PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

Southland Times, Issue 1525, 16 January 1872, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

The annual meeting of the Synod of Orago and Southland was opened in the First Church, Dunedin, on the 10th inst. After devotional exercises, in which a large number of the public joined, the business of the Synod was commenced. The following Southland members were in attendance : — Ministers : Messrs T. Alexander, D. Ross, E. C. Morrison, A. Stevens, and A. H. Stobo. Elders : Messrs ~F. H. Geisow, George Dawson, John M'llwraith, and J. Full irton. The retiring moderator (the Rev. D M. Stuart) preached a sermon from the 2nd Corinthians, after which he nominated the Eev. James Kirkland as his successor, and in doing so referred to the loss the Church had sustained during the year in the deaths of the Key. Dr Bums, Eev. James Uric, and Mr John Gillies. The moderator elect afterwards preached a sermon, when the Presbytery adjourned till next day.

Thursday, Jan. 11. A minute of the Southland Presbytery, anent a call from "VVinton and Forest Hill to the Eev. Mr Thomson, was read. The reference was sustained, and afterwards stated by the Eev. Messrs Stevens, Stobo, and Mr Geisow. It was also agreed to proceed with the call in accordance with the laws of the Church. An overture was read from the Presbytery of Dunedin, proposing that congregations at a distance might elect elders from the Presbytery of Dunediu to represent them in the Synod. It was urged io favor of Ihe adoption of the overture, that there was a necessity for the affairs of the Church being administered by an equal number of ministers and elders, it being pointed out that during the years 1869, IS7O, and 1871, the number of elders attending the Synodical meetings was, in point of number, not in proportion to that of ministers ; that it was the object of the overture to remedy this difficulty, and that the course which it was now proposed to pursue had already been adopted by similar bodies elsewhere. The adoption of the overture was moved by the Eev. M. Watt, and seconded by Mr G-eisow. The rejection of the overture was proposed by the Eev. Mr Stobo, seconded by Mr Miller, and supported by Messrs A. D. Johnston, Brown, and the Eev. Mr Waters. Some of the arguments used by those gentlemen who spoke against the adoption of the overture were that the disproportion in the number of elders and j ministers was not so great at the present time as it had been previously, the number of ministers being 29, and the number of elders 25 ;that the overture, if carried, would act detrimentally to the interests of the Church in outlying districts ; that it would tend to create a double representation ; that the overture had not been forced upon the attention of the Synod at the request of elders as representatives of congregations, and that, if adopted, it would tend to establish a system of centralisation at Dunedin. Captain | Thomson and the Eev. Mr Eos 3 spoke in | favor of the adoption of the overture. The { former gentleman urged that even if any Dunedin elders who might be elected to represent country churches should injure in any degree those whom they represented, they would almost necessarily inflict a corresponding injury on themselves. The latter gentleman denied that there was any danger of the establishment of such a system of centralisation as had been alluded to ; and said he recognised the want of the introduction of the lay j element in the Synod in an increased degree, believing that the advantage to j the Church would be increased in a degree equal to that increased interest. The Rev. Mr Bannerman spoke against the adoption of the overture. He said it was a remarkable and important fact that the overture had not emanated from the elders, but, as it would seem, from the Ministers in Dunedin. It was proposed, in effect, that they should alter the entire constitution of the Church ; that they should meet there, not as Presbyteries, but as congregations ; the remedy proposed was worse than the evil which the supporters of the overture said existed ; it was a remedy that was calculated to prevent country elders from taking an interest in Church matters, and it was better to bear the small evil which was said to exist, and which was every year becoming less, than by the adoption of the overture introduce evils of which they had not yet begun to dream. Mr Grant and the Eev. Mr Todd spoke in favor of the adoption of the overture. Dr Copland expressed himself in favor of a fund to meet the expenses of country elders coming from certain distances, and also expressed the opinion that there was no evil that required remedying in the direction indicated by the overture. The Kov. D. M. Stuart said he intended to vote for the overture, arguing that it was a desirable, and not a compulsory, measure. The Eev. Messrs Eyley, Chisholm, Will, and Mr Johnston, also supported the adoption of the overture. Mr J. W. Thomson explained the reasons why he considered that the weight of evidence was in favor of those gentlemen who had argued against the adoption of the overture. Mr Andrew Todd spoke in support of the overture, and, after the Eev. M. Watt had been heard in reply, the overture, on being put to the vote, was declared carried by 21 to 19.