THE ANGLICAN SYNOD.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13324, 2 November 1906, Page 8

THE ANGLICAN SYNOD.

'FIFTH DAYS SITTING. The sittings of the Anglican Diocesan Synod were continued yesterday afternoon, the President (Dr. Neligan), presiding. ■.-'-,: THE TEMPERANCE QUESTION. • - Mr. J. H. Upton continued the debate : ' on the motion moved the previous day by : the Rev. C. A. 15. Watson, "That this v " Synod places on record its thankfulness to " '■ Almighty God for the growth of the tem- -, > perance "movement in this colony, as evidenced at the recent Local Option Poll, and earnestly urges all churchmen prayerfully to consider their attitude towards it." He 1' ; said he saw no evidence amongst his friends and acquaintances of the great intemperance spoken of by the mover of the motion, but he saw, indeed, a great number of people who were moderate drinkers, and who lived . highly respectable lives. Ho thought the mover's s)>cecli would have been more in •dace on the public platform. He (Mr. ""■•"■Upton) contended that very few were tempted by drink itself; he was not tempted, but there were a few who were tempted by drink, or by one vice or another, but while it was right to restrain them and induce them to see the error of their ways, it was not right to deprive others because of those few. He. went on to speak of liquor being obtained in iTa'no-license 1 district, which showed that prohibition did not prohibit. There were two sets of moral reformers, one set were those who desired to compel others by legislation to do something, and the other set believed in setting up high ideals and endeavouring to teach others to follow the high ideals,-and he believed the latter was the general principle on which the Church of England went. A temperance committee had been set up, but, he did not think that it had reported. : Mr. Speight.- The commit tee has reported every session without exception. . The Rev. H. Mason said that two years ago he spoke in Synod against prohibition »nd spoke as his conscience dictated. He had made impartial inquiries since, and the result astonished him., and showed him that districts where prohibition, was in force were much higher in morality and in every other way than the districts where there was not prohibition. At the same time, he would not like to see the Church as a body adopting prohibition, seeing it was necessary for every member of the Church to believe in its policy, for be himself was not an extremist in this matter. To his mind prohibition certainly brought about a bettor • state of things. Every clergyman there, knowing as they did the under-current of life, could bring forward examples that " would astonish many . laymen. He did not think the young colonial liked drink for drink's sake or went to hotels because be earnestly desired drink; but he (the speaker) did know that the young colonial did go into hotels, and did 'get drunk. He heartily agreed -~ with the motion and saw no reason to modify it at all. • The mover of tho motion then replied. He condemned the moderate attitude of vague generalities. On the previous evening he saw five voting fellows, under 25 years of - age, under the influence of ITquor. While '•""" the Synod had been hurriedly dismissing the question to enable them to get home, those voting men were drinking and going downhill. ■ The Bishop said it was due to the dig- . nity of the house that he should say a tew words on the question. The Rev. W. Beatty: It is not in order. The mover has replied, and the rule of de- ; bate stands. , The Bishop: If the Synod prefers I should not speak it is free to say, so. The Rev. W. Beatty: I move that the question be now put. The Rev. Mr. Watson seconded this. > Mr. Upton: Trie president has spoken again and again after the mover has replied. It is" the practice. . -;;"•--' ' Mr. Beatry's motion was lost on the voices. ..-■".- ■'- ; ," ■.'".;■ \'" : '-- ; ;V ; '' :

The Bishop, who was received with loud applause, said, he would ask 'he Synod to . notice that last year it committed itself '■:-,' to approval of the principle of local option, >'"'. so that this year it would be no contradic- . tion of what, had been done in the past .- to support the motion. He (the Bishop) supported what Mr. Upton had said. He (the speaker) was very, very jealous of the honour of the clergy and laity that composed that house, and as the person most responsible for the honour of the Church -of England in this diocese; he felt grieved xat many of*: the ; statements made in the house.. The Church in this didcese, anyhow since 19Q3, had not been careless of this question. ; (Hear, hear.) One organisation that was outside the purviews of the Synod had been adversely commented }-•■ upon. f-Tf the Church had been asleep on "tjie temperance question, the Synod of the diocese had been to blame, and he did not believe the Synod was rightly to blame. The whole matter had been within the pro- >' vince of the;« Synod ;to act, and each year, except last year, he brought the matter before the Synod. He was very jealous of the honour of the Church, and it was not •„ true to say the Church in Synod, had been careless of this matter. (Applause.) A good many remarks were made in public concerning the attitude of the Bishop of the diocese .in a matter of this sort, and he wanted to make it perfectly clear that the policy he had pursued from beginning to end had been the policy within the limits he had prescribed ,of _ Synodical action. Synodical action had -been taken; as far as he had been able to secure Synodical action, and that action evidenced that at anyrate the CTTurch of England was not careless in this matter. He had endeavoured to preserve the fair name and honourable reputation for calm and deliberate action, and for careful and deliberate thought on the part' of the Synod in any matter of morals, whether it be temperance,. impurity, gambling or dishonesty in any form whatever. (Loud applause.) The motion was .then carried on the voices.

* . OTHER MOTIONS. " . Mr. Churton's motion dealing with regulations governing elections was lost. Archdeacon Willis moved a motion com- ■• mending tin work of St. Mary's Home to the .sympathy and support of the people of the diocese, and this was carried unanimously. •; .''■.'' . ■ iOn the motion of the Archdeacon of Auckland: it was decided to extend sincere sympathy to the Rev. W. M. Du Rieu in* his illness. •-. Mr. C. J. Tunics moved a recognition of the diocesan spirit displayed by the vicar and people of St. Mary's "in allowing . free use of the church and hall for diocesan purposes, and the motion also commended to church people the effort to procure a suitable organ for St. Mary's. " -■-,- This was carried unanimously, and with " applause. ." It ■:, was then resolved to express the opinion that the boundaries of the dioceses •n the North Island require certain alterations, and that the General Svnod be requested to take steps in accordance with Canon IV.. title B, clause 1., to make such amendments in the said boundaries as it may deem necessary. The I V< '-T Archdeacon Calder, the Revs. McDarland, Kempthorne, Sutton, and Lush and Messrs. H. S. Brabant, W. W. Hill M' Beake, P. Gover, and Rollinson, were elected as a Sunday-school Board. Votes of thanks were. passed to the Ven Archdeacon Calder for the Synod sermon, to the vicar and churchwardens and vestry of St. Mary's for the use of the hall, to the press for reports of proceedings, to the Y.M.C.A. for invitations extended, to the secretaries of the Synod, and to the hosts and hostesses of visitors. \ The pronouncing of the Benediction closed the Synod at 6ix p.m.