PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2466, 18 February 1893, Page 3

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

At the opening of the Presbyterian General Assembly, at Wellington, on Wednesday, delegates from Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Wellington, Wanganui, Nelson, Christchurch, Timaru, Westland, Otago, and Southland were present. The Rev. W. Gillies was elected Moderator, vice Dr Elmslie. Mr Gilli'.s briefly addressed the assemblage on the policy of the Church, and, referring to the liquor traffic, urged its abolition, and warned the people against gambling. The Legislature, he said, had not only been criminally protective and patronising towards the vice, but had also been criminally and Buicidally interdictive and obstructive towards virtue by its State ban upon the Bible in schools

A bequest of £IOO towards the’ New Hebrides mission was received from the executors under the will of the late Mr Carruth, of Kamo, Auckland, and another of £IOO from Mrs Legertwood, of Sydney, wife of former member of the Presbyterian Church in New Zealand. The latter amount to be invested, and the interest applied to a stipend for a teacher in the New Hebrides Mission.

The treasurer’s report showed that all the funds of the Church were in credit except the Book of Order .Fund, which had a small debit balance. The funds of the Church had lost £134 14s in interest through the defalcations of a Church officer 1 , and £llOB of the principal had been wrongly paid to some person, and the question of the position of the trustees and mortgagors to these moneys was now before the Supreme Court. Several congregations had not yet paid their assessments for the Assembly Expenses Fund, and there was an increasing tendency to evade payment to the Aged and Infirm Ministers’ Fund, The discussion on religious instruction in schools was interrupted by the afternoon adjournment. The Rev. Mr Patterson moved against interference with the Education Act in favour of denominaUomdism, but in favour of tl,ie Bible in schools. After a i ong debate Mr Patterson's amendment wan carried by 40 to 21. On Thursday the report on statistics showed that the total contributions for 1802 were £37,047, an jqqreaso of £3OOO, The attendance at the PresbyClujrcJics north of Waitaki was 20,000. A deputy from the Otago Church addressed the Assembly convoying the greetings of the .Southern church, and ox Dressing a hope that the churches would bo united as one. The Moderate" ** '.“'‘'"-I w«, deputies to tho next meeting of ilm Otago Church. ° IUo