GENERAL SYNOD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 23, 26 January 1877, Page 2

GENERAL SYNOD.

Yesterday after we went to press, the Primate having concluded, his opening address, it was resolved, on the motion of the Bishop of Wellington, that the thanks of the Synod be given to his Lordship- for his address, and that he be requested to allow it to be printed. ; The Synod next proceeded to the election of ofli -nrs. - ' • iJbi- tlie post of Chairman of Committees Mr Carleton was proposed, by Archdeacon Stock, but declined to accept it, giving as his reason that he had come down expressly .to speak on certain subjects which: wera sure to come before the Committees,: and he objected to be silenced by being placed in the chair.' Mr. J. W. Barnicoat was then unanimously elected, oh the motion of the Bishop of Nelson. . . ; ' ; : Tjhie: Rev W. Eonaldson wa3 appointed Clerical Secretary, the Key Mr Burrows consenting to act jintil his arrival. '■ ' .' For the office of Lay Secretary, Mr A. Oliver was unanimously; elected. Mr R. B. Lusk was elected Treasurer to the Synod, on the motion of the Bishop of Anckland. Archdeacon Stock suggested the advisability of appointing a third Secretary to have charge of the Committee work, and -jthafc all work done in Committee should next day be read to the Synod, and daly signed by the Chairman. He added as his reason that in preparing the last report he had discovered a discrepancy between instructions to trustees under the Constitution Deed, and instructions authorised by the Committee of the last Synod. In one case trustees might lease for not more than 21 years, in the other for not more than 60 years. Such an error could not have been made had the course he proposed been adopted before. The Rev E. A. Lingard thought, it would be quite inadmissible to make such an alteration in their rules without due notice of motion having been given. Archdeacon Stock said he would give notice of motion in due course, and the matter then dropped. ... It was agreed that the Synod should meet daily (Saturdays and Sundays excepted) at four p.m., and sit until six p.m., then adjourning for dinner and meeting again at 7.30 p.m. Considerable discussion ensued on the question whether any hour should be fixed for .the close of the evening sitting. The Bishop of Nelson moved that the Synod should adjourn each evening at eleven o'clock. He pointed out that as several mem bers lived some little distance out of town, and were staying as visitors with private families, it would cause great inconvenience if the sittings were protracted to all hours of the night. He believed that the change he now proposed would have the effect of shortening the session instead of lengthening it, as the knowledge that the Synod would adjourn punctually at a certain hour would compel speakers to keep to the point. Mr Hunter Brown thought on the contrary that they ought to sit every evening until the business was finished. Archdeacon Harper took the same view. If they adjourned punctually at eleven, possibly a debate which might have been brought to a natural conclusion in another hour would be broken off in the middle and resumed next day; by which time the members would have had time to prepare fresh speeches, and thus the matter might go on for an indefinite time. He opposed the motion. Several other members having spoken on the motion, and the mover having replied, the question was put and negatived on the voicies.. The following notices of motion were then given: — " 1. Archdeacon Maunsell to move—" That every speaker when moving a resolution shall be restricted to twenty minutes; every subsequent speaker upon that resolution shall be restricted to fifteen minutea, but the Synod may in either case, by vote, grant an exception." 2. Archdeacon Stock to move—" That the minutes of proceedings of the Synod, when in Committee, shall be duly read to the Synod on the next ~day r and shall be duly signed by the Chairman of Committees." . 3. Archdeacon Stock to move — " That Standing Order No. 6 be altered, and shall read, « That there shall be not less than three secretaries of the Synod, who shall keep regular minutes'of all the proceedings of the Synod; and that the duty of one secretary shall be to take charge of the work done by the Synod when in Committee.' " ■4. Bishop of Auckland to move — " That on next sitting day the Synod do appoint to fill tbe vacant ofiice of Bishop of the Islands of Melanesia the Rev. John Richardson Selwyn, the person recommended to the General Synod by the members of the Mission now engaged in carrying on the Mission work, to fill the said vacant office." 5. The Dean of Christchurch to move at the next sitting—" (1,) That a Select Committee be appointed to digest and arrange for the information of the Synod the recommendations which have been made by the several Diocesan Synods, at the invitation of the General Synod, with reference to Statute No. 5, for the appointment of Pastors to Parishes; and that they be requested to prepare the draft of an amended Statute, or to suggest such other course as may seem to them desirable with the view of preparing the way for legislation by the Synod on the subject in the present session. (2.) That the following members of the Synod be appointed to serve on the Committee:— The Bishops of Nelson and Dunedin, the Yen. Archdeacou Williams, the Rev. J. Leighton, Mr R. B. Lusk, Hon. Mr Seymour, and the mover." 6. The Bishop of Nelson to move—" That a Select Committee be appointed to consider the reports, of the Board of Theological Studies, and the wording of Statute No. 17; and also to report on the supply of candidates for holy orders, and the present means of providing for their training. Such Committe to consist (by suspension of Standing Order 31) of the Bishops of the Dioceses of New Zealand, the Dean of Christchurch, the Yen. Archdeacons Maunsell, Stock and Harper, Rev. B. W. Harvey, and Mr Carleton." « ll TI l e Deau to mOTe » at next sitting— lhat leave be given to bring in a Bill for ascertaining who are to be deemed communicants.'? ' ' - ; ■ 11 -'- ■' ' -••••■

8. Mr Ac^ba, Adams to more— "For leare to lay on the table of this Synod a letter N jfrom the Rev W.P.J Turner, addressed to Mr Acton: Adams as Lay Representative for Invercargill, on the|positiono£ the Church of England in N^ew Zealand.". : \9. Mr Acton Adamstd is^fc the Right Rev\ the President— "To declare whether this is or is not a meeting of the Synod of the Branch of the Church of England in New Zealand according to clause 5 of the Constitution." 10. Archdeacon Harper. to move— (l) /" That whereas tha Synod at its ; last sessftn 1 : directed thata Bill entitled the Alteration of Formularies Bill " should be made known to the several Diocesan Synods for the purpose^of eliciting from them an expression of opinion thereupon, and requested the Primate to bring the matter before, the next triennial meeting of the' General Synod as nearly as possible as its first business; and whereas the Dioceasan Synods have severally expressed opinions thereupon, and have requested that - the same 3houldbe. submitted to the General : Synod: Resolveci, that'it is expedient that a ' Select Committee be appointed to digest and { arrange such opinions and suggestions for the > information of the Synod, and to report/as, to the best course tq.be taken as regards Jegis- ; lation on the subject, in the present session. (2) That the Committee do consist! of the Right Rev' the Bishop of Auckland, tha Right Rev the Bishop of Wellington; the < Very Rev the Dean of Christchurch, Mr C. ' Hunter Brown, Mr Acton Adams) Mr C. 4 Y. Fell, and the mover. ! ■■ : 11. Mr Carleton, on Tuesday next— To call attention to the. status of members of the Church of England who have accepted the ChurcL Constitution in New Zealand, and to move resolutions conducing to a clearer understanding of their relation to Mother- . ChurchJ' ' , . ■ t - v 12. : The Rev J. Leighton to .inqve— " That :' it be, as. instruction to the Printing Committee, with 1 the/permission of i the respective Bishops, to append to the report of the Synod a list of the clergy : of the various .. Dioceses, the title of their cures, the amount of stipend, and the date of appointment." 18. Archdeacon Maunselito move — " That • a Committee be appointed to examine, the ; accounts and reports of the several Trust ; , Boards under the control of this Synodf "and : to consider generally the state in which the' properties are, and the way iv which they are \ administered. (2) That the Committee consist of the Bishop of Auckland, Archdeacon -" Stock, Messrs JHanmer, Lusk, C. Hunter = Brown and the mover." ; 14. Mr Acland to move— "That a Committee be appointed to be ca'led « The Committee on Statutes and Resolutions,' and that their duty be to consider any statutes and resolutions which may be specially referred to them, either in whole or in part, and also to consider whether any other alteration! or additions are required in any statutes or resolutions. That the Committee consist of Archdeacon Stock, Archdeacon, Williams, Messrs Hanmer, Quick, and the mover." ) 15. The Rev. S. Williams to move— M That i after the tenth day of sitting of Synod no notice of motion be received." - 16. Archdeacon Maunsell to move — "That the preamble of statute 19 be rescinded with a vievr to substituting the following : — Whereas the position of the Church, in this colony is different from that in the mothercountry; and whereas, therefore, certain alterations are necessary in 1 c: formularies: * Be it resolved, &c."| . - The Synod then adjourned until 4 p.m. to-day.