ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PAUL’S PARISHIONERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5401, 19 July 1878, Page 7

ANNUAL MEETING OF ST. PAUL’S PARISHIONERS.

The annual meeting of the parishioners of -St. Paul’s took place in the schoolroom of St. Paul’s • Church on Tuesday • evening. # . There were between forty and fifty parishioners present. The Rev. Mr. Harvey was iu the chair, and said that hitherto he had had to work the charge Iby himself, but now he had been provided with help in the person of Archdeacon Thorpe. He said ’ the Church had been pro greasing steadily during the past twelve months. The attendance at the Sunday-schools was still increasing. The young men’s Bible class, he was glad to say, had been better attended in the past year than in any previous year. During the past seven' years the weekly average of communicants had increased from 21 to 46. He referred in feeling terms to the loss the Church had sustained by the death-of Mr. Lambert and Mr. George Moore.

Mr. H. T, Clarke then read the annual report as follows : “ In presenting the annual parish reports for the last four or five years it has been the pleasing duty of your vestry to congratulate the parishioners on the prosperous state of our church'matters, and the steady increase in our parish income. The year that has just closed is no exception to this rule. Our ordinary offertories are £ll3 in excess of those of lastyear.

“ It may be interesting to .the parishioners to have placed before them the gradual improvement of our church revenues as'indicated by the general offertories. In the year 1873 the ordinary offertories amounted to £431 Bs. 5d.; in 1874-to £465 Is. 3d.; in 1875 to £6Ol 2s. Bd.j in 1876 to £643 2s. Bd.; in 1877 to £675 ss. 10d.; and this year to £7BB 15s. 9d. Encouraging as our progress has been during the past six years, your vestry think that the time has arrived when fresh exertions will have to be made to meet the pressing exigencies of the parish, and the increased obligations undertaken by the parishioners during the past year. 11 In accordance with the recommendation of the vestry last year, the church has been thoroughly painted, at a cost of £sl 10s. “The most important step that has been taken during the past year has been the engagement of the. Rev. Mr. Thorpe, to assist the Kev. Mr. Harvey in the spiritual care of this large and most important parish. Your vestry are confident that no one who is acquainted with our pariah wants in that respect will question the urgent necessity there was for adopting the course that has been followed. It is at the same time their duty to point out that fresh exertions will have to be made to meet the increased expenditure to which the parish stands pledged. ■ • “ It must also be remembered that we, ae parishioners, have entered into certain engagements which must be carried out, and must (after the payment of ordinary salaries, as they existed at the time those engagements were entered into) be made a first charge on our income ; Ist. To the Hon, C. J. Pharazyn, to the gradual reduction of his loan. 2nd. To the organ- debenture holders, for the redemption of those debentures, as agreed upon at the time they were issued. “It is estimated that our ordinary income (exclusive of special offertories) for the ensuing year will amount to about £I4OO, from the following sources ; —General offertories, £B2O ; seat rents, £4BO ; rents not yet collected, £95; balance brought down, £l6. Total, £I4OO. And the expenditure- (not including llov. Mr. Thorpe’s salary and allowance for house rent), at £lll7. Under the following heads :—. Ordinary expenditure, £607 ; lighting, £45 ; printing, £l2 ; interest on loan and debentures, £80; charitable aid, £10; sundries, £3O; debt to be paid off, £2BO ; Melanesian fund, £2B ; outstanding liabilities, £25. Total, £lll7.- This will leave an available sum of £283 for the Kev. Mr. Thorpe’s stipend, nnd the balance, £167, will have to bo made up by subscriptions, &e. Your vestry have been enabled to pay off over £4OO of old liabilities, but they extremely regret to have to say that, owing to the shortcomings of many of the parishioners, they have not been able to meet the obligations imposed upon them. It has been with extreme reluctance that this has been-from time to time adverted to, ,-wjth a hope that it would have at once been remedied. In this, however, your vestry have been disappointed. The seat rents outstanding at the end of the financial year amounted to no less a sum than £95 15s. 6d., a sum, together with the balance brolight down, sufficient to cover the redemption of £BO worth of debentures that ought to have been paid off, and the Melanesian offertory, which remains a liability yet to be met. The vestry feel that it is high time that more stringent measures should be resorted to, and that defaulting seatholders should cither pay their seat dues forthwith, or submit to have their seats allotted to other anxious expectants, who have been waiting for years to bo accommodated. “ The vestry desires to record its thanks to the members of the choir for their gratuitous services during the past year. “Tho vestry also tender thoir thanks to Messrs. Barraud and Anderson for their services in receiving seat rents. “ Henry T. Clarke, “E. W. Keimbnsohneider, " Churchwardens.” After a short discussion, tho report was adopted. . Mr. Bowles read tho report of the Sunday school, which showed that the institution was in a very favorable condition. : The report was accepted. As treasurer, tho Kev. Mr. Harvey read the following balance-sheet:—Dr.—Balance from past year, 3s. 4d.; donation from a friend, £26; collected for treat, £l3 11s.; library subscription, 7s. Bd.;. donation to library, £2; balance due to treasurer, £2 12s.' Or.—By books for library, £l3 11s. 6d.; repairs, £1 Bs. 4d.; prizes and reward tickets, £l2 95.; printing, &0., £2 17s. 9d.; expenses of treat, £l2 Is. 5d.;- sundries,£l 6s. Total, £43 14s. Tho Bov. Mr. Harvey bad much pleasure in stating that a gentleman who had Visited the city recently had placed a cheque for £IOO in liis hands. That sum ho had' distributed as following:—To Wellington Benevolent Institution, Hutt Church Building Fund, and St. Paul’s Sunday-school, each £25; Karori Par-

sonoge Fund, £10; Thorhdoh Dorcas Society, £5; Charitable,Aid Fund, £lO. Mr. Clarke was' appointed clergyman’s churchwarden, and Mr. Eeimenschneider parishioners’ churchwarden. The following gentlemen were elected vestrymen:—Messrs, B:\rrauil, Anderson, Bowles, McKellar, Smith, Quick, Lowe, Famiiu, Davies, and Wilson,.