney-General He wished to speak tenderly of the Professorial Board, but he thought there were members of the Synod who knew just as well as those gentlemen what was required without being dictated to. On the Synod rising, the further consideration of the discussion was adjourned until to-night The feeling of the Synod appeared to be in favor of Mr Will’s motion.

At to-night's meeting Dr Copland’s overture on education will be brought up for consideration.