PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8282, 8 November 1906, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN ASSEMBLY.

r By Telegraph—Press Association. DUNISDIN, November 7. At the Presbyterian General Assembly, the Rev. J. B. Borrel submitted a long report on the state of religion, in which wss embodied summaries cf the replies of the Sessions and Hoie iviissionary to seven questions. The Rev. Borrell said that some of the features were favourable, but there were dtlier matters to be regretted. Family life appeared to be destitute of a religious basis. Pleasures were apt to be overdone. young people, though connected with the Ohurch, showed no strong tendency to bftcome full members, and mid weekly prayer ,meetings had dwindled to almost vanishing-point. The deliveranoe was adopted, which, among other things, appealed to parents and guardians to seek the hallowing of family life that the home may, by its purity and happiness, be able to withstand the attractions of ques tionable pleasures, rejoice in the widespread agitation against the totalisator and betting and gambling generally and in the promises of the Government to introduce legislation on the subject, and exhort all our people to fulfil their citizenship in unaompromising fidelity to theGaspel of Christ, ever paying supreme regard to the bearing of all civio questions. - On the motion of the Rev. Dr Gibb; It was resolved "that the Assembly calls upon tbe Government to carry through the measure for the abolition of the licensed totalisator, and to take such other steps as may help to suppress the gambling mania which is both widespread and productive of immense harm to the morals of the community."

The temperance report submitted stated that a solid advance has been made in the cause of temperance. The value of the figures at the last local option poll (continuance 182,884, >no-lioense 198,768) could hardly be overestimated. Judging by tbe faets before tbe Committee from No-license electorates, there seemed to be a reduotion of crime (serious and petty) of from 62 to 75 per cent. The report was briefly disoussedj and oonsideration adjourned.