CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 3, Issue 108, 15 October 1859, Page 3

CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

The following explanatory statement accompanies a circular which has been addressed to the Mem* bersofthis Church, individually, soliciting contributions in aid of the proposed endowment of ths Bishopric of New Zealand :— When the Bishop of New Zealand was consecrated in October 1841, an annual income of £1200 wa3 provided for the maintenance of the. See. One-half of thi3 sum was contributed by the Imperial Government, and the other half by the Church Missionery Society. Out of this income £500 per annum was appropriated by the Bishop to his own maintenance, in accordance with a scale of incomes for the Clergy laid down by himself ; the remainder was applied by him to Religious and Educational purposes in the Colony. In the year 1853 the £600 annually contributed up to that period by the Imperial Government was wilhdrawn. It was not until a considerable time after the withdrawal of this Parliamentary grant that the Bishop learned for the first time that it was not the intention of Her Majesty's Government to apply to Parliament again for its renewal. A proposal was, in consequence, made in 1855 to the General Assembly of "New Zealand to make provision for the sum withdrawn by the Imperial Government, but without success. As soon as these facts became known in Auckland, a desire was very generally manifested among the members of the Church to urovide a fund for the permanent endowment orthe See. Owing, however, to some mismanagement, the small sura of £363 only was raised upon that occasion, which was invested in the purchase of a few small allotments of land in the neighbourhood of Auckland. A farther sum of £152 was afterwards contributed by two individuals for the same object, which was invested in the purchase of some land in the Karaka Block. After the withdrawal of the Parliamentary grant there still remained the £600 annually contributed by the Church Missionery Society. Of this sum £200 per annnm has lately been appropriated to the new See of Waiapu; the remaining £400 per annum is all therefore, that now remains for the support of the Metropolitan Se3 of New Zealand. Even this sum, wholly inadequate as it is to meet the expenses which must be incurred by' the Bishop of this Diocese, depends upon the precarious funds of a Voluntary Society. Moreover, it is felt by many that the Colonists of New Zealand, who are so well able to make provision for their own spiritual wauts, ought not to be indebted any longer for the maintenance of their Bishop to a Society which has so many and such pressing demands upon its funds from all quarters of the world. Three of the other Dioceses into which New Zealand has lately been divided, Christchurch, Wellington, and Nelson, have already been provided with permanent endowments, while theMetropoli tan See remains still unendowed, if we except the few allotments of land mentioned before, from which no return has yet been received. It should also be borne in mind, that although the members of the Church are fully persuaded that the present, Bishop of New Zealand would not be influenced by considerations of salary, but would continue' his self-denying labours in this Diocese, whether the Bishopric were endowed or otherwise, yet, in, the event of a vacancy, it is certain the Imperial Government would not appoint a successor unless an adequate endowment were provided for the See. It is now, therefore, propoaed -by some Laymen who feel that it is neither creditable to the'members of the Church of New Zealand, nor beneficial to the interests of religion, that the Metropolitan ,See should be left any longer unprovided for, to raise a fund for its permanent endowment, and it is hoped that the other Dioceses in this Colony, whioh have been so largely and for so many years indebted to.tjj^ijadefatigable labours of the Bishop of New 'Zdjuancl, -will feel it to be their duty to. give what aid they can to the furtherance of this object.

Local Memoranda. — We invite attention to a meeting convened for Wednesdays for the purpose of forming a Mechanic's Institute, although we trust that its benefits will not be confined to the "inhabitants of Napier." — Also, to the meeting for Monday, to elect School Trustees, from which no parent should absent himself. — The sheep shipped to Auckland by last "White Swan" were not sold, only 2ls. having been offered for them. — A chess problem, fur- | nished by a resident in Napier, will in future appear in each number of the 'Herald.' —The arrivals of the week were an opportune relief to Napier flour market, stocks, we believe having been quite exhausted. — By the "Zephyr" three gentlemen arrived under engagement to the Provincial Government — two in connection with the survey department, and the third in charge of an efficient road party of about 30 men. — At the Resident Magistrate's court, on Monday last, the two persons charged with robbing Mrs. McGrath were discharged, it appearing in evidence that one of these was an habitue of the whare in question. — We learn that the rates for crossing the Waipureku ferry are to be greatly lowered, and the lease of the ferry put up to auction. — Postal communication is to be extended from Napier to Poverty Bay.