ST. ANDREW'S. FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VII, Issue 445, 7 February 1857, Page 7

ST. ANDREW'S. FREE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND.

A handsome building which we have noticed for some time past in course of erection near the south-western entrance to the town of Christchureb. has just been completed and opened for divine worship by the members of the Free Ohurch of Scotland in this settlement. So handsome and so complete an edifice reflects o-reat praise upon the zeal and munificence of tlio'raetnbers of this congregation ; and we have riuoh pleasure in giving circulation (by request) to the following particulars concerning it, communicated to the Canterbury Standard : —

The building is 54 feet in length by 22 in width, with an entrance porch, 6 by 6 {'{„, on one side, and a session house, 12 by 12 ft. on the other. At either end there is a large window. ]3 it. lii^h, glazed with stained glass, one of which is so arranged so as to represent the colours of the .rainbow. Immediately under the large eastern window stands a handsome octagon panelled pulpit, with stairs and entrance door on cither side. The desk is covered with rich Presbyterian blue velvet with pendant ta^els, the gift of a lady of the congregation. A Precentor's desk stands in front of the pulpit, and about one-half of the building is fiHed up with ponnanent pews, and the other halt* with temporary sittings. The building is in the gothic stvlf'of architecture, and although its interior arrangements are not quite co'nnlete, yot it j-.reson.ls the most substantial and church-like appearance of any liuilding of the kind vet ei-iwted in the settlement. We are informed the building when complete will co*t over £700, and tht1 collection at the three services was made in ;ud ol! the building fund.

Under the auspices of a delioh{fYil clay, this Church was opened for public wor-hip on Snnd,iy, the Ist instant, ihc Minister of whir-h, t T'e Ro\. Charles Eraser, M. A., prenclvd an i'npvossive pnd mo^t appropriate pennon to -i full comitviyation, fiom the last verse of the 9:>d P^iMn, fiom the worcK 'Holiness b^eometh thine house, 0 Lord, for ever.' After the ennchiiion of the spun on. Mr. Fiaser read tic noiificption of his ordinn'ion by the pjosbvtciy of thii Free Church of Aberdeen, toi,vrVv with the sc\cial documents in reference to h\ iipnointment by the colonial committee as Minister of the Free Church of Sjotlanrl. Clinstfliuvch, Cuiterburv, New Zeal uid. Afler the conoip--5^ if ion he'd sum"1 two verses of a P^nlm, a baptism followod, the child, wilh its pirents, bi'iug- placed i-n-nedi itelv before the pnipif : the moral and religion^ obligations of ,1 parent, together with the belief in tlip funcLimental ilo.u-'mes of the phureh as declared in too 'Standards of the Free Chuich of Scotland' wer^ as,s'>nted to by the father, after which the child \va- 11 uned ' Charles Pi.iser, ' in accoulanoo with a Scotoh en-.torn of showing p^. sonnl iv^ard for a .Minister by "iving- his lh'ine to the fir^t male child baptised in a new chuic'i. The mode too of nialciu"1 th'^ collection was s rnvwha* unusuil. —at either side of the entrance poich, a plate vas placed co\ered with a whit" napkin, the congregation voluntaiily placing their contributions in the plate as they passed.—the-?e,\ve l«arn fiora undoubted nnthorihv, amo'int^d to the munificent sum of £7-l< Bs. Gd., u-iquo^tiona-bly {ho largest ChurJi collectioi' ever yet made in Canterbury., The number of persons pifs jnt jt the morning service was throe hundu'd and four, in tho afternoon one hundred and sevenlv-seven, and in the evening, when the Rev. J. Aldrod pleached, there weietwo hundred and ten, mam of wboni bad come ? distance of from ciyht to twenty miles to be present.

The-outside.of .the church, had, been newly painted, and presented "a-very neat appearance, reflecting credit on the taste and judgment of the building committee, who' we understand contemplate letting:.for one year a part of the scats at 10s. per sitting, to meet the. expressed wish of many members of the congregation who desire to have a seat which they can call their own, whilst the funds accruing from this source will be exclusively devoted to the cost of fitting up the seats.— Communicated.

Change of Ministry.—A quiet announcement in the Canterbury Standard of Thursday last, tells us that the Provincial Secretary and another member of the Executive Council' of this province have resigned their seats. We do not know anything further about it, and we cannot profess therefore to give the secrets of

state which occasion the change. On inquiry, since we saw the announcement, as to who was to be the nexb premier, we are told by one account that Mr. Packer is the fortunate individual; Once before, we rein ember, Mr. Packer was good enough to hold an office in the Executive when he was wanted," so 'perhaps'this.' story is hot false. At any rats,'if the Provincial Council cannot make or unmake a cabinet, they will not be denied the privilege of talking about these funny transactions at their next session. -The price of grinding wheat has been reduced during the past week, at the mills, from Is. to 9d. por bushel. Neav; Zealand Ornithology.—-We:. have been favoured'with" a view of a large collection of stuffed birds of New Zealand, made during the past two years by Mr. A. W. Lea. The collection consists of between seventy and eighty different varieties.; some of them being most rare, and a few of exquisite beauty. All are preserved with great care and skill, and must have required''great'labour tb obtain. Mr.. Lea is at present packing them for shipment to England, the collection being intended to grace the Worcester museum. The services of such a skilled Ornithologist and of as many as would help him would not be ill-bestowed in forming a similar collection as the nucleus of a museum in-this place.

Literature.—We have upon owx table, as yet unnoticed in the late press of news, a few works belonging to the literature of New Zealand ; the 'New' Zealand Quarterly Review,' for instance. We shall- take an early opportunity of bring, this and some pamphlets -which deserve attention more prominently before our readers. Church Property Trustees.—At a meeting of this body on Monday last, the 2nd of February, the Bishop of Christchurch in the chair,' the new lay Trustees for the ensuing year took their places. A list of the gentlemen appointed and elected to the office for the different parishes, will be found in our advertising columns. A resolution was come to by the meeting that for the future the representatives of the press of the province should be admitted to all general meetings. ■ ■■''■■' The Bishop of; CnRisTCHURcn.—-His Lordship and the Venerable Archdeacon1 Mathias left Lyttelton on Thursday morning, on a tour round Banks' Peninsula. They purpose, wa are informed, to go by Governor's Bay, Rhodes's Bay, Port Levy, and Pigeon Bay to Akaroa, arid thence to pay visits to the neigh : bouring small settlements; alter that to return by Little River and the Lake district on the south coast of the peninsula. The journey, of course, must be performed on foot, and will involve, we are afraid, more fatigue and discomfort tlian is anticipated. Certainly, his Lordship and the Venerable Archdeacon will have an opportunity of seeing there some of the wildest and most beautiful of Middle Island scenery, and we can promise them a most cordial and grateful reception •■"from all those dwellers in the wilderness whom their missionary spirit pi'ompts them to visit.