ECCLESIASTICAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 8987, 27 February 1888, Page 3 (Supplement)

ECCLESIASTICAL.

AUCKLAND SUNDAY-SCHOOLUNION. The annual meeting of the Sunday-school Union was held in the Pitt-street .Wesleyan School on Feb. 3. After tea, Mr. F. Battley (president of the Union) took the chair. Prayer having been offered by the Rev. T. G. Carr, and the minutes of the last annual meeting read and confirmed, the twenty-third annual report was read by the Hon. Secretary (Mr. T. E. Corkill). It stated that during the year several public meetings had been held, besides some conferences ot an interesting character, at which papers had been read and discussed. The days of special prayer for children were, as usual, made an opportunity for special effort, and the meetings held during that week were well attended and successful. As an outcome of a paper read by Mr. W. H. Lyon at the annual public meeting, companies of "The Boys' Brigade" had been formed at St. James' and the Tabernacle Schools, which had attained a gratifying measure of popularity, and are already exerting a good effect upon the order of the schools. The International Bible-reading Association has had great interest manifested in it, and shows a large increase of members. The statistical returns show that the Union comprises 156 schools, with upwards of 1600 teachers and 15,000 scholars, the average attendance of the latter being more than 10,000. The statement of accounts presented by Mr. S. H. Matthews showed that the total sales at the Depdt during the year amounted to £3244; subscriptions from schools, £36, and the profit of the Industrial Exhibition amounted to £69. After meeting the expenses connected with the working department, salaries, insurance, &c., and the carrying on of the Union, a balance of £24 7s 9d was carried to profit and loss account. From the balance-sheet it appears that the position of the Union on the 31st December was as follows :—

Assets.— at depOt, £3640 14s 8d; furniture, sittings, £175 17s 3d; due by schools, £467 2s Id ; cash in hand, £97 7s 5d ; sundries, £11 5s : total, £4362 6s 5(1. Liabilities.—Capital, £2497 lis; Sunday-school Union (London), £693 9s 6d; various publishers £56 76 7d; bills payable, £624 3s; bank overdraft £250 lis 2d; loans, £300; sundries, £15 16s sdpro tit and loss account, £24 7s 9d; total, £436' i 6s sd. The report was adopted, and the following gentlemen were elected the officers for the ensuing year President, Mr. Frederick Battley j vice-presidents, Messrs. John Ellyefcfc and Thomas Buddie; Revs. A. J. Smith, J. D. Gilmour, and R. S. West; treasurer, Mr. David Goldie; secretaries : finance and trade, Mr. S. H. Matthews ; minute and corresponding, Mr. T. E. Corkill; visitor, Mr. S. Parker; auditors, Messrs. W. H. Lyon, and S. W. Smeeton; Standing Committee, Messrs. Service, T. McMaster, W. Jaffray, W. H. Lyon, J. R. Hanna; Finance Committee, Messrs. Battley. Service, Hanna, Matthews, Corkill. ' The Rev. R. Scott West then delivered an address, in which he gave several items of advice to Sunday-school teachers.

A meeting of the congregation of St. Alban's Church, Mount Roskill, was held on February 21 for the purpose of bidding farewell to the Rev. E. J. Phillips, who is leaving with his family for England. Mr.

F. G. Ewington, on behalf of the congregation, read and presented an address to Mr. Phillips. Mr. Phillips suitably replied, and reciprocated the good wishes expressed by the congregation. A number of other gentle-, men addressed the meeting, and the meeting closed with the Benediction.

An interesting re-union took place on Feb. 14 in the Ponsonby Baptist Church. It was in the nature of a " Welcome Home' meeting to the pastor, the Rev. J. D. Gilmore, and Mrs. Gilmore, on the occasion of their marriage. The Pitt and Edwin-street Primitive Methodist Church held their annual meeting and soiree in the schoolroom on Tuesday, Feb. 21. About 130 persons sat down to a sumptuous repast of cakes, fruit, etc. The following ladies presided over the different tables, viz. —Mrs. W. Carlaw, Mrs. Blakey, Mise Josey, Miss Moyle, and Miss Mills. After full justice had been done to the good things provided addresses were delivered by the following gentlemen, viz. :Revs. Smith, Woollass, and Hill, and the chairman, Mr. D. Goldie, M.H.R. The secretary, Mr. W. Carlaw, read the annual report, and said that, notwithstanding many adverse circumstances, the school was in a fairly prosperous condition, as far as the attendance was concerned, the average being 75 scholars every Sunday. The scarcity of teachers was next urged upon the meeting, there being only 17 on the roll. Mr. Carlaw then gave a detailed report of the expenses incurred during the year, which showed a debit balance of £1 18s lOddue to the treasurer.