TRINITY CHURCH, LYTTELTON.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXXV, Issue 3205, 22 April 1871, Page 2

TRINITY CHURCH, LYTTELTON.

The annual ufeetiqg of the parishioners to receive the accounts for the past year, and to elect officers for the ensuing year, took place in the schoolroom on Thursday evening last. The attendance was very limited. The Rev. F. Knowles, the incumbent, occupied the chair, and the minutes of the previous meeting having been read and conflrmed, the chairman called upon Dr Rouse, churchwarden, to read the financial statement. Dr Rouse said that although it would be shown that their financial position was not so good as it was last year, yet on two points they were more favoured than they were then. Re would, however, read the accounts, which had been duly audited and found correct by Messrs Woledge and Lananze. The chief items of the accounts were—Dr. — Incumbent’s stipend, £192 16s 9d ; general expenses, £BO 10s lOd ; Maori mission, £6 s*s 8d ; Melanesian mission, £7 6s lid ; church schools, £8 3s 4d ; assisted parishes, £8 10s 6d ; special donation, cemetery fund, Mr W. . Graham, £2B. Cr.—By balance due to bank overdraft, £25 13s 2d ; repairs, £*o 4a 7d ; church keeper, £3O ; insurance, parsonage, £3 3s ; other expenses, £2l Is 6d ; diocesan treasurer, £232 7s Id ; treasurer of schools, £R 3s 4d ; bank interest, £1 Is 9d; commission to collector, £4 95.; paid to credit of cemetery fund, £2B. Dr Rouse also said that owing to the number of repairs they had been compelled to carry out in the church, tbeir overdraft at the bank was la r ger than in former years. He must mention also that the money which had been paid to Mr Graham for his services as church keeper, Iptd been returned by him to be placed to the credit of the Cemetery fund. Regarding the memorial window intended to be placed in the church, the plans, &c., had not arrived from England, and he was afraid they may have been destroyed in the late terrible railroad accident in America. The Chairman said that the offerings had kept up well since the calamitous fire, for which they ought to" be very thankful. Mr Woledge proposed, and Mr Cuff seconded, the proposition that the accounts as read be received, which was carried.' The statements of the Church School and the Sunday Schools were then read and received. The former showed a credit balance of £1 17s lOd, and. the latter a similar balance of £5 13s, The Chairman then nominated Dr Donald to act as Minister’s Churchwarden for the ensuing year ; and on the proposition of Mr Webb, seconded by Mr Ellisdon, Dr Rouse was elected as Parishioner’s Churchwarden. The election of six gentlemen to act as vestrymen was then proceeded with, and the following gentlemen chosen: —Messrs Wilkin, Ellisdon, A. Cuff, H. R. Webb, Perrin, and W. Graham. The Chairman said the next step was to elect a School Committee, and he might state that it had been found more convenient for the Vestry to act as a School Committee. Mr H, Hawkins made a proposition to that effect, seconded by Mr H. Aliwright, which was carried. Dr Rouse then briefly proposed a vote of; thanks for services rendered during the past year—to Mr W. Graham, for the satisfactory manner in which he had kept the church ; to Miss Ward, the organist, who had kept up to her work well, in spite of illness and other drawbacks; to Mr Tlimmer, the choirmaster, for the trouble he had taken in coming from Christchurch to superintend the choir ; to the members of the choir and to the organ-blower. The proposition' being seconded by Mr Wilkin, a cordial vote of thanks to the above was unanimously passed.

The Rev. F. Knowles concurred with Dr Rouse’s remarks, and stated that many others had helped* though perhaps lets prominently . On the part oi the congregation, Mr All. weight proposed a vote of thanks to the isand vestrymen for their valuable services during the past year. This was seconded by Mr Perrin, and the chairman, in putting it to the meeting, said that the vestry was in a manner the incumbent's council, from which he had derived much benefit. The resolution was carried unanirnously. Mr H. R. Webb said he should 1 ke to draw the attention of the meeting to the Morning Services as at present performed in the Cbnrcb, for he thought that they might be shortened with great advantage to the congregation, especially on Communion Sundays He would, therefore, move—“ That this meeting recommend to the consideration of the Vestry the power vested in them, with the concurrence of the Corate, for the shortening of the services according to a resolution passed by the General Synod ” Mr A. Cuff 'bought that it would be very beneficial to some members of the congregation to shorten the services, and had much pleasure in seconding the proposition. Dr Donald hoped they would pause before passing such a resolution. .They must ad agree that the service as at present performed is what they had all been accustomed to since childhood, and he thought that it would not be palatable to some people. He did not approve of it, and thought that if services were shortened, they would be sorry for it twelve months hence. Dr Rouse was in favour of shortening the service, and was of opinion that the repetition of the Lord’s Prayer and that for Oar Sovereign Lady the Queen so often at least was the means of breeding inattention, and believed also that a man would be no less loyal with one prayer only, and in addition to enabling many people to attend who could not otherwise do so the short service would materially lighten the duties of the clergyman, which must on Communion Sundays become irksome. After a long and {somewhat desultory discussion, Dr Donald, seconded by Ur Wilkin, moved that the question be adjourned sms Tne amendment was then put and lost, 5 vot »g for it and 8 against it. >he original motion was then put and carried. Mr Packard proposed that attention of the vestry should be drawn to the advisability of the congregation repeating the general thanksgiving after the minister, which be considered very desirable. Dr Rouse seconded the motion, and remarked that it was his opinion that the more the congregation joined in the service the better. This proposition was carried. Dr Donald said that new flooring would be required for the church, as the present floor was nearly destroyed by the dry rot. It would entail a heavy expense on them. Dr Rouse hoped they would be able to tide over the year. They would no donbt hart very heavy expenses ; for, in addition to the flooring of the church, the parsonage was in a shocking state, and extensive repairs would have to be carried ont. There being no more business to transact a vote of thanks to the chairman brought the meeting to a close.