GENERAL SYNOD.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 699, 8 May 1916, Page 11

GENERAL SYNOD.

THE TWENTIETH SESSION. THE NATIONAL CRISIS. Thi' sittings of the twentieth session of the General Synod of the I Church of the Province of New Zea'land were continued to-day. The Primate, the Most Rev. S. T. Nevill, D.1)., Bishop of Dunedin, presided. Permission was accorded the Hon. Mr Maginnity to address Synod, jconcerning the meeting of Parliament. The speaker said that he did not propose to refer to political j questions, hut only to mailers vital |lo the nation. He quoted Mr Lloyd George as saying that national unity I was necessary to national victory. There were' upwards of 100,000 eligible men in the country who had not given in their names for active service. Those figures had been sent him by the Prime Minister that morning, but he added that they were married men. He was going to appeal to the fathers, the mothers, aye, and the wives, to help in this struggle, because victory meant to them peace, freedom, and all thai was good. The questions to be considered by Parliament were of greatest import, not only lo the people of New Zealand, but to all peoples of the English-speaking world. Had their eligibles realised that they were wanted now, not in the future, but now, and that within 40 days' sail their brothers were lighting for the salvation of the British Empire? He trusted that he was not acting 100 freely in asking the Right Rev. the i Primate to permit the Bishop of: Auckland to invoke a blessing on the deliberations of Parliament. Time moved on, with all of them, but be trusted that when they r were planted beneath the soil of their native land the Hag that would wave over them would be the Hag of peace, love, justice, and of freedom —the Hag of England.—(Applause.) The Primate asked the Bishop of Auckland if he would comply with ' the request, and Bishop Avcrill thereupon engaged in prayer, the Synod joining in, asking the blessing of God upon the - deliberations of Parliament. (Proceeding.)