TARADALE VESTRY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 6162, 4 February 1882, Page 3

TARADALE VESTRY.

The quarterly adjourned meeting of the Taradale Parish Vestry was held last Saturday in All Saints' school-room. The Rev. J. Spear took the chair. The subject of special offertories evoked some discussion, but its further consideration was reserved for the next quarterly meeting.

The Chairman laid the following letter before the Veßtry :—" My dear Mr Spear, — I hare your letter in answer to my enquiry in reference to the financial condition of the Taradale parish, and I shall be happy to give £25 towards paying off the liability on condition that the parish raises the balance by the end of February. — Your 3 very sincerely, Thomas Tanner. "

The Chairman added that Mr Tanner had offered to pay half of the debt, if the parish cleared off the balance, but he (the chairman) did not think so large an amount of help was needed. He believed a gift auction would extinguish the debt within the month.

Mr Sladen thought the parish quite equal to the effort of clearing off its debt. With reference to Mr Tanner's generous offer, he thought it ought to be reserved for some special purpose. Some time ago Mr Tanner had contributed either an equal or a larger amount, to assist in the erection of a bell turret on the church, which had not yet been done. He thought the amount offered now ought to be applied to the accomplishment of that object.

Mr Beamish felt the parish owed much to Mr Tanner for his liberality in the past, and the present afforded another instance of his readiness to assist in the church work. He moved, " That the Vestry desire to place upon record its hearty and grateful thanks to Mr Tanner for his munificent offer of £25 to the parish funds ; and that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to that gentleman by the chairman, and be further recorded on the

minutes."

This was seconded by Mr Sladen and carried unanimously.

Mr Bennett thought the proposed gift auction had better be postponed for the present. He moved a resolution to that effect, which was seconded by Mr Oliver and carried.

The Chairman regretted the postponement of the gift auction. He thought the time was ripe for it, and that, if held, it would have been an undoubted success. He had now an important matter to bring forward. He wished to inform them officially that he had placed his resignation of the cure of Taradale in the hands of the Bishop of the Diocese. His health was quite unequal to the strain of constant travelling on horseback over a rough country. The parish, in hiß opinion, was far too extensive for any one man, and would never be satisfactorily worked until it was divided. He thanked all the members of the Vestry very cordially for tho hearty support they had given him in the temporal affairs of the parish, and hoped they would accord an even larger measure to his successor. The Bishop had accepted his resignation ha the following letter : — " My dear Mr Spear, — In accepting your resignation of the cure of Taradale, as couveyed in your letter of yesterday, I have to express my regret at losing from the diocese the services of one whom I have always found zealous and laborious in the work of the ministry. My hope is that the sphere which has been offered to you in Sydney, not involving such extensive journeys, will be more favorable to yoar health, and that you will be greatly blest in it. — Believe me, very faithfully yours, Edward C. Waiapu." The Bishop had kindly arranged for his leaving about the 14th of February.

Mr Spear here retired, and the chair was taken by Mr Beamish.

The Ve«try then considered the question of stipend for the half year, and resolved, on the motion of Mr Bennett, seconded by Mr Sladen, that immediate steps bo taken to collect subscriptions towards the stipend for the half year ending February, and that all amounts bo collected be paid into the Bank of New South Wales to tho credit of the parish by Saturday, February 11th. It was further resolved, on the motion of Mr Dolbel, seconded by Mr Smith, that the Vestry meet again on Saturday, the 11th, at Pnketapu, at 1 p.m. for business in connection with the parish.