MEETING OF CHRISTCHURCH PARISHIONERS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXIII, Issue 11332, 29 July 1891, Page 2

MEETING OF CHRISTCHURCH PARISHIONERS.

. « . The annual meeting of the parishioners of Christ Church was held at 8 o'clock last evening, in the Schoolroom. The Rev. T. L. Tudor was in the chair. With reference to the proposal that Mr Barnes should transfer the parsonage trust to the Diocesan Trustees, that gentleman said that as long ago as October last he had expressed himself quite ready to hand over the trust as desired. Mr Nojman proposed, That the Diocesan Trustees should accept the trust, subject to the conditions fixed by Mr Barnes, namely, that the parsonage should Tie kept in good repair, and that any revenue proceeding from the property of the parish should be expended-f or the benefit of the parishioners. Mr J. H. Nixon objected to the transfer of the trust, and maintained that the petition for the transfer signed by 60 parishioners did not represent the wishes of the parish. He added that if Mr Barnes was tired of the trust he thought the proper course was to transfer it to another of the parishioners. The Chairman remarked that years ago it had been decided that as soon as the debt was cleared off the parsonage the trust should be transfered to the Diocesan Trustees, and he himself had worked harder to wipe out the debt than he should have done, had he understood the trust was to remain vested in a private individual. After some further discussion the motion was carried by the meeting. The annual report, copies of which were in the hands of the meeting, was taken as read. Mr Nixon, referring to the debt which the Key. T. L. Tudor mentioned in the report, wished to know whether the J2BO was lent to the organist personally or expended on behalf of the parishoner3. Mr Andrews said that the incumbent lent the parish .£3O some years ago for organ repairs. He wished to draw the attention of the meeting to the way in which the debt originated. In year 1882 there was a debt of £30 on the organ. The organist, . Mr Crawford, promised he would raise the money during the year on recitals, and, relying on that promise, the vestrymen made the payment of ;630 out of money that should properly have gone in payment of the incumbent's stipend, and consequently the Eev. Mr Tudor received less than was due to him. With regard to the repairs in which Mr JNixon said the organ stood in need, he said he quite recognised the fact that the organ would shortly claim the attention of the parish. Tho meeting then proceeded with the olection of a parishioners' churchwarden, Mr Withers having been nominated by the Eev. Mr Tudor as minister's warden. On the motion of Mr Downes, seconded by Mr Cramer, Mr Skipwith. was elected to be churchwarden. Proceeding with the election of vestrymen, it was proposed by Mr Nixon, seconded by Mr Downes, and earned, That the whole of the old vestry, except Mr Skipwith, who had just been elected as churchwarden, be re-elected. Messrs Turner, Hole, and Thorpe were afterwards added to the vestry, and Messrs Notman and Liffiton were elected as auditors, Mr Notman said that before they proceeded to other business, he would like to draw their attention to the fact that Mr Barnes had with considerable good-nature acceded ; i to the request that he should transfer the parsonage trust, and he proposed, That a very cordial vote of thanks bo given to Mr Barnes for his valuable services. The motion was carried with acclamation. A vote of thanks was also accorded to Mr Gosset for the very valuable services rendered by him to tho parishioners. Mr Notman pointed out that somo day3 ago he had come across in tho vestry somo old marriage and baptismal registers going so far back as 1851. He suggested that as these were very valuable books they should be removed to a place of greater security, and proposed, That permission should be a?ked to place them in the strong-room at the Courthouse. The Chairman said he was often called upon to give extracts from these books, but that he should bo very pleased to comply with the suggestion made by Mr Notman. Mr Andrews then proposed a vote of thanks to tho Ladies' Guild. He said that nobody knew better than the members of ' the late vestry the great assistance which had boen given by the ladios of the parish, who had kept them together as no body of men could possibly have done. The motion was secondod by Mr Skipwith, and carried with acclamation. Mr Gossett then took the chair, and tho meeting proceeded to elect Mr Skipwith as synodsman, which brought the business of the evening to a close,