General Synod.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 37, 13 February 1901, Page 3

General Synod.

[By Telegraph—Press Association.]

Napier, last night.

At the General Synod to-day a motion was passed commending to tho churchmen of the colony tho proposal to erect a Maori girls’ school at Auckland as a memorial to tho late Qucon, though the tone of tho debate was not hopeful, in view of the withdrawal of the Church Missionary Society’s universal grant of i£ll,ooo at tho end of next year. The Bench of Bishops, in reply to Canon Calder, refused permission to use tho Royal law as an alternative to the Ten Commandments when there was more than one celebration of Communion on the same day. The next Synod is to meet at Auckland in 1904. There was a debate on the report of tho committee on religious teaching in schools. The committee eliminated the proposal for grants in aid to denominational private schools where the education in tho school is up to State standards. As omended tho proposal was to set up a committee to communicat e with tho heads of other churches with a view to secure

religious teachings by teachers during . school hours on the lines of the Victorian system. Tho report was adopted. ,At the evening session tho special report of the Committee on Missions referred ' to tho effect of the withdrawal of grants to clergy in the Pacific Islands by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. It would place the work in a critical position. It was feared it would mean the withdrawal of tho clergy from two congregrations in Fiji, and probably, added to the action of the American Church, lead to the resignation of the Bishop of Honolulu when his supervision in Samoa, Tonga, and Fiji is to be discontinued. In the course of the debate the Bishop of Dunedin said Mr Shirley Baker had administered the sacrament of the Anglican

Church without license, and as that introduce'd a new element the discussion was adjourned. The question of St. John’s College was discussed, but on rising the only clause passed was one directing the' college to remain at Tarniki for the present, the Governors to terminate the existing, lease (9 Mr Sm&UfieW,