DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2206, 11 June 1896, Page 53

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

A meeting of the Dunedin Presbyfery was held on the 2nd iv the hall of First Church. Sederunt : The Rsvs. J. Gibb (moderator), W. WUI, A. M. Pinlayson, W. H. Ash, R. R. M. Sutherland, R. J. Porter, J. M. Fraser, J. Kirkland, A. Don, J. M. M'Kerrow, A. Greig, D. Dutton, L Jolly, I. K. M'lutyre, W. Hewitsou, A. Cameron, ministers ; Messrs W. Huttqn, D. Thomson, F. Marshall, W. Scott, J. Somerville, J. Waugh, and A. Chisliolm (elders). The Rev. A. M. Wnghfc, of Lincoln, Canterbury, being present, was associated with the presbytery. ' THE CHINESE MISSION. The Rev. A. Don made application for the appointment of assessors in connection with the mission to tho Chinese. The application was grantel, and the following, assessors were appointed i — The Revs R. Waddell, W. H. Ash, D. Dutton, Messrs A. C. Begs and J. Don. On the motion of the Roy. A. Don, it was resolved— "That the presbytery respectfully request the Minister for Justice to arrange for all Chinese prisoners of long terra sentence beiug imprisoned in Dunedin Gaol, and that Messrs Ash and Don be appointed to draw up a letter to the Minister on the subject." STRATH-TA.IERI. After some dHcussiou as to the position of the Strnth-Taieri charge, it was resolved on the motion of the Rev. R. J. I'orter, seconded by the Rev. W. H. Ash:— "That in the matter of the SU-ath-Tiiieri charge it is the opinion of the presbytery that the old arrangement be resumed, Hindon and Lee Flat being connected with Strath-Taieri, and that the Church Extension Committee be requested t) communicate with Mr M'Cojh Smith with the view to the supply of ordinances at Hamiltous, Sowburn, <fee." INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL. The Rev. D. Dctton brought up the following report of -the committee to whom the subject of the Industrial School children's Sunday school had been referred : — " Your committee beg to report that they met on the Ist iust. and agreed to the following resolutions, which are accordingly transmitted to the Presbytery : I " 1. That the presbytery be recommended to thank Mr Carpenter and his assistants for the work they have done iv the past and inform him that the church will be glad if they will continue their labours until further resolution. The committee feel that Mr Carpenter and his staff, have done the church excellent service in this connection. "2. With reference f o the matter of seeing to the spiritual interest., of the children after they have left the school, the committee feel that the present arrangement with the Ministers' Association ia »atUfactory. " 3. A. third matter which the committee had to consider was that of providing a proportion of the funds for carrying ou the work of the school. A sum of £3 per year is required from our church. The committee recommend that tho city congregations be applied to by the presbytery clerk for yearly contributions to make up the sum ! named." ' j On the motion of Mr Dctton, who mentioned ! that there were 18 Presbyterian children in the Industrial. School, the report wa3 adopted. i

the committee on the Bible text book, reported that the association recent ly formed in DunHin concerning the Bible-iti-schools question ha-l *• .d 20,000 circulars and 1000 petition forms jv •* A. These forms were to be sent through Ot. » and Southland for signature. The association, had issued a request to all mioifitera in Otago and Southland to preach on the subject of religioua education in schools on tho second Sabbath of June. As for the method of work, ministers should, if possible, organise the whole of their district, taking ia all the paople within tho bounds of what they considered their parish, and see that the whole district was thoroughly canvassed in connection with the petition. Ia Kaikorai they had already started that, and Mi? Porter was doing the same in Mornington The Modeiui'OU endorsed the desirability of members of Presbytery throwing thenuelvea heartily into the matter. He did not recollect, | during the 11 years he had been in the colony, ! seeing so much interest in the question as there was at present, and the people were showing a hitherto unexampled enthusiasm in the matter. i He' did not know if they would win the battle ! this time, though God «rant they might, but it i looked more like a win than It ever did before, aud he hoped the members of Presbytery would fall in line with whit Mr Sutherland had said. The Rev. W. Will drew attsntion to a clause in the circular sotting forth the object of the associa« tion— viz., "To fecure the introduction into the public schools of New Zealand, under the present education system, and without otherwise interfering with if, of the 'Irish National Text Book of Scripture Lessons'; the instruction of tbia text book to be given by the teachers as part of the regular school work, but under a conscience clause for both teachers aud children." If the clause had stopped at "under a conscience clause," it would have been better. He did not think it; should go forth from ouch an association that teachers were to bo at liberty to refuse to teach, such a book if the country said it was to be taught. Ho did not believe any teacher would ever think of objecting, but if this clause were to be included it was a temptation to object ; and if it were to gat into legal form, it would leave it to the choice of any teacher toaay that he decllued to teach. The conscience clause referred not to the teachers, but to the parents and guardians. lie would be sorry to see an idea spreid that teachers were to bo at liberty to refuse to teach such a book if the country uaid it should be taught ia their schools. The Rev. W. H. Ash: The consciences of teacher* are guarded by tho fact that the questions are printed in the book. The Rev. B. R. M. Sutherland questioned the wisdom of raising the question at present. Ho I did not think the teachers to any extent would \ avail themselves of the liberty which the clause gave them. It would be wise to make the question as broad and liberal as possible for everybody until the people were instructed. The hard- ' ship for the teacher was made a very serious I objection to any interference with the present | system. The tearher became a teacher under the secular syntein, and now a novelty was,introduced which might be agtunat the conscience of the teacher, and the teacher might be driven out of teaching altogether. The Rev. W. Will : The teacher is here to teach under any regulations made by the State and boards. The Rev. I. X M'INTyRE thought it a very good thing that a teacher who objected to teach the Bible should be at liberty to refuse to do so, and asked if other arrangements could not be made in the event of the teacher objecting;. The Rev. R. R. M. Sutherland : Yes -, the board can make provision. The buok courd ba taught in school by other means. The Rev. W. Will : Well, that is not so bad. The matter then dropped. THE SUSXENTATIiiN FUND. The Presbytery then took up consideration of the remit from the syuod anenfc the sustentation fund. The Rev. W. H. Ash moved tho resolution which the synod had remitted, as follows :—" Th%t it ie desirable to amend the nuctentation fund regulations in respect to congregational minima in such a way that instead of there only being two minima, of £175 aud £200, a separato minimum shall hereafter be t appointed each year for the congregation of every sanctioned charge, such minima to be fixed after consideration of the, whole of the financial circumstances of each congregation, and that this proposal be sent dowu to sessions and presbyteries." The main object of the scheme was not to increase the dividend so much as to relieve some of the smaller churches and to provide that men should have not less than £200 per year. Many men did not have that now, Hia proposal was on the earao lines as that of the movement in the Free Chuich. He proposed that instead of there being only two minima of £175 and £200, there should be a. minimum according to the ability of each congregation. The minimum was to be based largely on the contributions of the congregations during r< cent years. Any deficit would be made up by the wealthier congregations by aid of st sliding scale. There would be no difficulty in working it. He thought the matter should be carefully coniideretl, for on the success of their sustentation fuad depended the strength of the small churches, and as were this latter, so would the future of the church as a whole be. The church was not holding its own. Other denominations were rapidly increasing. It would never do for them to sit idly by. After a general discussion, it was resolved, on the motion of the Rev. W. Hewitson— " That Mr Ash's scheme be sent down to the deacons' courts and managing committees, and that they be asked to consider it and report to next meeting of presbytery their opinion thereon, with any Buggestions for the improvement of the fund." GENERAX. It was resolved that the meetings of the presbytery henceforward be held at 10 a.m., instead of 11 a.m. as formerly. The consideration of the remit on church extension regulations was postponed until the next meeting, to be held on July 7. Captain Johnston, who is in command of the Salvation Army at Patea, wAb fined the othet day for causing an obstruction by preaohing in the streets. He elected to " take it out," and was taken to the Wanganui Gaol, to stay there for seven d»y». Alfred Inwood, of Motueka, proceeded with his five-year-old son to a field on the 2nd to dig potatoes. In the afternoon the child apparently approached a fire that bad been lighted in tha field, and was discovered making his way. towards home with his clothes burned off him. Medical aid was obtained, but the obild died within three hours of the accident.