PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11932, 17 February 1894, Page 2

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

(Per Press Association.) CimisTCHUncii, February IG. At (ho Presbyterian General Assembly this morning the report of the Church Property Board waß H ead. It was stated that the loss and expenses in connection with the recent case at Auckland, which was taken to the Supreme Court, amounted to J61313 7s. The report was adopted and it was decided not to appeal from tho decision of the Supreme Court. The resignation of Mr W. M. Hannay as a member of the Board was accepted with regret. The report of the Committee on State religion and morals stated that out of the 100 list of questions only 50 were returned. Six reported a decrease in the church attendanco, and twenty-four reported an increase, while nineteen remained Btationaig, , congregational prayer meeting waK^rted by 20 to ba well attended, while twauty-nine reported to the opposite. Sabbath was generally well observed by those in church fellowship, but by the religiously careless was largely desecrated. Thirty-four returns stated that family worship did not exist, and it was suggested that the attention o£ congregations should ba called by ministers to the value of this institution: Twenty-six returns reported that no special services were held during tho year. It was regretted that no special efforts wore put forth by the church and officers to reach the religiously careless. Thirty returns reported no '' lapsing," andtivelve recorded it existed only to a limited extent. The Committee specially emphasised the increasing esteem in which the Christian Endeavour Societies were held as tho link between church and school. Boference was made to the almost unanimous non-attendance of working men and families at public worship, and variouß causes were assigned. Twentythree reported the existence of vice and social impurity, and reference was made by the whclasome meaßUres laid down in the new Criminal Code, which corner into force on the 3rd March, f uch as penalties for publishing obscene literature, and for being the owner, tenant, lessee or occupier who kept a disorderly house, which was in terms of the code, common betting houses, cod mon gaming houses, or houses of ill-fame. It was recommended that the age of consent bo raised from 14 to 16. Betting and gambling were reported to be practically universal, and in propogation of this vice a large measure of blame was reported to be at the door of newspapers an •! racecourses. Hotels were considered to give birth of and to foment the evil. The cure was indicted in the line of suppression of the tofnlisator, police supervision of bars, hotels, barbers' shops, and billiard rooms, and making publication of betting matter in newspapers a punishable offence. A large amount of practical infidelity was reported, but little of a theoretical order. The cure was considered to be in the earnest gospel preaching and prayers, circulation of Christian literature, and the use of apologetics in preaching. Tho report was concluded witn a number of suggestions. The report was adopted.