MORNINGION PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11277, 22 November 1898, Page 6

MORNINGION PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

'THE VACANT PASTORATE.':',':'?ri;^ V A largely-attended meeting of Morningtcti >,\ congregation was held in -the Presbyterian,/ / Church there' on."''the 10th irist., with",the'..;.-. '?■;■ cbjeci of coming to -a : decision '■" on /the;.,/;',; question of filling the , ministerial, vacancy.',.. ■ ; There had been 'a meeting of 'the session "- ; ■'.. at' '7 o'clock, and1-,,^' conjoint". ..lueeting1 ;■{,■;:;;■ 'of session End managers at■ 7.80. Before '.;' ! the session meeting- began 'a'/memorial^ .:,- . was handed to the clerk signed by1 183 memb'ers ./•• .; and adherents, asking the session to recorn-'.' ; - .. ! mend that a call be given to therßev. H./J&.' . -'. \ Michie, who was first minister.of the church; ■',;:; At. 10 minutes past '8, .when -the office-bearers'. ,;,;; . meetings were concluded, the Eev. D.;Duttoh, ;; as moderator, took the chair at the meeting of. ; ; ':-.:,. congregation. He . said there " were two ■can-;..:;.'-.-. d.idatos for the vacancy—Messrs Morrison and .-.'.: Scorgie,—but it was open to the "meeting to pro- : ' pose the names of any others'that might bs ;, ~ 1 considered eligible. The question was. then ."■,:.- ---: asked whether the session and managers had \> ' decided to ignore the memorial before referred ~r v < to, ■ and thus disregard the. "expressed * wish' of ■. /. ■' '■■ ■ the 183 persons who had signed it. The - . Moderator replied that ,the session' and1. ■~■ managers, had .'"received ' the; memorial, :,but'. : .- declined to accede to it. Nominations ..were :. ..: . then invited, and the names.of. the Rev.X.S; ," i, Morrison, Hastings, Hawke's Bay; W. Scorgje, ' :, Perry road, Christchuich; J. A. Ashei,.p:pre;.v ■: ■.-. i and H. E. Michie, Stonehaven, Scotland, were ._ j duly proposed and .seconded. ;\ It" .was stated ;. : ; : by the session "clerk that Mr Asher.had.defi-... /. nitely withdrawn his candidature some, time '; .; ' ago. There was apparently, however, a strong' ■■. :■_■ ■ feeling in Mr Asher's favour, and; his 'nomi-;, ~:,' 1 nation was declared to be quite-in;'order. -A ;.-, '■■' vote was 'then taken, for. each enndidato. ;■ ,■ separately, with the. following resul(:•—,.. ; . ' ■:■-■';-.■."' i For Mr Sconce—'JG members, 25 adherents;-':">-, For Mr Asher—ss members, 14 adherents. ;."■ , For Mr Michie—29 members,'9 adhefents. s .;■:;.-./ For Mr Morrison—23 members; i adherents!. \. :\ After some •" usion it was agreed to take.a ... ~:'■■ vote as be:,. .in Mr Scorgie and Mr Asher, and;.' ,"." • this resiilted thus:-r; r -.. •:,..' '■',i..-:'■..■'-';■'■' I For Mr Asher—S7.members, 25 adherents.'.'.;:—'. ■ For Mr Scorgie—76 members, .27 adherent*.- v : v ; The voting at. this : stage therefore stood :-,HI 1 nearly equal—namcly,il2 for Mr Asher and 103 '. ; : for Mr Scorgie. The meeting was thus"called -\;.. . upon to solve the knotty "problem of how .to ;:;;'; i decide between the two candidates who1 had ~;-,■ • almost eQua! numbers of. supporters.-: iMuch ■'•;" . argument ensued, aud numerous motions:were;; :... ■ moved, but it was at last agreed to ascertain ■• • ;■ ! by vote how many 'of Mr Scorgie's friends; '.-:•'-. . wovild give way to-the majority' and. transfer'■..■:".;.:: their allegiance to^Mr Asher. This was accord- ...-' ■■;■ ingly done/and the n'ual result was that 38 > , out of 76 members and .14 out of, 27. adherents ;. /.. who had voted for Mr Scorgie now agreed to '-". swell Mr Asher's majority. The total votes 'cast .-''■■■-.■■- . for Mr Asher now stood at 123 members and 39 V v; adherents—grand total 102. The Moderator in-<'.;. ■ timatcd tliat as probably a sufficient majority. ■ ■.■■•'. now existed to warrant tlia prosecutioh/Of ■»■■,;.' call to Mr Asher, the necessary steps.would.be. . takei to that end. Four office-bearers were ap: , pointed by tho meeting to support the. call ; ; .;;. before the presbytery, and after the.benedic1-;;". y. . tion the meeting closed. ■■..' ':•..,', ■" ,:■.'.;'