PRESBYTERY OF OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 234, 19 September 1862, Page 5

PRESBYTERY OF OTAGO.

The Presbytery of Ota^o met on Wednesday forenoon, fa Dr. BaraV Church. There were present the Rev. D. If. Stewart, moderator; the Reva Q Barns, D.D., Wra. Will, A. B. Tod.l, J. M'Nieol* uud James Uric ; and Messrs. D. M'Master, J»^ Souaesi, and John Shepherd, Elder*. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. - Tha West Taiericase was flrat brought, before the Presbytery; two memorial* from di&ercnt parties beiuK real with respect to the r&dgKation of Mr Una The iinal consideration of the ca*e was postponed until tha meetinj in Dseembsr. Hearts re^psetinsr ihs Conference were riven io from tha various Kirk Sjssiom anJ Coasrresations, of the proposed Union and bam of umoa of tha Presbyterian Churches in New Zealand. ■ ■ - A. memorial from the Ineh-,eiuthn congregation » «*•!{ r^uestiuff that Inch CJutha amT Kaitangata tnijrht bo declared a vaetat chrsr^ja. Th> prayer of the memorial \vm granted; nnl the Prab?terv roolvel to give euppfy fjr the, present aa for as i possible. • Certificate* wen handed in by Mr. Jame* Cameron,! licentiate of the Church of Scotland, whi arrived in the ship Gr&sraere. Tho Presbytery cordially welcomed him m a licentiate ; an.l appointed the Moderator to mike arrapsjeaaeata with him for hi* regular employment within the '»nad» of the Presbytery until (he ltieetiu" in December. ' _ Interesting letter* were read from Mr N j Bfouanl, missionary to the goM-fields, giviug a full description of his labours, aud requeuing petuisiirv afs^ ui li? e ! ,in O"1^to liqoWate debts on lhe'churches at Gabriel* and Mnnroe's. Tha Presbytery cordially approved of the report, and res Irel to invite Mr | Broturd to preach in the cougrqpitions within ihs , bound* for the purposes mentioned. The Presbytery then a'ljourned. THE MINISTRY.—A PROPOSED COLLEGE — AN AGKNT TO SCOTLAND. At six o'clock, the Presbytery met in conference. The Key. W. Will (Urn T«eri) open^l the pro«j»imff? with a long nnd intereaUng statement. Soma flftt^i tnoutha ago (he said) a conference was h«ld, when it wat calculatod that at lean five additional nunt«t«re wtre at once needed. He and others i then thought that taa were needed, and he «tfU ; bi-Ueve*l that a second five should b? at once sought »«•. B" p«opte were loiin^ confidence in tlie power jor thecomir..'lißathomet» supply this colony with i mialstars. I'j^ht or nine, month* had elapsed since it | *-m Uku-J that the application for five ministers tod | U^n received, <,iul the oa!y pracUcil result at nrtsent I K'-.t' wn *** °•' appointment, Australia was seeking ! U.«rty mmuu-v, and hnd a zealou* a<jent at homeCinrOa was making larjje demands also through L "f X « ~** eTli» aud oiber colonies were ia it«»« fl^ld, it would therefore be rery difficult to [ X',% men at oil, and siUi morp »o, to get suitable ra«n. If thsoU dilatory mode ot sapply was adhered t.<. f >:edek-rkfraUnpr eliVe^ of the wait of ■ mlnwtera wi>'i d go on tv •* ten-foM rate. There were thao*and« ootnjfig to thi* colony who were, so far as men cottfd juJw. wholly lo*t w Christian infiueace; many oilers who HUcnded church nt home, were grown nosjiectfuJ, and were rapidly sickSnjr Into the most permcioiw conrsei. They (the conference were louiiycaUftl upon to make a special effort for the colony nt thb junoture, Their church liad from the beauinujar been regarded as the Ciiurch of the colony • aai she had to «ome extent trust funds confided to her for th« purpose of giving her a hold upon tka feehn« of the cawtnunity. He belfeved that ip Otasio au«J Suuthliiid ten men coaid b« settled in twelve months, without the slightest difficulty. But to eet them the Presbytery most feel that there wa*an urgent ca'l of duty, and roust ba determined to act boldly, and they mu%t be energetically fupported by their friends. He thought it was iiewmry at once to smd hotna an a^ent, and that asent slioufd be arotmster. He ooght if posnble to be ia P^inborgh I befora the dose of the session at tlw Theological Hail: and his objict should be, after plainly stotia-* the H-a^a and poaltim of ths colony, to sale^t men whaae h s*»r»4 were m the work, who were young, willing to wot* ior experience, and to make themselves at first, v?cH-acquaint«l with the Colony. Thb would occupy fire or six weeks, after which the ageat ought to be at liberty to go to any point where there was a likeSy man who had had some experience ia prcacUng. He should not be restricted to selecting only Free Church mciobcw. But the country would not be fully supplied by tbese ten men. There woull constantly be springing up small townships whero young men who ha-i Tterhips not completed a college course, could be well eraployod—beinsr associated with established ministers, f n help in this direction a professor should! be obtained, so that they could at once commence a college for training a native ministry. They would never succeed until they did this; and they had, as & warranty for the course—the case of the New England churches, which found it impossible to obtain asuffi. ciencyof ministers until they commenced a native coUege. Now the professor would have very little to do for a time, with fitudeats for the churches: and if the fond was applied to paying a purely theological professor, the public might say that while there was a profession of sotting apart one-third of the trust fund for education; they were by this plan applying it to promote only the interests of their own church. He would, therefore, have the professor to give each year a courge,.of lectures, which' should be open -to. ,all ,at a, small fee. He would have the first course on natural science. The lecture should bo thoroughly Christian in gpHt. but yet purely scientific. They would be of immense benefit mnn antidote to the existing rampant infidelity ot many, and the (lernmußed scepticism of others: and they would be likely to , bo very popular. For Borne time there need bo no thought of a college building—for the professor could teach, in his own house all the theological students likely to be found for a year or two. Hr. Dunn, of Torphlchen, would be an admirable man for tha first professor, if he could be obtained. (Hear, hear.) They might hope to receive gifts from large-hearted men who had prospered here, so as to have bursaries and endowments for professors. At any rate, they ought to be able to get a second professor in two or three sears; and then one of them might devote his attention wholly to theology^ and the other take up science in such a way that hw courses would be open and acceptable to all. He believed that it was quite possible for one professor efficiently to train for th*> ministry; for he never had any great faith in the collegiate system so much in favour at home. He ought to say that it wa» Mr. Thorn who first suggested the germ of this combined scheme, and he (Mr. Will) hod developed it, and already sketched the plan *to the members of the Presbytery. With two or three exceptions it had bsen well received, and if now adopted, and he was called upon to carry it out, he would place himself at the disposal of the Presbytery ~of course requiring that honorable provision should be.-iaade for tha Baat Taieri congregation. The expense of the agenoy, he thought, might very properly be taken out of the trust funds. Ho thought the Finsfc Church raiprht well be asked to pay a sum oi Bay £300 a year while fiey continued to occupy the Cwlege Reserve, penchujr tha erection of their new but'ding. Oae-third of the trust fund would be about iuOOayear, aud with that amount at their disposal and the class fees, he was convinced that there w3 be no difficulty whatever in making up £600 or 2600

thJ^s2?S?^ *oD«h*Jt would have been bettor if ■2L^!? Wum ** 5° **>* hsd not imposed. Then;" SSSi /#fc the, IIJUIII*lil:3r. '"•wii-He completely apSi t«^n Paa "*"*<**»*** thereSe7fie£ fear as to fauds, eapecwlly seeing fc ow mudl grounds bdonsiag to the'trust Ld Mr QUUes said that aace the coaference fifteen montha ago,theuecesSitleaof the communityas«! garded ministew Jmi quite doubled: and he was sure that the resources had more than doubled. He believed Mr. Will's plan-to be. the ri-bt oaetobe adopted: and as to funds, he was sure that they would not be wanting forauytblng that was s'aown to be really necessary for the spiritual good of the community. He thought that the education fund might jusUy be applied to the support of the college as suggested, seemer tbafc it really would be carrying oat the education schema of the province. ' Theßev. Dr. Burns said he was delighted with the plan, but he was somewhat doubtful about the funds. Mr. A. Todd supported the plan, as did Mr. Pater«on. A remark made by the latter" gentleman elicted tome explanations tut to the proposed courses of lecture j, from the Bey. Mr. • Will and Mr. Gillies. 'i'ne Rev. A. B. Todd, (Tokomairiro) also supported the scheme. 3lr. Paters-mmoved—"That the Canferenw ap-^ prove of the scheme submitted, and request the Presbytery to carry it out." Mr. .J. Shepherd (Inch Clutha) seconded the moUon, which was alopte.l, and a committee of the Presbytery was appointed to arrange df-taila. The Presbytery then resumed its business. ? Mr Jas. J). Ferguson of LytUetan, applied to Tie" taken ou trial, aad a committee was appointed to ■prcscribetriabß.";.-''-' -1-.-:-:- ?"-.'': ""-■=: ';-?■:■ -T --■:;■■ i\ -.f ■■_ The moderator was reqnestsd"to see Mr. Jame& Snath, who reisnUy arrived ia the Kelson, and to prescribe studies; ; ; # ResMdnte ■at Blaeskia Bay' appealed; for aid jo obtaining - a minister, to whom tliey wonld themsslves jnve about, £80 for the first year. The two coojcres-itfoas (First Church and Kaox'O were* reqaested to grant supply as far as possible. From residente at Hawke-bury there was a request fortheadm«u3tratioaoft!ie tasrament. The Clerk said that Mr. Jonea had promised a site for a chnrch aud^a donation of £50. The Moderator was requested to visit Hawkesbury. , <•¥/' ¥,?i? 3tf li. c-alJfri ■attehtioa:tp • the importance fL» . ICf enabled to commence miaistrattons amongst the Gidie-speaking portion of the i JST*^1 P^Jtery agre^rbut left the suojectfjr fttture consideratioa. Tsroor thw© letters from InvercargUl were read, relating to a balance due on the equal div Mend on the rxr^rn 1^- aerk '^-ected to writl to Mr. M UiUvray.Kiviiig explanations, and to direct i Ul^ Treworer to forwarf him a balance of £13 I The Moderator sail that one of the lessees ia the t>id manse site had obtained a wine and beer license ! contrary to the instroctions to the factor (andiTo i nnShnJl-fr the ]«?^)» »We" Prohibited I aaythmghkepablic-liouses, tlMatna, or saloons The Deputy Sqperrat-ndent appeared to have granted the J:cense. He (the Moderator) would propose a depataUoa to the Superititendeot to point out that such a j. hciense was a violation apsa the terms of the leases I granted by the Presbytery. Mr. Gifl[« explflined that the Depntv Superinterdent, or the Magistrates, had in such ca^s nothiuz to do with ths terms in leases. They would con--Bi«Jer only the broad questions of public morality and pabiie convenience. The lessors were tlie parties to (enforce the terms of a lease. The Clerk was directed fo instruct the factor to see thtt the conditions of tl^ease vere enforced: and tue Molemtor and Or. Burns were appointed a deputation to bis Honor the .Superintendent. ♦ sPPo&Ud Jo grant commissions to *&* and to the deveQ wa<» are proceeding to Auckland. -

G>llections were recommended to be made this year for tue Home Mission instead of the Colonial Committee j tbe fund to be available for passage-money ck^ for new ministers. ■ 3> Some other basinew was transacted, and the P«aitt^^t 11 *«» the Wednesday after the third oaboat 11 m December. -