CHURCH OF ENGLAND. ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHONERS AT HAMILTON.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 578, 3 February 1876, Page 2

CHURCH OF ENGLAND.

ANNUAL MEETING OF PARISHONERS AT HAMILTON.

In accordance with announcement, the annual meeting of members of the Church of England, Ha uilton, w.ib held at the Court-house, Iluinilton West, yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, February 2, 1870 The Rev Mr Calder, by virtue of his office, occupied the chair. There were pressnt Me sis Vialou and I eCjupsne (Churchwardens), P Le&he, Gwynne, Coates, Yon Stunner, VV\utt, Bcatc, N H Cox, Gamble, A Cox, Clare, nnd Langbrtdge. The reunites of the nst meeting hiving been read and confirmed, tke Chairman real the following clause from the Synod blue book respecting the appintnent of Churchwardens and Vetrymen. In roply to Mr Yon Stunner the Chairman said tha<- ho believed no chatrct vestry h.id as yet been appointed. He would like to have the general opinion of hii parishioners as to the arlvnability of .appointing a vestry in the future. Hamilton, however, according to the rules of the Synod, win not a parish, buL only i poitionof a missionary district, bub in reality, to all intents and purpose*, it was a parish, and we should be entitled to fleet the usual ortho lox parish officers to carry out the bimn< ss of the Church, JMgaruawahia. Cambridge, and Hamilton should bo separate parbhos. Mr Patrick Leslie said that Hamilton was considered rather an " uppensh" sort of » place, and he thought the people should at any rate bs sufficiently uppensh to have Hamilton constituled a parish. Mr Vialou thought there could be no objection raised to forming a, vestry. Mr Yon Sturmor said th«t looking at the small number present, lie thought it would be advisable to adjourn the meeting to a more convenient hour of the day. There were a large number of woiking men, members of the church, who could not possibly attend at three o'clock in the afternoon, and he did not see whj those persons should be excluded from having a Toioe in Church matters and the election of Church officers. There appeared to be too great a dewre ia Haj^jlton to shut out the working class from the exeroise of their privilege in these matters. It would be but at least fair to give them the opportunity of attending tho Church meeting, and for that rea•on he thought it would be better to hold it in the evening. Mr Vialou— This is the largest Church meeting for many years. A voice — "That does not say much for the Church people of Hamilton." The chairman thought the very idea being allowed to gam ground for one moment that there were any sections, divisions, or cliques, in the Church, would be most detrimental to its true interests ; ho was exceedingly anxious to have tho opinion of all his parishiDnors on tho general conduct of the church, so long as lip had the honor and privilege of holding tho sacred oflice he did The hour— three o'clock in tho afternoon- certainly was a rery inconvenient ono alike to working men and business people. Ho for ono would be glad if tho meeting was adjourned until gome futuro occtsien, Bnd that it be held in the evening in order to give the whole of hn parishioners an opportunity of attending. Mr P Leslie- -Knew there was an opinion abroad among»t working men that they have not sufficient control of local Chuch matters. In the Bouinn Catholic Church the poorest member of the congregation had a Toiee in the working and internal management of the Church bb well as the wealthiest. He did not believe in Liberty, Fiateinity, and Equality, but would hko to see all equ.il in matters rehgiom. The Chairman — Let us keep all cliques out of God's House wherever el c they may exist. ill" Vialou questioned very muoli if the hour .vould make any Jifferonce ; he did not expect to see a larger a' tendance if tho meeting was aijourned. lie pointed out thai it was impossible to carry out the Synod rules which in many things were only apphea Wo to large townt, and not intended for a scattered district Hko the Waikuto. So far an he was concerned the larger the lu'etmg the better he would be pleased. Mr Yon Stunner said that bo had recently lived in a district that was worked in a precisely similar inauuer as this, »nd in that district a veitrv hus regularly appMoted from year to year. Mr Gamble remarked that as a working man himself he thought tbat if others of his class really hod the welfare of the church at h«art thej would be ablo to afford an hour during tho year to attend the annual meeting. l)r Beaie thought that if working men did not attend the meeting onoe a year they could not care much abont Obnrch matters. Mr Leslie defended the working men aad said that it wai simply impossible for many to attend, at the hour the meeting was convened. Upon the suggestion of Mr A Cox it wa§ agreed to receive the Treasurer's statement, and afterwards (if necessary) adjourn the meeting to consider any important matter* that might be brought forward. Mr Vialou the Treasurer sail for the ■atisfa< > » tion of the Ohurcb members, I have thought it desirable to prepare as explicit and full a ttatemtnt of the monotary afftirs of the Chnrob as possible. I will commence by giving you ay statement of accounts when Mr Le Quesne and myself took office. I should have hkod very much to have given you a brief statement how the Church had progressed, in a financial point of view from its commencement, bat in the absonco of any books or papers relative thereto I am unab!« to do to any further back than Mr Seddon'a last year of office. In order to remedy this I hovo prepared a book for the put pose of entering receipts and expenditure of each year after the books h»re been audited with a financial statement at foot thereof. The Grat entry that appears is * statement of the liabilities and assets for the year ending December, 1873, which stands thus —

By this you will porceiTe that the Church was in debt when we took office £112 10i 9<l. I have now great pleasure in reading to on from the books the receipts and expenditure for the past year (items read.) By this you will perceive that wo have reduced the debt from £112 10a 9d ;o £53, bosides having paid 5 quarters stipend during the year, and I may mention that all accounts are paid up to date I will now give you a statement of the Building Fund—

It is n matter of rpgret that from the loose manner in which th« bnsiness of the Church was conducted in former yean we now aro «uffermg from tho effects thereof. We have been put to the expenso of £32 17s 6d fcr law costs nnd deoiaion given to the original owner of tho Churoh acre in order to make the title good. This amount with £10 13* 3d Auctioneer's and advertising charges, and £25 6a paid for draining and specification will reduce the amount available for building purpoirs to £4fil 15a OJ. The contract price of bnildmß the Ohursli is £806 so • that there will be a deflcienoy of £345 5s brsidei extras. The Treasurer then proceeded to explain iom«

few minor mutters in a mo«t lucid manner and to the satisfaet on of all piesent. Mr L 1L 1 Leblieamd he n<l 1 audited tlio balance el-ect ami books ol iiccmnN tint lnd been re .id •by tho Treasurer and ho hud pleasure in stating that they uero more than in a highly sahsfactor> sta'to. It wouM lie ii'lt euro be ciuiti* im|>o*sibl3 to find bettor kept books and document .my where, anlhovory much questioned indeed if their equal could bo foun lin the »iistnrf. If would do ma-iy business mch good to bco the methodical and scrupulous mnnner in which every vouoher, document <vud book nai kopt, The Church people of Hamilton owed Mr Vialou a very great deal for tho troub'o lie hm t-ikon during fio tnno he had held office. Ho w,i3 sure a betior man could not be found and lo lioped Vtr Vialou would long act in the opacity ho had filled— and filled so ably -with credit tohUkiself and the Church. (Appl*u»o.) On the motion of Sir R VVaitt, seconded by Mr A Cox, the report as read was adopted. The following are tho names of the gentlamen who have consonted to beoomo sureties for the repayment of Loin for finishing tho Chu/oli building: — Messrs Coats, A Cox. Beale, Gwynno, S Graham, and R W Hammond. After considerable discussion, it was agreoil on the motion of Mr Yon SUirmer, looondod by Mr A Cox, " That this meeting adjou-n until 7 o'clock on W»'dnc«Uv evening, the 9t,h Feb. at the Court Home Hamilton." , After a cordial vote of thanks to the Chairman tho moeling separated.

Cash in hand Ualanco s 0. d. 30 16 0 99 4 0 130 0 0

Assets.

Liabilities. •«*

Loan Farsonnge 3 mouths stipend 100 30 0 0

Again for the year endinp December, 1874 — A&3JTS.

Cash in 1 Balance haui d ... 10 0 5 ... 102 10 9

Loan PaTsonago 3 months stipend 82 : 30 10 0

Liabilities.

lash received lalance Ivpcnditure £ s. ... 525 15 .. 214 19 . 214 15