NEWS IN BRIEF.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9264, 18 January 1889, Page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF.

Mb. and Mrs. J. R. Wood (Miss Essio Jenvns) have left for London. Ib is stilted that the gross receipts of the Jungfrau Kapelle in Auckland amounted .to £1100. It is likely that the Anglican Diocese of Sydney will shortly be raised to an archbishopric. After meeting all liabilities, the Lyttelton Regatta, Committee have a credit balance o£ £10. A large* brown bug is doing incalculable mischief in the orangeries at Alstonville, New South Wales. Mr. A. W. Dillon Bell has been appointed engineer in charge of public buildings throughout the colony. The now offices of tho Sydney Daily Telegraph Newspaper Company will be lighted throughout by electricity. Captain William Webb Bomen, formerly n commander in tho China Navigation Company's service, has committed suicide at Shanghai. . . , Bishop Cowio's reception a distinguished success. Poorer part of the diocese not well represented, the charge for admission being somewhat high. . . Tho woll-kuown Southern musician, .Mr. A J. Towscy, who recently left for Melbourne, has, ib is stated, decided to resettle in Dunedin. Sir Julius Vogol has not after all made up his mind to return to New Zealand. We suppose, however, that if ho docs not, New Zealand will continue to exist. 1C is stated that Mr. John Murdoch, a gentleman who has so long been connected with the sawmilling industry in Southland, retires from the business, having sold all bis mills to a syndicate. Two Marlborough residents held an oniongrowing contest recently. Each produced three onions, and when the bulbs were weighed the result was — Paul's three, >2s\b; Hodgson's three, '21b. The police are severely condemned at I'oung, N.S.W., for the alleged dilatory manner in which they have conducted their investigations into the recent horrible tinier committed at that place. Mr. Shannon, the Government Inspector nnder the Customs Act, has been in Auckland foe some weeks past, and wo are informed that ho leaves to-day by the s.s. Wanaka on a tour of the West Coast ports. A Wairarapa paper says :—" Tho free and easy manner in which some of our local bodies conduct, their business—every member talking at once—makes it very difficult for a reporter to know who is speaking to the chair at times." .Medical men, when rendering their accounts, generally simply state, "To professional attendance," but in the Wanganui Court recently it was held that this was not sufficient, the Act requiring that every attendance with date shall be given. _ A meeting of those desirous of forming a rifle club was held at the Thames yesterday evening, Major Murray in the chair. A large number of names were given in, and a committeewas formed to arrange the preliminaries, and bring up rules, &c, next Wednesday evening. The following are the names of the crew selected by the Thames Naval Artillery to jompete in the Naval Cutter Race, at the Auckland Regatta, on the '29th instant: — Brownlee and Dare (strokes), Newman, McLean, Jones, Henderson, Morrison, Millctt, Bond, Precce, Kirby, Wilson, and Pindlay (coxswain).

ANNUAL CHURCH MEETINGS.

ST. JAMES'S PRESBYTERIAN

CHURCH. The annual meeting of tho congregation was held on Wednesday evening. There was a good attendance, and the Rev. R. F. Macnicol presided. Mr. Entrican, the secretary, read the annual report, from which we gather that the attendance at the Sabbath services had been well maintained during the year; ten were admitted as communicants for the first time, and twelve were received with certificates from other congregations ; sixteen were disjoined through removal to other parts, and three were removed by death, leaving an increase of two upon the communion roll. The attendances at each communion were: — January, 175; April, 182; July, 170; October, 170. The Wednesday evening prayer meeting had been attended much as in previous years, and the Session exhorted all who could do so to avail themselves of this means of grace. Sabbath-school work had been carried on with great vigour and success, under the superintendence of Mr. J. Brownlee, superintendent, and Mr. A. J. Entrican, vice-superintendent, in the senior school; and Mr. B. McKerras, superintendent in the junior school. The Young Men' 3 Christian Fellowship Association was not so well attended as during previous years ; the Bible and Literary Society had been well attended, and a class for Bible study was taken advantage of by very few. The "Ladies' Association had been supported with vigour, and had assisted several aged and afflicted people. By a sale of work held in October last £17 3s 9d was realised ; £12 given to the funds of the church, and the balance to the New Hebrides Mission. The report was adopted. The statement of accounts for the year ending December 31 was presented as follows -.—lncome: By balance, December 31, ISS7, £21 10s 9d; Sabbath collections, £-149 18s t>d ; pew rents, £223 2s 6d ; donation, A. Barclay, £7 103 3d ; house repairs, £5 12s; net proceeds of soiree, £18 3s; donation to City Mission, £52 19s Cd ; proceeds of ladies' sale of work, 12s ; donation to church extension, £7 : total, £793 16s 3d. Expenditure: Paid Rev. R. F. Macnicol, £400; Mr. and Mrs. Edmondee, £45 ; Mr. Baxter, £25; church officer, £35; insurance, £13 16s; gas, £19 6s 3d; communion expenses, £4 4s ; printing report, £4 ; repairs to manse, £45 Is ; city mission, £52 19s 6d; commission collecting pew rents, £7 Is 3d ; city rates, £5 2s Id ; Sun-day-school, £4 10s; Assembly expenses, £7 ; Presbytery expenses, £2; church extension, £7 ; sundry small accounts, £7 12s 3d; balance hall account, £80 16s lid; balance, £30 7s : total, £793 16s 3d. The balance-sheet was adopted. \ The report of the Sunday-school was also submitted. There had been an increase of three teachers, the present number being 53, and the average attendance of scholars was 60 in the morning, and 327 in the afternoon. The following were elected a committee of management for the ensuing year : —Messrs. Thompson,iCrombie, Steel, S. Macky, Hibbs, and A. J. Entrican. Messrs. W. A. Lamont and T. Macky, jun., were appointed auditors. The report of the Church Property Committee showed that ib would be necessary to expend £200 to put the church and manse in repair, and Messrs. Watt, Farrell, Drinkwater, Reid, and McCoskrie were appointed a committee to report on the matter to a special meeting of the congregation. The annual report of the Committee of Management showed that seat rents and collections had each falleE off about £35 during the year, and that the soiree receipts were about £7 less than usual. The gross revenue from St. James' Hall for tho year was £35, and about £100 had been xmid from the church funds to square the /.all account. At the beginning of the year the inside of the manse was put in repair at a coet of over £40. About £53 was raised during the year for the city mission, £■26 by the congregation, and the balance by the Sunday morning and Tuesday evening classes. The report was adopted.