PRESBYTERIAN CONFERENCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 382, 6 July 1889, Page 5

PRESBYTERIAN CONFERENCE.

Auckland, July 3. A -MUKTiNG was held last evening in St. James's Church under the auspices of tteh c l're&bytcry. Tho Moderator, the Rev. Mr Norrie, prs&ided, and briefly explained that the meeting was one of a series of conferences authorised by the General Assembly lo consider the state of religion and morals. The Roy. C. Worboys read an interesting paper upon "Gambling." He considered that it, vampire like, sucked the blood of the human race. It permeated everything. They saw it in high life, as exemplified in the dispute between Lord Durham and Loicl Chetwynd. They saw it at Monaco with its annual record of suicides. They legislated against it without effect session after session. The annual betting transactions of New Zealand alone were estimated at £1,000,000. What was gambling? It was neither begging, or stealing, butvery much like both. Getting money without giving a fair equivalent was not honest. It led to unhealthy excitement. It created a distaste for the common duties of life. It permeated stock exchanges as well as racecourses. Any man whose success in business depended upon chance was a gambler, and often of the worst kind. They could trace gambling from the soldiers, who, at the toot of the cross, cast lots for the vestment of the Saviour, down to the men who stood in White's coffee-house, and when a man dropped down they made bets as to whether he would live or die, and objected to his being bled, as it would interfere with the bet. Mr \A orboys referred to the pernicious effects of legalised gambling with the totalisator. He objected to trains being delayed in ordar to accommodate race meetings. He also considered that thehands of the Church were noc clean when they taught children lo take parts in rallies. Ho concluded by exhorting all to use their energies to discountenance gambling. The Rev. Mr Monro considered that | gambling was the vice of the colony. Ho was making arrangements to go round with a detective and see for himself what gambling was carried on in the city, and when he got the particulars he intended to publish them. He feared, too, that the press was under the influence of the racing traternity. The Itev. Mr Steele said that it was sad to iind that out of a population of 50,000 tbey had only between 30 or 40 friends present to consider such an important question. He then spoke at length upon the evils of gambling. Mr J. B. Graham did not agree with the idea that the pre.«s wero tender the influence of the racing community. Over at Takapuna thoy had tried to work the

oracle, but the press had interfered and they failed. * The Rev. Mr McCallum considered tho totalisator the most damnable invention of the day. He combated the idea with regard to the press. He considered that the Auckland press was high-toned in comparison to the press of America, but at the same time the press must live, and racing meant large advertisements. When they saw ministers afraid at times to speak plainly from tho pulpit lest they should offend some member, could they wonder at the press ? The Rev. Mr Mason expressed sorrow that che press should devote so much space to race news. He hoped the newspapers ! would publish Mr Worboys' paper in exiento. Mr Monro moved a resolution, " That the Moderator should draw up a memorial and > forward it the Legislature, asking it to suppress the totalisator." MrFarrell suggested that the churches should go on probation for two or three years, so as to be able to support their ministers without having recourse to gambling, as was too frequently done. He was of opinion that drunkards soldom had much money to gamble with, and he knew several men who took parb in gambling at races whose moral character and language would compare favourably with many professed Christians who denounce races. Mr Bell, Mr Jowitt, Mr Hunter, Mr Brovvnlee also spoke against gambling. ) The Rev. Mr Ccrnrie objected to the statement of Mr McCallum, that ministers dare not speak oud from the pulpit lest bhey shoulil oflencl some member of Che congregations. The minister who was afraid to speak the truth was unfit for the pulpit. The minister who received money from those who were supported by gambling- was almost equally guilty. Mr McCallum said thai ifc was nob always wise for a minister to speak out us he thought, though of course a conscientious minister would not hesitate to do so. The discussion was continued by Mr McPherson and Mr Entrican. Ultimately the resolution was amended so at) to read as a request for ministers of all congregations to take action in the matter so that petitions might be forwarded to the Legislating from all the churches. It was resolved, on the motion of the Itcv. R. Sommerville, " Thatthis mcetingregrets that gambling should be so prevalent throughout the colony, and especially impresses upon the members of tho Legislature the srreat and urgent importance, for the well-being of the community, of removing their sanction from the totalizator, and of legislating in any direction that will lessen the injurious effects of gambling." As tho hour was late, the paper on "Commercial Morality" was postponed until the next meeting.