CHURCH PROPERTY TRUSTEES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1636, 14 March 1866, Page 5

CHURCH PROPERTY TRUSTEES.

♦ A meeting of the members of this body was held on March 1, at the College Library, at noon. Present—The Lord Bishop of the diocese (chairman), the Venerable the Archdeacon of Christchurch, Revs. G. Carpenter. B. W. Dudley, R. S. Jackson, C. Bowen, J. C. Bagshaw, J. Wilson, E. A. Lingard, J. 0. Hoare, — O'Callaghan, G. Cotterili, and W. W. Willock (secretary) ; Messrs. Ashwin, Gordon, Graham, Coster, and Lee. The minutes of the previous meeting were .read and confirmed. The annual report was read. It mentioned that the general condition of the church property was satisfactory, although the income derived from the estates had not increased, nor can it be expected to do until the expiration of two years. The case of Fooks v. the Church Property Trustees had been settled by a compromise with the plaintiff. Mr. Higgins had generously given a section of land for the purpose of a glebe in the Cust district. The parsonage at Avonside had been completed during the year, and one would be soon erected at Oxford. The resignation of Mr. Packer as agent to the Church Property Trustees, and the appointment of Mr. F. Pavitt as his successor, were announced. Assistance had been rendered from the funds of the Trust to the church at the West Coast, and measures had been taken to legalise the grant. After some trifling vofbal alterations, the report was adopted, and ordered to be entered on the minutes. The Rev. W. W. Willock read the statement of the financial condition of the Trust. The Rev. B. W. Dudley proposed that the statement should be receiver?, which was seconded by the Rev. C. Bowen. The Rev. J. C. Bagshaw objected to the reception of the statement. He thought that it ought to contain a clearer account of the receipts and expenditure. The statement was so complicated that it was impossible for any person of ordinary intelligence to comprehend it. What he wanted to see was simply the amount received and the sums expended? He was the more anxious on this point, as a very erroneous impression obtained amongst a great many persons as to the amount of the income derived from the Trusts. After some explanation from Mr. Coster, to the effect that the accounts had been audited, 1 The Rev. J. Wilson remarked that the suggestion of Mr. Bagshaw was one of very great importance. The question was—Cannot the trustees give such an account to the outside public which the latter can fully comprehend. Let a plain statement of the sums received, and the amounts disbursed, be prepared. so "as to remove the complaint of the public that they cannot understand the ac- j counts furnished. That objection was reason- I able enough, but it ought to be removed. He did not object to the present system of keeping the accounts—it might be useful enough —but the public desired a more intelligible one, and they were entitled to have it. If this was done, the trustees would stand in a much higher position with the general public than they do at present. After some further discussion, The Rev. J. Wilson moved, " That the accounts submitted be published, and that the Committee of Management be requested to prepare, in addition, a statement of receipts and expenditure." The motion having been seconded, was carried, a committee being appointed to carry it into effect. ! The Rev. J. Wilson stated that the committee appointed to consider the desirability of referring the question of the legality of appropriating a portion of the surplus Bishopric Funds to any other than the purpose specified, to the Supreme Court, had expressed some doubts as to the propriety of adopting that course. For his own part, he should prefer going directly to the General Assembly for the solution of the question, in order to get an Act declaratory of the mode of dealing with the trusts. He should therefore move a resolution to the effect that the matter should be referred back to the Select Committee and to the Committee of Manage : rqent, for reconsideration; the committee to report to a general meeting of the Trustees within three weeks, but with power to obtain an extension of time, if necessary, until Thursday in Easter week. The motion was carried, and the meeting adjourned.