CHURCH OF ENGLAND SYNOD.— CLIPPINGS.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 246, 21 November 1873, Page 3

CHURCH OF ENGLAND SYNOD.— CLIPPINGS.

INTEMPERANCE. The B,ev. Mr/Stanford moved—" That, looking to the extension and continued prevalence of the sin of intemperance in this diocese, th,e Church of England, as charged with the spiritual and"moral interests of the members of her communion, is bound to put forth .special efforts with a view to its removal."" There was not more drunkenness in Dunedin than in any part of this Colony or any other ; on the contrary, perhaps there was less. But had not the sin of intemperance extended | its roots amongst them—was it not doing harm to their work as a Church, and was ] it not causing misery amongst the various I strata of their social being P The resolution was not one. for which he could take credit to himself as originator. It was simply copied from one proposed by the Bishop,.of Lichfield at a Church Con-1 gress held in the library of Lambeth Pa- i lace, under the presidency of the Arch-j bishop of Canterbury. It was the first of | a long series, and ih explanation of its objects he reacl the definition of those purposes for which the Church Temperance Society at Home was constituted. They were as.follows : : —" For the promotion of habits of temperance, for the reformation of the intemperate, and for the removal of the causes which lead to intemperance, mainly in accordance with the recommendations of the reports of Convocation. The Society is to be open to assistance from non-abstainers as well as from abstainers, and seeks aid in explaining and enforcing the provisions of the law; in the formation of a sound public opinion as to the connection between intemperance and the undue facilities and temptations provided by the presenLpublic-house system ; in the progressive diminution of the number of public-houses and beershops as public opinion may permit ; the alteration of the character of ' tipplinghouses,' by bringing them back to the original form of ' victualling and refreshment houses,' in the closing of .publichouses and beershops on Sunday (except to travellers), and the limitation of the hours of sale on weekdays, as public opinion may permit ; in the dissociation of music halls and dancing rooms from pub-, lie-houses ; in the strengthening of the hands of the magistrates in the exercise of their power for the curtailment of facilities for the sale of intoxicating liquors ; in giving to local public opinion its due share, in conjunction with the existing authorities, in the-granting or refusing of licenses,, and in the regulation of publichouses or beershops ; in the removal of benefit, friendly, and burial clubs from public-houses, and the discouragement of the paymfent of wages at those places ; in the promotion of ' British ' public-houses, recreation- grounds, and other counteractions to the ordinary pub-lic-house ; in the discouragement of the present system of ' treating' in . business and commercial transactions, and the 'footing' custom among workmen; in the preparation of lesson books for reading in the national schools of the country, with speeial teaching on the moral, social, and physical evils resulting from intemperance; in the diffusion of correct and reliable information by temperance literature, tracts, and other publications, by sermons, lectures, and readings, by addresses to members of the Universities, theological colleges, and training colleges for teachers, and also by missionary efforts in prisons, workhouses, and other places where the victims of intemperance are usually found; and in the promotion of union' for ; special prayer throughout the country for the Divine blessing upon the temperance movement. Both 'classes, non-abstainers as well as abstainers, are asked to aid in these purposes, 'and in addition the abstainers are requested to aid in the establishment of parochial temperance societies, guilds, and Bauds of Hope, based on the .principle of total ab- ' stinenee, under the superintendence or with the sanction of the parochial clergy, . as the proved and most effectual human means of bringing the intemperate under i the teaching and power of the Gospel, and; so setting them free from the bondage of their sin, and of preserving others from : the abounding temptations of the day." ■: If this resolution had come forward at an ■ earlier, period, he would have been prepared to advocate something of the same , kind here, and propose that they should ] institute, a guild or temperance society,. In proposing some declaration of opinioiV pn the subject of temperance, he was very 1 far from wishing to propose anything like s an increase in the number of teetotallers or total abstainers. ' For his part, he was { not an abstainer, and hoped he should " never be. If he thought his motion \ would draw one more into their ranks, lie 1 should be loth indeed to move it. He \ conceived that the dictum "of one the (

most illustr;r>as prelate* in. the English Bench, wa.3 as true here .as .in. England. He said that he " would rather see England free than sober." For his (Mr. Stanford's) part he would sooner,see Otago free thaii sober. He conceited that the pledge of teetotalism constituted one .of the worst slaveries, and that the legislation of which the Permissive Bill" was taken as the representative was onl v one degree lighter in its chains of bondage; The above motion was carried.

'NOTES FROM ST. BATHANS. Mr. Bichard Wheeler, St. Bathans, is the successful tenderer for the erection of the school-house at Welshman's- G-nliy. The amount cf tender is £l4O, £125 of which is contributed by the G-overnment. During the sitting of the" Warden's Court at St. Bathans, on Friday last, Mr. Warden Robinson intimated that the Board of Inquiry would sit at Naseby on the 22nd inst., when the objections to the sale 3 ,0f the township would be heard. After "the adjournment of the Court, Mr. Robinson was waited on by the whole of the business people of the place, with a view to have the exhaustive inquiry into the matter ordered by the Waste Land Board heard at St. Bathans. The expense of a large number of witnesses attending at Naseby would, it was contended, render a thorough investigation into the . matter almost impossible. Mr. Robinson stated that the Board was not a moveable one, but he would endeavor to induce the members of the Board to comply wishes of the residents. He considered the request a very proper and reasonable one.

Resident Mag-istha.tk's Court.—Nov. 14. . (Before H. W. Robinson, K&q., R.M.) Keenan and -Morgan v. Preicott—Debt, £2O 19s. Settled out of Court. MCafrey v. Gannon.—Debt, £7 4s. Settled out of Court. Pyle t. Patterson.—Debt," £i 4s. Bd. Settled out of Court. , „. " Griffith's v. Churchill. —No appearance. Struck out. Griffith's v. Roberts. —No appearance. Struck out. Slaughtering .licenses were granted to Keenan and Morgan and Benjamin Washer. ■ Warden's Court.—Nov .14. (Before H. W. Robinson, Esq., Warden.) • G-ilhooly v. Fahey and' others.—Complaint that the defendants, being" joint owners with complainant of the Rose; Thistle, and Shamrock Channel, had refused- to assist camplain-a-nt to keep it in repair, whereby he' had sustained .a _ loss of £b, to which he asked they should be compelled to contribute their share. The defendants pleaded general denial, and complainant endeavored to.show, by evidence, that he was a -joint, owner with them in the property lie named. All he succeeded in proving was that another person, -holder of one-fifth interest in the property, recognised him as entitled to one-third of the said fifth interestj" and. professed himself. willing- to transfer so much of his share Lo the complainant. The Court was unable to see that plaintiff had established his position as -joint owner with the defendants, and a nonsuit was recorded.

Agricultural Lease Application.—The application of James Duff, Biackstone Hill, for agricultural lease was called on, and f-he hearing adjourned to December 3rd. Grants.—S Sutherland, protection ; Wade Brothers,, extension of water race; W. M. Wade, extended claim ; Patrick Toomey, protection ; Scandinavian Company, protection ; Fahey and O'Dowd,. protection ; O'Hara and Talty, protection ; Mallon and others, protection ,- Thurlow and anotlier, tail race \ Win.". M'Divett, protection ; G-il'more and M'Leau, tail race,- R. Johnstone, 2 dams; Dillon and another, water race,