Local Intelligence.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 438, 14 January 1857, Page 7

Local Intelligence.

NEW ZEALAND GENEKAL CONVEN- ' ' TION. (Continued from our last.) CLAUSE iy. Powers of the General Convention. 1. Every Act which shall have been assented to by the Bishop or by a majority of the Bishops, by a majority of the Clergy, and by a majority of the Lay Representatives, shall be had, taken, and be, tlie Act of the whole General Convention to all intents and purposes whatsoever. 2. It shall be lawful for the General Convention to authorise any |Archdeaconry "Board to exercise the functions of a Diocesan Convention for the purposes of this Deed, with the exception of such powers as shall be expressly i*eserved by the General Convention, and in every such Board the Archdeacon shall stand in. the place of the Bishop as one of the three Orders. 3. If it should be found impossible or incon^ venient at any time to assemble a General Convention, any Act which shall have obtained the consent of all the Diocesan Conventions, or Archdeaconry Boards, constituted as aforesaid, shall be taken and be an Act of the General Convention : and shall be enrolled as such amonothe Laws and Constitutions of the' Church in New Zealand, by the Eegistrar or other Officer appointed for that purpose. 4. Patronage and Appointments.—And it is hereby declared, that the General Convention, its aforesaid, shall have full power to determine m what manner, arid upon "what' conditions every Clergymen, Churchwarden, Schoolmaster, or other Office Bearer, whether Clerical or Lay, shall enter upon the use and occupation of any portion of the Church Property held in Trust by and under the Provisions of this Deed ; and in what manner and upon what conditions all such Office Bearers, whether Clerical or Lay, shall be appointed to their respective offices ; and also shallhave full power to fix the amount of all salaries,dues, fees.and other emoluments payable to the said Office Bearers out of the proceeds of the Trust hereby constituted. 5. Deposition.—And it is hereby declared, that all Clergymen, Catechists, School-masters, or _ other Office Bearers, who shall be so appointed, and Avho shall receive any income or emol"™ent from or out of the said trust Estate, and all Office Bearers who, whether receiving

emoluments therefrom or not, shall have consented to hold their office under and in conformity with the provisions of this Deed, shall be liable to be deposed, removed, or suspended, from their respective offices by the said General Convention, if from any cause whatever, the said Convention shall deem it expedient and proper to exercise such power, and whether such cause shall be assigned by the said Convention or not: and whenever any Clergyman, Catechist, Schoolmaster, or other Office-bearer, whether Clerical or Lay, shall be deposed, suspended, or removed from his office, he shall, ipso facto, immediately cease to have or exercise any function or office in connection with and under the provisions of this Trust Deed; and shall be absolutely deprived of all the civil and pecuniary rights, emoluments, stipend, or salary, to which by virtue of his office he would but for such sentence, have been entitled ; and shall forthwith deliver up to the General Convention, or to the Trustees appointed by them, all such parts of the said Trust Estate and Premises, and all such Deeds, books, papers, monies, and effects, belonging and relating thereto as may then be in his occupation, possession, or power. 6. Provided also, that no Clergyman, Catechist, Schoolmaster, "or other person, shall be admitted to any office under this Trust, or be entitled to receive any income, emolument, or benefit from or out of the said Trust Estate, unless and until he shall sign a Declaration of his adherence and submission to the provisions of these presents, in the form in Schedule 1, DELEGATION OP THE ABOVE POWEES. 7. And it is hereby declared, that it shall be lawful for the said General Convention to delegate the above powers of appointment and deposition to any Boai'd or Commission, either specifically, as the case may require, or under such general regulations as shall from time to time be laid down by the General Convention. POWEE OF FEAMIN& BEGTJXATIONS. 8. And it is hereby declared, that it shall be lawful for the said General Convention to frame such Regulations and bye-laws, as shall be found necessary from time to time for the management of the said Trust, and for the government of all persons holding office under, or deriving emolument from the same; and also to fix any standard of qualification, and to appoint any mode of Registration for the purpose of determining what persons are admissible to take part in the proceedings of any General or Diocesan Convention, or of any Archdeaconry or other local Board: whether as Electors, Representatives, or Deputies, or in any other manner whatsoever. 9. Provided always, that no person shall take any part in the proceedings of any General or Diocesan Convention, or of any Archdeaconry or other Local Board, who shall have been declared incompetent by the Genera! Convention, or by any Registrar, or Revising Officer, or Officers, acting under the authority of the General Convention, or shall have declined, when required by the same authority, to sign the Declaration in Schedule 1. of his adhesion and submission to the provisions of these presents. clause v. Appointment and Powebs oe Tetjstees. 1. And it is hereby further declared, that it shall be lawful for the General Convention from time to time, when and as often as they shall think proper, by a Deed executed in the form and manner prescribed* by an Ordinance of the General Assembly of New Zealand, (dale) or if that Ordinance shall have been repealed, or shall have been so altered as to be no longer applicable to the purposes of this Trust, then by any writing under the hands of the President or other officer or person, authorized by the General Convention in that behalf, to appoint Trustees for the whole or any portion of the said Trust Estate, and for any other properties which shall hereafter be annexed to it, either by reference to these presents, or by any separate Deed or Instrument declaring the Trust thereof to be vested in the said General Convention. 2. And it isherebyfurtherdeclared,thatitshall bclawfulfor the General Convention from thneto time, and as often as they shall think proper, by any Deed or other writing executed as aforesaid, to cancel and revoke all or any such appointments of Trustees and to appoint any new or other Trustee or Trustees in the place or stead of all or any of the Trustees of these presents (whether hereby appointed, or hereafter

to be appointed) who may have departed this life, resigned, or otherwise become incompetent, or, (in the judgment of the said General Convention) unfit to act in such Trusts. 3. And that upon every such appointment, if so directed by the said General Convention, but not otherwise, all the Trust Estate and Premises shall, under the provisions of the Colonial Ordinance, become vested in the new Trustees jointly with the old continuing Trustees (if any), or in the new Trustees only as the case may require, or in defect of any such powers as those refered to in the said Colonial Ordinance, then the said Trust Estate and Premises shall be conveyed and assured to the Trustees as aforesaid, at the expense and out of the proceeds of the Estate upon and for the trusts, intents, and purposes, and and subject to the powers, provisoes, declarations and agreements, herein expressed, declared and contained, of and concerning the same. 4. But, that every such Trustee, who shall beso appointed, shall be fully competent to act in the execution of the trusts and powers of these presents immediately upon his appointment, although the legal estate in the said trust estate and premises may not for the time being have been so conveyed, as to become vested as aforesaid. 5. Provided always, and it is hereby further declared, that it shall be lawful for the said trustees, by the direction of the General Convention, testified by some writing under the hand of their President, or other officer authorised by them in that behalf, to make sale, and absolutely dispose of either together or in parcels, and either by public sale or auction, or by private contract, all or any part of the said trust, in respect of which no direction or appointment shall have been made in any Crown Grant, Will, Deed, or .Gift, or Declaration of Trust inconsistent with the exercise of this present power : in such manner in all respects as they, the said trtistees shall deem expedient. 6. Or by the like direction and to be so testified as aforesaid, to exchange the said Trust Estate, or any part thereof for any other' Freehold Hereditaments situate in the Colony of New Zealand: and to give (out of any monies in their hands applicable to such purpose) or to receive any monies by way of equalities of exchange ; and to execute all such conveyances and assurances as may be requisite for effectuating such sale or exchange. 7. And by the like direction and to be so testified as aforesaid, to apply the clear monies arising from such sale, or to be received by the said trustees for equality of exchange as aforesaid, after payment of the costs and expenses payable by such trustees in relation to such sale and exchange in the absolute purchase of other Freehold Lands or Hereditaments in New Zealand, or insuch other investments as the said General Convention shall direct. 8. And that the Lands and Hereditaments which shall be so purchased or received in exchange as aforesaid, or other the emoluments which shall be so acquired, shall be held^ by the said trustees, upon and for such trusts, intents, and purposes, and under and subject to such powers, provisoes, declarations and agreements. as are herein expressed and declared of and concerning the hereditaments which shall be so sold or given in exchange. 9. And it is hereby further declared, that it shall be lawful for the said trustees from time to time, by any deed, to demise or lease any portion of the said Trust Estate in and respect, of which no direction or appointment shall have been made by the General Convention or by any Crown Grant, Deed of Gift, Will, or Declaration of Trust, inconsistent with the exercise of this present power, with the appurtenances, to_ any person or persons,for any term 'or number of" years not exceeding twenty-one, in possession and not in reversion, at and for such rent, and under and subject to such covenants and provisions as they the said trustees may deem fair and reasonable, and to apply the rents which may be thereby produced, for such purposes as under any general or special rules or direction of the said Convention, the income or proceeds of the said Trust Estate shall be properly applicable to. 10. And it is hereby further declared, that it shall be. lawful for the said Trustees or Trustee for the time being, to appoint any agent or agents for the receipt of the rents and profits, and for the general management of the said Trust Estate, with all such powers and authorities consistent with the due exercise of their own Trusts and Powers as they

tie said Trustees shall deem necessary or expedient ; and such agent or agents, from time to time, at pleasure, to remove, and (if thought proper) to appoint any other or others in his or their place .or places; and to pay or allow to such agent or agents, out of such Kents and Pronts, or oufof other the monies which may become payable to them the said Trustees, any Salary, Commission, or other allowances as they the said Trustees shall deem fair and reasonable. . . 11. Provided also, and it is hereby farther declared, that the receipt or receipts in writing of the said Trustees, or of their agent or agents, duly authorised in their behalf, shall be good and effectual discharges for all monies paid to them, under or by virtue of these presents, and shall exonerate the person or persons paying such monies, from all obligation of seeing to the application thereof, and from all liabilities on account of the loss, misapplication, or non-ap-plication thereof, and that it shall not be incumbent on any purchaser or other person, taking under such sale, exchange, or lease, as aforesaid, to enquire as to the necessity tor, or propriety of, such sale, exchange, or lease, or whether any direction for such sale, exchange, or lease, shall have been given by the General Convention. Provided always, and it is hereby further declared that the Trustees shall not, nor shall any of them, their or any of their heirs, executors or administrators, or any of them be chargeable or accountable for any involuntary loss suffered by them or any of them, nor any one of them for any other or others of them, nor for more money than shall come to their respective hands, nor for injury done by others to the said Trust Estate and Premises, or to any part or parts thereof. In witness, <£c.

Death by Drowning—We have to record the melancholy death, by drowning, on Saturday, the 3rd January, of Henry Lawson. Esq., (of Yorkshire, England), and his shepherd, Henry Mac Lean. The melancholy event occurred at Otakaroa, a creek running from the Waitaki river. The above gentleman, who has only within the last three wefks become a resident in the piace, was engaged in sheep washing; when the * shepherd, in trying to rescue some sheep, got into a deep hole. Mr. Lawson immediately swam to his rescue, when both sank to rise no more. The bodies were recovered within three hours afterwards, but although Dr. Rayner, who was a guest of the unfortunate gentleman, was promptly in attendance, life was extinct. The above events have cast a gloom over all in the locality, for although but a short time resident, Mr. Lawson was generally beloved.

Death at Port Levy.—The verdict of the jury at the Coroner's inquest on the body of'Allen, whose sudden death at Port Levy we reported in our last publication, was '■ Death from exhaustion, consequent on the exertion of walking-, lie being in a debilitated slate from excessive drinking." Resident Magistrate's Court Extended Jubisdiction.—We aie authorised to state that under the authority vested in the Supeiintendent by the Act "for extendin.°" the jurisdiction of the Resident Magistrate's Court, the third Tuesday in February has been fixed for the first sitting of the Court, and that a nutice to that effect will be immediately issued. The court will for the present sit once in three mo-.ths. As allsnmmonses have to be served 14 cleardays before the time appointed for the sitting of the court, we would remind our readers that for all cases to be heard in February, the summonses must be served not later than the 3rd of that month.

Remains of the Moa..—On Monday week, the 4th instant, Mr. G. H. Moore, of Glenmark, in the northern portion of this province, discovered three of the finest ppef-iim ns of the great Moa Bird remains which have yet bieu found in this colony. His men, in tracing up a dam through a peat swamp to the sprii.g at the foot of the hill in the rear of his woulshed, came acrobs

a number of huge bones in a very high state of preservation. Upon carefully excavating them, and removing a depth ot about four feet of peat, in which partly they were found, and below which was a blue c!a\, they discovered in one place the frames of two birds, and a i'ew yards further back the entire bones of another. The two former are of a great size ; the shank bones are upwards of two feet in length and nine inches across the knuckle joints. The lower joints of these two birds appear to be imbedded perpendicularly in the blue clay, as if they had sunk beyond their powers of extrication, and the upper parts of their frames were found in the peat which covered them entirely over The position of the remains leads to the idea that these birds had all sought shelter from fire under the steep hill, at the spring there, and were overtaken by the fire before recovering from their state of exhaustion. The peat and vegetable matter which appears to have been washed down upon them has maintained these remains in a very high state of preservation. The greatest care is being taken by Mr. Moore to collect all the parts, and it is probable that the entire skeletons of all three birds will be obtained.

These fine specimens will doubtless throw additional light upon the peculiar structure of this remarkable bird, and add to the interest which is attached to the total disappearance of this extraordinary specimen of former Natural History.

Schooneb, Canterbury. —We have much pleasure in noticing the successful exertions of the owners of the Canterbury in maintaining a regular communication between this port and that of Wellington. This schooner has now been six months on the'line, and during that period she has made on the average two trips a month, frequently making rapid passages. We think the system adopted by the owners of this vessel not to detain her for anticipated cargo, but to start as nearly as possible at the time specified for her sailing, a wise one, and hope that ultimately it will prove remunerative. The first settlers will remember the rapidity of communication kept up by the Fly cutter in old days ere steamers were thought of. The Canterbury is following her example, and is of as much use in bringing down our mails as the steamer. A line of small coasters, smartly handled, will fora long time compete in usefulness with such steam communication as we are able to afford.

Crops and Prices. —The warm sunny weather which has prevailed of late has: considerably advanced the harvest. Grain is beginning to ripen pretty generally, and in some places harvest has already commenced. We notice, amongst other instances, that a field of barley on the farm of Mrs. Kent, near Christchurch Quay, was begun upon last Saturday. The crops are for the most part very good, the yield is likely to be a full average, with the advantage of being a somewhat earlier harvest than last year. Prices are not very promising, a good deal of old wheat being still in the market, and the holders anxious to get rid of it; so that the market after harvest is not likely to open at a very remunerative figure for the farmer. Under the circumstances, the price of reaping is of great importance. We cannot refrain from remarking that for some years past public works have been proceeding during harvest time, and that as a rule labourers could obtain from contracts from 25 to 50 per cent above farm wajres. In spite of this warning and some promise ihu the great bulk of public works would be stopped this year during harvest, we have now every reason to believe that such will not be the case. In consequence, the price of labour will be higher than is natural, though considerably lower than previous

years. We anticipate that in a good many farms, 30s. per acre will be paid, but an endeavour will be made to reduce the price to 255. Machine prices for thrashing w ill probably be reduced somewhat. The potato crop looks promising- throughout the country, though as a rule Cor this as well as other crops a litile more moisture mio-ht be desirable. •Wool. —The clip is coming down slowly but surely, and by this time a considerable quantity is in store besides what has been sent to Sydney, which at present does not amount to more than about 270 bales. A. good deal of wool is now on its way down and most stations are ready for sending, so that we shall probably have the bulk of it down during the next month. Thou»h some of the early arrivals will be held back for the Belisama or other direct ship, other outlets must be found, and no doubt the greater portion will again go to Sydney. Buyers in the settlement are not very numerous nor active. We hear of fourteen and fifteen pence having been given for good samples, and growers are holding out for the latter figure. A quotation we can rely upon is thirteen pence for fair average quality ; thirty three bales being- sold the other day at that figure on the other side of the hill.

Japanese Hatred of Christianity. Every Japanese official whose business is with the Dutch at the factory, is bound twice or thrice in a year to take a solemn oath of renunciation and hatred of the Christian religion, and is made to trample under his feet crosses and crucifixes. It is not true, however, as has been stated, that the Dutch are also required to perform this act; but they dare not say openly that they are Christians. A story is told of one who, in the time of the great persecution at Nagasaki, being asked by the Japanese police " if he were were a Christian," replied " No! lam a Dutchman." _ With such an exhibition of Christianity, who wonders that the Japanese despise it.—• American Expedition to Japan.