GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1935, 18 December 1913, Page 6

GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

———■—> PBESBYTERIAN CHURCH, AN OVERTURE ON GAMBLING, (By Tekgratiii.--Press A3socia;ilt®.l Chrlstcfturoh, December 17. v ' At the Presbyterian Assembly to-day the Rev. John Mackenzie moved: "That tho General Assembly regards with alarm the enormous increase in gambling resulting from tho nso of tho totaiisator, and protests against tho multiplication of racing permits pro* posed by Mr, G. Hunter's Bill, which recently passed its second reading in Parliament. In view of the serious' menace to tho moral standards of tiw nation, by tho spread of tho gambling spirit, the Assembly calls upon tho Christian people of tho Dominion to re* sist steadfastly any Attempt to give greater facilities for tho use of tho tot-alisator, and urges Parliament to reject any such proposal should it bo made next session, and, further, (hit a cony -if this resolution bo forwarded to the Prime Minister, and all ntembsrs of Parliament." The resolution was adopted. War and Armaments. The following overture w;as received from the Presbytery of Christchurcb anent international peace, and adopted'. "Whereas war is si deplorable- eWI, whereas the Church of Christ is a mighty force in shaping public opinion, whereas also the Church has succeeded in abolishing many social evils, and in vastly mitigating the horrors of war, it is hereby humbly overtared to tho yenerdblo General Assembly to take tho above premises into consideration, and to initiate a movement through correspondence with, tho Presbyterian Churches of Great Britain' and Ireland, Australia, Canada, and tihe United States, as also with tho Lutheran ■Church ot Germany, mid tho reformed churches in France* and through associations in our own Dominion (or in any other way which tho General Assembly, in its wisdom, may doom fit), to create and foster an international sentiment of aversion to laving recourse to war with a view to making "wars to cease until tho end ol the earth." ; An overture oil armaments from tho Chitiia Presbytery #as also, adopted as follows: —"That the Presbyterj overture) tho General Assembly to tales. into consideration tho present growth (if armaments amongst Christian _ nations, and the ever-growing preparation, both on land and sea, for war, and to devisa what means ought to be taken by our own Church, acting along with tho evangelical Churches in this and other countrios, to allay tlie war fever, and tti turn the thoughts of the people to tho attainment of tho Christian ideal o\ 'petteo upon earth.'" A •committee was appointed to carry the above resolutions into effect. Effort for Home Missionary; Mr. Jas. Mitchell, president of tlio Lay men's Missionary Union, reported that tho union had decided to make an effort to raise £20,000 for homo mission work in tho month of August,' IDlo. " On the motion of Dr. Gibb a hearty vote of thanks was accorded the Lay* men's Missionary Union for their offer. An overture from the Clutha Presby* tery was received a,s follows :-*-"Thaf tha position of Moderator of the Courts of Cbristchnrch bo opened to an elder." This was sent down to tho Presbyteries for their consideration. Foreign Missions. The. Rev. Alexander Don was appoint" <sd foreign missions s«c'r«'tary-i for a period of three years at a salary of i'UOO a year. The Assembly agreed to send a deputation to visit the mission fields in China and India, consisting of Prolessor Hewitson, Rev. P. B. Fraser, and Mr. J. G. W. Aitkcn, and that the Laymen's Missionary Movement, in conference with the Foreign Missions Committee bo authorised to appoint a fourth member of equal standing to go at the expense of the L.M.M. An offer of a friend of the cfttiso to give at the rate of £50 a deputy was received with thanks. Homo Missions. Tho Home Mission Committee , pre* seated a lengthy and important report. It stated that there wore about 120 mission stations in tlio Dominion, and the work was rapidly growing. ■_ Twenty-five new agents had been appointed during the year, and tho quality of tfw agents had'materially improved. Nino agents had been received from .Scotland, and six from other countries. Ttae need for a larger income was strongly emphasised. It was repotted that a bequest of over £6000, subject to several Me interests, would ultimately be available on condition that a similar sum was raised within tho Church. Tlio task of raising tho sum will probably be ta_k<s» up by tlie Laymen's Missionary Union. It Was reported that "there wero up* wards of 20 vacant charges. A resolution was carried authorising the Homo Mission Committee to secure if possible ten ministers' probationers: from tiio Chnrclies of Scotland and Ireland. A resolution of loyalty, to be forwarded to the Governor, was also adopted. The next Assembly was fixed to meet, in Duiiedin on November 18,1911. The Assembly then closed.