GENERAL SYNOD OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4120, 4 June 1874, Page 2

GENERAL SYNOD OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH.

Wednesday, June 3. REPORTS. Several reports were brought up and read. CONDITION OF THE .MAORI CHURCH. On the motion of the Bishop of Auckland, the following was adopted:—-“That the Bishops be requested to lay before the Synod a joint report of—l. The means existing for the training of Maori candidates for Deacon’s orders. 2. The number of Maoris admitted for Deacon’s orders since the last Synod ; and 3. The present condition of. the Maori Church. COLLECTION‘FOR THE MAORI MISSION. Mr. Hunter Brown asked, Whether the Bishops of the different Dioceses of New Zealand had appointed (iu accordance with the recommendation of last General Synod) a Sunday in each year as a day iu which a collection for the Maori Mission iu New Zealand, be made iu every Church within the Diocese and if so, what has been tho result of those collections ? Vide Resolutions of Synod, 1871, page 170, section 4. The President rejiliod that in the Diocese of Christchurch for several years past, collections had been made annually iu the Churches of the Diocese for the Maori Mission either on the Festival of the Epiphany, or on the Sunday following, and had been appropriated to the support of the Maori Mission iu the Diocese of Christchurch, the amount raised for the purpose in 1873 being £73 3s. 5d., FIRE RISKS. In consequence of the opposition offered Archdeacon Stock withdrew a motion to the effect, That the report of the Select Committee appointed to consider , the action of tho Diocesan Synod of Auckland in refusing to take fire risks outside the Diocese of Auckland, should he adopted and printed iu the Proceedings of the Synod. VOTE OF THANKS TO AUCKLAND STANDING COMMISSION. The Rev. B. Burrows moved, That the thanks of the Synod be given to the Bishop of Auckland, Sir George Arney, W. Swainson, Esq., and F. Whitaker, Esq., for their past services as members of the Standing Commission. Agreed to. DECISIONS OF STANDING COMMISSION. The Df.an of Christchurch moved, For leave to bring in a Bill to amend Statute No. 7, for establishing a Standing Commission, by introducing a clause to the effect that “The decisions of the Standing Commission iu any case which may have been brought before them under clauses S and 9 of the Statute, and all rules which may be adopted by them under clause 13, shall be communicated to the Bishops of the several Dioceses in New Zealand, who shall lay them before the Diocesan Synods of their resjjeotive Dioceses. Leave was given, and the Bill was read a first time, the Dean, in response to an invitation from Archdeacon Wilson, stating that he would endeavor to supply a means for securing the publication of the decisions of the Standing Commission. ESTABLISHMENT OP DIOCESAN COURTS AND " COURTS OF APPEAL. The Dean of Christchurch obtained leave to introduce a Bill to re-enact Statute No. 9, the stipulated period of existence of the present Statute terminating with the close of the present session. The Synod having gone into committee on tho Bill, a division was called for upon the question embraced iu the first clause as to whether or not it should be optional with the Diocesan Synods to bring the Act into force. The division was iu favor of the compulsory operation of the clause, the numbers being— Ayes. Noes, Bishops ... 6 Bishops ... 0 Clergy... ... 12 Clergy... ... 4 Laity 13 Laity _ 3 Clause 34, a new clause, describes the short title of tho Act to he the Ecclesiastical Tribunal Statute, 1874. Archdeacon Wilson proposed a new Clause to the effect that the Statute should have operation only to the end of the next session of the General Synod. The Dean proposed the insertion of words to the effect that the Statute should operate to the end of the next session but one. A division ensued upon this latter amendment, which resulted as follows ; Ayes. Noes. Bishops ... 3 Bishops ... 3 Clergy ... 14 Clergy ... 4 Laity ... ... S Laity ... S The amendment was therefore lost. The clause itself was then proposed, and negatived upon the voices, the Synod being of opinion that the Statute could either be continued or repealed, as circumstances might re-' quire, and that the clause was unnecessary. The Bill was reported witli amendments, and the third reading appointed for next day. ECCLESIASTICAL OFFENCES. Leave having been given to introduce a Bill for reviving the statute defining ecclesiastical offences and the punishments thereof, the Synod went into committee on the Bill, which was reported with amendments, and the third reading made an order of the day for next day. HASTY LEGISLATION. The Bishop of Wellington moved the second reading of a Bill to prevent hasty legislation, the principal clause of which provided that no Bill to repeal or amend a Statute of tho General Synod shall ho entertained, unless notice of the objects of the Bill, and of the intention to introduce it has been furnished to the Primate at least twentyeight clays before- the time appointed for tho commencement of the session. After some further debate, the motion was put and negatived. ■ STANDING ORDERS, Mr Acland moved, That Standing Orders Nos. 23 and 25 be suspended for the remainder of the session, so far as to enable Bills introduced by leave of the Synod to pass through the remaining stages on the same day. Mr Sc well moved as an amendment the insertion after the word_ “introduced” tho words “ or which may be introduced.” The amendment was agreed to. NEW LECTIOHARV. Mr. Sewell brought in a bill to provide for tho temporary adoption of the new table of lessons. It was read a first time, and Mr. Sewell moved the second reading. This was agreed to, and the Synod went into committee to consider the clauses in detail. The Bill was reported and ordered to be read a third time next day-. COMMITTEE OH TRUSTS. The consideration of the report of this committee was resumed in committee of the whole. Tho Synod adjourned at twenty minutes to one o’clock a.m., until three o’clock (this Thursday) afternoon.