ANGLICAN SYNOD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10998, 30 December 1897, Page 3

ANGLICAN SYNOD.

Second Day— Wednesday.

-The Anglican Synod resumed its sitting yesterday at 4- p.m. There were present—Bishop Nevill (president), the Revs Dean Fifcehett, Archdeacon Robinson. Archdeacon Go_.il, Canons Dodd, Lucas, Richards, and K>ng, P. Mayne, W. Ronalcson, M. W. ButterUeld, G. Fjnes-ClintoD. H. Brooke, J. C. Small, H. S. Leach, C. S. Bowden, W. H Browne, clergy ; Messrs H. F. Hardy, Murray Aston, C. C. Graham, Charles Haynes, R. D'o.«ley, Jame. _raith Jan., P. W*y_e, R Logan, H. Mander, W IbbbtsoD, A. Morris Baruett, V/illiara T. Talboys," T. K. Hsrtv, K. Msrm Clark, R. B. Wiiliams, H. AY. AViUom T. S. Graham.

Ori the motion of th*. S.rv. A. R. Fitchett ifc

was resolved Jhat the bisi.op b? thanked for his address, and thafc it be piloted in the minutes of the synod. The PresiD-ST remarked that the Athenaeum Committee hid decided to invite visiting clergymen to make use of thfe Athersearu during the sitting of the synod. SCPEKA—'NtTATIOX FOND.

Atchdeac-ti Robixson moved—"That the General Synod be r.que.t.d by representatives lof this diooese to spprcach the Standing C-—l-miltee" of. the Diocese cf Sydney, and to tske such other steps as may setm to them desirable,

with a view of »ecuring the admission of the

clergy of New Zealand fo the beii'-fiis of the clergy superannuation fuud of the Diocese of Sydney on; the terms -fc present granted to th"? clergy of the various dioceses of Australia aud Tasmania. 7' Archdeacon Robinson 'stated that a>>the last session tbe Rev. Sir Curzon-Siggers, Mr Spencer Brent, and himself bad beeu appointed a. committee formulate a superannuation scheme. After casting around and examining various. EchemeK they ihought the very best

thing that could be done would be to ask the Sydney diocese to federate with New Zealand in; this matter. They communicated with the managers of the Sydney fund, and they replied that they would probably be agreeable to admit New Zealand to the benefits of the fund, and the ordinances would doubtless be amended to give effect to the suggestion. The advantages of .the scheme were such thafc a Sydney actuary said-they could not be obtained under any other scheme. An entrance.fee wss demanded which" could bs paid in five instalments. The contributions comprised £13 annually, aud after 10 years'payment a membsr w_3 entitled on iupe'riDnuation to a pension of £75 per -nnum, with.£3 per ye3r extra for every year beyond the 10 years up to 20 years, and £1 per year for. every year beyond fchafc No claim for _ pension would be valid till after 10 years, bufc

there was provision for a payment in the evVnt

of death before that period of all amounts over. £8 j.er annum. Ail clergy in the dicceaes of

Australia and 'Past— mlis. were admitted to the privileges of __e__bersb:_>, and he thought ifc •was desirable if tbey l-oi—-obtain the admission of ,the ciergj of the ptovirce of New Zealand.

Canon DoDi> seconded the motion, which was Carrie-"without"dissent. ."

THB DIOCKSAK ELECTOEAL KOLL

'C-_EeI.CC. Moaii's moved—" Thafc a select committee be'appointed fco inspect the diocesan tlectMsl roll, and report whether the name of. Colonel C. C. Morrris i. or is not tip'on the roll, tbe coinsiiittee to con«i.fc cf the Rev. the Dean of Dunedin, fcbe Rev. F. Mayne, Messrs 0. H. Statham, C. C. Graham, and the. mover." ,In moving the motion, Colocel Morris said thafc this was not a personal matter, as might afc first appear, bufc there was a very important principle involved. He had'been duly nominated as a candidate for the position of lay representative of Dunediu at the General Synod. Another nomination was received, and to Bioi s_rpri_- he was informed by the returning officer thafc no election was necessary, as his (Colonel Morris) name was nofc on the roll. Ajn inquiry was made, and it was reported that the name was struck out by the diocesaß.secretary, presumably acting unoer instructions from.the Standing Committee. This led to a very important question. Burin.? the last; six or seven ytaxs be had been _ "member of that synod. He had for two or ; three, years been a member of the Standing Committse of the diocese, and afc the present moment he was a lay representative in Dun-din of tbe General Synod, and therefore he conld claim to be a somewhat.: prominent churchman in the diocese. If a person in his position, therefore, could be pracfcicaliy disfranchised in fche manner he bad indicated, whafc would ba the position of •auy layman-in the diocese? Any layman wonld be liable to. have his name struck off the roll,- and nofc till an election conld he discover that he-was disfracehished. The constitution and canons of the church, intended that every adalfc who was over 21 years should have a voice in-be councils of the church — a. voice in the election of members of the synods. AVhat, therefore, he wanted wss that; the committee mentioned-in the motion sbonld go into the wholeiques'tioh ai to the manner in which the" rolls were' kept, and not confine themselves to'e'y lo tbe merits of bis own case. Mr Hayses seconded tne motion.

After - discussion.

The F_.ksibekt expressed his pleasure that this matter had been brought up. He hoped that sufficient, interest would be taken in the church work that wonld cause per.ora to t_ke fche trouble to see that t_ejr namea were on the roll.:

__c motion was carried. BEPOKT OF STANDING COMMITTEE.

The report of the Standing Committee was then dealt with in committee. The report; stated inter alia -.—

At a special meeting held in conjunction with the Cathedral Chapter, under section 7 of "The CathedralStatnte, 1891." on January 5,' 1897, the Rev. BlL'King.was elected to fill the canonry vacated by the resignation of the Yen, H. G. Gobld on the appointment of the latter as Archdeacon oi Oamaru. - „ i The following grants-in-aid from the one-fifth moiety of general church fund had been made :— Maori mission fnnd, £20; Pvcv \V. H. Browne, deacon student, bonus ot £5 _s 2d; university fees-Rev H S. Leach £8 Bs, Mr H. F. Wilson £S Bs. "Mr- AVingfield, lay evangelist at Owake (conditionally that Owaka raises £5 in addition, which it did), £15; Sr.: Mark's, Balclutha (addition of £1 for_£l to amount raised locally for the purpose of painting the parsonage), £5 St Stephen's. Hampden (addition of £1 ior £1 to amount raised locally for the purpose of painting the parsonage), £2 12s 6d ; Industrial School (books. __), £5 : Key. A. R. D. To.sw.ll (removal expenses to Gore), £12. With regitd to the two amounts mentioned above_ as having been granted as assistance towards painting thd parsonages, it was reselved—"That the grantingofthese amounts is not to be regarded as forming precedents.". It was also resolved—"That no■"■ grant be made to any. clergyman for expenses of removal to any incumbency of £560 and a house or of £300' without a house. The Arrowtowa committee have paid their dues in arrear since September, 1896', and have promised to pay off the former arrears by instalments. The coromit.ee of the church afc River-dale having stated tbat they were unable to pay the arrears of stipend due to the late Rev. T. L. Stanley, amounting to £51, the matter was referred by the committee to the Archdeacon of Invercargill as a case which demanded special investigation '-..;"' The Dunedin Diocesan Trust Board had been requested io provide a complete list of the church properties held by it, showing the various tiusts under which each is held. The following amounts are due for transfer fes 3on land—vir —At Palmerston," £10 18s 7d, payment bf which was refused by the local vestry ; and, £3 155, fees and rates on land afc Duntroon. Th-: latter amount had been piid out of the diocesan assessment account, to be recovered from tbe local body, and it was resolved to bring the-—latter before the synod for its direction. At its last session the synod directed the Standing' Committee, to formulate a scheme for the setting up bf a clergy superannuation fund. Your committee communicated -with the Sydney Dioc*se as to whether it would be possible for the clergy of this diocese to be admitted to the benefits pif their superannuation Tund. The honorary secretary, to the SydDey clergy superannuation fund replied that if 25 or 39 New Zealand clergy wonld make application formembsrship he would feel justified in asking synod to amend the ordinance in favour of New Zealand clergy being admitted as members. Your committee therefore favour the General Synod being approached with a view to passing a resolution requesting the Sydney Synod so to amend their ordinance as to enable New Zealand clergy to join the Sydney superannuation fund. Your committee is of opinion that the mode of electing clerical and lay representatives to General Synod should be altered, and recommends either that the General Synod be approached with this end in view, or that the diocesan statute regulating _uch elections should be Amended.

The report was agreed fco in open synod. [The remainder of out-report is held over.]