PRESBYTERY OF CLUTHA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 1169, 30 September 1865, Page 5

PRESBYTERY OF CLUTHA.

<Fr«m ibe /truce Herald)

This Prfsbytery held its inual quarterly meetng within Inch Clutha ci.ureh on the 20th instant. Sederunt —Rev. James Kirkland, Mo'era'or; and Messrs Batiturman, Tod I, Alan. a»d C inland, Min'n-ters ; and Mr Hugh M< Leod, El-it-r. Commissions in favor of Mr It ibert Mnrrav, Tokomairiro ; of Mr Alexander Grigor, Inch -Clutha; and of Mr James Sinclair, Wr.ihola ; appointing them to represent their respective te sions in the Presbytery till ,M«rch next, w.ie given in and sustained. Tlieir names were added to the roll. Thereafter tne minutes of last meeting were read and approved of The Clerk intimated that the Uev. J.ihn Waters, recently arrived in the colony, and presently laboring at Warepsi. was pas nt, and proposed that he be welco md by the Pre-b3'tery. The same was agreed to, and Mr Waters received the right hand of fellowship from the Moderator and the brethren present. The Clerk introduced a deputation from Warepa, consisting of Mew-* Young, Hay, Ayeoo, a*ul Nicol, who laid upon the table a resolutun of the Warep. congregation, requesting the Piesbytery to moderate in a cull in favor ofthe Rev. J. Wuters. Tne lieput tion having addres-ed the Presbytery, ex.-re.----i-ing the unanimously-prevailing opinion in the congregation, the Pr.sbvttry resolved to grant the request of the congregation, and agreed to meet at Warepa on Thursday, sth proximo, for the purpose of moderating in a call; Mr Allan to preach and preside; and appointed Mr Kirkland to serve the edict ot moderation on Sabbath first.

It was agreed tha\ before granting a moderation in a. call to any cntigregttion, the Presbytery enquire int.* the state of the Sustentalion Fund iv said congregation.

It was resolved that the Presbytery meit with the Deacon.' Court at Warepa on the day of moderation, to *xplain to them the working of the Summation Fund.

The Committee on Presbytery expenses having tailed to report, it was n-s lived that the Committee do lapse, and that the following arrangement be adopted:—"Tnat Tokomairiro, Inch Clutha, ami Lavrence, contribute L 2 each; and that W-in.-pa, Clutha, Waihola, and Pomahika contribute Ll each." Mr Allan gave notice that he would move, at next culinary meeting, that, the Presbytery overture the Synod t> take the Sustentation Fund mo its c-mMder-tion, with a *.iew tn secme an increa-e in the Fund, i's proper supervision, and suitable arrangement anent _lhe Fund on the part of congregations calling a Minister. Mr Todd gave notice tnat, at next meetin"* of Presbytery, he would move that th?s Presbytery overture the Syno 1 to consider the propriety of taking -teps to induce suitable young men in the Provtncto devote themselves to the Ministry, and to take measures for training them for the work. Mr Copland gave notice thit he would move that this Presbytery overture the Synod, at its meeting in January, to con sider the propriety of rcco-nmen-'in,*; to Deacons' Courts to grant to tueir Ministers, on leaving, or their. heir., in the event of their deaths ; while incumbent.-, compeutation for the necessary and permanent improvements which saul uiiuisurs may have made at their own expense, on their glebes, to the amount of a lair valuation of s-id improvements. i The Clerk gave notice that he would | move the Presbytery to overture the Synod Ito take into consideration the preparation ot a list of tbe eldership throughout ihe I Church from tbe fiwt days of.be Colony,

and for tbe adding to said list the names of all elders, as may from time to time be appointed. Also, that the Synod take such measures as it may deem advisable for securing that Presbyteries, in their r-esolu-I tions and appointrntats, shall have respect to the gravity and independence »f their < several members, and t_»the rights of sessions i The following committees were, appointed 'to revise the records of Kirk Sessions and ■ Deacons' Courts, viz.—Toe-Moderator, and Messrs Allan and Grigor to revise records of Clutha, Warepa, and Tokomairiro. the Moderator, and Messrs B.njiermnti and M'Leod, to revise records of Wa-hola and Pomahaka j Messrs Todd, Allan, and Murray,, to-revise records of Inch* Clutha, Kaitangata, and Lawrence. Memorial' from Popotunoa. rerrsesting supply, was read. The Clerk having reported that Mr M'Nichol hnd been appointed to give supply at Popotunoa by the Committee ou the Distribution ef Preachers, it was resolved that the memorial lie on the table.

The Presbytery adjourned, to meet at Warepa on Thursday, the 2Gth proximo, at 3 o'clock p m. Maintenance of the Poon.—The total amount expended during the l-ist ten years in the maintenance and out-relief of the poor in En.landand Wales was as follows: —18.55, L3.8-21.02l; 1856, L 3 898 244 ; 1857, L 3,7*32,145; 1858, L 3.698 953 ; 1859. L 3,401,015; 1860, L 3,309,749; 1861, L 3.524.6-28; 1862, L 3.742.207. In 1863 the effect of the Act reducing the period necessiry for acquiring the status of irremovability began to be felt, and the cost of the irremovable poor, which in the previous year had been L 958.181, rose to L 1.413,610,.413,610, the total expenditure being L 4,077,783. Lasty«ar, although the total expenditure was smaller, the cost of the irremovables was still greater, being L 1,433,990, while the "total was but L 3 901,279. Menai and Conway Bki»gk..—A Parliamentary return shows that the principal debt still due on account of advances for budding ttie Menai-bridge, and purchasing the rights of ferry, amounts to L 231.498. Tlie interest on the debt amounted in April, 1864, to L 432,202, towards whicii L 41.421 had been receive 1 fbv tolls, and L 106.768 for additional postage n ceived on Irish letters. Adding the con of maintenance, the total due to the Exchequer a year ago was L 0.39,065. In respect of the Conway bridge, there was L 68.720 due to the Excheqm-r a year ago. but the tolls taken at thi3 bridge exceed the expenditure. Teaoesmen in the Army.—A return has been issued showing the number of soldiers in every regiment at home, and ou the Mediterranean stations, who have learned a trade before entering the service, a-id specifying whether or not tlwy have followed it since. Thirty-six trades arc in.iudtd in the enumeration, and the general result is as follows: There are 1289 bakers, 27 basket-makers, 111 bookbinde s, 44 br&'-'S and c»pperworkers, 81 brewers and maltsters. 813 bricklayer-, 292 brickmakers, 67 brush and comb makers, 855 butchers, 450 cabinet-makers, 2053 carpenters, 21 carvers and gildirs, 118 chemist* and drnggists, 116 coach builder-*, 36 cook", 291 cooper?, 556 gird ners, 56 gti"smitbs, 106 h^ir-drcsser*, 104 hatters, 9-17 ironworkers, 973 masons, 16 matmak.rs, 984 painters, 294 plasterers, 282 plumbers, 516 printer--, 422 saddl. rs, 3279 shoemakers, 2732 smiths, 95 stocking-maker*, 2151 tailors, 193 turners, 185 watchmakers, 2756 weavers, 513 wheelwrights. The Largest Railway Bkiugk in tiie*; Wobed.—Tne prop-mid bridge which is';i." carry the South Wales and Great Wes'ern Direct Railway acros3 the River Severn, near to Chepstow, is, according to the design of Messrs Fowler and Fulton, the engineers, to be two miles and a quarter in length, and is to have sufficient headway to permit masts of ships of 122 feet in length to pass under when the surface is at mean tide, so as in. no way to impede the navigation. The p-incipal opening which is to cross the low-water channel is lo be 600 feet span, being the total widtn of the Thames at South>vark Bridge, or 159 feet wider than the span of the ATcnai Bridge. Messrs Fowler and Fulton estimate the probable co-t of this bridge at L 980,000, for which sum the eminent firm of Mei-srs. Cochrane, Grove and Co. Inve undertaken to complete the work. The gradients upon t'lis ne-ty route will be such as tn make the li c between London and the New South Wales coal fields bitter adapted to a large coal and mineral traffic than any other line of the same lengtn in the kingdom. The shortening ofthe distance and securing the better gradients will practically diminish the j -urney between Milford Haven, th; South Wales coal fields, and Loudou, by about 40 miles. . Mr E. J. Reed, the Chief Constructor of the Navy, has returned to the Admiralty from a visit ol inspection to the steel works at Hoerde Essen, and other parts of" Prnssii, where he has been engage*', on an inquiry into the system of mmufactare of sti el armour-plates, wiih a view to their more extenr-tve introduction into the armour-clad vessels built by the Admiralty at the Royal dockyard.— The Times. The late Prince Metterkich was an excessively hard worker, and when in the summer he retired to his prit.cely residence at JuhanL-b- rg, or to hi* palaces in Bohemia, he took his principal assistants with him, and lie despatched business with a« much regularity as if he were still in Viena. His leisiire hours were still emp oyed in the writing of private memoirs, comprehending the poliricil events with which he was identified, In this way, ne collected many materials of contemp -ra-nt-sous hktwy, which are now in tbe pusses ion of his eldest eon, the Ambassador of the Emperor of Austria at Paris, who is at lull liberty to exerci c his own discretion as to tho publ cation of them. I Ma Lincoln's Last State. Pater.--Tlie j New York correspondent ofthe Spectator mates the reply given to Sir Frederick Bruce, when he recently presented his credentials at Washington, was not Mr Johnson*, but Mr Lincoln's. It waa the late President's lain official work. He did not often write out his speeches, but on this occasion, having received a memorandum ot what Sic Frederick Bruce would «ay, he wrote out a reply upon the afternoon ofthe day of his assassiaation, and it was found in his portfolio. Mr Johnson, having -wisely determined to continue Mr Lincoln's foreign policy, adopted this expres..on of it in regard to v.reat Britain. He did not, however, assume the authorWhip of the reply. It was not made by bim in person, but was read by a secretary from Mr Liucolu'i mtauscript.