Meeting of Presbyterians

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 381, 3 July 1889, Page 2

Meeting of Presbyterians

A meeting of Presbyterians, as advertised in the Tic Aroha and Ouinrmuri News, was hold in tlie Te Aroha Public, Hall on lost Monday evening. On (h*» motion of Mr W. Hethrington, seconded by Mr R. Michael, Mr «J, A,. Cochntne was voted to the cluir. TheGhairinnn having opened the meeting, called upon Mr W. Ilethrington, as conyener, fa state the object for which they had been oalled together. ;Mr Kethiington said:" The reason for his convening a meeting of: Pieebyterians waa,'becauso Rev T. A. Norriehad come to To Aroha, and was very anxious to take up his residence amongst them, and get together the Presbyterian chinch again. He had therefore convened the present lyeeting in order that the mutter migljt be considered 'and discussed, and some steps taken towards assisting 1 Mr Norrie. Mr Name had come to him, and be (the speaker) told him ho would have some difficulty now in getting the 1 ' congregation together again, or in obtaining a guaranteed stipend, jn reply Mr N, orrie told him lie did not ask for any gnar'/intee, but would like a committee formed, to assist him in his work ; and with such was quite willing to take up his residence arnong3t thorn a.qd work up the cause. lie (the speaker) saw, however, bv a letter which appeirod in Saturdays Tv Arob;a a.Nu Ohinemuri News, that Mr E. Y. Cox appnrently would not allow the Preßbyterian** to support a minister of their own, He thought Mr Cox had taken too much upon himself altogether iv this matter, and woujd f\nd that there wore us lrjany F/esbyteriana still in the dfstrict as would support a minister, and be could not see why they should not be allowed to have t\ service of their own, if they \vished to do so, without being dictated to by outsiders. Mr Qeo. Wilson, as Secretary to the late Presbyterian Qpmmittee, had got th,e minute boqk, and all the papers belongir.g to the Committee with him, but would nq doubt bo only too glad to send them up from the Than.ea, directly they were required . Air R. Mackie said that when Rev Mr Norrie was labouring amongst them bofore, some seven 3 ears ago, he (the speaker) was Chairman of the Presbyterjtui Committee formed at that time ; and tho Committee then, without any difficulty whatever, found every penny for his support, and whan leaving them Mr Norrie expressed himself as being perfectly a*tisj&ed with respect to the manner in which fie had been treated, expressed #ren,t regret at having to leave (which was necessary in order that he might complete hisntudies) and said he hoped to sq:ijo day return again to reaidt? amongst them,. Tho country was far m ye settled now tlmn \v,\,s tho case at that tine, and he did not see but what they wvTe iv oven a hotter positjpn now to, Hiipport a minister of their own, Mr Nonie also- in coming amongst them now proposed I" include a now part of the country, viz r Ivitikuti undPaeioa. Wln i n he was hoie before he did not preach at those places, l"»ut did at Morrinsville and Matamata. He was certainly very much surprised to see -Mr Cox writing in. the narrow,-mindeJ strain he had done, and interfering in tLe 1 latter. Mr P. F«igudO.a said he thought it would be advisable now to foim two neparate Committee's, one ior ■\V.<ic)ron<>om'd find one for Te Aroh.t. JHe believed at Waiorongomai it would be fonnd they would do their shure in tho nniitsrof assisting Mr Norrie, but it was too far for those at Waiorongomai to come in ta attend Com» rnittoe meetings at Te Avohn, or for thoie at Te Aroh.v to go out to \V\riorong;om»ii. He coinoided with Mr Mackie'a remaiks, and did not think >.ny difficulty would ,b<i experienced by the Prebbyterkiisiti supporting a minister of thoir own, notwithstanding what .might have been suid to the contrary bv so. <c He saw Mr G. Wilson re miutite boot, £tc., the Friday previous 1 when nfc Thames, nrwi In told him he would bo at Te Acohu in abOv't Hiieo NVeek ' 3 time - He believed! there wag v" small Marae ($ the credit of the old Col tmit t ee - *™l» respect to, Mr E, y. Cox'tf i' ettel< m lasf Saturday's News, he was certainty S rea {y surprised to. think he would public h BU ° h R letter. If it bid. heen, written two 01 ' c hundred years -igOjhe would. nat have KQU ho Furprineri, when the Fresbyterinns weK ' hunted about from hill .to hill in the old days of the Cdvemintern, and not allowed to worship as they liked. It looked like presumptive evidenco that, if they had the power, there were still those who would act in a somewhat similar manner. Mr Cox, however, would have to be educated up to the fact that New Zealand was a free country, where F'rdsbyteiianH were allowed to judge and at- 1. for themselves with respect to their oivn affairs ; and were at liberty to lr-ive h minister of their own, or not, as they thought best. Lie knew Her Mr Evans, from Thames, who was coming as Church of England minister to Te Aroha, and had a very great respect for him, antl felt sure no one, would be more sorrj than Mr Evans at such a spirit being shown as that evinced by Mr Cox in his letter, Mr Cox had certainly shown very bad taste, in attempting to dictate to them what they should, or nhould not do. The best thing thoy could do was to combine together and support Mr Norrie. Mr Mackie : Yes. Let us give Mr C ox: ocular demonstration that he made a in is— tak< j . Mr Ferguson : The very fact of! 1 hat letter appearing should make us do -\t hat we can for our minister. When Key Mr Ferguson was here as Presbyterian uiir aster he announced he -wr^ld pr e.aph at Shaftesbuiy, but when ' aB W ent qptb .ere Mr Cox would not £$v 6 the uge pf the Dohoolroom to him JfoJ f0 the service, and Bjid he would ot . 'J oto a duwanter. not d£ET > *5 WmPresbyteriana • weri, P eo rfaefcie : We are not atked 0 r exP tolsupport Mr Nome entirely., only .0 4o our part ; he will bo supported by the reeidents at Katikati and Taeroa as WB MrD. McL. Wallace said he thought it would be far the best way to have a district working Committee at Te Aroha and another at Waiorongomai, who would ca'nvasa each place. , ' Mr Hetherington : Mr Nome asks for no guarantee whatever, but is anxious to to let \m own congregation together. Where will we get a minister, of any denomination, to come and work .amongst us on BuehWiMl terms as that. Since his arrival 'one party from 1 Waitoa came to me and , Promised to give £2 2s a ."W/ nd ™™ tt le could afford if, and to d me there .Sore" others in ,the Wailou district he knew . would assist. , , „ I L gome questions being asked as to tho u,ao

of the 1 Hall for sorviees, etc., etc., , Mr Hetherington said, he had all the bibles, hymn booke, etc., also the Presbyterian organ. He did not t think there would be my difficulty in arranging for, the usa of the Public' Hall for services. When they had regular services at To Aroha before, the P/esb"yterians found all the lights and half the seaip for the hall. Ju*t whentheif !u<*t minister, Mr Macinto.sh, left, the Hall Company Committee thought some small charge should bo nude, and it was agreed that a shilling should be charged for the use of the Hall, for either a flervice or a choir pr.ictice. However, the Presbyterians had not wanted the Flail forsei vices since till now. Th,e Presbyterians at that .time had one 4 light, and two 2 light chandeliers for the use of their services in the Hall, and these they promised to give to the Hall Company. Just at that time, Mr Burgess, then Church, Warden, asked him to lend these chandeliers to the Church of England for a tim,e, which he agreed to do ; and they got them, and nqw would not give them up again. He understood the Secretary of the Hall Company had macje two or three applications for them to be returned to the Hall, but Mr Ahier, the present Church Warden, had replied stating " the vestry of St. Mark's were not aware of having in their possession any lamps the property of the IJall Company," and they could not get them back. Mr Burgess had been also written to about the matter, and replied stating the 4 light and two 2 light chandeliers were the property of the Hall Company, and had been lent to St. Mark's Church, and that ii was for th,e Hall Company to break the arrangeineqt whenever they pleased. But for all that they had been unable to get them back. When Mr Burgees asked for a loan of them he stated they would be given up wb.en.ever required. Mr Ma,okje: The Church ha.ye also tfye use of our two collection plates, Mr Hetherington ; They also had the free use of the Prosbyterian oigan, until they got one o,f £heir own. Mr Ferguson : The proper way would be to send an official notice the Church Wardens that: they must give up this property. After some further discussion Mr Ferguson said a meeting would be convened at Waiorongomai as soon aB possible, and matters put \n order there. The question was raised an to whether a, letter should bo sent for publication \n the Nkw<* replying to Mr E. Y. Cox's l«tter, but after some discussion it was decided that Mr Cox'h letter waa not worth taking official notico of in this respect. The Chairman said he believed a good many people in Te Aroha wore of opinion it was not advisable to bring another minister among6t them. However, those present appeared to unanimous wish to support Kov Mr Noirie. Having so decided^ it was aow for them to elect a Oc&imittee to assist Mr Novrie at Te Aroha. On the motion of Mr John seconded by Mr R. Michael, thu following Committee were unanimously elected, with power to add to their number ; viz., Messrs Dobson, Hetherington, Hnrris, Cochrane, Mackie, McKee, and the mover. On the potion of Mr Hethprington, seconded by Mr Mackie, Mr H. Moss was elected to/epieaent Waitoa district. Messrs A. Menzie and H. Brooks were also elected as members of the Committee. The meetin,g clowed with votes of thanks to tho.se who had kindly attended from Wajoronsromsu. and to the ehair^