SOIREE AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

Southland Times, Volume 2, Issue 108, 30 October 1863, Page 5

SOIREE AT THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

A Soiree took iAace on the evening of Wednesday last, in connection with the Pres- ; ijterian Church, at which there was a large , ttendance. On the platform, we observed be Rev. Mr Stobo, who presided, the Rev. ' = Ir Drake, Messra EUes, Geisow, Bonar, ; llacklock, &c. i Tea and pastry were the first order' of the ight, and appropriate addresses followed. The ' Chairman, in his preliminary speech,' aid ithat though he was alive to the imDrtanoe df -the Church Extension scheme, he bought that charity began at home, and that teps should be taken towards raising funds | 8 pay off the debt on the Church. Still he ■ ould propose that the services of three . ; Jditional Ministers should be secured, and ; ith that view, *he sum of L 250 raised, for '■' t raying their expenses out to the colony. Phen the initiative had 'been taken, he would Jmmunicative with the Rev. Mr Bonar, at : a ome, who would carr,y out the necessary rangements. "'■ The Rev. gentleman's address was received : ith a good deal of enthusiasm, and sue- : eded by a piece of sacred music nicely % ndered by the Choir. MrGeisow was then introduced; and. he, fter a few prefatory remarks, said that the ■■ aty that devolved Hpon him that evening as to give an account of their progress as a . hutch, more particularly as to the material ■/; osperity or otherwise. In the early history, ! Mch only dated a very few years back, ; ley held their meetings for Divine worship the Gaol of Invercargill, and until the then .-;•■ called new Court House was erected, to liich they removed. They owed a debt of atitude to hirhiuch-beloved friendthe ßer. rßethune, who at that time travelled five ■ lies out and in every. Sabbath to proclaim to . cm the Word of Life, and surely they ought ', ankfully to remember this, and pray that the •rd mil award to him many precious souls for ! hire on that day when he makes up his f els. Mr Bethune preached to them till the ' ; th of June, 1860, on which day their beloved ■:■ stor was ordained in the Court House. , Ithough the accommodation there, and af terv 'ids in the school-house, was ample at the ■ <X3, there were indications that a rapid in- ': :f :ase would take place in our population -; >m our native country, as well as from the ;v ighboring colonies. The, original Congrelional Committee, and afterwards the Dea- .'•'; ft Court, very properly directed their < intion to the securing of sections, and the ; ablishment of funds for the erection of a - nrch and manse ; and for' the latter, viz, ■ manse, there was the sum of jgl94 4s colted by subscription, which, with the £200 ained from the Presbytery Manse Fund, * ounted to £394 45." At a congregational eting held in March last year, it was refed that a subscription should be set on " for the purpose of building a church. It s not, however, till September, 1862, that "as done; but on the 15th of May last they \ as all were aware, the pleasure of seeing

•the church.opshedi and sblemn^ridedicatedf to the service of the Lord. The principle;iterfls of outlay in building the church amounted in. rbundniimberßtoje2l34:;i3st lia.^ ' There were still a Ifew-smali items, which i would bring the total, to about £2250. To • meet this large expepSiture, -the Deacon's: Court haft to borrow 'a ver sum, , among whiclv wasthe Manse Fund. " That, however; mus£:be immediately refunded for' carrying ,, out its more legitimate ipurpose.There was also >a> larger sum' borrowed from, the Bank bT New South : /Wales '('under.; the Deacon's -Court) : J-throtigh Captain v -Elles, \ ■Messrs Blackleck and Calder, and for which • there mustalso bo provision made as soon as ' possible. .He then read the various sources \ of income as" 'fellow*:--' ' : : rimf»3nnl^aii'hsßrinrinn<'fJCtinrl' ; ' ''

At this stage of their 'history there was an addition made to the office-bearers, when he had l the honor of succeeding Captain Elles, who resigned, and who handed him the fol- ? lowing -sums of money, viz.-: — £ s. d. Church-door collections - 43 18 2 Church seats . ■- ' - 14 10 3 '■■ Church buildings fund - 33 13 0 ■> But at this point it became necessary to bor- , row more money to meet all the demands made upon (he treasury, and the gentlemen 1 already named made an arrangement with '<■ the Bank of New South Wales, whereby: such additional such sums as might be neces- ■ sary to complete the building's, was obtained ; and he agreed with those gentlemen anfi the* manager of the Bank, that all sums of money collected, with the exception of a petty cash account, should be placed to their credit, . under this arrangement. The following sum have been paid up till date, viz. :— £2234 13s 2d. '■ The church cost, therefjre. tke sum 0f£2234 13s 2, less £100 paid for sections in ( Wallacetown and Campbelltown, when the upset price of such was raised from £12 10s ' t.n £50.

Sustentation Fund, last half-year 130 9 0 Paid Ministers' Donation Fund i3O 9 0 Sustentation Fund since date - 50 16 0 Mr Bonar next delivered a short address dwelling on -the importance of instituting a society for the distribution of the Bible in this place. Captain Elles referred to the desirability of paying off the debt on the Church, and recommended all to put their hands to the oar and pull together. The Rev. Mr Drake thought that an effort should "be made to clear off the debt before the meeting broke up. The Chairman -said that the suggestion was a valuable one, and that subscription lists would be opened after the meeting had been dissolved. Several other gentlemen au&ressed the meeting, and the proceedings terminated satisfactorily about 1 1 o'clock.

£ s. d. Church buildings fund - 67 13 0 Church rates - - 64 10 2 Church-door collection - 170 17 7£ Proclamation fees - 20 0 0 £323 0 9£Which were expended as under : — £ s. fl. Supplement to Minister - 49 9 7 Presents - - 25 0 0 Beadle - - 15 0 0 Congregation library - 25 0 0 Freight of do.' - - 3 2 6 Rent of Manse - 59 0 0 , Paid for Manse Ground - 152 15 6 1 Do. clearing do. - 29 10 0 £345 17 7 Returned per rent 3 - 8 15 0 Sundries - - - 1 3 0 £359 15 7 They had, therefore, to borrow from the Bank £56 14s 10£, which shows the Bank debt to be as follows : — ■ Amount borrowed under late £ s. d. Treasurer ... 448 14 6 Do do present do - 3G9 14 4 Do do do do - 36 14 10* Amount interests - - 18 2 10 Due Bank - £573 6 6± Due Manse Fund, about the sum of - - 400 0 0 Total debt by the conqrecration £1273 6 Gk

for. Manse - ; •— • • ■ jgSSS "* '0 ' Voted for >do by Presbytery 199 15 0 i Churcih debt collections - 123 2 8 Ctiurcti rales - - 235 11 10 Church fund per subscrip- : tion list - - $61 11 8 ' Borrowed from Bank >- 448 14 6 ■£186$ 10 8