PRESBYTERIAN HOME MISSIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1292, 22 November 1911, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN HOME MISSIONS.

EXCITING INCIDENT AT THE ASSEMBLY. DK. GIBB'S "SPIRIT WAXES HOT WITHIN Hilt." At tlio meeting of tho Presbyterian Goner ,\1 Assembly at Dunedin last week, an animated discussion (briefly reported in The Dominion on Thursday) took place when the Assembly went' into committee to consider tho financial regulations of the home mission .department submitted by Dr. Gilib seriatim. Tho Kev. P. B. Fraser, in supporting a clnuso making a minmum salary of ,£125 for home missionaries, spoke, very strongly about the underpayment of some of the agents of the Church. The Church, ho said, bad no right to engage in any philanthropic service that it oould not pay for. The Assembly resumed, and the regulations were formerly adopted, with slight amendment. Dr. Gibb then moved:—"The Assembly resolves to send tho regulations as provisionally adopted down to Presbvterics for consideration, and instruct the'latter to report to the Northern Home Mission Committee not later than June, 1912. The Assembly further resolves that until the whele uiatter has been finally disposed of by next Assembly the committee shall operate the scheme as far as possible in accordance with the regulations as now approved of." The Rev. A. If. Finlayson challenged tho competency of that mction, because it introduced fresh legislation without reference to the Presbyteries under the Barrier Act. Tho Revs. Cumming and Kilpatrick supported this view. Tho Moderator ruled that the motion was not competent. Dr. Gibb then moved that the house disagree with the Moderator's ruling, and intimated that ho did so with deep resrret and profound respect. He submitted that the whole matter should not bo brought to a_,stop at this stage without discussion. He declared most emphatically that the proposals were not new - legislation, and pointed out that Iwth the southern and northern committees had been practically agreed upon them. A ' show of hands taken on Dr. Gibb's motion proved inconclusive, and members demanded the calling of the roll. The doors were closed and locked by instruction of the Moderator, and tho Revs. W. J. Comrie and R. M. Ryburn wero appointed scrutineers. A Closo Division. The roll was then called, members replying "For" or "Against," according to their attitude towards Dr. Gibb's motion. For a time tho "Fors" led by a considerable majority, but the "Againsts" gradually crept up as the southern Presbyteries wore reached. After some delay Mr. Itybnrn announced that there were CO votes for Dr. Gibb's motion and TO against. Dr. Gibb rose, and, with considerable warmth, declared: "I have to intimate I can do no more about it. Most of those 70 had not a ghost of a notion what they were doing." (Loud cries of "Oh, oh! Order! No, no!" Dr. Erwin: Dr. Gibb has no right to make such an accusation. ("Hear, hear," and applause.) ■Dr. Gibb went on to say that in his opiuion tho whole business bad been stultified, stock, lock, and barrel. They could not move another inch. These regulations must now go down under tho Barrier Act, and if a Presbytery ventured to chango so much as the clot of "i" or the cross of a "t" it voted against them; and if a majority of the Presbyteries were against them then tho wholo thing had gone by the board. Considerable interruption and dissent was aroused by this statement, and Dr. Erwin was heard pointing out that. the house had already decided, and asking if Dr. Gibb had a right to "jockey" the

house. It became impossible for Dr. Gibb to proceed. The interruption still continued, when the Moderator rose, and Dr. Gibb heatedly demanded if tho Moderator wasto be howled down, too—("No, no!"). When order was restored tho Moderator remarked to Dr. Gibb:—"When you withdraw the reference you mado to the house, I thiuk the house will bo willing to listen to you." Dr. Gibb: What reference did I make? Tho Moderator: You made a reference that was anything but parliamentary. (Applause.) It is not necessary that I should repeat it. Dr. Gibb then withdrew, and after making a littlo further explanation the clerk expressed the opinion that Dr. Gibb was quite mistaken as to the position. Tho regulations were only held up for a year, and they could now bo referred to presbyteries for consideration not under the Barrier Act. No Insult. The Rev. P. B. Fraser. on the ground that ho had as much right to be heard as the clerk, rose to make a further explanation of the position before the house. Mo asserted that it was no insult for Dr. Gibb to say that a number had voted under a misapprehension. The Assembly was becoming impatient, and for about fivo minutes motions, amendments, suggestions, and protests came thickly from various parts of tho building. The situ.v tion began to become a little plainer when Mr. Comrie pointed out that the regulations were still before the house. The Rer. .1. Kilpatrick then moved, and the Rev. J. Cumming seconded:— "That the proposed regulations bo sent down fo tho presbyteries for consideration, and the presbyteries bo asked to report to the Northern Church Extension Conimitteo not later than September SO." Both gentlemen reserved their right to speak, and the house then adjourned the debate at 20 minutes to 2. On resuming at 2.30 p.m. Dr. Gibb took the platform, and challenged the competency of Mr. Kilpatrick's motion. He ascertained from the Moderator that it was the second sentence of his (Dr. Gibb's) motion that was declared incompetent and that the first sentence stood. Ho explained that ho was a man who worked VI hours a day, and during the past year h' had devote'd at least a third of his time to home missions. (Applause.) At the moment it had appeared to him that the house- had turner! "round and smitten his rommittco's proposals, and that was wdiy his spirit bed waxed ho! within him. (Laughter.) He emphasised the point that the essential principle of tho amalgamation of the two committees must be i tained. The Rev. J. Kilpatrick was granted leave to withdraw his motion, and thereupon seconded Dr. Gibb's motion as : then stood with tho second sentence deleted. Knotty Problems. Tho Rev. J. Cumming urged tho necessity for longer time for consideration oi the regulations, which contained certain knotty problems. The Uev. i'. li Fraser spoke at some length to the motion. He maintained that inconceivable injury was being done to tho cause of the Kingdom of God through tho thwarting of the work in the north by a few of the brethren in the south. A reference to the doings of a convenor of a Home Mission Committee brought about a spirited passago between All". Kilpatrick and Mr. Fraser, which ended in Mr. Kilpatrick stating that if Mr. Fraser referred to him his remark was not in accordance with fact. He went on to urge. the disadvantages of working with two separate committees. Dr. Envia reminded the Assembly that though at the time of union ten years ago it had been intended to amalgamate the two schemes, yet for all these years they had recognised two authorilic) in connection with the matter. he pointed out the advantages of delay and caution. Dr. Gibb's motion was put and carried, and a further motion was then carried expressing thankfulness that the Church was awakening to the urgency of thj uc>ds of homo missions, calling upon thfir people to pray for and support this work, expressing warm appreciation of the work of the Rev. P. B Frasrr, and praying that blessing might rest on the work 0! the committee and the supeiintendent.