THE DIOCESAN SYNOD OF DUNEDIN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 256, 26 December 1872, Page 6

THE DIOCESAN SYNOD OF DUNEDIN.

Monday, December 16. The Bishop took the chair at four o'clock. ENDOWMENT OF BISHOPRICS. The Hon. Dr Buchanan moved— "That whereas the report of the General Church Trust, January, 1871, describes the endowment of bishoprics as one of their principal objects, and they having called the attention of the General Synod to the subject, the -^ynod of this diocese is desirous that its claiais may be considered in the next division of any balance accruing from the Trust, and that the lay representatives of the See be requested to draw the attention of the General Synod to the claims of this diocese. '' Agreed to. BUILDINGS IN RURAL DISTRICTS. Mr Lubeoki moved — " That the Standing Committee be requested to place itself in communication with the Presbyterian and other Christian bodies, with the view of their considerine the expediency of conjointly erecting bjiilclJßgs in thinly populated districts for public 'worship on alternate Sundays, or as the case may require. He thought that it was necessary that- a course similar to that suggested should be adopted. In Victoria the people had t found it expedient to unite in erecting buildings for worship, to be used by more than one denomination ; and so far as he was aware the practice had , werked welL Be hopecj. that ;fche resolution would not be opposed. The Rev. Mr Beaumont said fcfcere was nothing in existing statutes to prevent the proposal from being carried into practice without further action on- the part of the Synod. He, however, would oppose the motion., on other than sectarian or denominational grounds. It was within his experience that money expended in the way indicated wai so much lost to the Church. Buildings erected by united sectarian effort usually ended in some one of the sects be. coming possessor of them. Three instances corroborative of this came under bis own observation, and, therefore, he would oppose £he Synod, taking any action in the matter. 'The B^hop said the motion was pu,t forward on the ground of expediency. TJaeu^pn of the various sects of Chiwaua'wag $ master to be desired, looked and prayed igv, but such union should be one of hear* and mind, and not one of expediency. During his s&ort sojourn in the Dioceae he had found several cases of . members of different churches having united ' in the erection of buildings, to be used in common, but not one of these had proved of benefit to the Chuch. , He was therefore not prepared to support the motion, and he did nflt thiak that the' Synod, as a body, would gwip $&<$ fe^aqaing it. The Hon.. Dr B^PHanAN opposed the motion. ' '* % Mr Lubecki, in reply, said that where buildings erected by united effort passed ufto ' the hands of one denomination, the evil lay not in the practice but in the fact that the buildings had not been properly vested in trustees for the benefit of the patrons. If the Synod agreed with him, it would be necessary that rules should be laid down for the guidance of churchmen in carrying out tihf object «f kit w#olqtioß.

The resolution was -then put, when the Synod divided with the following result — Ayes, 4 ; noes, 6. The motion was therefore lost. AMENDMENT BIU.. Mr James Smith moved the second reading of the Synodsmen's Act, 1870, Amendment Bill. The object of this Bill was chiefly to alter the time fixed for the election of members of the Diocesan Synod. The motion was agreed to, and the Bill was then considered in Committee, and passed through remaining stages. ENDOWMENT FUND. On the motion of the Rev. E. G. Edwards, the Synod resolved itself into a Committee to consider what means had best be taken to augment the Endowment Fund of this to the Bum of L 4.000, in order that the con. ditional gra»tß of two Societies may not be lost. , The Rev. Mr Grainger moved that the Diocese be divided into four districts, and that a layman be appointed to each district to confer with the clergyman in each district as to the best means for carrying out the purpose of the resolution. After some discussion, the Synod resumed and progress was reported when th« report was negatived. The Key. Mr Gbmnger then moved, "That this Synod lay before the members of the Church tbe necessity for immediate personal action for completing the endowment fund, and that for this purpose the diocese be divided into four parts, and a layman appointed to each district by the Standing Committee, to confer with the clergymen in each district as to the "best means of instituting and carrying out some organisation in their respective parishes for the purpose of raising the necessary portion of this fund."— Carried. AUDITOR OF TRUST ACCOUNTS. On the motion of the Rev. TS. G. Edwards, Mr Hardy was appointed auditor of Trust Accounts for the diocese. THE REV. B. H. GRAINGER. It was unanimously resolved that the Synod place on record an expression of its esteem for the Rev. E. H. Grainger, and its appreciation of the many valuable services he has rendered to the Diocese.

PRINTING COMMITTEE. The Rev. Mr Grainger and Messrs Baggifct, Hardy, and Lubecki were appointed the Printing Committee. VOTES OP THANKa. A vote of thanks was awarded to Mr Haggitt for services rendered during the session as lay secretary, and also to the Press reporters for their attention. The Bishop then said he had to thank the members for their attendance and the assistance rendered to bim in conducting the business. A considerable amount of business requiriug close attention had been got through under circumstances which made it difficult acd trying to those who took part init. He had often presided over meetings in England, but that; work was different to the duty just concluded, inasmuch as there were forms and routine to go through of which previously he had no knowledge. He could not, therefore, permit the members to separate before expressing his appreciation of the attention paid to bim. This concluded the business, and the session was closed with the benediction.