THE LATE CONFERENCE OF THE BISHOPS AT SYDNEY.

Otago Witness, Issue 7, 3 May 1851, Page 4

THE LATE CONFERENCE OF THE BISHOPS AT SYDNEY.

to assent to any measure for establishing a general system of Church Government in the Province of Australasia, in accordance with the recommendation of the Right Reverend Bishops thereof, until her Majesty's faithful subjects, members of the Church of England in South -Australia, have had an opportunity of considering the same. That a Committee be appointed for preparing such petition. The amendment was lost, and the original motion carried by a large majority. The following resolution was moved by Mr. Fisher, seconded by Dr. "Wyatt, and carried : That as members of the Protestant Church of England, in South Australia, and desirous to pay proper deference and respect to the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, we totally and absolutely repudiate any assumption of ecclesiastical authority by the Bishops of the other Australian colonies over the Church in this Province, and solemnly protest against any attempt on their part to exercise the same. It was moved by Mr. R S. Dutton, seconded by Mr. Burr, and carried : That one of the evident objects of the unauthorised Conference of the Bishops at Sydney being to obtain an extension of power dangerous to the peace of the community, this meeting deems it necessary to express its opinion that it is highly inexpedient that any extension of ecclesiastical power should be permitted, or that authority should be given to establish Courts with any secular jurisdiction for so called spiritual purposes. It was moved by Captain Bagot, seconded by Captain Hart, and carried : That apprehensive that the recognised standards of the Church might be perilled by their unauthorised construction, and by the innovations of the Tractarian and anti-Protestant portion of the Church, it is necessary that measures be taken to guard against the spread of dangerous error in the doctrines of the Protestant Church in this province, and to maintain those doctrines in their purity. Formal resolutions appointing a standing Committee, and directing copies of the proceedings to be sent to the Archbishop of Canterbury were also carried, and the meeting separated.

A meeting of the lay members of the Church of England was held at Adelaide on the 28th ultimo, for the purpose of considering the published minutes of the conference of the bishops lately held at Sydney. The meeting was very numerously attended, and the following are the resolutions : — Moved by Mr. M. Macdermott, and seconded by Mr. G. S. Walters : That this meeting has heard with regret and alarm, that the Australian bishops at their recent conference held at Sydney, have attempted to narrow the terms of Communion with, and admission into the ministry of our Church, by their formal, gratuitous, and unnecessarily dogmatical declaration on the subject of Baptismal Regeneration, thereby disturbing the peace and harmony which have hitherto prevailed among its members in this Diocese On this the following amendment was moved by Mr. Justice Cooper, and seconded by Mr. Newland : That this meeting has heard with alarm that a meeting of the Metropolitan and Suffragan Bishops of the Province of Australasia, recently held at Sydney, a plan has been devised for the government of the Church of England in. Australasia, wherein : no provision is made for appeal from the decisions of the Provincial Synod to her Majesty in her Privy Council. That a petition be prepared for presenta- , tion to her Majesty the Queen, respectfully praying her Majesty that she will be graciously pleased not