Monday, January 21.

Otago Witness, Issue 1679, 26 January 1884, Page 9

Monday, January 21.

The Synod met at 2 p.m. AGED AND INFIRM MINISTERS 1 AND WIDOWS AND ORPHANS' I'UND.

The Rev. J. Ryley brought up the following:—

In compliance_ with insfcruotions of last Synod, your Committte met in April and appointed a sub-committee to collect information regarding the 1 onstiUKion and ■.sowing of tho Widows and Orphans' Fui.d, c ptcially in_ reference to "legal foundation and economical sifety." Dr Macgregor, who was chosen convener, .rave m a carefully-prepared statement based upon tho information obtained. The (Juramittca received the report, and, without pronouncing any opinion upon ie, i-tSJlved to forward il simplieiter to the Synod fo' its conside-aiion. A copy ia therefore herewith laid on the table :—

AGED AND I.NFIR',I MINISTERS' FIMD., The sum contributed during the 1 ear by 43 congregations it, £2U6 lOd lOd, bemir an increase over the previous 12 months of £67 Us'ld. The tollowing con-f-iegatious made no dilution : — So. Andrew*, Kavenabourno, i'opotunoa, Cromwell, St. Paul's (*nvercargill), Limesfo c Plains, Lower Mataura, Taringatura, Hanipden, Catliu's .River, 1 aud< r. lutoixst vi luatib aaiouuts to £227 0j 4d ; minister^ subscriptions and entry-money, £173 103; totil re cupts tor the year, £607 7s 2d ; -showing a gain over she previous year or £U5 2s Id The expenses irn ,umed to £215 16j BJ. After deduatinir thus sum cheie remai'is a b ilance to be auiled to cauital fund ol £9l lOj 6 1, which now atauds £2535 2d lid. There ■iru only two a.hnu.tauts on th'S fund. WID WS AND OKPHA.NS' FUND. Income: MinisteiV bUiisciijjtioiid and entry-money, £364 ,s^; inteiest on loans a;:d debentures, £JO6 9. ju; -making the receipts for tne year £07l 4-> 3d, wi.ich is an increase over the foimcr ye.r of £51 SH zd vter disbursements are de lucttd, which amount to £211 18s 7U, a baia-ice remans to be placed to capital f.md of £459 5a Bd, which will then btand at £4505 Bißd.

mere are now four widows and nine orphans clatuunrs on this fund, and through the lamented death of . he Hey. Lind=ay Mackie additional annuitants are placed upon it.

John Rylby, Joint Convener. The following deliverance, moved by the Rev. J. Ferguson and seconded by the Rev. J. Lothian, was agreed to:— -"Adopt the report, with thanks to the convener, express gratification with the present satisfactory state ot the funds, urge defaulting congregations to be move faithful to the appointed collection (tor aged and infirm ministers' fund), aud generally encourage ministers and members to cake a deeper interest in the two schemes."

sustentAtion fund.

The Rev. W. Will brought up the following report : —

Hour Committee have much pleasure iv reporting that, notwithstanding the vei-y depressed state of the country for the last year, the contributions to the oubtentati"ii fund have shown a suaail increa-e, the toial increase being £.792 4s lid. Twenty-four conKrcgaoums snow an increase of ±S2SI &i 6i ; 11 con^re (jatiuiia have decreased to the extent of £181 7a 7d ; live congregations return precisely the same amount as laßt year. The Committee recjret that the returns from North Duneliu and Columba church (Oamaru) are not sati&faoloiy. In regard to JNorth i unediu tho Committee understand that vkorous efforts are being made to increase the contributions of the congregation. The Committee consider that both these concremations should return an amount at least equal to the equal dividend, and trust Chat for the futuie their returns will be more satisfactory. The coniMgations of St. Andrew's (Dunedin), North Duneain, South Dunedin, Caver nam, ana • itepipo failed to report in sufficient time in Juiy, and therefore were not iucluded in the dividend then de l.i red To meet such cases the Committee recommend that the nynod adopt tho following regulation, viz, : — " Aid-receiving congregations failing to report their contribution to tho Sustentation t'unrl on or before the 7th day of July and the 7th day of January in »ach y«.-ar shall receive lebpectively only theammmc of their contributions for tho pencd not rep .rtecs ou unle-w the *ynod shall by a special decibion determine otherwise." Considerable inconvenience has been caußed by several congregations not reporting tho atnuunt of supplement given to their ministers To prevent for the future the difficulties which have arisen the Committee recommend the adoption of this regulation, viz. : "Aid-receiving- congregations fail'ni' To report the amount of supplement given o- 1 promised shall receive from the Suste itatiou JTuncl only the amount which they have respectively contributed." The Committee during the year appointed dtp'utations to vimt the several' Pr. sbytenes of the Church wiih the view to awaken a more lively intciest in the bu tuutation Fund, and to secure an increa-e to their eontribii' ions. All the Presbyteiies haye boon vibiteil The Committee lecord their thanks to the deputations ior iho faithful discharge of the dutioj which wero imposed ou then^ and cherish the hope that ncr mauent good may result fvom their visits. Tne Ci nunUtee deckied a dividend in July of =Plos ' Us, ami they now declare a dividend for the wJw haU-yoar ot £116 10s 3d to ail the ministers entfCl by the regulations to the same. This win make the div.dend ior the whole year amount to £"94 a^a The Committee record tho thanks of thVchurch to Miss Mure for her donation. 'Ihe Committee express their hoartfe't thcnl-* fn ■he great Head of the Church for ffiugS whiS continues to attend their tJforfci to strengthen this central fund of tho Church, on which the auintXwwco ot her ministry 8Q iwgely denends.. WiWiiAJi'Wiiiij, Convener. June A. * B'd8 ' d - £ s-d- ' To cash paid — Dividend -43 ministers, each £108 J4s 4,674 2 0 One minister three month:} „ 51 7 n One minister, five ' v months .. v ' t 3 4SIO 9 8 Synod expsased, 1832 20 0 0 Ejipenuoij deputation 11 5 0 Telegiams .. 0 7 Q December 31. June dividends credited ' St Andrew's .. 103 14 O South Dunedin .. 108 14 0 Caveraham .. 10s 14 0 Otepopo.. .. 108 14 0 434 10 0

Refunded to conpregationa— • Forth Dut edin . . 72 0 0 l>o do .. 92 0 0 Green Island .. 10J 0 0 Mornintctoa .. 110 0 0 Lawre cc .. 90 0 0 Waihola .. 118 U (i Warepa .. 1U 17 6 Mount Ida .. 01 14 6 Queenstown .. ICO 0 0 Columba (Oamaru) 21 13 6 Waikouaiti .. 100 0 0 £1,019 17 0 Le3s due by concrogations to adjust last dividend .. 52 11 0 907 6 0 Dividend -30 ministers, each £115 103 3d -. .. 4,501 19 Adjustment Rev. J. H. Cameron .. 1 14 0 Synod expenses, 1883 20 0 0 Coulla and Culling, 103 ; telegrams, 2a Id .. .. 0 12 1 Expenses sending deputation North 11 9 0 32 11 Balance .. 2i 3 0 .-610,812 12 G O. Deqcmbf r SO, ISB3 -By balance, 9d. Congregational contribu ions for 12 month-) ending December 31, 18Si: Anuersoij's Bay. £224; Blues,kin and Merton, £163 ; Caveraham, £200 ; Duucdiu First, £406 16s 6d ; do Kimx. £()0? 6s 6d ; do St Andrew's, £284 9a Id; do North. £16 1; do South, £175 2s fld; Green Island, £204 9s; Kaikorai, £225; Mornington, £220 ; No. t'l-East Ilartnur and Portobello, £iH Is ; Port Chaluieis, £226 14s; Taieri Ea t, £i 76 193 ; do West, £26")9i6d; do Noith and Modgiel, £224 6< 3d; Balclutba, £180 i9s ; Ulutha, £210; Incn-Jiutha £232 3s 6d ; Lawi ence, £200 ; Popof unoa, £216 12s ; Tapanui, £i 75 4s (3d ; Tokoniairiro, £276 10a ; Waihola, £220 15i; Waitahuna, £180 63 Cd ; Warepa, £220 ; Alexandra aud Clyde, £175; Cromwell, £200; Mount Ida, £194 14a 6d ; Teviot, £169; lnvercargill First Church, £312; do St. Paul's, £226 Is 6d; Liim stone Plains, £177 6s; Mataura, £ISI 12s ; Mataura Lower, £150 3s 6d ; Oteraroika and Loiii? Buth, £176; Queensfcown, £20i); Kivetton, £191 19s 9 1 ; vVaikaia and Rivp.rFdale, £165; \Vdllaceto \n, £196 15a ; Winton and Forest Hill, £184 4s G.i ; Oamaru, St. Paul's, £-252 69 ; do, Columba, I £r2l \'.U 6-1 ; Otepopo and KaUnnui, £237 lls 6d ; Palineibton, £236 03 ; Papakaio, £222 17s ; Waikoujin, £200 ; Waiaroka (thre» months), £50; Upiiar Wai-aki, £178 ; Knapda c, £19S 18s 3d— £10,792 11 X tlonation— l!is3 Mure, Perwt wn .. 19 9 4 Amount due by Ruv. \V. Wright to adjust Juno dividend .. .. .. 011 4 £10,812 12 6. By balance, £21 3s. E. and O E. Edwnd Smiih. General Tre^m-pi-Duuedin, 31st Dec , 18S3. Tho following cor.gregitiona report an increase upore last j ear :— Anderson's Biy, £6 9s; BlueakiD and Merton £10 12s ; Knox Church, Duswdin, £72 48 6d * St. Andrew's, Duncain, £2i s id; 6reen Island, £4 9a ; North-Eaat Haroour and Port-'bello, £1 ; West Tai'ri, £17 Us ; NTth Taieri cjid Misgiel, £6 8a 91 • Cluthi, £1 153 ; Inch-Clutha, £12 18s ; Popotunoa, £8, 168 ; T.ipitiui, £10 tis ; Waihola, £16 0s 6d ; Waitahuna, £5 5s ; Waro^a, £6 Is lid ; Alex ndraand Chdo. £>5: Mount Ida, £10 2a 6d ; Teviot, £6 ; First Church Inverear<iill, £2 2s 6d; Limestone Plains, £1 5a ; Mataura, £ 1 12s ; Lower Matau *, £4 3s ; Kiverton, £11 19a 9d ;. Wiutjn and Forest Hill, 2a: Palmeviton, os;— totak £28. fs6d

Thfi following con. regationa report tli9 same amo int as last year :- Kaikorjj, £225 ; MorniDjrton £220; Crom-A-eil, i.WO ; Otwamika aud i^ong iiush! *U76 ; Q ic n^town, £^00.

The foilowi>'£ congregations report a decrease upon last ye.ir : Firsr, Irarch, Dunedin, £92 ; Port Chalmers, £20 }di 6d ; Sasr, Taieri, £15 Is Gel ; Balclutha, £4 153 ;Tokomairiro, £12 lls; St P^ul'.-, Inv-ercargill £i 2 17s Id ; Wallaretown. £3 17a (id; St. Paul's, Oamaru, £2 1&i ; Papakaio, £0 3s ; WaiUouaiti, si 7 a 6d;— total, £181 7s 7d. First tJhurch, Invercavgiil, sent in £10 too lato for insettion in atatement.

In the course of the discussion which took place,

The Rev. A, C. Gillies pointed oat that, the contribution by North Dunedin Church for the past year was £73 more thaa for the previous year.

The Rev. J. M, Sutherland moved the following deliverance, which was agreed to :— " The Synod adopts the report, and expresses heartfelt thanks to the Great Head of the Church for the success which continues to attend the efforts made to support the great central fund of the Chtirch ; acknowledges with gratitude the services of the Committee, of th je deputies to the vatious Presbyteries, especially those of the Convener; rejoices that notwithstanding the depressed industrial an d commercial state of the country dd ar n»i n » the past year, the contributions of coooregation" to the Sustentation Fund have resulted in producing the largest equal dividend yet paid tothe ministry of the Church ; ckclares said dividend to be £224 4s 3d ; enjoins upon deacons' courts the necessity and value of complying: with all the regulations of the SustentatioS I'und Committee ; and thanks heartily the collectors m the various congregations for their valued serv^es ; recommends anew to the generous support of the membership and adheveatship of the Chuvoh this great schema for the spread of the Gospel."

DONATION TO CHURCH EXTENSION SCHEME; .The Rev. Dv Stuart reported that Miss Mure, of Porcetowu, had increased her donation to the Church Extension Fund to £40.— ihe thanka of the Synod were recorded. THSI KEY. A. 0. GILLIES ANJ> THE DUNEDIN

presbyter r.

The Synod discussed tha question whether the_ Rev. Mr Finlayson's protest against the decision of the.^ Synod on the petition of the Rev. A. C. Oillies could be received. Aftev a long discussion it was resolved, on the motion of the Rev. Mr Bannebman, by 24 votes to 16— "That a party at the bar has no right to protest." The Rev. Dr Stuart; and the Rev. W. Will dissented. The Synod adjourned at 11.30 p.m.