Thursday.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 261, 30 January 1873, Page 5

Thursday.

The Moderator took the chair at 10 o'clock. NEW HEBRIDES MISSION. Moderator said that a aote had been placed in his hand, intimating that a second sum of LSO had been presented towards the maintenance of another missionary in the New Hebrides mission. The Moderator was requested to present the thanks of the Synod to the donor. FIRST CHIXRCH GRANT. The following are the grounds of dissent from the resolution passed at previous sederunt of Messrs J. P. Miller, Charles Connor, Thomas Alexander, James M'Naugbton, Wales, and John Waters:'— "(l.) That the Dunedin Church Lands Ordinance, 1861, vested in the » : resbyterian Church of Otago tbe I»n4 kapwn M*ftae M»W Reserve, for

the purpoaej anong others, of erecting a church and manse for the Fir3t Church of Otago, and that the erection of such should form a first charge from funds accruing fr m such reserv\ (2.) That it rests upon this Syno.l to complete thoroughly the church no» in course of erection, in virtue of ijhe authority given by the Supreme Court to the Deacons' Court of First Church. (3.) That the resolution carried as a re c usal to implement the responsibilities resting on thin Synod, as bound to carry out the Dunedin Churfh Lands Ordinance, is consequently a violation of said Ordinance." FINANCE COMMITTEE The names of Messrs Wales and Begg were added to the Finance Committee. The Rev. Mr Gillies then brought up the report ot the committee as follows :— S »stentation Fund. — The total sum c .llectedf-T the past year in connection with this fund was L 6,215 16a 51, showing an increase f»r the year of L 613 lb's 71. Owing, however, to the increased nimber of ministers on the funds, the dividend p tyable to each minister is nearly the sane a< last year, viz , for 1372, LlB7 19* 81; 1->7l, LlB7 12s. The congregational c >ntributions to this fund ar<s-Knox Church, F. 403 173 101; Ewt Taieri, L 304 18* 61 ; West Taieri, L 295 12*; Tokimaiiiro, L 251 Is 6 1 ; First Church, L 243 6s 5.1 ; St. Andrew's, L' 242 14s 6 1 ; Oitmarn, 1.227 10* 10d ; Fnvercargill, L 225 ; Queenstown, L2of> 2s 61 ; « 'tepopo, 1/204 18* : Mount Ha, L 203 Is ; North Punedin, 1.200 ; falmarston, L2OO ; Pop 'tnn->a. LlB6 6s 41: Oteramiki, -L 172 2s; Green Island, L 165 2a ; Switz ra, ! 1 >O ; Wakouaiti, L 16 0; Anderson's Bay, L 156 8* 6d ; N.E Harbour, L 153 Is 61 ; Teviot, 1.152 ; Wallace town. Ll4O 5* ; Clufcha, 1,135 8s ; WaihoU, L 132175; Port Chalmers, 1.131 4s; Vorth Taieri , Ll2O 2s ; Hampden, LlO6 7s 61.. There were seven congregations vacant for part of the year, so the sums ere Hted to them do not repr.sent their contributions for the whole ; they are — Pomabaka, LI '43 10 < ; Inch Clutha. 1.132 17»; Kaikorai, L 123 10s; Lawrence, Lll? ; Riverton, HO7 17s ; Balclutha, LBS ; Warei>a, 1_73. Mission tfund. — Oiedit I alanc&*afc the beginning of the year, L 144 13< tioni l o'inributions during the year, 1521 11 < 6d ; donations, L 6 ; special subscriptions to Chinese mission, 16 16s ; total income for the year, L 544 7* 6«i ; expenditure, I 4 2 17a 5d ; excess of revenue over expenditure, LI3I 10d lil. which, wi'h last year's balance, makes the fund in hand L27Q 3.3 6 1. This large balance arises from the removal of Mrßlake]from the Maori miaiion. Ha 'this part of ihe Chur h's operations been continued the income w>>uld not have mot the j necessary expenditure. D.iyspring Fund. — Tbe contributions to this fund show a very considerable devre-ise for the year, but this is accounted for by the fact that last year a special appeal was made for extra contributions for repairs required by the mission vessel. Sti 1, only 22 congregations out of the 36, sanctioned charges have contributed to this fu*id during the pa t year. The total contributed was L 195 7a IQd The Dayaprin" being snch a necessary to th« carrying on of the mission op -rations in the New Hebrides, it is to be hoped th it the congregation will not fa.l in their interest iti supplying this fund. Church Kxtension Fund - Credit balance at beginn'n.l of year, f.ll fl<3d ; congregational contributions, L3SB 3s 9d ; donations. L 3,3 7s 8 ' ; total L 433 83 | expenditure, : 344 14s ; leaving a credit balance of L 33 6s 8 1. The following five oongr.'gatiQ'is were vacant for part of tho year, and contributed t<» the funds as follows: — Raikorai, I 2.1 IJs ; L*ivvrenoe, LB"J ll« ; Riverton, L 47 Us; Winton, L 72 3s 3d ; Alexandra, Lls, Other churches contributed as follows : -J^nox Church, L 23 18s 2.1 ; £t. Andrew's, U3 10-.; West Taieri, Ll3 7* ; O maiu, 1.8 0* 8d ; Invereargill, [,7 12s 3 1 ; Green Island, L 7 t first Church, L 7 ; Bast Taieri, L 6 j Wakati.iu, lis 173 41 ; Tokomairipo, L 5 I4s Is j Orepopo, L 5 Is 8d ; Anderson's Bay, 15 \ Clutha, L 4 3s ; W.iihola, L 3 8g 6d \ Palmerston, L 3 53 8 1 ; N". E. Harbor, L34s ; Waitabnna, L 2 14s 8d ; Inch Clutha. L 2 12s : Balclutha, L 2 10s ; Oteramika L 2 10* ; | Waikouaiti, \ 2 9s 101 ; Port Chalmers, I 2 6s 6d ; 4 orth Dunedin. L 2 ; Teviot, Ll 15s ; Hanriden, Ll ; W'allacetown, Ll ; North T%ieri ? 13* ; and Popot.unoa, 8* 41 Pas age Expenses Fund. — There is at p e«ent to tbe credit of this fund Lli}3 6s 4d Tha 1 ability at home for ministers already in the olony is about L2lO ; thus 1 avinjj a debt of over MOO against this fund. Tne Synod having, in consideration of the great necessities of the Province, agreed to send for six adliti nal ministers, the expense atten lant «n the bringing o it of whom miy be reckoned about at L^OO, strenuous efforts will require to be made by the Church at large to meet the liabi'ity. Your Committee would strongly urge upon the ministers of the Church to see that the claims of this fund, and its great importance, are fully brought before the congregations. Theolonical College. — Revenue for the year, Ll2O 33 41; expenditure, 1.6 Is. Total sura n«>w amounted to L 550 2s 9. Ecc.lcßissticaT Trust Fund. —Credit balance at beginning of ye»r, L.ls9 4s ; revenue, two- \ thirds of rental, I 823 2.3 lOd. Paid Manse gran f , ' 607. Balance in hand, L4'>s 6s lOd. Manse Reserve Fund. — Balance in hand at beginning of year, Ti1, 743 Is 4 1 ; income for the year L 9 2 Is Id ; expenditure, Lll2 Is sd ; payments to Fir«t Charch during the year, L 1.737 10s ; balance now in hand, LB3SHs. Scholarship Fund. — Tha Lang Scholarship fund amounts to L 246 12s 6d, the in erist on which affords an annual bursary of L? 0. To the ere lit of the >ynod Scholarship there is L4B 7 a . Educational T?und. —Revenue, one-third of rental", L4U Us &d j interest LI7J: total, LSB3 Us 5d Kxpenditure, LSSB 12a Amo nt of capital fund, L 2.493 16s id. The General Balance Sheet shews the amount of cont ibutions throughout the Church for thi past 3*ear to have been L 14.560 0s 4d. This is a les3 sum than was reported last year, but a comparison ef the two sheets will show that the decrease is not on the funds contributed for general Church purposes, but on those for congregational objects. It i§ gratifying to the Committee to observe the very marked inprease in the number of the congregations contributing to the various church funds, and would recommend to the Synod that the instructions to Presbyteries be renewed to see that all the congregations within their bounds make the various collections enjoined by the Synod. To the General Treasurer the thanks of the Synod are specially due for the manner in which he conducts the whole business* of the Church entrusted to him. The report was unanimously adopted, and a cordial vote of thanks was accorded to tbe Rev. Mr Gillies, the Convener of the Finance Committee, for the trouble he had taken in compiling the report. After some other business of an unimportant character had been transacted, the Moderator addressed the Synod and closed . the proceedings with prayer. The Synod then adjourned until the second Wednesday in January, 1874.