DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1802, 29 November 1879, Page 3

DIOCESAN SYNOD.

Fbidat, Novembee 26.

The Synod met at the usual hour, his Lordship the Bishop presiding. After prayers, The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Certain reports of committees were then laid on the table. On the motion of Mr Foater, the following resolution was carried: —“ That _ in order to meet the present wants of the districts north of the Ashley, including Woodend, the Standing Committee be requested to give effect to the following recommendations : 1. '• That Waiknri, Amberley, Baloairn, and Leithfield be formed into one parochial district.’ 2. ‘ That Setton, Saltwater Creek, and Woodend be formed into a parochial district.’ 3. * That it is desirable that Ashley be included in the latter district.’ ” The next motion on the order paper (that of the Her. Mr Knowles) dealt with the question of providing additional clerical assistance for Lyttelton. After discussion, resolutions were carried “ That the Synod recommends a special grant of £2OO from the amount set apart for loans and grants for the building of churches, parsonages, and Sunday schools, towards a place of worship for sailors in Lyttelton, the best means of carrying out this resolution to be left to the Standing Committee. Also, That the sum of £SO be allotted from

the Church Property Trust Grant towards the stipend of a clergyman, who shall minister to the seamen frequenting the Port of Lyttelton.” Mr Grigg moved—l. “That the Synod earnestly recommends the General Synod to take into its consideration at its approaching session the desirability of establishing a General Church Fire Insurance Association, 2. “ That the Standing Committee be requested to confer with the Church Property Trustees with a view of considering the practicability of obtaining the investment of the sum of £2OOO, or a guarantee to that amount, to be applicable as the proportion of the insurance guarantee fund to be furnished by this diocese, and to be held for that purpose until the accumulated profits of the Association shall, in the opinion of the General Synod, render the retention of the fund unnecessary, provided also that the interest received from the £2OOO, or any part thereof so invested, be carried to the general Church account for this diocese, 3. That in the event of all or of any portion of the sum of £2OOO being required by the Insurance Association for the payment of losses by fire, tho same be charged against the proportion of profits accruing to the diocese in which the loss has occurred, to be repaid, together with interest on the same, from the said profits, ofter the association shall have been declared self-support-ing by tho General Synod. 4. That the President be requested to lay the above resolutions before the General Synod, together with any further information relative to the guarantee fund to be provided by this diocese.”

After considerable discussion, tho motion was carried.

In reply to the Rev. E.'A. Lingard, The Rev. Canon Cotterill laid upon the tablethe report of the “ New Zealand Church Nows” Management Committee for the past year, together with a statement of accounts for the financial year 1878-79. The statement was received.

On the motion of Archdeacon Harper, the Bill to repeal the financial regulations for Westland was read a third time and passed.

The Hon. H. B. Gresson moved—“ That the thanks of the Synod be given to the Rev. Wm. O. Harris, for bis sermon at the opening of the Synod, and that he be requested to allow it to be published.” Seconded by the Rev. Mr Flavell and carried.

The Rev. G. Cotterill moved the following resolution: —“ To suspend standing orders Nos. 14,[33,34, 36,37,39, so as to admit of statutes and resolutions and regulations passing through all stages at one sitting ; also, to remove the necessity of giving one clear day’s notice of motions.”

Tho Bill for Amending Diocesan Statute No. 2 was, on the motion of the Dean, read a third time and passed. The Rev. G. Cotterill moved, and it was agreed to —“That in order to prevent inconvenience arising from the change made this session in clause 5 of the old Financial Regulations, the Synod directs that the offertories already collected for the church work extension committee, or to be collected for the quarters ending December 31st, 1879, and March 31st, 1880, shall be at the disposal of the standing committee for supplementing the local contributions towards the stipends of the clergy.” A gratuity of five guineas was voted to the clerk in tho diocesan office.

On the motion of Mr Malet, it was resolved —“ That the Standing Committee be authorised to engage the services of a gentleman, being a member of this Synod, competent to undertake the work, whose duty it shall be to superintend the printing of the Synod report, at a remuneration of £25, to be paid out of the Church Property Trust Funds.” Mr Malet moved—“ That the opening address of the President at the special session held in May last, with the acts and resolutions of that session, and the usual diocesan accounts, be printed in the proceedings of this session, and that the Church Property Trust Act be printed in connection with the proceedings of the session." Rev. G. Cotterill moved Church Property Trustees be recommended to pay for the ensuing year a subsidy of £SO in aid of the publication of the “ New Zealand Church News.” Carried.

The adjourned debate on the question that the Bill for adding to Standing Orders certain orders relating to petitions be read a second time was resumed.

The Bill wag read a second time, passed through committee and all stages. The Dean moved—“ That the resolutions appended to the report of the Select Committee appointed to consider and report on recommendations to be made to the General Synod with reference to the declaration and registration of Church members be adopted by the Synod.” The motion was agreed to.

Following are the resolutions referred to in the foregoing resolutions, and which wore adopted :—“ 1. That it is desirable that one declaration and one system of registration should be adopted, as the qualification both for taking part in the business of parish meetings, and for voting for synodsmen and lay representatives. 2. That it is desirable that the rule laid down in clause 5 of General Synod Statute No. 15, taken in connection with clause 3 of the same statute, to the effect that no person shall take part in the election of synodsmen or lay representatives unless ho has been registered for two months, should be made applicable to parish • ioners taking part in pariah business. 3. That it is desirable that an electoral roll for each diocese, for the purpose of determining to whom the right belongs of taking part both in pariah buaineas and in the election of synodsmen and lay representatives, should be made up, and revised once in every year, at a time to bo fixed by the Synod of each diocese; but that there ahould be a proviso to the effect that a person coming to reside in any parish after the completion of such roll for any year, shall be entitled to take part in the business of any parish meeting, if he shall have signed the required declaration before the incumbent or one of the churchwardens at least two months before the date of such meeting. 4. That the president be requested to lay the foregoing resolutions before the General Synod at its approaching session, and that the representatives of this diocese be requested to move the General Synod to take the matter into their consideration. The Dean also moved, and it was carried—- “ That it be a recommendation to the Church Property Trustees to make a grant not exceeding £IOO for the ensuing year to be placed at the disposal of the diocesan education committee for the purchase of prizes and the establishment of a depot (if they should see fit) for books commonly required in parochial work,” A resolution was agreed upon in reference to the reception of representatives to the General Synod in April next, and also in reference to holding Church and Missionary meetings during the forthcoming session. The Dean moved regard to the probable opening of the nave of the Cathedral for divine 'service within a year or eighteen months from the present time, the Synod is of opinion that the time has arrived for preparing regulations, to be embodied hereafter :n a statute, touching the duties of the Dean and Chapter, and their relations to the Bishop and the diocese, the care of the fabric, the appointment and duties of Cathedral officers, and the ordering of the services, and other matters appertaining to the due discharge of the functions of a cathedral and a capitular body. 2. That the preparation of such draft regulations be entrusted to a commission to sit during the recess, and to bring up their report at the next annual session of the Synod, 3. That his Lordship the President be requested to act as chairman of the commission, that the Dean and Canons be also members thereof, and that six other members be appointed by the Synod during the present session.”

The resolution was carried, and the following gentlemen, in addition to those named in the resolution wore appointed members of the commission— Keys. Penny, Cocks, and Harris, Messrs Tanored, Hamilton, and O. R. Blakiston.

Rev. G. Ootterill moved—“ That a payment at the rate of £SO per annum from the Church Property Trust Fund shall be allotted to each Cure in tho Provincial District of Canterbury for the year ending December 1880. And for the same year a payment at tho rate of £SO per annum shall be made to the Chaplain of the Christchurch Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, Female Refuge, and other public institutions. Also, a payment at tho rate of £25 per annum shall be made to the acting chaplain of the Christchurch gaol and barracks, and the same amount to tho acting chaplain of Lyttelton Gaol. The above allowances to he subject to a pro rata deduction in case of insufficient in corns.” Carried*

Archdeacon Dudley moved-—" That in the opinion of this Synod it is desirable that the General Synod should be mored at its approaching session to take into consideration the system of marriage licences, with the view of determining whether the continuance of the system, under existing circumstances, is calculated to promote the welfare of the Church.”

The motion was negatived. Rev. J. W. Stack moved—" That no clergyman bo appointed to any cure till it is proved to the satisfaction of the Standing Committee that the cure can bo provided with the regulated stipend.” Carried. On the motion of the Rev. Mr Stack, a Bill to amend a regulation in relation to the income of the Dean, was introduced, passed through all stages, and passed. The “Church News” Committee was then appointed. The Bill for amending Diocesan Statute, No 2, relating to the election of synodsmen, was read a third time and passed. This concluded the business on the Order Paper, and, after the transaction of some formal business, the Synod closed its session,