DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 128, 28 October 1874, Page 2

DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Tuesday, Octobeb 27. The President took the chair at 4 p.m. , REPORTS OF COMMITTEES. The Yen Archdeacon Harper brought up the report of the Religious Instruction Committee as follows: "To the Venerable the Synod of the diocese of Christchurch.—The committee appointed to consider the desirability or otherwise of maintaining Church day schools in the diocese, and the best mode of securing to the parochial clergy, or others acting under them, the privilege of imparting religious instruction to children educated in the Government day schools, beg to report the following resolutions for the acceptance of the Synod:— "1 That the following memorial to the Provincial Council of the Province of Canterbury, be adopted by the Synod, and that the President be requested to cause the same to be duly presented:— "' To the Honorable the Speaker and Members of the Provincial Council, the memorial of the Bishop, clergy, and laity of the diocese of Christchurch, in Synod assembled, humbly sheweth that your petitioners beg most respectfully to express their desire of co-operating heartily and loyally with the Government system of education in this province. "' That your petitioners desire to express their deep sense of the necessity of religious instruction in Government day schools, and their conviction that in this respect they represent the feeling of a large number Of the inhabitants of the province; that they earnestly desire the privilege of having well defined opportunities which the clergy, and others acting under them, may use, of imparting religious instruction to children in such day schools, due regard being had to the necessary routine of school work. That your petitioners venture to think that the present Education Ordinance practically leaves the decision of granting such opportunities to the local committees, whereby the privilege of giving religious instruction is in all cases rendered % matter of uncertainty, and in some is withheld.

" ' That your [petitioners, therefore, pray that this impediment to the imparting of the religious instruction in Government schools may be removed, and that it may be provided that suitable opportunities in all cases be secured to the clergy or others acting under them, of imparting such instruction. And your petitioners, &c.' "2. That the president be requested to forward a copv of the above memorial to the

Education Board of the province of Canterbury. " 3. That in anticipation of the prayer of this memorial being acceded to, the Syncd does not think it desirahle at present to recommend any grant from diocesan fund for the maintenance of Church day schools in the Canterbury portion of the diocese. "4. That the Synod earnestly hopes that the ciergy will continue to use such opportunities as may be available under the present Ordinance of imparting religious instruction to children in Government day schools. "5. That the Synod recognises with satisfaction the fact that in the Westland portion of the diocese aid is granted to Church schools, under strict conditions, by the Provincial Government, and that where the state of the population permits it, Church people have gladly availed themselves of the privilege. " Henry W. Harper, " Chairman of Committee." The Bev W. H. Cooper brought up the following report from the select committee respecting the stipends of the clergy : " The committee recommend that the following resolutions be adopted by the Synod:— . "1. That in the Financial Regulations clause 5 be altered, so as to make the minimum stipend, without a parsonage, £3OO per annum, and the minimum stipend, with a parsonage, £260 per annum. "2. That any surplus of the Church Property Estate available for the stipends of the clergy, after paying £SO a year by way of endowment to each parish and parochial district entitled to the same, be applied to augment the stipends of the clergy on parishes and parochial districts. ",3. /That the Standing Committee be requested to bring before the notice of the parochial officers—That a better system of collecting funds in support of the local ministry is greatly needed, and that they should use greater exertions to initiate some improvement in their present system. "4. That the Church Work Extension Committee be recommended to take into consideration the travelling expenses of the clergy, with a view to making an annual allowance to cover expenses. •' 5. That the Synod be requested to recommend the Church Work Extension Committee to make greater exertions towards obtaining support to this fund in any parish or parochial district, feeling certain that greater activity in general church work will carry along with it a more adequate standard of stipend or the clergy throughout the diocese. " 6. That it be a recommendation to the Standing Committee to collect information from other dioceses as to the system of a general fund for the maintenance of the Clergy, and to report to the Synod at its next session. " W. Henry Cooper, "Chairman." INSTRUCTIONS TO CHURCHWARDENS, &C. Bev E. A. Lingard moved— That the Bill to amend the " Instructions for the guidance and information of Ministers, Churchwardens, &c," be adopted as reported to the Synod, read a third time, and passed. The motion was agreed to, the Bill read a third time and passed. THE CHATHAMS. The Rev 1 Bowen moved. That in the opinion of this Synod it is right that the Chatham Islands, forming as they do a part of the Diocese of Christchurch, should share in the benefits of the Church Work Extension Fund. Mr Walker seconded the motion, which was agreed to. DIOCESAN EDUCATION COMMITTEE. Rev Canon Cotterill, moved— That the Synod proceed to the election of the Diocesan Education Committee. Mr GORDON moved, as an amendment, " That the ejection be postponed until after the report of the Committee on Religious Education be considered." Mr Alington seconded the motion, which was negatived on the voices. Mr Alington demanded a division, which took place as follows: Clergy. Ayes ... 6 Noes 10 Laity. Ayes ... 10 Noes... .'. 10

The amendment was, therefore, negatived. The following were nominated for the vacancies, four clerey and four laity being for election.—Clergy: The Very Rev the Dean, Revs Edwards, Knowles, Cocks, Willock, Glasson, and Lingard. Laity: Hon J. B. Acland, Messrs Douglas, Hanmer, Cariruthers, Tancred, Mclntyre, and H. W. Packer.

On the ballot, the following were declared duly elected, viz:—Clergy: The Very Rev the Dean, Revs Edwards and Lingard. Laity: Hon J. B. A. Acland, H. W. Packer, C. R. Blakiston, and G. Mclntyre. A ballot was then taken for the election of one clerical member, for which the Revs Cocks, Willock, and Knowles were proposed, and Rev Mr Willock was elected. STATISTICAL RETURNS. The Very Kev the Dean moved— That the tabular forms for obtaining statistical reports from the several parishes of this diocese be brought into conformity with the resolution on diocesan returns adopted by the General Synod at its recent session. (Page 193 of Report.) Rev Canon Dudley seconded the resolution, which was carried. " THE CHURCH NEWS." Rev H. 0. M. Watson asked whether the Church News is the official organ of the diocese ? The President said, I may say that the Church News is regarded by me as the official organ of the diocese, though it has not been so recognised by any resolution of the Synod. Rev Mr Watson moved—" That it is desirable that the Church News should be placed under the control of a Board of Management, to be elected by the Synod." Mr Gordon seconded the motion. The Ven Archdeacon Harper, Very Rev the Dean, Mid Rev E. A. Lingard having spoken on the question, the resolution was put and negatived on the voices. CHUBCH PROPERTY COMMITTEE. Mr Malet brought up the report of the Select Committee on Church Property, which was read as follows : " To the Venerable the Diocesan Synod of Christchurch.—The Select Committee appointed by the Synod to consider the advisability of disposing of a portion of the Church Property, of providing means by loan or otherwise, to meet the demand for church accommodation in the diocese, and to further the completion of the Cathedral, beg to report as follows :

"1. The committee find that there are portions of the Church Property Trust Estate still unlet, and returning no income, which would realise if sold from £12,000 to £15,000. " 2. The committee recommend that portions of the above unlet part of the property be sold, to realise say £IO,OOO, the proceeds of such sale to be appropriated as follows :—£sooo towards the completion of the Cathedral; £SOOO towards the erection of churches and parsonages in country districts.

"3. The committee therefore recommend the following resolutions for adoption by the Synod ; "I. That it be a recommendation to the Church Property Trustees to sell, as opportunity offers, portions of the unlet part of the Church Estate, to an amount not exceeding £IO,OOO. " 11. That the sum thus obtained be appropriated as follows :—£sooo towards the completion of the Cathedral; £SOOO towards the erection of churches and parsonages in country districts." F. DeC. Malet, mover of resolution. assessors. The President said he desired to ask the concurrence of the Synod in appointing th 6 following Assessors of the Bishop's Court :—Clergy—Very Rev the Dean of Christchurch, Ven. Archdeacon of Westland, Rev Canon Cotterill, Rev E. A. Lingard. Laymen—Hon J. B. A. Acland, W. Donald, Esq, W. J. W. Hamilton, Esq, W. C. Walker, Esq: The Synod agreed to the appointments, and the President declared these persons duly elected. alteration op formularies bill. The Ven Archdeacon Harper, moved— That the Standing Committee be requested to transmit to the Clergy and Churchwardens of the diocese printed copies of the Bill intituled " A Statute to Limit and Define the Powers of the General Synod in reference to Alterations of the Services, Formularies, and Articles of the Church, and the authorised version of the Holy Scriptures, and to settle the mode of procedure in reference thereto," together with the " amendment to the second reading of the Alteration of Formularies Bill, General Synod, 1874." The motion was agreed to. temperance.

The Very Rev the Dean moved— That the resolutions contained in the report of the Select Committee on -Temperance be adopted by the Synod—1. That it is desirable that a Diocesan Temperance Society be formed, on the basis of the Church of England Temperance Society, with the Bishop as president, and that his Lordship be requested to take the necessary steps, after such consultation with others as he may think advisable, for the constitution of such a society. 2. That it is desirable that, in connection with the Diocesan Society, Parochial Societies should be formed, wherever practicable, under the direction of the clergyman of the Parish.

3. That, in order to give an impulse to the formation of such societies, both Diocesan and Parochial, the Bishop be respectfully requested to address a Pastoral Letter to the members of the Church in the Diocese on the subject of temperance, to be read in all the churches of the diocese on some Sunday to be fixed by his Lordship. He would move the resolutions seriatim. His Honor the Judge seconded the motion. On clause 1 being put, Mr Walker said he should oppose the resolution as no good could come of it. He would move, as an amendment, that all the clauses be left out down to the end of clause 2; and that in clause 3, the words " in order to give an impulse to the formation of such societies, both diocesan and parochial," he omitted the rest of the clause being allowed to stand. Mr Malet seconded the amendment. The Revs Canon Dudley and E. A. Lingard having spoken in favor of the motion, and the Rev W. E. Paige, C. Bowen, and Mr Alington against, on the ground that the resolutions would be inoperative: The Dean replied on the whole question. Mr Walker said he wonld not now press his amendment, but would move it later on. The first clause of the resolution was then put, and declared to be carried on the voices. Mr Malet demanded a division, which took place as follows : clergy. Ayes 11 Noes 3 LAITY. Ayes 9 Noes 8 The first clause of the resolution was therefore carried. The Dean then moved the second clause. Rev Canon Dudley seconded the motion. Rev E. A. Lingard suggested that the words " parochial districts " should be added to the end of the resolution. The Dean accepted the suggestion. Mr Walker would not divide the Synod on the second clause, but would ask the Dean to postpone the discussion on the resolutions until next sitting day. [Hear.] The Dean wad willing to allow the adjournment if it was understood that no attempt would be made to re-open the question of the first resolution, which was settled. The Rev W. E. Paige and Mr Malet thought that as the Synod had discussed the first clause and carried it, they were bound to go on with the rest of the resolutions. [Hear, hear."] The remaining clauses of the resolutions were then put and agreed to. CHURCH PROPERTY. Mr McINTYRE moved— That in the opinion of this Synod the terms upon which the Church property was vested in the Church of this diocese remain unfulfilled so long as no part of the revenue arising from that property is devoted to educational purposes. In the course of his remarks, Mr Mclntyre said that it was bis opinion that the church had not done her work with regard to education, and further than this, anathemas and invective hurled at the Education Ordinance by the Church had had the result of inducing the committees to refuse permission to clergymen to give religious inscruction in the schools. He held that the lands were held for educational as well as ecclesiastical purposes and it just came to this, that either the Synod should give the church day schools —which they admitted the necessity for a portion of their finances, which was only just, or stand by and see them closed. Mr B W. Mountfort seconded the motion. Archdeacon Harper suggested that the debate should be adjourned until after the

report of the committee on religious education had been considered. Mr Malet moved that the debate be adjourned. Mr McINTYRE agreed to this done. The resolution for adjournment was then put and agreed to. RETURNS OF CHURCH MEMBERS. The Rev E. A. Lingaud, for Hev H. J. Edwards, moved — That the general instruction to Standing Committee on " Returns of Church members adopted 1868," be expunged as being impracticable. The motion was agreed to. STATUTE NO 8. The Very Rev the Dea.n moved— That the following Bill to ameud Statute No 8, 1866, for Regulation of Trusts, be read a second time and considered in committee : 1. At the beginning and at the end of clause 1, to substitute for the words " The United Church of England and Ireland," the words, "The Church of England." 2. At the beginning of the declaration in clause 2, to substitute for the words, " Branch of the United Church of England and Ireland in New Zealand," the words, " Church of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Church of England." 3. In the last line but three of the declaration, to strike out the words, " under the authority of the Diocesan Synod of Christchurch," and to substitute the words, " undpr the statute of the General Synod for establishing Diocesan Courts and Courts of Appeal." 4. At the end of clause 3, to strike out the words ; 'by the persons duly authorised by the Synod in that behalf," and to substitute the words '• under the provisions of the Statute of the General Synod for establishing Diocesan Courts and Courts of Appeal." 5. To strike out clause 4, and to substitute the following clause:—"lf any trustee or trustees appointed by the Synod shall die, or desire to be discharged, or refuse, or become incapable to act, then and so often the Synod, if it be in session, or if it be not in session, the Standing Committee of the Synod, may appoint a new trustee or new trustees in the place of the trustee or trustees so dying, or desiring to be di charged, or refusing, or becoming incapable to act, in the manner prescribed by the Religious, Charitable, and Educational Trusts Act, 18/56." 6. To introduce the following new clause—- " The Diocesau Board of Trustees appointed under'The Bishops in New Zealand Trusts Act, 1871,' shall consist of eight members besides the Bishop of the diocese, who shall be ex officio chairman." Also the following new clause :—" No meeting of the Diocesan Board of Trustees shall be held unless five members thereof shall be present." The motion was agreed to, and the Bill read a second time. The Synod then went into committee upon the Bill, which passed without amendment . The Bill was then reported to the Synod, and the third reading fixed for Thursday; Notices of motion having been given, the Synod adjourned.