MEETING AT DEVONPORT.

Auckland Star, Volume VI, Issue 1687, 15 July 1875, Page 4

MEETING AT DEVONPORT.

The parishioners of Devor-porfc, North. Shore held a meeting last evening in fch e Sunday school-room, to consider the action of the Unurch Committee in letting fche building to the Good Tempers of the district. The Key. Joseph Bates filled the chair, and Messrs Brassey, Cameron, and Tanner represented the Committee. The meeting was largely attended, and great interest in the object of the meeting was exhibited. Rev. Mr Bates, having introduced the matter of debate, called on Mr W. S. Cochrane to explain, ,-, n behalf of the teacher. Mr Cochrane said that he and others at the time of erection of the building, entered into a bond as security for the cost, for tbe payment of which they started a subscription, and the understanding was that the subscribers were to have a Sunday-school-room, and not a public hall. Tbe acnou of the committee therefore in letting tho Ball to the Good Templars, who were essentially a political body, was not in acc^nlauoe with the original intention of the teacier , and had placed them in a false position with the subscribers; hence they protested against tbe liberty taken by the Courch Cc-ramittee to let the building without consulting the Sunday - school teachers. Mr G. N. Brassey having read the conespondenc?, m- nt on to explain the matter. He w«s su pnsed at the conduct of the teacher's eomnviee, who he considered w?s su!>ervient to the church committee, and on behalf of himself and Mr Cameron, he could only s:;y that they had been elects I by the parishioners, and if they, the f:omruitt> c had done wrong, the puishioni'is were wrong in giving them the poi er. He ou i e:e;i ;he Good Templary a splendid ins itution, aiui quite as much entitled to the use of the building as the Devohjort Literary cias.s. He would still maintain that the church committee had the rij>ht to rleal with tbe building, anil he wag of opinion that the meeting would uphold the action of the Ciinich commit.cc who, he thought, had treated the School committee with courtesy ami respect.—Mr Oliver Mays next addressed the meeting in favor of the Church committee, and moved, " That the matter of letting the Sunday-school building for the present be left to the Church committee."—This proposition, with the words "for the present year," was seconded by Mr Pit's, and earned. Mr Brassey proposed, and Mr Cameron seconded, "That the thanks of this meeting be conveyed to Mr Cochrane, the lady teachers, and the parishioners who have subscribed towards the erection of the Sunday-shoni building."—A coilectioa was then made, and the sum of £2 3s collected towards the balance due on the building. -A vote of thanks to the Chairman, passed unanimously, closed the meeting.