PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ABBEMBLY.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2458, 21 February 1882, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ABBEMBLY.

Mohdat, Fb»rw».ky 20. EVENING &EDBBUNT. The Moderator took Efte chair at seven o'clock. The Bev. Mr Sherriff brought up the ■ report of the oommittee on statistics, which was read and adopted, and a vote of thanks > passed to the convener. It was decided to . request the different congregations to send in their returns in future with greater punctuality. The Bev. Mr Mackie moved, in pursuance of notice—" That Messrs Somerville and Peacock be appointed auditors of the Church, and that all payments be made only under their joint certificate, and that all payments from the Assembly expense fund be previously certified by the finance oommittee."

The motion was seconded by Mr John Lamb, and agreed to. On the motion of the Bev.O. Fraser, it was resolved—" That the thanks of the Assembly be given to the Ber. John Boss, ex-Moderator, for the excellent sermon preaohed by him at the opening servioe." The Bev. Mr Treadwell brought up the report of the oommittee on union. The committee reported that negotiations had resulted in the formal proposal of a basis [of union, which had been transmitted, as in the view of the committee of the Southern Church a workable basis—one which might form the basis of an aotual union, and which if approved and accepted by the Assembly, might in all probability result in suoh actual union or incorporation. The basis was in the following terms:—

Basis of Union proposed by the Committee of the Synod of Otago and Southland : It is proposed that intimation be given to the committee of the Northern Church that, in our judgment, an incorporating union would be practicable if the respective Churches accepted the following principles:—l. Basis of Union. The Churches shall declare their agreement in doctrine, government, worship, and discipline, by acceptance of the same standards, and of the same formula for the ordination and induction of office bearers. 11. Arrangements for the working and constitution of the United Church. —l. The designation of the Church shall be the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. 2. The Supreme Court of the Church shall be called the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, and shall be constituted by representation of Presbyteries. The legislation shall be regulated by the Barrier Act. 3. Provincial Synods shall be discontinued as intermediate Courts of Appeal. 4. Dunedin shall ba the seat of the Supreme Court, of tbe Theological Hall, and of the offices of the Church. 5. The principle of the sustentation fund snail be accepted as regulating arrangements for the maintenance of the ministry. 6. The schemes for Church extension, missions, and Widows' and Orphans' Fund, and for aged and infirm ministers, shall be amalgamated. 7. The several trust funds available for Church purposes in the respective Churches shall continue to be applied or the purposes and within the limits already appointed, and tbe powers of Synod shall be strictly limited to the administration of the respective treat funds.

The committee reported that in their view the basil of union which had been transmitted mi one which might be regarded with faror were certain alterations first made in it. The Rev. Mr Treadwell, after reading the report, explained that he dissented from the conclusion to which the committee had arrived, and reserved' to himself the right to take part in the discussion as a dissentient from the report.

The Rev. Mr Maoiie, as one of the six members of the union committee who were in favor of the report, moved the following resolution:—"That the report be received, and that the thanks of the Assembly be given to the committee, and especially to the convener, for the diligenoe and wisdom with which they have carried on during the past year the required negotiations in conneotion

with the important duty with which they were entrusted ; (2.) that the committee be reappointed, with power, should they see fit, to add to their number ; (3.) believing that the basis of union as submitted by the com* mittee of the Synod of Otego is a workable basis, recommend that it be amended in accordance with the alterations stated in the report of the Union committee, and transmitted to the committee of the Synod of Otago and Southland, and that it also, as amended, be sent down to the Presbyteries and sessions of this Church for their consideration, and report at next Assembly ; (4 ) that the committee be instructed to continue to negociate meaßwhile in the manner which may seem most advisable to them, and to report the results to next Assembly." The reverend gentleman spoke at length in support of the Union. The Rev. Mr Faterion seconded the resolution. If, after the question had been submitted to the Presbyteries, the Church of Otago and Southland came forward and showed that it was united and sincere in a desire for union it would soon be corried out. The Rev. T. R. Cairns moved, as an amendment—" That in the opinion of this Assembly it is inexpedient to continue negotiations with the Synod of Otago on the subject of Union." The Church would be eating too much humble pie if it made overtures for a union; particularly in the face of the faot that out of the three deputies from Otago, two had expressed themselves as opposed to union.

The Bev. Mr Ogg seoonded the amendment. Since hearing the speeches of the deputies on the subject he had come to the conclusion that it would be inconsistent with the dignity of the Church to continue nego. ciating any longer. He believed there was an under-current of opposition to the union in the Synod of Otago, which would effectually prevent its being carried out. He would have been glad to enter into the subject of union if Otago had approached the matter in an unselfish manner. The geographical difficulty was a pretext and not a reason. The Rev. Mr Treadwell expressed himself as in favor of union between the two Churches, whose dootrines were similar, but was opposed to the following condition in the proposed basis of union :—" Dunedin shall be the seat of the Supreme Court, of the Theological Hall, and of the offioes of the Church." This showed an ntter disregard of the olaimß of the Northern Church, and was exclusive and one-tided. The same exolusiveness of regard had characterised the correspondence of the Southern Churoh throughout the negooiating. He moved the following motion :—" That, inasmuch as, since the transmission of it by the committee, the basis has not been approved by the Synod of Otago and Southland, though laid before that Synod, but has been sent down for examination to Presbyteries, ho.; inasmuch as, further, the mind of the Southern Church with respect to the basis is still a matter in dubie, the Assembly do not pronounce any opinion either of acceptance or rejection on the transmitted basis, and that beoause it is expedient to delay all expression of opinion until the mind of the Southern Churoh has been ascertained and reported to us; this decision to be transmitted to that Church, and the committee to be continued to watch over the interests of our own Churoh." The Bev. Dr. Salmond wished to explain that the resolution just moved was based on a total misconception of the position. The reason why the Synod of Otago had been ; unable to finally adopt the basis of union, was, beoause, owing to the committee of the Northern Churoh not hiving met, the basis had not been returned to them withthe recommendation of the committee that in their opinion it was a workable one. The Bev. Mr Hill seoonded the motion of the Rev. Mr Treadwell. There was a great irregularity in the proposed scheme, and if the union were oarried out on that basis it would be more like an absorption than a union.

The Eev. O. Fraser moved " That the report be approved, and that the basis of union ae modified by the committee of Assembly be forwarded to the oommittee of the Synod of Otago and Southland." Let them leave it to the Synod of Otago and Southland to reieot or adopt their own basis of union. The Eev. Mr Sidey seoonded the motion. The Rev. Mr Oairns would be willing to withdraw his motion in favor of that moved by the Rev. Mr Fraser. The Rev. Mr Shirriffs hoped Mr Oairns would not withdraw his motion, but that it would be carried. If a union were to take place it would be impossible to carry it out in practical detail, at any rate for some years to oome. After some remarks from the Rev. Mr Klmslie, the Rev. Mr Ross supported the motion of the Rev. Mr Fraser. The Rev. Mr Gillies supported the motion of the Eev. Mr Treadwell. The other motions oommitted the Assembly to the proposed basis, which might be rejected by the Otago Church. The Eev. Mr Maokie replied on the whole debate. The question was then put, with the following result :—For Mr Treadwell's amendment, 10; for Mr Oairns' amendment, 3 j for Mr

Eraser'* amendment, 14; fcr the original motion, 21. The original motion of the Key. Mr Maokie wag consequently carried. The Rsv. Dr. Salmond expressed tho gratification whioh he felt at the result whioh had been arrived at, and explained the action that the Synod of Otago would probably take. The Assembly th;n adjourned until ten o'clock this morning. This Day. The Moderator took his seat at 10 a m. Messrs Somerville and Peacock were appointed auditors of the Ohurcb, and all payments ar |>-eooeforth to|bemade on theri joint certificate. On the recommendation of the committee on the Rev. D. Brace's resignation, it was agreed—" That Mr Bruoe's resignation of this office in the Church be accepted. That no immediate appointment be tn»de to the clerkship, and that for the current year the junior olerk parform the duties, and receive the allowance of the senior clerk ; that the office of general secretary for the scheme of the Church be not filled np." The General Assembly records its sense of the value of the services rendered to the Church by the Rev. D. Bruce as clerk of the Assembly Binoe 1872, and its appreciation of the diligence, ability, and devotion to the best interests of the Church, which have characterised his labours in the several offices held by him.

It was resolved that the Sustentation and Churoh Extension Funds be amalgamated under the name of the Church Extension and Supplemental Fund, the executive committee to be in Wellington, the Bev. James Paterson to be convener, and the Bev. O. S. Ogg to be treasurer.

The Assembly fixed the following collections to be made :—Church Extension Fund, first Sunday in May; Aged and Infirm Ministers' Fund, first Sunday in October; Foreign Missions, first Sunday in December ; Maori Missions, first Sunday in February, 1883.

The Assembly adjourned at 2 p.m. till 7 this evening.