NELSON DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Colonist, Volume XLVIX, Issue 11771, 30 October 1906, Page 2

NELSON DIOCESAN SYNOD.

At yesterday's session of the Synod, tbe following business was considered : — A motion brought forward by Mr White to the effect that this Synod disapproves of the Bill introduced into General Synod to provide for the election of members of that Synod by Diocesan Synods, and requests that the resolution be forwarded to the Most Right Rev. the President. Mr White considered that the bill would mean the curtailment of certain privileges granted by the original Constitution, and as that Constitution was framed by Bishop Selwyn, and a body of advisers famed for their wisdom and forsigbtednesa it should not be tarn- i pered with. As the General Synod wished for an expression of opinion on this sul-ject, the Synod, after dis cussion, concurred with Mr White's opinion, and his motion was agreed to. Considerable discussion ensued on < a motion brought forward by the i Rev. E. A Hanson, That in the j opinion of this Synod it is highly desirable for the welfare of the Diocese that in the filling of vacant i Cures the claims of the Diocesan : Clergy shall be duly considered. Mr i | Allaneon considered that it was only i fair to iil-paid and hardly-used men ; who : filled the Cures in tbe i back blocks that they should be en- : cou raged to" look forward to pro- i motion to some of the better Cures < in the Diocesry and he brought for- < ward this motion with a view to the i

nominators being mhde aware of the wishes of Synod on the subject 4. The motion was] seconded pro forma by Mr Uroucher, who^said thafcjthe Bishop's 40 years' experience of the need.° of the Diocese should guide him in making selections, or tilling vacancies in the parochial districts, and he had no doubt rithat tile. ..Bishop 1 carefully weighed the pros and cone, and often knew more thau he cared to divulge. . MrH. Jones supported the principle of the motion. Mr Wilson Heaps thought it rnigbi lead to departmentalism! Archdeacon Grace, after a 35 years' experience, thought that the practice both by the Bishops and parochial nominators, had always been in accordance with the motion. K^i Mr de Castro considered that promotion in tbe Church should be similar to that in the Government Civil Service. .Mr White believed in the Salvation Army's method of close inspection, and that men should be frequently •moved when forced to occupy isolated Cures. Mr Park (who was interpreted by Archdeacon Grace), considered that Mr Allanson's motion, if carried, would tend to prevent suitable men from" outside the Diocese ever applying for work here; and if the Nelson Diocese resorted to any such system of "boycott," the other Dioceses might retaliate and impose a kind of Chinese Poll tax on our men. Again, the health of a clergyman, or his wife and family, and clihiatic reasons, might render a chango highly desirable and beneficial; The Bishop said that such a resolution as that proposed would compel men to draw some conclusions. Mr Allanson had kindly said that he did not intend his motion as applying to the Bishop,, but only to parochial nominators, but he, the Bishop, would accept it as applying equally to himself. He did not profess to be infallible, but he heel always done his best. As a matter of fact, out of the 23 clergy in the Diocese, all but nine were New Zealanders, and the most important of the Parishes were all held by men ordained in this Diocese, and trained in the Diocese itself. It was neither wise nor desirable for the Diocese to always retain its own men. There were better openings elsewhere, and the opportunities for a more varied experience, and it was unfair to our young men to compel them to remain here. The Nelson Diocese did not contain one-tenth of the population of the Colony, and the larger Dioceses were able to offer higher inducements. He was pleased to inform the Synod that many of the clergy who had been trained in the Diocese were now occupying responsible positions elsewhere. Mr Allanson, with the consent of his seconder, then withdrew his motion. The Synod concluded its sesgion at midnight. The balance of the report of its proceedings will appear in our next issue. The Bishop desires i,to notify the clergy that the Quiet Day at Bishopdale will be held to-day (Tuesday) instead of tomorrow. The clergy are requested to meet at Bishopdale Chapel at half-past ten o'clock for Celebration of Holy Communion. I