MEETING OF PRESBYTERY.

Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 436, 27 December 1861, Page 5

MEETING OF PRESBYTERY.

The Presbytery of Otago held its halt-yearly meeting iv Dunedin, oq the 18th inst.—Rev. D. M. Stuart, Moderator. Present—Dr. Burns, Messrs. Will, Bannermaii, M'Nieol, Todd, and Uric, ministers. Commissions of Eiders were given in and sustained, from Knox Church, by Hon. John Hyde Harris; from East Taieri, by Mr. Win. Stevenson ; and from Port Chalmers, by Captain Thomson. The minutes of last meetiDg were read and &p----proved of. The Moderator introduced Mr. Adam Dykie Glasgow, lately missionary at Rnjcoot, India. Mr. Glasgow's certificates having been read, it was resolved to give Mr. Glasgow the right, hand of fellowship, to receive him as an ordained minister, and declare him eligible to any vacant charge within the hounds. Dr. Burns gave in report of Committee on Manse Site, iiuimating the appointment of Mr. A. W. Morris as agent for the Presbytery., under Dunedin Church Ordinance, 18(51. The report was adopted, aad the appointment confirmed. Dr. Burns reported from the Committee on Trust Property lo the effect, that, trom ttie circumstance that the New Zealand Company had administered (liefunds of the Trust ; from the absence of documents connected with their management, and oth'jr causes, the Committee had failed to. o'lt-jiin t'ne full information required by th-'i j l^v.u.y.tery as, ic\ the, praportious ojf lUe funds ex.-

pawled for educational and religious purposes respectively, and that the Committee were of opinion that in future, considering tiie altered circumstances of the Colony, the objects of the Trust would be secured by allocating one-third of the fund* of the Trust for educational purposes. The Committee further l'ecoinmended that the Presbytery should devote said proportion towards the establishment of a Collegiate Institution._ The report was adopted, the suggestions approved of, aud instructions given to tlie Trustees to carry out the suggestions"of the Commutes. It. was report.d to the Presbytery that the Hon. John Hyde Harris, and Messrs. Moiris, Gillies, ami Paterson, had been added to the number of Trustees. This addition was approved of, and the Trustees instructed to prepare a new Trust Deed, and to lay a draft of the sains bafore the Presbytery at its next meeting. Plans and specifications of Invercargill Manse were laid before the Presbytery. The same were approved of and sanctioned. It was agreed to discharge the Committee appointed in June last on Congregational Reports, and to instruct the clerk to receive said reports, and to prepare for publication a summary thereof. It was resolved th it, in rcfereuce to the Gold Fields, the Committee appointed at last meeting be discharged, and each visiting Minister be instructed to see lo the maintenance of a Committee on each Gold Field -said Committee, along with the. minister, to have powers to take all requisite steps to have all vacancies in the Committees filled up. Arrangements were made for giving supply at Port Chalmers and the Gold Fields till the end of March. A memorial from the congregations of InchClutha and Kaitan?ita, praying that these congregations be disjoined froinS. Clutha and Warepa, and that th.;y be formed into a ministerial charge, \tas read. Tue prayer of the memorial was granted, but present arrangements continued until ministerial provt-ion be made for both districts. The General Treasurer gave in report, from which it appeared that towards Sustentation Fund, £1080 14s. Bd., and towards Colonial Collection, £240 17s. sjd., had been contributed during the half-year ending December Ist. It was resolved to adopt the report, and to authorise the General Treasurer to pay t© the nine ministers whose congregations had contributed to the Suatentatiou Fund a dividend of ,£l2O Is. 7d. No report having been received from Riverton, the Presbytery eujoin the congregation there to report to the General Treasurer all suras contributed to Sustentation Fund, and to arrange the collection of Sustentation Fund so as that a report be transmitted in June and December to the General Treasurer. , Mr. M-GUvray was authorised to receive contributions to Sustentation Fund — further arrangements to be made when report is received. The General Treasurer having tendered his resignation, in consequence of leaving the Colony in a short time, it was resolved that the Presbytery express their regret at losing the services of Mr. Reynolds, and that the Moderator convey the thanks of the Presbytery to Mr. Reynolds, for the able manner in which he had conducted the business of the Church a^ General Treasurer. The Moderator accordingly, in appropriate terms, acknowledged the services of Mr. Reynolds. The Moderator was instructed to transmit the amount of collection raised for the Colonial Committee of the Free Church. Messr3. Will an 1 Todd were appointed a Committee to consider and report upon the establishment of a Collegiate Institution. John Gillies, Esq., was appointed interi m General Treasurer. The Presbytery adjourned, to meet in Dunedin on the 10th of March neit. Financial Statement for Half-year ending Dec. 4. SUSTENTATION FUND. COLONIAL COLLECTION. First Church £Ul 3 0 ... £4(5 8 8J Knox Church 165 13 8 ... 58 6 8 East Taieri and Green Maud 142 9 0 ... 55 11 0 Tokonviiriro 153 0 0 ... 28 0 0 Port Chalmers 69 6 0 ... — \ Clutha 123 5 6 ... 31 11 4 [nverciu-gill 100 0 0 ... — West and North Taieri 115 17 G ... 4 0 8 Waihola 60 0 0 ... 410 1 £1030 14 8 Waitahuna 12 3 0 * ■ £240 17 ob MURDER OF A POLICE SERGEANT BY A CONSTABLE IN THE BUSH. The following letter received by Mr. Haverfield, from a correspondent at Menindie, was placed at the disposal of the Age by the recipient : — " Dear HAVERFrELD, —I suppose by this time you have beard all the news about Burke. I should have written to you sooner, only I have been very unwell lately. Howitt is up here at Pamameroo Creek, and all his party are well, the horses and camels are rolling fat. I suppose you have heard of the death of ergeaut Bell, at Fort Burke. He was murdered by Constable Elliott, and so tar as I can hear, the cause was jealously. Elliott come into Bell's tent one morning about four o'clock, with his carbine loaded in one hand, and bis sword in the other. He called Bell by name, and told him that it was a nice pie he had sent to him the day before, and that |it would be the last one he would eat. With | that Elliott raised lib cirbine to fire, but it missed fire, and Bell jumped up, took a revolver from under his head, and fired. The bullet went through Elliott's cheek. Elliott then rushed on with his sword, and ran it through him. Bell, however, managed to get Elliott down, and handcuff him before any one came to his assistance. Bell died about four hours after. I have since heard that Elliott was dead, but Ido not know whether it is true or not. " The river is falling here fast, and not before it was wanted. No other news of importance. I am &c. (Signed) " A. C. Donbar."