BAPTIST CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11538, 24 November 1900, Page 5

BAPTIST CONFERENCE.

[BY TELEGRAPH.— ASSOCIATION.] Christchurch, Friday. The Baptist Conference concluded to-night. The treasurer's report showed the receipts to be £301, and the expenditure £316. A proposal that steps be taken to secure the introduction into Parliament of a Bill to decide by a referendum whether the people of the colony are willing to support Bible reading in the schools, was carried after considerable discussion, by 25 votes to 16. A deputation was welcomed from the Christchmrch Ministers' Association. The election of officers resulted as follows :—President, the Rev. A. H. Collins (Auckland) ; vice-president, the Rev. R. S. Gray (Nelson); treasurer, Mr. A. Chiddy (Christchurch) ; secretary, Mr. J. Mu-irhead (Dunedin) ; committee, the Revs. G. Dallaston, J. Clark, F. W. Boreham, J. J. Doke, A. Dewdney, J. J. North, and Mr. A. Hoby. The assembly resolved to express sympathy with fellow-Baptists who had suffered through natural causes in South Africa, and commended their appeal for financial assistance to all Baptish churches. The president was authorised to sign a petition to Parliament praying for prohibition of liquor licenses in the King Country, i'he Assembly resolved to protest against the unsatisfactory state of the law against gambling, as expounded by Mr. Beetham, Stipendiary Magistrate, and to call upon the Government to amend the Gaming Act, 1894. A protest was also raised against the facilities granted by the Government to national gambling by the issue Oi licenses to the totalisator and permits to art unions, and permitting the transmission by post of TattersaU's correspondence.