AN ADDRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4898, 28 July 1877, Page 1 (Supplement)

AN ADDRESS

To tick Lay Ei.ixToits ok (Jhneiial Syn'odsME.N KOI'. TIIK AM'UDKAI'O.N-lUKS OF W.UKATO AMI WAITKMATA. Gentlemen,— Ever since our return from the meeting of the General Synod, held at Nelson in the early part of the present year, wc have had it in contemplation to address you, and have only delayed doing so until the publication of the official report of that Synod which has now taken place. That report is necessarily confined to a recital in the briefest and barest manner of the business dealt with by the Synod, so that, although it serves to call to the minds of those who were there matters that otherwise they might overlook, of itself it is comparatively valuless to others. All through tho session the great majority of the clerical and lay representative members showed a distaste for the special tendencies exhibited by the Synod of 1874, and in opposition thereto desired to make as much as possible of the constitutional bonds binding the Church of England iu New Zealand to the Mother Church in England. Besides this matter of feeling the same majority evidently held, as intellectual convictions, that, the Church of England in New Zealand is a corporate body, holding property as such by virtue of a written constitution framed iu the year 1557 ; that, the existence of this corporate body is still based upon the mutual compact which found expression in that constitution ; and that no such change of circumstances had taken place or seemed imminent as would relax any of the restrictions or safeguards embodied in that constitution. A majority of the Bishops sitting in the Synod took an opposite view on tlieso points, and on every opportunity where their power of veto could be brought to bear on the efforts made in connection with these points by the majority of tba clerical and lay representative members, that power wa3 cxercised. The speeches made by the Bishops iu support of these votes left the impression on our minds that their lordships did not regard the majority of the clerical and lay representatives as really representing Church public opinion throughout New Zealand, as also that their Lordships ignored an important point which tiie whole discussion left clear upon_ our minds, viz., that the whole system of our Synodieal action being virtually founded noon the constitution of ISo/, no statute of the S} nod o: lSlio, or of any other Synod, could really diminish or remove any obligation imposed by that constitution, and that so far as that Synod iu its action assumed powers which belonged only to tho conference of 1557, its action wan, and is of right, uu 1 and void, whatever superstructure may inadvertantly or otherwise have been built thereupon. On the other hand most of the Bishops seemed to argue in favour of the Synod being entirely independent and as free to take any action it chose as if the constitution had never existed, and as if our Church had not then or at any former time any connection with the Church of England as by law established iu England. We have dwelt so far at length on these points because it seems to us very important that the attention of our constituents should be given to them ; as also that the convictions arising therefrom should be clearly expressed in the Diocesan Synod and in every other legitimate way. In the late General Synod, considerable attention was also given to the question of el.iuroli patronage, i.e., the appointment of pastors to parishes, and a desire was shown iu certain quarters-to transfer this patronage from the parishioners to the Bishops. This desire the majority of us did not sympathise with, but, nevertheless, a little bit of the thill edge of that wedge got imbedded in a new statute that was passed oil that subject. The time of the Synod only admitted of a preparatory airing being given to the question of establishing by statute the manner or extent to which tho public services iu our churches may be varied from the order set forth in tho Book of Common Prayer. This we regretted, feeling it to be specially important that the laity should not only bo aware that they possess rights iu this matter, but should have clearly before them what tlieso rights amount to. The Synod, we understand, finally declined to make itself in any way responsible beforehaud for any action the Bishops might (in the absence of a statute) ace fit to take in the way of making or sanctioning alterations in the services in our churches.

The m.inuer in which the Synod's responsibilities .is cliiaf overseer of tins various Church Trusts was fultilled, would not, we think, quite commend itself to the judgment of the most of our constituents. It was this, a. committee was formed, consistin", in large part, of members of the Synod who were also mouthers of various bodies of truvteos, whose proceedings wore to be brought before it for preliminary reviewul ; then every matter connected with these Trusts which was, or was supposed to be, referable to the (Joneral Synod was handed over to this committee, all discussion 011 them in Synod at that stage being ruled to be premature. Nothing further was heard of them until the very end of the session, after a number of the members of the Synod had been obliged to leave Nelson, the committee on Trusts brought up its report, which the remaining members assisted'them in adopting, there being really no time left to consider or discuss it properly. We have thus sought to enlist your interest in what seemed to us the most important; features of the late General Synod of our (. liurch, iu the hope that your increased interest therein may bear good fruit in the future ; and we remain, jours most respectfully, (Signal) j j,_ 11! SKi J.ay Kepresentativeain the General .Synod of 1877, for the A rehdeaeonries [ of Waikatoand W'aitemata.

THK CHAMPION SCO'LUNG MATCH

AT SYDNKY

[ttV AN AUCKLAND VISITOK.]

HaU'ESl.nu to be hi Sydney when the great sculling match took place between Lriekett and Rush, 1 attended at the event, and, perhaps, a few notes on what I saw may interest who pay considerable attention to all matters connected with boating and rowing. The Sydney people also make boating a favourite sport, the splendid harbour of Tort Jackson ollering unequalled facilities, ido not know how much interest was attached in Auckland to tho late contest for the championship of the world, but in Sydney for some days before the event, no body thought, or at all events spoke, ot anything else It was ''Triekett and Rush," " Kush aud Triekett," everywhere. On any of tho multitudinous 'busses runniug through George-street or Pitt-street to NVoolomoloo or Randwick, or any of the other suburbs of this great commercial city, nobody ever thought of addressing his neighbour on any other topic. On the feny-steamer.-?, of course, it Was tho same, aud 'bus drivers aud steamboat stokers took part in the discussion most unreservedly. As the day approached, a number of strangers came to Syduey to see the match, not only from other parts of New South Wales, but from the other colonies of Australia. I went into a barber's shop, aud tho knight of the scissors discussed tho event from the time he lifted those implements till lie put the finishing touch on his artistic performance. This particular barber was a hot partisan of Trickutt'u. "Rush hasn't a chance, .'low can he win it wheu he rows I open-handed, and can't manage the sliding seat? liu will try to bullock it through."] On iuquiriug what this elegant phrase might j signify, I was informed that it meant tlut I he would attempt to force the race by sheer | strength from tho first. 1 could not help I getting interested, but tho perpetual repeti- , tiou of Triekett and Rush became tiresome. ! 1 could generally in the public room of a hotel, contrive to get up a temporary diversion, on one line of subjects. If 1 found a New South Wales man aud a Victorian together, 1 could get up an animated discussion on the subject of whether certain districts in the interior would send their produce to Syduey or Melbourne. The Victorian would expatiate upon the splendour of Melbourne, its vast population, the continued wealth of the Victorian gold fields, its great wool production, and the great progress that country had made in agriculture. The New South Welshman pointed to the line harbour of Sydney, by which that city secures a position I which, with wise conduct on the part of its statesmen, will make it the emporium of the whole of the colonics of Australasia, while, besides having wool and gold, it has abundant supplies of coal and iron, the two essentials to manufacturing supremacy. The South Australian boasted of the vast unexplored territory within the bounds of that colony, of its splendid wheat production, and of the fact that great part of the produce of the whole interior of the continent must come down the Murray river, and will not pay even for railway transit. It was easy to get up a warm dispute upon the relative advantagos of the different colonies, but nothing else could divert the stream of talk from Triekett and Rush. For the way in which any topic absorbs public talk, we must find some other reason than that men are thinking of nothing else. Really, the matter occupies less thought than is supposed. But it is a subject ou which anyoue desiring chat with his neighbour, no matter in what situation, is safe to start. He will bo responded to, aud a conversation will commence. Men often sit silent beside each other for hours simply because the one does not know what subject will interest the other. The weather is usually the only tiafc topic, but that is so completely worn out, that when there is another available, men always ily to it. Suppose, for instance, I had remarked to any stranger in Syduey lately that it -was singular that the planet Vulcan had not been seen by observers at the time it was supposed to make the transit of the sun, tho chances arc I would have been stared, at a3 a lunatic. Suppose 1 had said that the soil aud climate of Auckland were exceedingly favourable for the growth of English grasses, the answer might have been that he had never heard of such a place as Auckland in his life. .But to refer to the approaching boat race was safe. The two men were well known, they had met before, and Triekett having beaten the champion of England, the prcseut contest was virtually for the championship of the world. 1 may say a fow words about the contestants. Edward Triekett was born near Sydney, and is genuiue " Cornstalk." He is 2(i years of age, is 0 feet inches in height, and "when the race came oil' he weighed 12st. 31b8. Ho contested many events in New South Wales with varying success, and was defeated twice by Rush. How he was taken to Kngland by Mr. Punch (an enterprising sportiug publican of Sydney) iu IS7O, and how he defeated the English champion, are wellknown. Triekett was a quarrynian. Rush is a settler on the Clarence river, and is said to bo a v/cll-to-do man. He is 3'2 years of age, and is a native of the Couuty Tyrone, Ireland. Notwithstanding Rush's victories, Triekett was the favourite. He is a very strong man, has splendid reach of arms, and above all, he has made good use of his tuition, has mastered every little improvement in rowing, and uses with great skill the sliding seat. Rush tried the sliding seat, but decided not to adopt it, aud fell considerably in the betting market in consequence. For some time before the match, crowds assembled every night in front of Puuch's aud Trickett's hotels, discussing the state of the betting market, the appearauce of tho men, and how they got through that day's trials over the course. The odds in favour of Triekett varied from *2 to 1, to 5 to 4, but the evening before tho race, Tiickett rose in favour, and bets were taken at 7 to 4. I may say that everybody expressed perfect confidence that the race would be fairly contested, that there would be no uufairness, and that each man would do his " level best.

The (lay appointed fur the race was exceedingly favourable, ami from ail early hour, all Sydney crowded out to tho oourso on tho Parramatta river. The trains aud tho 'busses took their thousands, while the multitudinous steamers which crowd the harbour of Port Jaeksou plied busily during the day. liverything that could float, and that could be i rerewed, or paddled, or rowed, or sailed' from Sydney to the racecourse, was employed, and was crowded. It is estimated that £>0,000 jjeopie were spectators of tho contest, over the three miles and a half of the course. Quite a pauic prevailed in Sydney for some days in case there should bo some accident from the numerous steamers crowding after the scullers, and tho authorities were loudly called on to take all possible precautions. In Auckland, we would have left everything to chance, possibly with the result of drowning a steamboat full of people. But so great was the dread of accident that comparatively few ladies went to the l'arramatta. The proper thing would have been to have erected a grand-stand at a favourable positiou, exclusively for ladies. They would then have seen the race, and have had an opportunity of being seen. At a race meeting the spectators r.rc concentrated about the grand-stand, where the iadiea can bo admired to advantage, but at a sculling match, when the couse extends over three miles and a half, au.l can be seen from the two banks of a river, there is no such point, and as a consequence, rowing n ill never be so popular with the fair sex as horstiraoing. Surviving all the dangers of transit in a crowded steamer, I stationed myself at a place near the winning post, and patiently awaited the coming of the boats. Jioth sides of the river at this place were densely crowded, and those assembled amused themselves with discussing the probabilities ol the event. Some, desirous of improving their positiou, climbed the gum trees or bauksias, and the tedium of waiting was relieved every few minutes by branches breaking ami lettiny some unfortunate fall to the ground or into tho river. False alarms were also frequent. Uries of " Here they come !" " Trickett's lirst!" "Hush's leading!' ami so on, caused immense commotion all along the line. At length theydidcome. Atfchestart lUish went on at '12 strokes per minute; Triekctt at ol). For about iifty yards they were level, then ilush went ahead foot by foot, and passing Uhr's point he was a clear length in front. Halt a mil'; from the start he was directly ahead of Triekett, giving him his wash, aud not pulling more than : furly a miuute. Tl:.: champion seemed to quicken as they neared lilaxlaud's point, | until it became stroke for stroke, and the

I boats got iuto dangerous proximity. Rush, 1 responding to his rival's efforts, again left a clear gap between them, and the Clarence man shut the mile mark in 5 minutes .">£> seconds, leading by a length and a half. They were now coming into the straight pull, down the long roach, and Triekett was :>ei-n to look round over ins left shoulder as if to guage his opponent's position. He had as it were felt him in the previous spurt, and putting on a little more bteam, drew rapidly alongside. There was an effort to keep the other boat ahead, but it wan only lor a moment ; Triekett v.'ah not to be shaken off, and ere a mile and a half had been rowed the contest wan virtually over, as Triekett was a clear length in front, rowing with apparent ease, whilst Rusk waa already labouring greatly. .Before the Hen-and-Chickens were reached the Australian was at least six lengths ahead, when suddenly he waa seen to cease pulliug, much to the consternation of his friends. The causo was, however, speedily apparent—he waa merely waving an acknowledgment of the first hearty sound of ehcers he had received. As he passed. One-man wharf he was simply paddling, and again stopped to wave his hands to friends oil shore. This was repeated twice before he reached Bedlam Point, where at least 10,01)0 pairs of lungs gave vent to a perfect tempest of cheers as the champion rowed leisurely by, with Rush some live or six lengths astern pulling a game stem chase. In the last few hundred yards Triekett allowed the best picee of rowing he did during tho match, aud, increasing his lead a length or two, finally shot by the flagboat at -1 hours 4 minutes 50 3-10 seconds. Kush, who was very much exhausted at the finish, and had to conteud with broken water, cainc in 2*2 seconds later. The affair was so completely onesided for the last two miles that it can hardly be termed a race. Time from start to liuish, 23miu. 20 3 lOsecs. The above is a correct account of the race. The excitement was tremendous while llush was leading, and when the boats were level, but when Triekett got ahead the race was over, and tiie cheering thereafter was an expression of joy that the native of Sydney had won. 1 have seen a good deal of pulling in my time, but 1 never saw anything so finished, so artistic, founded upon great strength, and other natural advantages. Sydneyites told me if we had a man in is' ».w ' Zealand who wanted the conceit taken out 1 of him, we had better trot him out, but i however strongly inclined to do a bit of j

•'bounce" on the part of New Zealand, 1 had to sing small, aud to confess that 1 did not think we had a champion who could make a show alongside of Triekett. It seems when you look at him as if his intelligence and skill, £.3 if his bones aud muscles and nerves, were driven by a powerful steam engine, with no check or hesitancy, or possibility of becoming fatigued. The finest spectacle of the day was when the skiffs were coming towards the winning post. All the steamers were ranged alongside the banks, the course being kept clear by the police steam launches. After the race boats had passed, the steamers fell in after them, and therefore, looking up the river, it appeared as if a manufacturing city were coming up, as a hundred stcameis, some of them very large ones, were vomiting forth clouds of black smoke. The contestants were received with loud cheers, which were well deserved, as Rush had fought gamely to the last. There was tliun a rush back to Sydney, where the champion was enthusiastically greeted. Amidst a surging multitude Triekett drove to his hotel, lifted his wife over the bar and kissed her. It may be easily supposed that this 11 touch of nature " caused enthusiastic cheering. In the evening, Triekett and Rush came out on to the balcony of Puuch's hotel and shook .hands cordially. The people of Sydney are now iuclined to do a little tall talk. They have challenged any man at home to come out and contest the championship of the world with Triekett, for £IUOO, and they have offered to pay £3UO towards his expenses. This is very bold and haudsoine, and 1 have heard it said since I returned to New Zealand that Boyd would come out and beat Triekett. I don't know anything about Boyd, but he will have to bo a very good man to do it.