THE PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

Southland Times, Issue 1696, 31 January 1873, Page 3

THE PRESBYTERIAN SYNOD.

a — Friday, Jantjaet 17th. The sitting of the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Otago and Southland was resumed. The Moderator presided. The report of the Committee on Sanctioning Charges was brought up by the Rev. Mr Stobo, as. follows. : — . " The Committee report that there are tyro applications for sanction this year. The one is for the district of the Lower Mataura, at present under the pastoral care of the Rev. Charles Connor, but distant thirty, and in some parts sixty, miles from Popotunoa, which is the centre of Mr Connor's proper ministerial charge. The application is accompanied by a subscription list showing £158 Is per annum. It is believed that the district will soon be in a position to raise very much more towards the support of a minister, and in I these circumstances the Committee think it advisable that the recommendation of the Clutha Presbytery be given effect to, and the district sanctioned as a ministerial charge. " The other application is from the suburb of Caversham, and comes up in the form of a petition from residents in that district to the Presbytery of Dunedin, and accompanied by a subscription list showing £152 16s promised in the district. The Presbytery of Dunedin have strongly recommended that Caversham be sanctioned In this recommendation your Committee do not concur. They are of opinion that if charges far below the self-sustaining point be sanctioned, it should be in the districts of our land spiritually neglected, and far removed from ordinances, and not in the immediate neighborhood of Duoedin ; but recommend that it be fostered by the Presbytery in order to be sanctioned as soon as possible." The adoption of the report was moved by Mr Stobo. The Rev Mr Gow moved as an amendment — " That the Committee's report anent Caversham be not approved, and that the Synod sanction Caversham as a regular ministerial charge." After considerable debate the adoption of the report waa carried by 33 to 13. The Report of the Church Extension Committee waa circulated amongst the members of Synod. We extract the following passage : — "Tour Committee have pleasure in reporting that early in the year the following ministers were settled, with every prospect of comfort and use fulness, viz. : — l. Rev. Andrew Brett, in TapanuiJ; 2, Rev. Alexander Blake, M. A., in Kaikorai ; 3, Rev. James Cameron, in Lawrence ; 4, Rev. John Macara, in Balclutha; 5, Rev. Jamea M.Thomson, in Winton and Forest Hill ; 6, Rev. Charles S. Ross, in Riverton. The charges still vacaut are — 1, First Church, Dunedin, through the resignation of the Rev. George Sutherland ; 2, Inch Clutha, through the translation of the Rev. James Kirkland to Hokitika ; 3, Alexan dra and Clyde ; 4, Lower Waitaki ; 5, Waitahuna." The report goes on to say that the Committee had sent home for two additional ministers, and requests authority to send for two more. The Report of the University Committee was circulated among the members. The report gives the details of the competition for the Lang and Synod Scholarships, the former being gained by Mr Charles Connor, and the latter by Mr Arthur Grant. The report recommends the establishment of scholarships by the various Presbyteries, as an inducement and assistance to young men desirous to study for the ministry. The Rev. Mr Elmslie, Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand, then addressed the Synod on the subject of union between the Church which he represented and the Presbyterian Church in Otago. The Rev. Mr Fraser, of Christchurch, and the Rev. Mr Nish, from Victoria, also delivered addresses. A return submitted showed, in regard to the proposal to adopt the English Presbyterian Hymn Book, that there were two Presbyteries in favor of adopting it, and one against ; eight sessions in favor, and twelve against. The Rev. Mr Todd moved—" That the English Presbyterian Hymn Book be adopted by this Church, for the use of all its congregations." After considerable discussion this motion was adopted, two amendments of a contrary character having been negatived. Saturday, Jawxtahy 18th. The Church Extension Committee's report was discussed, and Mr J. P. Millar moved — " That this Synod adopt the report as printed ; approve of the action of the Committee in sending home for two ministers before the Synod met, and limit the amount of the passage money for each minister to £60." The clause referring to the passage money was subsequently struck out, and ultimately it was decided by 28 votes to 3 to send home for four instead of two ministers. It was also agreed to sustain the action of the Committee in sending home for two ministers, and to record the thanks of the Synod to the Committee, and especially to the Convener. Monday, 20th Janttaby. The Rev. Mi? Stobo made a personal explanation regarding the circumstances which led t© his sailing in the Storm Bird on Sunday, 12th inst., along with Messrs Ross and Alexander, the circumstance having been made the subject of comment in a local paper. It was agreed to appoint the following as a Committee of the Infirm Ministers' Fund: — The Moderator; the Revs. Messrs Todd, Will, Gow, Watt, Clark, Stobo, and Ryley ; and Messrs J. P. Millar and James Allan, elders. The Widows' Fund Committee reported that do deaths had taken place during the present year, and that there was only one annuitant ; that the receipts amounted to £254 6s lOd, and the capital fund to £1363 16s Bd. It was agreed to adopt the report of the University Committee, to record the thanks of the Synod to the Committee

for its labors, and to recommend Presbyteries to make further efforts to obtain one or two bursaries, as recommended by the Committee, and report to next Synod The annual missionary meeting took place in the evening, when the report of the Mission Committee was brought up. It appeared that the receipts of the Mission for the year amounted to £544 Ts 6d, and the expenditure to £412 17s sd. The balance from this year's expenses was £131 10s, and from lait year's £144; but the money would be wanted to pay Mr Milne's salary. It would be necessary to make an appeal to the churches in aid of the mission. After several addresses had been delivered, the following deliverance on the report was agreed to : — " That the Synod approve of the report ; record the thanks of the Synod to the Committee, and especially to the Interim Convener ; express their s gratitude to Almighty God for the continued auccess attending the mission of this Church in the New Hebrides and among the Chinese in this Province ; instruct the Presbytery of Dunedin to make arrangements that will enable Mr Blake to visit and preach at the Heads as frequently as possible ; and that all the Presbyteries of the Church be recommended to see that those ministers in the neighborhood of the various Native villages within their bounds take some interest in, and oversight of, the Maoris ; that the Synod deeply sympathise with the New Hebrides Mission Synod in the bereavement it has suffered in the murder of Mr Gordon and in the death of Dr Geddie ; record their deep sense of the Christian devotedness of the one, and of the many labors fulfilled by the other, and pray the Head of the Church to sanctify these his dealings with this mission to His own glory and the furtherance of His cause among the degraded population of the Islands of the Pacific; instruct the Committee to act in the matter" of salaries and mission expenses in accord with the Churches interested in the mission, and to agree with them in reference to the reports of the Dayspring, and printing of cards ; recommend that such efforts be made as may result in enabling the Synod to avail itself of the £50 already received towards the support of a second missionary in the New Hebrides ; and that efforts be made to obtain a second Chinese missionary in connection with this Church ; recommend to the grace of God I and to the prayers of the congregations the missionaries now in the service of this Church, that their labors in their respective fields may prove more and more successful."