MEETING FOR THE ERECTION OF A PRESBYTERIAN FREE CHURCH.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 138, 25 September 1847, Page 2 (Supplement)

MEETING FOR THE ERECTION OF A PRESBYTERIAN FREE CHURCH.

On Wednesday evening, a numerous and respectable concourse of our townsmen, met in the hall of the Mechanics' Institute, pursuant to advertisement, for purposes in connection with the erection of a Presbyterian Church in AuckAfter a suitable preparatory prayer was offered J)V Mr. Gorrie, , • W.S. Graliofne, Esq., was called to the chair, and stated that the committee appointed at the previous meeting, held on the 4th May last, were desi^fcof laying before the subscriber .an account of their proceedings up to that time, and of obtaining further instructions for their guidance. This account would be found em- • bodied in a report prepared with much industry and ability by their convener, Mr.. Whytlaw, which that gentleman would read to the meeting. Mr. Whytlaw then proceeded to read the report of the committee. It stated that sums to the amount of £1400 upon the whole, had been subscribed, at and immediately after the meeting of the 4th of May, for the erection of a suitable Presbyterian Edifice in Auckland This fact the committee had communicated to the principal of .the Free Church in Scotland, with a request that a proper minister of the persuasion might be sent out to thecolonybv the earliest favorable opportunity. A deputation of the committee next waited upon the Lieutenant Governor for the purpose of obtaining a free grant of a suitable site, which deputation his Excellency had graciously received, and invited them to communicate in writing, pointing out what site in Auckland they might consider eMgible, and if that should not be at the disposal of the Government, to name any other they would deem most advisable that might be in the power of the Government to grant. Finding the allotment that was formerly offered by Mr. Shortland, now taken up by Ordinance Powder Magazine, they liad applied for a piece of ground supposed to Ibe vacant near the Government-house. Owing, it was supposed, to his Excellency's avocations requiring his absence from town, this application remained some months unanswered. On repeating it, they were referred to the Surveyor General who said his instructions were to offer a piece of ground at the rear of the Council Chamber. This they found, from the nature of the ground, would be ineligible, as to lay the foundation alone of a substantial building of acoria or stone, 60 feet by 80, as the subscribers wished, it was estimated would, with the necessary works for drainage &c, involve an expense of £850. This the committee made known to the Government, and requested to be informed ■whether they could have the breadth of street adjoining the Council Chamber, and the ground on which the Council Chamber stands, gauranteeing in the latter case, to remove the building to a suitable spot at the expense of the subscription fund ; to which the reply was, that it did not come within his Excellency's instructions to comply with their request. This closed the report. The chairman said the subscribers might see that the delays which had arisen had not proceeded from lack of exertion on the part of the committee. Mr. Whytlaw rose again, and said he had to add that in the course of that evening he was put in receipt of a letter from the Surveyor General, stating in reference to a further application made by the committee, to know if the Government would dispose of the ground already mentioned, (as the Council building was not likely to be required after the present session)— that the matter would be brought before the Executive Council, and likewise the application for the street, by shewing the concurrence of the proprietor of the adjoining land. The chairman thought this last letter materially altered the previous state of the matter. Mr. Forsaith considered it would be unwise to expend any portion of the funds subscribed in the purchase of laud. Mr. Gorrie thought the description of building ought to be artanged. Mr. Kobert Graham, Mr. Shepherd, and other gentlemen, spoke in reference to the several matters before the meeting. Finally it was agreed that the report should be received and adopted, and the committee empowered to take further measures as circumstances might render needful, and the following gentlemen were named as trustees for receiving such grant as might be issued, and! other purposes connected with the proposed Church, viz., Messrs. Shepherd, Sinclair, W. S. Grabame' Robert Graham, M. Whjtlaw, W. Gorrie, and R. Mitchell. . It was suggested that estimates should be obtained of the cost of an erection of scoria, brick, and wood — but the general sense of the meeting was in favor of scoria. Mr. Shepherd (the Treasurer), said that ah though £1400 had been subscribed, only £278 had been actually received, and he was happy to see among the pa) ers the names of-tuevgen-_ llemen not Presbytei iani» one of whom had given £20, the other £5. The generality of subscriptions was in very small sums. Before leaving, the Chairman said, his attention was called bv the newspaper of that morning - to the circumstance of a Bill for promoting Edit-

cation, being before the Council, which called for the serious consideration of that meeting. Mr. Whytlaw adverted to the 3rd clause ol that Bill, omitting all mention of the Presbyterians, as if no such body was known to exist, and dwelt in animated and eloquent terms upon the invidiousness and injustice of that part ol the measure in question. He coniidered that a standing committee should be appointed to watch the proceedings of the Legislature in all Church matters—and that Presbyterians should express their sense of the clause referred to in a prompt and suitable remonstrance. Mr. Gorrie said he was surprised to tead the clause that morning, and was glad the " New Zeahinder" had noticed the matter, and agreed in Mr. Whjtlaw's views. Mr. Shepherd said, as one of the Legislative Council, he thought he could safely exonerate the framer of the Bill from any intention to offend the Presbyterian body. There was no iPresbyterian school in existence—and he of lcourse had only been guided as to to those which were in actual operation. The same view had been taken in the Marriage Bill— there being no Presbyteiidii Minister of the Free Church in the colony — but the Members of the Council individually and generally had yielded to the sense of the community, when' made sufficiently known. Mr. Forsaith said there were other dissenting persuasions also overlooked— the Independents and Baptists, for example— who though at present few, would grow in numbers, weight, and nfluence— and who had claims upon theLegisature—and he hoped that their remonstrance would be embodied with that of the Presbyterians. Finally it was agreed to entrust to Mr. Whytlaw aud Mr. Forsaith the care of preparing a Memorial to the Council against the third clause as it how stands— such memorial to lie for signature at certain places, on Friday next. After a tote of thanks to the chairman, the meeting broke up at a quarter to ten o'clock.