Evening Sitting.

Otago Witness, Issue 1418, 25 January 1879, Page 8

Evening Sitting.

The Synod resumed at 6.30 p.m. THE MISSION BEPOKT. The Rev. Mr Bannerman read the following report of the Mission Committee :— Your Committee have much satisfaction in reporting to the Synod that favourable accounts of tho pr - gress of the Nguneae Mission in the New Hebrides I-lands, have been received from your missionaries, under whom it is conducted. After many ye*rs of labour on the part of Mr and Mrs ililne, fruit has be«un to manifost itself. A time of reaping has commenced. Not only is deeper interest being taken in the work and message of > our missionaries, but not a few have given indication cf their wiilinuness to renounce their heathen piacticea, and adopt the faith and practice of Christianity. It is as yet the day of small things, and your Committee trust that as tho dawn gives earnest of the bright noon-day, the present movement in favour of the truth aa it is in Josus, may prove the earnest of a wide-spread and heait adoption ot the re! gion of Cliri-t throughout the isUDds occuuied by ttie agenta of this Church. Your Committee, taking into i onsi ler-itiou tho long service of Mr and Mrs Milne, have invited tliem to take a furlough, and visit JNhw Zealand or the Home country. It is possible that they may prefer to spend their furlough hero, but should they select otherwise, arrangements will 'oe made that they spend some portion of ie within the bounds of the Synod. During their absence from Nguna their phce will be supplied by Mr Michelson, who, as a second missionary from this Church, has beon heartily welcomed by the Mission bynod, and jhas fully answeied tho expectations ontertained by the Committee in connection with him. Appointed by the Mission Synod to take up his residence in Nguna with the view cf his acquiring with the help of Mr Milne tbe language spoken there, and which is common to f overal of the ad j went islands, Mr Miehelson has so far succeeded in this acquisition that in less than four months he h<is been able to address the natives in their own tongue. Oa the return of Mr Milne from his furlough, Mr Michelsen will require to come to Ota.'o with a view to ordination, the Mission Syno-1 preferring th it he should receive this at our hands rather than at their own. Your Committee, having been in communication with Mr M'Grcijor, of the Amov Mission, and Dr Stewart, of the Canton Mission, hive received with much satisfaction the exp esMon of their hearty approval of the scheme aucrge-tecl by the Committee, in thdr last report, of sending a Kuitible youug man, to prepare himself for the work of a init>siuiiary among the Chinese reiident here, a scheme which, since last Synod, has been adopted and carried into effect by the Wesleyan Conference of Australia. Your Committee regrft that they hive been less successful than the AVesloyan Conference, no ono having offe ed himself for the work. But as during the past ye*r four excellent young men have presented themselves for training for Mission work, the Committee trust that, guided by the Master of tho Vmejard, one or other of them may be led to undertake this special work. The Committee, in the absence of a statcdmissionary, have endeavoured to carry out the propot-al made to last Synod to instruct the Chinese in English, but hitherto they have failed to find proper agentH. They have, however, the prospect of one of their ministers being engaged, temporarily or permanently, in 'he work, of instructing our Chinese immigrants after the manner followed in some parts of America. The Committee n gret to inform tho Synod that the British Government has declined to annex or assume tho protectorate of the New Hebrides of island '. They would record tbeir thanks to Mr K. B. Cirgill for the dfort* made by him in favour of this annexation when addressing tho Colonial Institute, on tho occasion of his late visit to Biitain Tho question of aiding- the youDg men offering themselves for training for mission work has from lime to time occupied the attention of the Committee. They have found it nurrounded wi>h many difficulties which to some extent cannot full to bo remedied by tho successful institution of the Mission Bura-uy proposed by Mr Copelnncl of F.ituna, and brought by him under tho notice of tho sever.il congregations during his visit to this lwd. Diirnvr his residenca he-e, Mr Copcland's services towards the Mission oau-o amongst us have been vo»y willing and vciy vA<u->b!e, ami in the opinion of tho GVmrtnttce deserve :i B"bit&ntial recognition on the part of this Synod. The Comruitteo would reconuuend tint the Syuud sanction the vote of a sum of (,C100) imo lnuulrod pounds for this object.

The Committee are desirous that the Synod should renew its recommendation that missionary associations ' be formed in every congregation, and that full oppor-' tunity be givon to all the young of the Church, through Sabbath-schools or otherwise, of contributing in support of the Dayapring. They would Buggest to the several ministers to afford such opportunity : and from time to time seek to interest the children of their respective congregations in the mission ves-sel so essential to the conduct of the mission. And finally, the Committee request the prayers of the Church on behalf of the work entrusted to them and the missionaries who have gone forth from this Church to proclaim the glad tidings of the Qospel— the only means effectual for {recovering from idolatry and sin, and bringing mankind to the knowlodge and service of tho ono true God — the God of holiness and of love. Wm. Bannejrm.n, Convener. The Rev. Mr Ryley moved the adoption of the following deliverance :— " Adopt the report ; approve of the diligence of the Committee ; record their thanks to the Committee, and especially to the Convener ; express satisfaction at the favourable report of the progress of the work in the field occupied by the missionaries of thiß Church, and at the cordial reception accorded to Mr Michelsen, recently sent by the Synod to the New Hebrides, and the success which has attended his study of the Ngunene language ; approve of the Committee's invitation to Mr Milne to rest from his labours for a time, and express the hop 3 that he may accept of it ; regret that the British Government has declined to annex or assume the protectorate of the New Hebrides Group, and authorise the Committee to act in con-"1 junction with the other churches interested iv the mission in any future action that may < betaken to secure this object; rejoice at the' effort made to secure a mission bursary, and the success attending that effort ; record the thanks of the Synod to the Rev. J. Copeland, and authorise Lhe Committee to acknowledge these services in terms of the report; renew the recommendation for the formation of associations where they have not beon established, and encourage the children throughout the Church to contribute towards the support of the Dayspring ; instruct the Committee to continue their efforts to re-establish the mission to the Chinese who have come to Otago'j sanction the application of the interest of the mission bursary fund, for one year, or such portion of it as may be deemed necessary, for the encouragement of the young men who have offered themselves for mission work." — Carried. SUSTENTATION FUND. The Rev. Mr Maokie read the Sustentation Report, as follows : — Your Committee have to report that the income of the Sustentation fund for the year ending 31st December, 1873, is £9127 0s 2d, being an increase on the income of last jear by £367 7s 6 1. Forty-four settled charges have participated in the fund, as followa:(1.) Winton, as proportion for six months, £100 ; Riverton, for four months, £72 10s ; Limestone Plains, for five and a-half months, £106 163 8d ; Cromwell, for six mo> ths, £100; .North Dunedin, for 12 months, £168. 1 7s 6d. (2.) Six congregations, whose contributions to the fund for the year amounted to less than £176, according to regulations received each £200 - viz., Popotunoa, Tapanul, Teviot, Bwitzers, Walhcetown, Hampden. (3.) Thirty-thiee congregations, whese contributions amounted to over £175, received each £222 12* 2d. The total return from the congregation of Hampden amounted to only £135. In consideration of the whole circumstances of the case, which were laid before the Committee, the Committeo considered that that congregation was entit'ed to participate in the fund on the footing of self-supporting charges. The following congregations show an increase in their returns this year as compared with last year :—Blueskin, £15 ; Firht Church, £21 ; Green Island, £2 ; West Taieri, £5 ; Clutha, £50 ; Tokomiiriro, £23 ; Warepa, £2 ; First Church, Invercargil), £32 ; Upper Mataura, £17 ; Oterainika, £24 ; Oamaru, £26 ; Otepjpo, £8 ; Palmerston, £18 ; Waikouaiti, £2. The following congregations show a decrease :—: — Paversham, £3; Knox Church, £13; St. A"drow's, £27 ; North Dunedin, £8 ; N.E. iUrbour, £9 ; East Taieri, £12 ; North Taieri, £16 ; Balclutha, £15 ; InchClutha, £4; Teviot, £7; 'lapanui, £14; Waitahuna, £1 ; Switzers, £17; Hampden, £15 ; Papakaio, £12 Your Committee, while regretting that so many congregations show a falling off in their contributions, bos; to express their gratiiicatioa on the whole at tho result of the adoption and application of the regulations of last year with reference to the distribution of the fund. And they arc fully persuaded that a much more favourable result would have appeared but for the sad calamity of the recent floods with which it pleased God to devastate large aud important districts of our land. Your Committee learn with satisfaction of tho wide circulation, acceptance, and usefulness of the Missionary Record, so ably conducted by Profoasor Salmond. A proposil w*s brought before tho Committee by tho proprietors of the Kvanuelist, that step i should be taken towards tho amalgamation of that periodical w ilh the Missionary Kecord. The Committee, after careful consideration of the matter, ngreed to refer it timply to to the consideration of the Synod. Lindsay Mackhs, Convener. The Rev. Mr Watt moved the adoption of the following deliverance :— " Adopt the report ; approve of the diligence of the Committee ; record the thanks of the Synod to the Committee,} and especially to the Convenor ; congratulate the Committee on the increase, on the whole, in this important fund of the Church, notwithstanding certain circumstances known to us, all tending to make the fund less than it would otherwise have been ; advise the Committee to continue their diligence, with a view of raising this fund to the minimum previously arrived at of L 25 0; sanction the distribution of the fund on the principle laid down by last year's Synod, on which the Committee acted ; agree to exempt Hampden, owing to its exceptional circumstances, from the operation of this principle, and to Hiake it participate in the fund on the footing of a self-supporting charge ; learn with satisfaction the continued wide circulation and usefulness of the Missionary Record in bringing the various schemes of our church before so many of our people, and appoint a committee to consider, and if practicable, carry out the amalgamation of the Record with the Evangelist, referred to in our report." The subject was beirg discussed when the hour of adjournment arrived, and its consideration was adjourned till Tuesday evening.