DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12602, 4 March 1903, Page 2

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

Tbe monthly meeting of the Punedm Presytery was held in First Church. Hall yesterday, and was attcuided by the Reva. K. Fairmaid (convener), W. Will, Dr Watt, A, Greig, R. R. M. Sutherland, J. M. Finlaysoti (clerk), J. Christie, D. Borrie, A. Cameron, J. Gibb, J. if. 31'Korrow, lir Dunlop, D. Button, A. Don, I, K. il'ltityre, W. liowitson, 13. C. Tanuanfc, W. Scorgic, J. 13. Hall, J. U. Sponto, Dr Nicolson, J. J. Cairnoy, and «T. Chwholm (ministers); Messrs E. B. Cargill, G. Reid, D. Thomson, W. Hutton, F. Marshall, T. 11. Dick, W. 11. Adams, AY. .1 affray, J. 15. Hutton, J. T. Jolmson, and J. Don (elders). Tho Rev. Mr Borrie submitted applications from Messrs A. M'Le-an nnd Georgo ft. ihomsou to l:c made hanonary missionaries, —Referred to u committee consisting of Revii. Hcwitson (convener), Sutherland, and Christie, and Messrs G. lleid and T. H. Dick to consider and report to next meeting, A letter was read from Mr W. Mawson, student, regarding his trials for license, and it was resolved that the trials of Mr Mawsan bo ccaiducted by the Presbytery at its noxt mooting. SUNDAY SCHOOL EXAMINATIONS. The Rov. Mr Scorgio submitted the following recommendations from the Sunday Schoolo Committee with regard to Sunday school examinations(a) That the combined scliomo prepared by the Rev, A. Don and Mr AV. T. Todd and forwarded to at-sembly by this Presbytery be adopted throughout the Presbytery for this year; -(b) that k iiuuro congregations be asked to contribute to prizes for catcchism hi proportion to tho number of scholars'«rot up for examination; (e) that the tcachors in Duncdin mad suburbs bo recommended to take advantage of the Normal OoUcgo established by tho Sunday School Union.—Consideration was held over. XORTH TAIERI. Tho Rov. Mr Borrio reported that tho Rov. Laurcr.ec! who-so ordimation to tlio Aortli Taiori ehargo had licen fixed for next Tuesday, March 10, had taken seriously ill. He would bo prepared to go through with the ordination on the dato fixed, but his doctor advised him that immediately thereafter ho must get two months' leavo of absence. It was resolved that the Presbvtory ex- [ press its sympathy with the Rev. Mr Thomson aud tho congregation of North Taicri, and agreo that .Mr Thomson got two months' leave of absence. * FALLKN SOLDIERS' MESIOJtIAL FDSD. The following letter, dated February 13, from tho Fallen Soldiers' Memorial Committee was road:— I Tho ClerktDiinedin Presbytery—Dear Sir — At n, meeting of the Otago Fallon Soldiers' •Memorial i mid Committee held 011 Tuesday evening, February 10, the protest of the Duuearn Presbylory in conncction with the efforts of tho committee to raiso funds for'the erection ot a suitable memorial to the troopers from Otago who lost their lives in the South African war was considered. "The committee regret that, evidently owing to a want of knowledge on the part of the presbytery, several mistatc-ments were made, and thev. feel sure that when the t-rue facts are set before them they will regret tho motion passed reflecting o:. the methods of the committee. The committee hav/had a gr?at dey.l to contend against since the above fund was open, but with the New Year they hoped matters would go ahead, and to that end each member was ready to exert himself to the utmost. They felt that the religious bodies would bo only too willing to assist, and they aro truly disheartened at tho damper thrown on t heir efforts by the Duuedin Presbytery. A remark wns passed at. tho presbytery that tbe-committee v.-erc overdoing it, and that the people had been got at in several different ways. The committee felt sure when they first offered tlioir services so freely towards getting up a fitting memorial in honour of our fallen soldiers that they would be met with hearty support and sympathy 011 every hand. Circulars were sent out to the various bodies, etc., asking their assistance, but beyond this no canvassing for subscriptions was done, fcr tho committee'felt that they would receive spontaneous assistance. The result was, howver, most disappointing, very few replies being received. The school children responded handsomely'to the call, but beyond that very little notice was taken of the circulars. .Then tho committee decided to mnko another appeal to the churches, with the result that the Duncdin Presbytery protest, and say tho committee aro overdoing it. This is, indeed, disheartening to tho committee, especially so as they looked to tho churches for true support and sympathy. The total amount in hand tor tho fund is £?<io 13s 81d. Surely this is a very small amount for tho Province of Otago to contributo to such a worthy objcct, and it hardly looks like overdoing it. Those members of the presbytery who adversely criticised tho committee could not have known the smallness of donations received, or their criticism woiud doubtless have been v.-ithhckl. Several members ot the various churches have approached the committee expressing their willingness to assist a special collection taken up in the church, as they would prefer to give in this way, and the committeo have been led to understand that a spccial icolleetion does not in any way interfere villi tho ordinary collection, as the average Sunday takings are in all cases deducted, and the balance counted as a special collection; so that the collection asked for would not. in any way hurt tho finances of the churches. Y>'e trust that tho presbytery will reconsider their motion, and eventually decide to do all they can to assist in such a worthy object. It wruld cheer and help tbe committee to blow that they have your strong co-operation and support.—l am, etc., B. Thomson, Secretary Otago I'allen Soldiers' Memorial Committee. The Rev. J. Chisholm said he had not agreed with tho motion adopted by the Presbytery at tfio Inst mooting, but at the same time ho thought tho Presbytery could hardly reopen the ease or do anything to rescind tho previous resolution. He thought thcro bad been a misunderstanding on the part of tho committee which had taken tliis matter in lu.nd, for ill Ilia opinion the presbytery's motion was really sympathetic with tho committee's purpose. It. expressed sympathy with tho matter, and he also thought recommended member:: of tho congregations individually to do their utmost to support the movement. That being tho ease, there must be some misunderstanding, and the right thing for the presbytery to do now would bo to call the attention of tho committee to the terms of the prcsbytory's previous resolution stating that the presbytery had sympathy with the matter, only in the circumstances they did not consider it a wise thing to have tho fund brought formally before congregations. H© •would movo then—"That tho letter lie l'acoived, and that the prosbytevy call the attention of tho committee to the terms of the resolution in which tho object was highly approved and was commended to the sup- . port of the members of tho church." Tho Rev. Mr fireig seconded tho motion. Tho committee bad evidently rushed to a conclusion as to what tho presbytery had done. They evidently saw tho report in the papers and were eontenit with that, and passed a resolution condemnatory of tho presbytery's action without ascertaining what tho presbytery had really done. He was away when the report of the committee's meeting appeared, hut as 6oon as he saw it ho srait an explanation, and, as far as he could remember it. tho resolution passed by the presbytery on bis (Mr Greig'ii) motion, but probably the committee's letter had been sent before his was received. There was 110 doubt that eomo of the congregations were canvassed. Tho money forwarded by the children was not thoir owia money, hut was colloctcd by them throughout the various districts. As a matter of fact he himself contributed towards tho fund, and' 110 had 110 reason to suppose that be was Mono in that respect. If they had contributed in that way, he felt, under the circumstances, that they were being asked to contribute twice. The motion was carried without further discussion. CENERAL. An application from the Middlemarch congregation for a grant of £100 for renairs to the church building was forwarded on to synod with a recommendation that it 110 granted. Tho Rov. .T, A. Will, of Liwretice, was recommended as moderator for tho 190-1 synod of Otago and Southland. •