ANGLICAN SYNOD.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4412, 19 July 1901, Page 5

ANGLICAN SYNOD.

The session of the Anglican Diocesan Synod wa s continued yesterday, under the presidency of the Bishop of Wellington. At 4 p.m. there was a thin house. The president stated, in reply to the Hon F. Arkwright, that it had been the custom to raise an objection to the consideration of any business in the afternoon if it was thought that members were absent who would like tojre present when it was dealt with. He thougut that members generally had tried to act uprightly in the matter. The motion for the third reading ot the Constitution of Native Church Boards Bill was postponed till the evening, m view of the controversy in regard to those of its provisions which relate to Maori lav representation in the b>noa. Tim Rev T B. Macleans Diocesan P.™ on AC Am.ndm.nt BiU «. read a third time and passed on the motion of Mr T. B. Williams. Objection was taken to the immediate consideration of other business. At 4.20 the Synod adjourned till 7.30 P ’a(, the evening sitting there was a g °The BUI to provide for the constitution of a native church hoard was re-comit-ted. It was amended so as to provide that two native laymen to be elected to the Synod should _ represent the native parochial districts instead of the board. The Bill was read a third time and passed, on the voices. In’a discussion on the report or the Reports Committee, Captain Hewitt said he had heard a rumour that some land at Feilcling had been discovered for which no rent had aeon receive for five years. He also noticed .urge increases and decreases in rent, of which no explanation was given. These were the sort of things the Reports Committee should find out. He would like to know whether the committee took the reports as they found them or as they were corrected. . The ■ carrying of a motion that the Reports Committee be considered in committee prevented Mr B. Wilberfoss from replying to Captain Hewitt, and also precluded the latter from leaking further remarks upon the report as a whole. _ Captain Hewitt said he had been blocked the same as he had been in previous'years. ■ However, he nhad al luded to one or two things in regard to which there seemed to. him to be omissions from the report.

On a recommendation that the statements of assets and liabilities, general church fund, be audited in future, The Ven. Archdeacon Fancourt said that some of the assets, such as offerings and contributions, were scarcely ascertainable by the auditor. Mr G. H. Bethune said he would only vouch for assets full particulars of which were submitted to him.-

Mr G. E. Tolhurst said he was under the impression that their auditor vouch ed for the assets. He (Mr Tolhurst) had in his capacity as trustee frequently tolerated matters of which he disapproved, under the impression that they wer* vouched for. He considered that the accounts rendered to Synod were wholly • insufficient. He did not blame anyone. . He dared say that the diocese got full value for the meagre pay" that was given for the services obtained. It was said to be meagre pay, and he rather believed it was. But the services rendered were not sufficient for the requirements, which had grown so much that it' was essential that the clerking in connection with dio cesan affairs should be done much more effectively than the scattered and unbusinesslike way in which it was conducted at present. It was essential that there should he a change. Mr Wilberfoss said the statement of assets and liabilities had not been correct since 1895. In 1897 there was an error of £159 in the account. The statement should he audited. He did not ask for an audit of the estimated receipts. But the outstanding assessments and other ascertained assets should bo audited. Mr Bethune said that Mr Wilberfoss had expressed his opinion of what an auditor’s duties were. Mr Wilberfoss, as chairman of the Reports Committee, had passed reports, some of which were unsigned and unaudited. There was one .report which had E. and O. E. at the bottom of it, and that was all. Mr Quick said that Mr Wilberfoss’s statement might, if ft were to get pub lished abroad, throw some blame upon persons who did not deserve it. Mr Bethune and others pointed out that the matter of the error in question was before the Synod in the previous session, when everything was put right. Not a penny was lost from any of the accounts. The president said he could not allow it to be supposed for a year that £159 had gone wrong. Mr Wilberfoss: I did not say thatI said the account was wrong to that amount. I said it was' mis stated to the extent of £169. There were clerical errors in it. Mr Tolhurst: I understand you said it was subsequently cleared up. Mr Wilberfoss: No; ft has never been cleared up. Hr Bethune: Was the account audited ? . . Mr Wilberfoss: No. I say it is necessary to have it audited. At this stage Mr Quick again referred to the effect of the probable publication of statements which had heen made during the discussion, and at his in ■ stance the reporters were asked to with, draw, which they didSome minutes later the reporters were again admitted. Mr Wilberfoss then said: With reference to the error of £159, I wish to say it is merely an error in the statement of the account. I had no desire and no intention to infer that one single penny piece of the money had gone wrong. It was only errors in the account. And it was because of those errors that 1 was advocating the necessity of having the accounts audited. (Applause). The Chairman (Mr H. J. H, _ Blow); I am very pleased at the explanation that Mr Wilberfoss: has made; and that clears the matter up. ■ In reply to Mr Tolhurst, it was stated by Mr Wilberfoss that the reason for g recommendation that all accounts he paid by cheque was that it _ bad beep' found that certain transfers in conneo tion with trust fund investments were made in cash. The folowing resolutions were agreed t 0“ That the Synod, while welcoming the evidenpes of missionajy activity amongst the Maoris shown in the report of the Standing Committee, earnestly hopes that as soon as possible some organisation may k© formed for the control of our Maori missionary work. “That the Bishop he respectfully invited to summon the clergy of Wellington and neighbourhood, and to _ take counsel with them as to the provision of more church accommodation.” “That the attention ci the clergy ministering to native congregations be called to the smallness of tlm contributions to the. Maori Mission Fund from native sources.”

“That this Synod hopes that the Appeal to the Privy Council will not be abandoned until the opinion of eminent English counsel be obtained.” Mr Wilberfoss moved, “ That the appointment of a diocesan bursar is desirable, if the funds for his salary are avail, able.” The motion was passed in the following form:—“That the appointment of a diocesan bursar is desirable, and that the matter be referred to the Standing Committee with power to act.” A vote of thanks was accorded to Mr H. S. McKellnr for the very valuable services he had rendered to the diooese as secretary of the Melanesian Mission Fund. The president said he would see that the recommendations of the Reports Committee were not overlooked. A motion that the report be printed in the annual Synod report was withdrawn. The Schedule* of Representation Bill and the Offertories Act Amendment Bill were read a third time and passed. Mr Blow’s motion in favour of the dioi cese becoming its own insurer of its buildings against fire was allowed to stand over, and it was decided that the matter be inquired into by a Special Committee during the recess. The following motions submitted by the Finance Committee were passed: (1) “ That the suggestion of the Bishops court Debt Extinction Committee to institute a personal canvass in town and country in the interests of the fund be approved, and the committee requested to arrange for such canvass being undertaken during the ensuing spring and summer.” (2) “That the Standing Committee be empowered to assess the parochial districts of Bulls, Sandon and Greatford, at such sums as the committee may consider reasonable, in the event of any arrangements being made during the year for the spiritual oversight of those districts, and to fix the stipend of the clergyman who may be appointed thereto.” (3) “ That the secretaries of the General Church Fundi and of the diocesan trustees be requested to prepare statements of the estimated income for the year, and to, have the same ready for presentation to the Finance Committee at its first sitting epch session in future.” (4) “ That an extra special offer, tory for the General Clvuroh Fund bo collected in every parish and parochial district throughout the diocese, oti a date to be fixed) by the Standing Committee at their next meeting.” The assessment and appropriation for St. Wellington, was fixed at £685, as in the previous years, instead of £690, proposed in error. It was decided that in the event of the appointment of an assistant curatef for St. Peter’s, Wellington, the Standing Committee should have power to increase the assessment and appropriation. The assessment for Tinui was increased from £l3O to £135, and the appropriation from £175 to £IBO. -The Rev Wyndham Earee said he had a promise from a member of Synod of an annual contribution of £3 for Tinui. An assessment of £2O and an appropriation of the same “amount were set down for Khandallah. It was decided that in future the number of clergy in each parish, where more than one, should be stated in a foot-note to the schedule of assessments, grants in aid, and appropriations. Votes of thanks were accorded to the Ven Archdeacon Fancourt and the Rev J. Jones, the secretaries of Synod.

A vote of thanks was passed to Lady Ranfurly for her intention to invite the members of Synod to Government House, and regret was expressed at her continued indisposition. Thanks were also accorded to the residents of Wellington who had shown kindness to members of Synod, to the Stax Boating Club, to St. Paul’s Gymnasium and to the press. ~ After the singing of the Dojcology, the president closed the session by pronouncing the blessing.