THE BISHOP AND THE SYNOD. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 6780, 7 November 1883, Page 3

THE BISHOP AND THE SYNOD. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, —The session of Synod just cpncluded afforded a further and interesting illustration of the topsy-turvy condition of things at the antipodes. At Homo tbo idea is that tho Church ought to support its bishop; here, however, the bright idea appears to prevail that the bishop should support the Church. It was quite a stroke of genius on the part of the Veu. Archdeacon Edwards when, on the conclusion of the Bishop's,address, he rose and proposed that the Bishop should allow it to be printed in the "Churchman," it being well understood: that the cost of printing that publication falls upon bis Lordßhij). It was' quite delightful to observe the avidity with which this, almost Yankee, notion was seized by the members of the Synod; after having decided that the diocese should not be called upon to pay anything for printing, not even for a report of the proceedings of its own Synod, courageous gentlemen- were found to propose that almost everything should appear in the "Churchman," even to the sermon preached at the opening by the Rev. Mr Platts. Nor ia this aU. A gentleman who has taken a good deal of interest in the finances of the diocese saw his way to a still further improvement of the shining hour, in the same direction. He proposed, and the proposition was carried unanimously, that a- certain account due to a firm of solicitors in Christchurch should be paid by a call pro rata upon tho fund 3 administered by the diocesan trustees, which could be thus taxed. As the Bishopric Endowment Fund is the principal one of these—perhaps nearly one-haft of the whole —it is easy to Bee that the diocese is to be cased by another small dip into the same pocket. I can fancy the Bishop's feelings aa lie put these-propositions to.the vote, but I don't hear that he made any remark, or even uttered a groan. : A joke iB a joke, particularly if somebody else- pays for it; but really, Sir, I think, for the honour of the Church, this sort of thing ought to have a limit, and the very least that people should do is to take in the " Churchman, and to pay for it.—l am, &c, Observer. - November 5.