DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2232, 10 December 1896, Page 10

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

The ordinary meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery was held on the Ist in First Church Hall; present—The Revs. J. M. M'Kerrow (moderator), W. Will, A. Greig, R. R. M. Sutherland, J. Christie, A. Cameron, J. Gibb, R. T. Porter, D. Dutton, J. M. Fraser, I. Jolly, W. H. Ash, I. K. M'lntyre, B. C. Tennent, A. M. Finlayson (clerk), Dr Watt, and Dr Dunlop, ministers; Messrs J. Patcrson, D. Thomson, W. Hutton, J. M. Laing, Geo. Reid, and Captain Thomson. CHINESE PRISONERS. A communication was received from the Minister for Juitice declining the application of the presbytery that Chinese prisoners of longtime sentences should be sent to Dunedin Gaol. OTAGO CENTRAL SERVICES. A letter was received from the Rev. A. B. Todd Btating that he and Mr Clark had collected £5 2s in addition to what had formerly been reported (making in all £50) for the Otago Central services. — It was resolved to cordially thank Messrs Todd and Clark for their efforts in this direction. STRATH-TAIERI. An application received from the congregation of Strath-Taieri for moderation in » o&ll was made by the Rev. Mr M'Kerrow. — It was agreed to grant moderation, and Tuesday, 15th inst., was fixed, the moderator if possible to preside. MIDDLEMABCH. An application was received from Middlemarch for leave to use the organ. — It was found that the congregation was substantially unanimous, and the presbytery granted the permission. FINANCIAL. The Clerk submitted a statement of the presbytery expenses for the year past, showing a balance of £3 175. THE LOCAL OPTION POLL. The Rev, R. R. M. Sutherland stated that feefoja tha jamceediufifl closed he thought tha.

presbytory should give utterauoe to its feelings on the temperance question in view of the poll to be takon on Friday next. He stated that there was a leader in the Daily Times that morning bearing on the matter. There were two or three things in the article which struck him, and to which he proceeded to refer. Some of the statements in the article were made with clearness and strength, but there was a lack of argument behind them. The writer endeavoured to make a good deal out of what he termed the tyranny of imposing no license upon the com* munity by a bare majority. According to the existing law only a three-fifths majority could impose no license, and to impose it by a bare majority the Times considered an act of tyranny. To him it appeared an act of tyranny for every 41 persons out of 100 to impose on 59 out of the 100 a traffic which was admitted to be a burden on the community. The editor was a bit of an alarmist, and he said if the people struck out the top line there was no knowing what the result would bo in Dunedin. No doubt it would upset things for a time in a number of different ways, but he had no fear of anything dreadful happening in Dunedin or anywhere else. Tho writer of the leading article stated that there would be no end of sly grog-selling and sly drinking. He (the speaker) had a better opinion of his fellow citizens to believe that any great number would becoms either sly grog-sellers or patrons of sly grogsellers. No doubt in a community like Dunedin there would be sly grog-selling, but little compared with the population of the place. They had sly grog-selling going on oven now. The editor of the Times also wanted to frighten the people from voting for no license by drawing attention to the financial loss which he said would ensue, but the speaker thought that at the end of three years any disturbance in that direotion would be righted, and the community would find itself all the more prosperous for the change. The Rev, A. Oauerqh thought that in the

interests oFthe Kingdom of God the Presbytery ought to take a strong stand in counselling its people to strike out the top Hue. The arbio'.e would influence a lob of people, and they should endeavour to counteract ib by distributing circulars.

The Rev. Mr Will was in favour of no license in other places than Dunedin, but bo thought that in Dunedin they should go to work as miners and sappers did. They should get a 25 per cent, reduction every year, and in time the number of licenses would be so reduced that they could easily effect their entire abolition. He admired the good sense of the D&ily Times's articles as a whole, and so far as he knew ib was the very be3t paper that came to hia house— (hear, hear),— and as regarded its stand in this matt erne inclined to the belief that the licenses were so involved in Dunedin that it would be better if they endeavoured to attain their abolition gradually. The Rev. Mr Ash moved — " That considering so many of our brethren are by the use of strong drink caused to offend against the law of God and man, the presbytery express the earnest hope that the members and adherents o? the congregations within the bounds will on Friday next remember the very grave responsibility which the Great Head of the Church has cash upon them in connection with the liquor traffic." . The Rev. Mr Sutherland asked if they could not add to it something to the effect that the presbytery hope the people would strike out the top line. Dr Watt said that he could not vote for the motion if that were added. Eventually the motion was lefb as drafted, and agreed to unanimously. The Rev. Mr Jolly moved— "That this presbytery exhorts the people within the bounds of the presbytery to give. due weight to the position of candidates regarding tho question of Scripture lesions in the public schools in making up their minds for whom to vote at the election on Friday." The Rev. Mr Gheig seconded. The Rev. Mr Gibb said that although he did not say that a candidate for parliamentary honours who was in favour of this question should receive support alone on this account, the fact that he did so was a very strong recommendation indeed. The motion was carried.