DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2323, 8 September 1898, Page 28

DUNEDIN PRESBYTERY.

A meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery was held in the hall of First Church yesterday morning, and attended by the Revs. D. Dutton (moderator), W. Will, J. M. M'Kerrow, D. Borrie, J. Gibb. A. Cameron, R. R; M. Sutherland, J. M. Fraser, W. Hewitson, I. K. M'lntyre, A. Greig, A. M. Finlayson (ministers) ; Messrs G. Reid, W. Hutton, J. Waddell, D. A. M'Nicoll, and D. Thomson (elders). * AGED AND INFIRM MINISTERS* FUND. The Presbytery resumed consideration of the remit to presbyteries and sessions on the a and infirm ministers' fund regulations. The Rev. W. Will moved— "That regulation 8 be amended by substituting for the words, 'an annuity of £60, and £1 added for every year of service,' the following : — ' An annuity of £50, with £1 added for every year of service.' " The Rev. A. Cameron moved — "That the motion be amended by the addition of the words 'up to 30 years ' after the word ' service.' " After some discussion Mr Will's motion was carried by eight votes to seven. The Rev. A. Cameron moved — " That congregations be assessed." The motion was seconded by Mr Gibb, and agreed to. It was also resolved, on the motion of the Rev. A. Cameron, seconded by the Rev. D. Borrie — '* That the annual contributions of ministers be increased by £2 a year." ALTERATION OF BOUNDARIES. The Rev. J. Gibb reported that he and Mr Reid had visited Berwick, and a meeting was held there with regard to the alteration, of the boundaries. The meeting approved of the proposal to sever their connection with the West Taieri congregation and to their junction with Henley and Otakia, and also to appoint a committee to canvass the district with a view to see what amount would be promised for the sustentation fund. A good committee, with an energetic convener, had been appointed, and he (Mr Gibb) was happy to be able to tell the presbytery that the matter was going on exceedingly well. He hoped, indeed, if things progressed in the way they were doing, that they would not only have a church extension charge at Berwick, but that they would have a fully sanctioned church extension congregation straight away. On the day after the meeting at Berwick he and Mr Reid went to Otakia, where a meeting, to which the Henley people had been invited, was held. The meeting did not require any persuasion in regard to the matter, and two resolutions, similar in terms and identical in aim to the resolutions passed at Berwick, were unanimously adopted. He was glad to say that the Hey. Mr Kirkland no longer offered any objection to the severance of Berwick from West Taieri. The West Taieri people, however, should be visited, and the session and congregation consulted as to their feeling in regard to the matter. He did not anticipate any opposition from that quarter. The report was received. CHURCH EXTENSION REGULATIONS. A remit on the church extension regulations was then considered, when it was resolved, on the motion of the Rev. Mr Borrie, seconded by the Rev. Mr Cameron — " That the Presbytery approve of the principle of. the regulations remitted by the committee of Synod." THE NORTH DUNEDIN CHURCH. The Rev. A. Cameron stated that the insurance on the North Dunedin church, which was burnt down, amounted to £1000. A question was raised by a committee of the Presbytery as to the position of affairs. When the committee looked into the matter, they felt that the only question was as to the ownership of the £1000. The church was erected by money contributed by the congregation and the Synod, and the question -was what proportion belonged to the congregation and what to the Synod. The committee felt that part of the money belonged to the Synod, and recommended that £400 be regarded as belonging to the Synod and £600 to the congregation, and that a further grant be given to the congregation towards the erection of a new church in terms of Regulation 3. After some discussion with regard to the matter, it wa<3 resolved — " That the committee of the Presbytery meet with the managers of the North Dunedin Church to further consider the matter and report to next meeting of the Presbytery." Anderson's bay. The Anderson's Bay congregation applied for leave to sell the old manse and site and for a grant for a neAV manse and site in terms of Regulation 8. The application was referred to the same committee appointed to inquire into the North Dunedin Church matter. OX TRIAL FOR LICENSE. The Presbytery agreed to apply to the Synod for leave to take Mr J. J. Cairney on trial for license. SUNDAY TRAVELLING. The Rev. J. Hinton, secretory of the Dunedin Ministers' Association, wrote forwarding the following communication from the association : Chir attention has been called to the fact that there is a very large amount of Sunday travelling in Dunedin and the siiburbs, especially by tiams and drags. Inquiry from authoritative sources reveals the fact, also, that these conveyances are largely vised by tho church- going public, and that were the church -going community to abstain from using the conveyances the evil would be greatly minimised. As this Sunday travelling constitutes a breach of the Divine law, and as it deprives the men employed on the vehicles of their day of rest and their oppcr( unity of Christian worship, the Dunedin Ministers' Association, would ask the Christian, community to seriously consider these facts, and whether it be not their duty to abstain fro-n the use of these vehicles on the Lord's Dp.-. It was decided to postpone consideration of the matter until next meeting of Synod, on the first Tuesday in October.

Annie Swinem, a married ■woman living ] apart from her husband, was sentenced to j one month's imprisonment at Invercargill on Friday for 'cruelty to her shild by locking him out with only his nightdress on a cold night..