DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Globe, Volume VII, Issue 751, 15 November 1876, Page 3

DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Tuesday, November 14. The President took his seat at 4 p.m. and waited for a quorum until half past four. The minutes of the previous sitting were read and confirmed. REPORTS ON STATUTES 9 AND 10 OF GENERAL SYNOD.

Archdeacon Wilson moved—“ That the Synod commends the Report of the Select Committee on Statutes 9 and 10 of the General Synod to the consideration of the Bishop and representatives, lay and clerical, of this Diocese, requesting them to bring the Report under the attention of the General Synod, and to afford its recommendations such support as they may think right and expedient.” Mr H. J. Tancred seconded the motion. After lengthened discussion the motion was put and agreed to. PARISHES OP ST LUKE’S AND ST JOHN’S. Mr Thomson moved—“ That until the parishes of St Luke’s and St John’s shall have received the sum of £450 each from the Christchurch Parsonage Reserve Fund towards the enlargement and repairs of their respective parsonages, the said parishes be not required by the Standing Committee to make any local contributions towards such enlargement and repairs.” Mr Q. Mclntyre seconded the motion. Discussion on the motion was interrupted by the hour for adjournment. On resuming, the discussion on Mr Thomson’s resolution was continued, and after further remarks from members, was put and agreed to. dean’s residence. Mr Mclntyre moved—“ That this Synod is Of opinion that the resolutions of the Standing Committee adopted in October, 1872, with regard to the erection of a residence for the Dean (pp. 17-18, Report, 1873) should be carried out in their entirety.” Mr Hawkes seconded the motion. Mr Mclntyre in replying said that, having drawn attention to this matter, and as it might be found impracticable to go back to carry out detail work, he would, with leave of the Synod, withdraw his motion. Leave was given, and the motion withdrawn. TRUSTEES’ VACANCY. The Dean did not move the following resolution standing in his name—“ That the Synod proceed to fill up the vacancy in the Diocesan Board of Trustees caused by the death of the late Mr Gordon.” SUSPENSION OF STANDING ORDER. Rev B. A. Lingard moved—“ That Standing Order No 14 be suspended with a view to the despatch of business.” Mr G. Mclntyre seconded the motion, which was agreed to. INSTRUCTION TO PENSION BOARD. Rev Canon Cotterill moved for the Rev G. J. Cholmondeley—“ That it be an instruction to the Pension Board to apply the Emergency Fund for the purpose of providing temporary assistance for clergymen or their widows suffering from illness or other unforeseen distress.” Rev H. 0. M. Watson seconded the motion, which was agreed to. BILL TO AMEND STATUTE NO. 3. Rev Canon Cotterill moved—“ That the Bill to amend Statute No 3 be recommitted, to introduce the following amendments in Schedule B— a. For ‘Ashburton I,’ to substitute ‘Little River I, Rakaia 1, Mount Somers 1, Longbeach I.’ b. To introduce ‘Ashburton 1’ after ‘ Akaroa I,’ c. For ‘Geraldine to include country between the Bangitata river and Timarn parish 2,’ to substitute ‘Geraldine I, Temuka I.’ d. To omit all the words between ‘ Leithfield’ and ‘l.’ e. To omit all the words between ‘Wairoate’ and ‘l.’ /. To omit all the words between ' Woodend’ and * I.’ ” Rev B. 8. Jackson seconded the motion, which was agreed to, and the Bill re-com-mitted. In committee, section a was negatived, and sections b, e, d, e, f, agreed to. The Synod resumed, and the amendments agreed to were reported. On the motion of Canon Cotterill the Bill was again recommitted. Canon Cotterill moved—“ That ‘ Ashburton 1’ be omitted from section b, ’’which was agreed to. The Synod resumed and progress was reported. The amendments agreed to were adopted, and the Bill read a third time and passed. REVISION OF REPORT, 1875. Rev B. A. Lingard moved —“That the Synod proceed to revise the resolutions standing on the Report of Proceedings of Synod, 1875, and determine which of them shall be printed in the Report for the current year.” Rev B 8. Jackson seconded the motion, which was agreed to. The resolutions to stand, or be erased, as read by the clerical secretary, were agreed to. CLERICAL SECRETARY. Rev H. 0. M. Watson, after paying a very high tribute to Rev E. A. Lingard, on behalf of the Synod, for the manner in which he has discharged the duties of clerical secretary for so long a time, moved the following resolution :—■“ That the sum of £SO be paid from the Church Property Trust Estate to the clerical secretary of the Synod, in recognition of the able discharge of the arduous duties of his office during the last ten years.” Mr G. L. Lee seconded the motion, and endorsed all that had fallen from the rev mover of the resolution. Very few members had any idea of the immense amount of labor that devolved upon the secretary, The amount voted was merely in recognition of the services rendered to the Synod by Mr Lingard. and in no way commensurate with the work he had performed. The motion was put and carried unanimously amid applause. Rev Mr Lingard having re-entered the chamber, the President handed him the resolution, which he said had been unanimously carried by the Synod with a regret that they could not exceed the amount named. Mr Lingard replied in very feeling terms for the kindness expressed in the resolution, though had his own feelings been consulted he would have desired that the amount should have been left blank. It had been a labor of love to him, and if spared he should always endeavor to do his best to advance the work of the Synod. [Applause.] PAROCHIAL MISSIONS. On the motion of the Dean it was resolved —“ That this Synod commends to the hearty sympathy and cordial co-operation of the churchmen of the diocese the special efforts about to be made for the awakening and deepening of spiritual life through the agency of special parochial missions.

VOTES OP THANKS. On the motion of the Dean, votes of thanks were passed to the clerical and lay secretaries for their services during the session. On the motion of the Dean, a vote of thanks was passed to the governing body of Christ’s College, for the use of the library. On the motion of the Rev Mr Lingard, seconded by Rev Mr Watson, votes of thanks were passed to the reporters of the daily papers for reports of the proceedings of Synod during the session. The rev mover said that, having to attend at the newspaper offices, he was aware that much fuller reports had been taken of the proceedings than had appeared, and in some instances these had even been set up in type ; but as the Synod had sat a week later than ordinarily, and when there were many other matters to be reported, the former were obliged to give way, CLOSING REMARKS. The President said they had had a rather long session, but during the sitting several very important matters had been brought before them to which great attention had been given, and the result, he was sure, would prove a happiness to the diocese. The clergy and laity had taken a very equal part in the matters placed before them, and the more this interest became equalised the greater benefit would result to the Church here. The present Synod would continue in existence until Easter, when a fresh election would take place, and he trusted that election would produce as attentive members as tht last one had. The President then pronounced the Benediction, and the Synod closed.