LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 316, 10 November 1855, Page 6

LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.

MEETING OF MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF .ENGLAND. A meeting of members of the Church of England, resident in Lyttelton and its neighbourhood, was convened to meet the Lord Bishop of New Zealand, in the temporary church, at Lyttelton, on Thursday evening last. The meeting was numerously attended. On the motion of the Rev. R. B. Paul, His Honor the Superintendent was requested to take the chair. .1 After a? few introductory remarks from the Chairman, the Lord Bishop of New Zeailand proceeded to explain the several propositions to be submitted to the meeting. His Lordship took the question of the Bishopric first. It appeared that two reasons had hitherto principally operated against the acceptance ot the Bishopric by the several clergymen to whom it had been proposed ; viz., the uncertain nature of the endowment, and the doubt whether they would be justified in leaving the charges held by them in England without some more direct call from the churchmen cf Canterbury. The Endowment Fund, his Lordship stated, was now permanently settled. The £10,000 appropriated by the Cantey-

bury Association for this purpose, had been secured by Provincial Government debentures, paying 6 per cent, per annum, and yielded an annual income of £600. This His Lordship considered a fair remuneration for the modest style of episcopacy that the diocese would require. He thought now that this point was arranged, that no difficulty would be experienced in getting an English clergyman to respond to the call of churchmen in this diocese, if their wishes were made known. His Lordship then referred to the resolution respectfully requesting the authorities in England to appoint the Rev. Henry Harper to the Bishopric. His Lordship stated that he had known Mr. Harper for many years, having been with him at College, and that he could bear testimony to his assiduous and laborious labours as the minister of a populous parish in England. His Lordship added that he himself had in early life lookJid up to Mr. Harper as his model of what ~**& sincere, devoted, parish priest should be. In His Lordship's judgment, no one could be more adapted to this high office than Mr. Harper. Passing on to the resolution referring to the constitution of the church in the colony. His Lordship explained the necessity there existed for the adoption of some general system of action. The Home Government had abandoned the^ Church in the Colonies to its fate; all the bills introduced into the House of Commons on the subject having been withdrawn, in consequence of the opposition offered both by members of dissenting bodies and by sections of the Church of England. In this dilemma his lordship had laid the case before Sir William Bethell, and other Crown lawyers, and they had expressed an opinion that there was nothing in the law of England which would prevent Churchmen in the colonies from deciding upon some general rules for the governance of the body. His Lordship thought that application should be made to the General Assembly for an enactment enabling religious bodies to hold property in trust, for purposes of endowment, and suggested the adoption of a model trust deed, similar to that used by the Rev. J. Wesley, and which his followers have ever since copied; care being taken that property devised for any special purposes should not be alienated to others. His lordship then referred to 'the property held by the Church in Canterbury for the payment of the stipends of the clergy. The present net income derived from this property amounts to about £450, which.; it was suggested might be divided equally between the clergymen appointed to minister in Lyttelton, Christchurch, and Kaiapoi, and a missionary minister to be appointed to visit the bays in the peninsula, the several sheep stations, aud the outlying districts generally. His Lordship also suggested the raising a fund in each district, to be met by grants from the genera board for the maintenance of Parochial clergymen. At the conclusion of hisl lordship's address, the Rev. R. B. Paul moved the following resolution ; —-' Ist. "Resolved, That iv the opinion of this meeting a sufficient and safe endowment has been provided- for the bishopric of Christchurch, and that a memorial be therefore forwarded to the Crown, praying her Majesty to nominate a bishop at the earliest period consistent with her Majesty's^Royal pleasure." Dr. Donald seconded the,! resolution, which was, as well as all the subsequent resolutions, unanimously adopted by the meeting. The second resolution was moved by Mr. Dampier, and seconded by Mr. Spowers. 2nd. " That the opinion of this meeting is, that it is expedient lo adopt the land investment proposed for the endowment of the Bish-

opric in preference to Government debentures." Carried unanimously. From the remarks made by iiHis Honor the Superintendent and others during the discussion on this resolution, it appeared that portions of the land which °it was proposed to exchange for the £10,000-! now placed in government debentures was let on lease for [something above £600, the greater part with purchasing clauses. Supposing the parties holding the leases*purchased within the time stated in the lease, the amount realised would be over £11,000. The 'portion unlet consisted|of about 580 • acres, 500 of which were situated in the coal country, which in a few years it was represented would be of great value. [ . The Rev. B. W. Dudley moved the 3rd resolution, which was seconded by Dr. Donald— 3rd. " That this meeting, upon the information now laid before it, has been led to the conclusion, that it would greatly promote the interests of the church in this Province, if the Rev. Henry Harper should be appointed to the bishopric ,of Christchurch ; hut that if any difficulties should occur to prevent his appointment, they would thankfully accept any person who might be approved of by the authorities in En»laud, acting in communication with the confidential friends of the Bishop of New Zealand. Previous to the resolution being put to the meeting, the Rev. Mr. Patteson, the Bishop of New Zealand's chaplain, bore testimony to the peculiar fitness of Mr. Harper for the office of bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. Dr. Donald moved the next resolution, which was "seconded by the Rev. ,R. B. Paul.. 4. ** That in the opinion of this meeting an assessor should be elected at a general meeting for the purpose of conferring with the representatives of the Ohureh from tbe other Provinces of New Zealand, and the Bishop of the diocese, with full powers to consent to the establishment of such general principles for the constitution of the Church in .New Zealand as may harmonise with the various suggestions embodied in the tabular statement of tbe opinions of the members of the Church in the various settlements/ It was explained that it would be desirable to carry out the resolution by electing only one assessor for the diocese, but supposing the different townships could not agree to this, two were to be chosen, the diocese still having but one vote in the conference. It was also shewn that the present time offered an excellent opportunity of sending delegates by naming some one of the members of the General Assembly, who would necessarily be at Auckland about April next. The fifth resolution was proposed by Mr. Spowers, seconded by Mr. Dampier. 5. " That this meeting is of opinion that the property of the Church in this Province should be administered by a Diocesan Trust in conformity with the general system to be adopted hy the Church in New Zealand.'' Mr. Ballard proposed the sixth resolution, which was seconded by Mr. Alport. 6. Incomes of Clergy. *' That this meeting recognises the duty of assisting in providing a fund for the maintenance of their clergyman, and appoint Messrs. Ballard, Alport, Spowers, Graham, Bayfield, Dr. Dudley, and Slirimpton, to visit the members of the Church, and to ascertain the amount of annual iucome which cau be guaranteed to the Rev. B. W. Dudley, from the contributions of the parishioners; and also what amount of grant niay be expected from the general Fund." His Lordship stated that the plan the meeting was asked to adopt had proved successful at Nelson, the settlers cheerfully contributing to increase the stipend allowed from the general fund.

Mi*. pAUii said that a similar plan had been successfully carried out at Wellington.

The seventh resolution, proposed by the Rev. B. W. Dudley, was seconded by M r Bayfeild. 7. " Ihat this meeting recognises the importance of maintaining one or more Missionary Clergymen to visit the outlying population at the bays of the Peninsula, the sheep stations, and the native villages.'' Mr. Acland stated that several of the station-masters to whom he had mentioned the subject had expressed their willingness to contribute towards the support of a missionary clergyman. The settlers residing in the several bays, it was also stated, were anxious to contribute. The Bth resolution was moved by Dr. Donaed, and seconded by Capt. Simeon, 8. " That in the opinion of this meeting upon the General Board being made aware that the Parish of Lyttelton is duly constituted, there should be an election of two churchwardens, the incumbent nominating a third, and that such elections should be annual." The following resolution was pa..sed after some conversation respecting the rebuilding or repairing of the Church at Lyttelton. It was moved by Mr. Alport, and seconded by Mr. M'Cardell. 9. " That a Committee be appointed to meet the Lord Bishop and Mr. Mountfort, to inspect the Church at Lyttelton, and that Mr. Spowers, Dr. Dudley, Messrs. Dampier ami Rutland,and Dr. Donald, be appointed members of such committee." Questions respecting patronage and Church membership having been answered by his Lordship, the meeting was closed with the Apostolic blessing.