WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4298, 6 March 1901, Page 6

WESLEYAN CONFERENCE.

FIFTH DAY. The Stationing Committee, representing the various districts of the colony, met yesterday morning to prepare the second draft of station 5 :. The draft was subsequently submitted to the conference, which", after making a number of amendment.?, referred it back to the Stationing Committee for further consideration. In representative session in the afternoon the following resolutions of committee referring to the Church Building and Loan Fund were carried:—(l) That it is not desirable to divide the Church Building and Loan Fund or abolish the Central Committee by which the same is managed. 2. That any change in the location of the committee is unnecessary and undesirable. 3. That in regard to the secretariat, the committee does not recommend any change. The Rev Dr Morley then presented the report and balance-sheet of the Church Building and Loan Fund, both of which wore adopted. It was resolved that the thanks of the

conference bo presented to the members of the committee for their faithful and assiduous services, and that the following be the committee for the ensuing year:—The secretary, the superintendents of the three Christchurch circuits, with Messrs W. Harris, G. H. Blackwell, R. W. England and C. W. Turner. Ou the motion of the Rev P. Fairdough, It was resolved that the superintendent minister he instructed to urge trustees to contribute to the fund in proportion to the number of the congregation. The other rules and regulations wore adopted, with tho exception of a verbal alteration in rule 3.

Tho conference thou adjourned till lids morning. HOME MISSIONS. AN ELOQUENT MAORI MISSIONARY. A Homo Mission meeting in connection with tho Wesleyan Conference was held in Wesley Hail last night. Tho chair was occupied By the president of the conference (Rev O. H. Garland). The attendance was not large. The Rev W. J. Williams offered up prayerThe Rev R. Harding delivered an interesting address on the subject of Wesleyan Home Missions in England. Their income amounted to £35,000 a year, and the -work covered an immense field of usefulness. Mr Harding’s address was enlivened by several humorous stories and descriptions of Home life. Mr Haxniora Kingi, of the Maori Mission, Waikato, whose speech was interpreted by Mr Robert Hndden ; a Maori probationer, said he was anxious to tell the audience something about the work of tho Wesleyan Missions among the Maoris. At times the faith I was very strong among the Maoris and at times very dull. The memory of the j old missionaries who lived among them j and healed their sicknesses was still cherished, and had had great influence lover them, but when the troubles with the Europeans came, the faith of tho Maoris cooled. He asked those who cared for the Maoris to go and live | among them. At present the work of ,the few whites among tho Maoris was , v'ery great, but the fruit very little. Hau-Hauisra had died out among the Waikato Maoris, and he had celebrated many marriages among the younger Maoris.

Mr Robert Hadden (Rapata Talhu Potila) then addressed the meeting in fluent English. His mother, he said, was a pure Maori of high lineage, who had been brought up by the old missionaries. She was a Wesleyan, but had married a white man, at Hokianga, of no religion. 1 She brought up her children well, and tried to keep them away from, the bush mem, and sailors who made Hokianga in the old kauri tim-ber-trading days a pandemonium with their constant fighting and drunkenness. On his mother’s death his father married a white woman, and he and his two young brothers had been set adrift. They wandered away to Ids mother’s people, who received them gladly. The recollection of what his mother had taught him made life at Parihaka .revolting to him. Subsequently he mot Mr Hammond, the missionary, who conceived a great affection for him, and caused him to be educated. The speaker wont on to describe the esteem in which his people held such men as Mr Hammond, Mr Gittos and the old missionaries. The old folk said “ there was too much humbug about the modem missionaries.” They wanted the missionaries to live among them. He then described how quickly the Maoris would again fall into evil habits when left alone, even for a short time.

Dr Morley said he had been deeply stirred by Rapata’s speech. The Mission could never be said to have failed which produced such men as the last speaker. Ho ought to have a horse to ride to save liirii in his long and exhausting rounds, and a whare of his own for . his wife and l children to live in. That meeting, small as it was, should subscribe at least £2O on the spot towards their purchase, and conference on the morrow would make up the balance. So stirred was the audience by Rar pata’s speech that £4l 8s 6d was. collected in sums of from 5s to £5 in a few minutes.

The Rev William Gittos closed the meeting with a brief and) eloquent speech. If the public knew, he said, the real state of affairs among the Maoris, he felt sure enough money would be forthcoming to carry on the work, as it should be. He had worked among the Maoris since 1856. He was nearing his end, and was looking for a successor. In the light of what bo knew and a fervent faith, he predicted a glorious revival among the Maoris would very shortly take place. The meeting closed with the singing of the Doxology.