PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2456, 18 February 1882, Page 4

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Fjbiday, Febettabt 17. Tho Moderator took his seat at 10 o’clock. The petition from the congregation of lieeston and Brookside, praying for disjunction from the Presbytery of Christchurch, was first considered, and it was resolved that tho petition could not be granted. The report of the Church property con?.mitteo was given in, and a special oommi tee was named to consider tho best method of obtaining an Incorporation Act, to report at a future sederunt. The general treasurer’s statement was received and adopted, with special thanks to the treasurer for his diligence and liberality in oonneotion with the funds of the Ohuroh, The reports of the widows and orphans' fund, and of the aged and infirm ministers’ fund, were given in and approved, but it was agreed that if possible the Presbytery should make a special effort on behalf of the aged and infirm ministers’ fund during the year, _ A letter was received from tho Rev. David Bruce, resigning hia appointments as senior clerk to the Assembly, as joint convener of the Ohuroh Extension Committee, and as general secretary to the schemes of the Church. This letter was referred to a special committee to report upon. A letter was read from the Rev. B. F. M'Niool, resigning hia office as joint convenor of the Church Extension Committee. As no Church Extension report had been I forwarded, and both conveners were absent, tho letter and the whole subject of Ohuroh extension was referred to tho Sustentation Fund Committee, along with those members of the Ohuroh Extension Committee present at the Assembly. It was agreed by a majority of the Assembly that no session be held this day (Saturday.) The Assembly adjourned at 2.10 p.m. EVENING SEDERUNT. The sederunt was opened with prayer. The olerk called for the report of the deputies to the Synod of Otago. The Rev. Mr Boss explained that he had been unable to visit Otago as deputed, and therefore could make uo report. Professor Salmond, one of the deputies from the Presbyterian Church of Otago, addressed tho Assembly on the question of the union of the two Churches. If there were two rival Churches occupying the same soil, elbowing each other in the same territory, having antagonistic aims, and trying to supplant each other, union would of course bo impossible. But the contrary was the case, and the question to bo settled was not one merely of moral and religious duty so much as a question for their administrative judgment, namely, what was the right and best disposition of the Presbyterian forces in this country, so that they might best do the work of the Lord committed to them. Among the chief considerations in favor of a union was the question of theological education — the establishment of one vigorous theological hall, where all the future ministers might gather together under one roof. Then, again, arduous times were coming, difficult and serious questions would arise, and a crisis would occur in the Presbyterian Church throughout the world which would decide whether it was to decay or to continue to grow a great power ; and as a united Church they would be in a better position to deal with these difficulties. Another consideration Was the strongly expressed and evident desire on the part of the Assembly to be united with Otago. The Presbyterians in Otago and Southland clung to the idea that their Ohuroh was, as it were, indigenous, and that they wore almost part of Scotland. Now, this was becoming less true every year, Tho Episcopalian population was already nearly as large numerically as the Presbyterian. It was true that some of the country districts were almost purely Scottish, but that was becoming lees and lees the case. Now, a few years ago Canterbury was almost exclusively Episcopalian, but the character of the populatiou was gradually changing. There was no doubt that this levelling and equalising process was going on, and the day would come when Otago would no longer be Presbyterian or Canterbury Episcopalian. With regard to the proposal which had been made to confine the Union to Canterbury and the Church in the South, he would only say that whatever might bo the abstract merits of such a suggestion it was one which Otago would never make —it must come from the North. They had probably heard it proposed that in case of a union Dunedin should be the permanent head-quarters of the Presbyterian Ohuroh in New Zealand. This view was entertained in tho interests of the ohuroh. Of course it would be absurd to say that the Assembly would never meet out of Dunedin, or that there should never be a Theological Sail anywhere except in Dunedin. Of course tho Ohuroh would retain the power to establish a Theological Hall in the future wherever it thought fit. What the proposal meant was simply that the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand ehonld have a head and centre, and that Dunedin should hold the same position in regard to the Presbyterians of this colony ■s Edinburgh held to the Presbyterians of Scotland.

The Rev. Mr Gregg, another deputy from Otago, next addressed the Assembly. His sympathies were opposed to the union. Geographical difficulties had always weighed most against the proposal, and now they were the only difficulties that were thought of. But though they had diminished, they had after full consideration assumed an importance which had led not a few in Otago to shift their ground. Ho doubt many advantages would result from * union, but many people over-estimated these, while they under estimated the difficulties that would have to bo grappled with in carrying on a united Church. He was of opinion that after the fall consideration which the subject had received, when the last dec! eion was arrived at, it would have been belter to allow a longer period to elapse before again agitating the matter. Negotiations had better cease for a time, and the churches should go on cultivating a friendly spirit. In conclusion, the rev. gentleman described the progress and position of the Church in Otago. Mr Fitzgerald, the third deputy from Otago, said he was a warm unionist when be left Dunedin, and was still in favor of the proposal, but since he had been in Christchurch be had formed the opinion that the Church in the North was hardly ready for the Union, although the South would no doubt be willing to join. He felt rather disappointed at the position of one or two schemes of the Church—including the Church extension scheme and the sustentation fund—and he thought they should be placed in inch a position that the northern Church would be able to hold its own in the negotiations which would be necessary before the Union was consummated. The Rev. Mr Fraser moved the following resolution : —“ That the Assembly requests the Moderator to express its thanks to the members of the deputation from the Church of Otago and Southland for their presence at this Assembly, and for their admirable and Christian spirited addresses, and also to convoy its friendly congratulations on the progress made in the work of the Lord within the bounds of their Synod.” The Bev. Mr Treadwell seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously, and the Moderator in a few fitting remarks con▼eyed the thanks of the Assembly to the members of the deputation. The Bor. Mr Treadwell brought up and lead the report of the committee on foreign missions. The report described the operations of the Bev. Mr Watt in the New Hebrides, and dealt with general matters concerning missionary work in the islands. The Bev. gentleman urged upon the Assembly the desirability of appointing a second missionary to assist Mr Watt in his mission work, and suggested that a message of thanks to Mr Watt from the Assembly would have the effect of cheering and encouraging that gentlemen in his work, and bo very much ap preoiated by the Tanese. The Rev. Mr Paterson supported the proproposal to appoint a second missionary, and moved the following resolution —“ That the Assembly adopt the report, and while thanking the committee, and especially the convener, expresses its gratification at hearing of the success of the work, and its warm sym--pathy with the missionary and bis wife in the arduous and often trying work in which they sure engaged, and resolves that a letter of encouragement be written to them by the Maderator in the name of the Assembly.” The Rev. Mr Elmslie seconded the motion, which, after some discussion, was put and earned. On the motion of the Rev, Mr Treadwell, a committee was appointed to draw up a rule limiting the time to be occupied by speakers is debate. It was agreed on the motion of tho Eev. JSIr Slake, that the Assembly should devota a

portion of it* time to tho consider®‘ion of the state of religion in the ohuroh. The Assembly then adjourned until Monday morning at 10 o’clock.