THE PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2623, 20 February 1894, Page 3

THE PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

.At the Presbyterian General Assembly ib* report of the Church Property Board was read. It was stated that the lore and expenses in. connection with a recent case at Auckland, which was taken to the Supreme Court, amounted t0,£1313 7s. The report was adopted, and it-was decided not to appeal from the Supreme Court.

The report of the committee on the state of religion and morals, stated that oat of 100 lists of questions only 50 were returned. Six reported a decrease in church attendants ; twenty-four reported an increase; and nineteen remained Btationary. The congregational prayermeeting was reported by twenty to be well attended, and twenty-nine reported to the opposite. The Sabbath was generally well observed in Church fellowship, but by the religiously careless waß largely desecrated. Thirty-four returns stated that family worship did not exist, and it was suggested that the attention of congregations should be called by ministers to the value of this institution. Twentyfive returns reported no special services held during the year. It was regretted that no special efforts were put forth by Church officers to reach the religiously careless. Thirty returns reported no u lapsing," and twelve recorded that it existed only to a limited extent. The committee specially emphasised the increasing esteem in which Christian Endeavour Societies were held as a link between church and school, i Reference was made almost unanimously to the non-attendance of working men and their families at public worship, and various causes were assigned. ( Twenty-three reported the existence of the vice of social impurity, and references to the wholesome measures laid down in the Xftvt Criminal Code Act, which comes into force on 3rd March, such as penalties for publishing obscene literature, and for being an owner, tenant, leasee, or occupier, who kept a disorderly house, which wa3 in the terms of the code, a common betting house, common gambling house, or house of ill-fame. It was recommended that the age of consent be raised from 14 or 16. Betting and gambling was reported to be practically universal, and in the propagation of this vice a lar»e measure of blame was reported to be atTthe door of newspapers, racecourses, and hotels, which were considerd to give bix-th to and foment the evil. The cure waa indicated in the line-of the suppression of ilifl totalisator, police superVision of bars df hotels, barbers' shops and billiard rooms, and making tne publicition of betting iMtter a punishable offence. A large amount of practical infidelity was reported, but little of a theoretical order. The cure was considered to lie in earnest gospel preaching and prayer, the circulation of Christian literature *nd the use of apologetics in preaching The report concluded with a number of suggestions. Tne report was adopted. The report of the temperance committee was submitted to the Presbyterian General Assembly on Saturday morning. After alluding to the prominence of the temperance question, it stated tnat during the past year there was an increase Of £82,604 spent on alcoholic drink ; the amount par head being £3 6s 7d, an Increase of lOd per head of the population. Despite the increased expenditure, however, a fewer persons had been arrested for drunkenness, while the New Zealand born, as a rule, had no general desire for the cup that intoxicates. Refemng to the new Licensing Act, the report stated that instead of giving satisfaction to all, it had only pleased the trade; while many of its clauses had given very great umbrage to the temperance party, btill it must be admitted that other clauses might be'regarded on the whole favourable to temperance reform. In view of the temperance party not' being given an opportunity, by means of a session immediately after the General Election, to get the obnoxious clauses repealed, it was recommended that the best of the present Act be made during the next three years, by using every legitimate • means to secure a diminution of the evil. The report recommended that besides frequently bringing under the notice of church-people the evil results from indulging in strong drink, a temperance sermon should be preached jn November, and that encouragement be given to juvenile societies. The report and recommendation were adopted, and it was resolved in view of the voting under the W ew Lincensiug Act taking place next anonth, that the Assembly recommends ■ ministers, members, and adherents, to avail themselves of the power conferred in the Act to dimish or suppress the traffic of intoxicating liquors ; but while doing so recognises that the Act requires amendment in important particulars - . The Rev R. 3. Allsworth, of Picfcoii,was selected as the next Moderator.