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New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VIII, Issue 683, 18 February 1852, Page 3

A meeting of the members of the Church of England will be held t_-morrow evening in the School House, Thorndon, with the view of furthering the necessary measures for obtaining s Church Constitution for this colony, and we take the opportunity of saying a few words on the subject for the purpose of directing attention to it. In the advertisement direct reference is made to the resolutions, passed at a previous meeting over which the Bishop of New Zealand presided, which were moved by Sir George Grey, and which declare the expediency of some form of Constitution for the government of the branch of the Church of England in New Zealand, the necessity for raising funds for its maintenance and extension, and for making provision for the adminis- ' tration of those funds. l The Church of England is, in common parlance, referred to as the Established Church, and is generally associated with the idea of temporalities and endowments from the State. But though these temporalities and endowments exist in the mother country, in the colonies, at least in New Zealand of which it concerns us now to speak, there is no establishment, the Church has no endowments, and has hitherto been maintained for the most part by contributions and assistance received from its friends in England. Confining our attention to Wellington, the means at the disposal of the Bishop of New Zealand are not more than adequate for the support of two clergymen, and these means must from various causes be precarious while they are received from extraneous sources. But as the settlement increases in population each year, additional numbers are added to the Church, who are scattered throughout the different districts and who require its religious ministrations and consolations : additional funds must therefore be provided to meet these additional calls, and to extend the operations of the Church wherever they are required. The Church in this colony must appeal to the voluntary system, and we are confident that this appeal to the affection of her members will not be made in vain. Again, as it grows and spreads throughout the land, new churches and school houses are built, cemeteries are appropriated for the burial of the dead, trusts of various kinds are constituted whi.h require that some legal provision should be made for their general administration as well as for those funds which may ft raised from the contributions of its members. It must also be obvious, that the laws which regulate and govern in England, and which are in colony, are totally inapplicable of things so entirely different. very briefly adverted to some of which render it extremely desirjJMrhat some form of Church governmentgßjhajd established in New Zealand as possible, and while these should stimulate the zeal of those in communion with of England, we feel persuaded that their efforts in obtaining these objects, far from rousing the jealousy,

will excite the warm sympathy and good will of those of other religious denominations.