UNION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2455, 3 April 1901, Page 71

UNION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES.

APPROACHING THE CONSUMMATION.

The negotiation? for union between the two I'resbyterian Churches in New Zealand have now reached an extremely interesting stage. Both the Assembly of the Northern Church and the Synod of Otago ancl Southland have accepted a basis of union ; they ha\e also accepted the terms of a bill to lecure the common properties of the Church, and further to secure tho trust funds of the Otago Synod to that section of the United Church. The assembly and the synod have instiueted their Union Committees to cooperate in securing the passing ot this bill at the enpuing session of Parliament. Arrangements are already in progress to give due effect to this resolution. The Northern Church at the meeting of its assembly in Wanganui last month finally instructed its Union Committee, in conjunction with the Union Committee of Otago, in the e\ent of tho bill becoming law, to take the necessary f'teps to consummate the union. At a meeting of the Dunedin Presbytery, held on Monday last, it was resohed, at the request of tho Union Committee, to ask the moderator of synod to call a special or pro ra nata — as it is termed — meeting of synod on the second Tuesday of April, the date of the half-yearly meeting of tho synod's committees. At this special meeting of synod the Union Committee will report the stage of the negotiations, and ask for instructions to complete the union similar to those al ready given by the Northern Assembly. If the bill become" law, the United Assembly will in all piobabihty hold its fir'-t meeting m Dv ledm in No\ ember. It is piobable that tho piocedure adopted by the Fiee Chinch of Scotland and tho United Presbyterian Church at the time of their union laot year will be followed. The synod would mec-t apart and transact the bußinest> nece« '•ary in connoctirm with it-i final session, and then consider ancl adopt a Uniting Act Tho assembly, whose moderator has been authorised to hold an in liunc effectum meeting in Dunedin for the «ame purpose, would also meot apart and pa«s the same act. Therfafter, the two bodips would come together to foim the first meeting of the Assembly of the United Church. There will doubtless be a \ery strong de-iro that the pioceedings should be marked by great impres»i\eness, and it n certain that it the cuents as outlined lake place in No\ ember the Presbyterian community will n-o to the height of what not only they, "but all the citizens, must consider a a cry great occasion. The further cour=e of fi negotiation* and airangeinonts for union will be watched with a \ery deep and >\ m pathetic interest by every pci=on who < uo> fo. the moial and spiritual well beni" "1 the toi, mumij .

TUSSICTRA (vile! oheiiy peetowil halm), a lehable remedy for JJronchiu-, Influent, stubborn white* Cough;. A poweiful slom&Ui tome aad stimulant.

Rome \eiv lai"TP mushrooms lave Vippii obtained on t>>e Tarrtahi of late Lately a Ma'-tPilon 1 opulent found <-e\cral mushrooms of abi.orma! a,, .atli. nearly apt ro.iching UlO mzc of a wash-hand l*a c in. It i« hehe\od that these lrtu-hiooms are of a specie a.