The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-11-16 00:00:00

ARMY REFORM

ELECTION OF SYNODSMEN.

A ruri-decanal meeting ;as held at the Shirehall on
Saturday last,un ler the presidency of the Rural Dean,
the Rev. Canon R-ginald Smith, West Stafford, for the
election of six lay representatives to attend the Salis-
bury Diumean Synod during the coming Session. The
following gentlemen were present i—G. Player, Esq.,
M.P., Colonel Oldfleld, Major Clapcott, Mr. G. W.
Floyer, Mr. W. Slade, Mr. G. P'. Andrews, Mr. R.
Davis, Mr. E. Burnett, Mr. Arthur Lock, Mr. G.
Pouocy, Mr. Anderson, Mr. B. A. Hogg, Mr. W.
Chick, Mr. T. Chick, Mr. Pardy, Mr. White, Mr. W.
Gilpin. Mr. Toleman (West Compton), Mr. Bowing
(Frampton), Mr. Bowring (Broadmayoe), and Mr.
Stroud (West Stafford).
_

Prayer having been offered,
The. Rev. Cirataitare stated Mr. Cockeram bad
retired, and Mr. G. W. Floyer and Mr. John Hodges
had offered themselves for election.
The election was then proceeded with by means of
voting papers, and the result was that the following
gentlemen were elected :
Mr. J. Floyer, 21 vote, ; 111 r. R. Davis, 21; Mr. E.
Burnett, 20; Mr. G. W. Floyer, 12; Captain Arthur
Mansell, 18; and Mr. J. Hodges 17.
Mr. J. novas, Ml'., then said I am very much
obliged to you for the honour of once more electing
me. lam getting an old MAO for the Synod now;
however, we have got one who is older, I mean Mr.
11. Davie ; and lain very glad he is going up with me.
He is well known and highly esteemed in this town.
It is, indeed, a great pleasure to have the confidence
of my good friends and neighbours in all things,
whether it ia one thing or another, for their good
opinion Is one of the pleasantest things I can look to in
life. (Hear, hear.) lam very glad to go up once
more to the Synod, for I think we do a little good in
discussing matters of each vast importance to us as
Churchmen. (Hew, hoar.) Now. I am not one of
those alarmism crying out that the Church is in
danger, and that they are going to overthrow the
Chard; or the great and noble institutions of our
country, but I know the Church, like all other great
institutions, requires commending from time to time
in some of these matters which affect us so directly
and, certainly, at any rate it requi•es the cordial and
hearty support of all those who belong to her. All of
us feel this is • time of 'considerable and important
changes, and that there are matters brought forward
by floss who are not so well disposed towards the
Church as I trust all her members are; and therefore
it is necessary we should take council together, and
thus be ready to remove anything that really Is wrong,
and substitute that which is right. (Hear, bear.)
Above all, I hope all Churchmen will remember that
If their Church is to prosper and be a blessing to eh,
country, we must be united among ourselves. We
must not give way to thole rather imaginative, on I I
am sometimes supposed to call them fanciful, lines of
, action and condact in matters so deeply important,
' and which require such tender and reverent handling
As do the institutions of our Church. It is of the
I utmost impott ince we should remember we are all
I brethren, and all Englishmen—all interested in our
I common country, in which we t Ike so just a pride •,
I bit above all let us remember when we ',peak of
matters such as we are telling of t. -day, that we are
still brethren—members of one Church, and that
Church I believe to be one of the greatest blessings
this country has ever enjoyed. ( t pplause.) I thank
you cordially far again electing me.
Mr. Aritinaws then proposed that the thanks of the
meeting be given to the Bev. Canon Smith for his
kindness in presiding.
The CHAIRMAN. in reply, said he was eimply obey.
lug the order of the Bishop, for whom be and all who
were acquainted with him, felt a great reelect.
(Hear, hear). He was a really good man, differing
though be did from himself in some things; but he
was cure be hid but ne object in view, the prosperity,
the spiritual vitality, and the good order of the
Church. (Hear, hear.) He was sure that was his only
desire. He (the Chairman) considered, in calling to
gether this Diocesan Synod, the Bishop showed him-
If alive to and awake to the signs of the times.
Truly, it Was a most extraordinary thing th 1 many
people should think Churchmen ought not to meet to.
gether to talk over their affairs, as if Churchmen were
; the only one. who nit to do so. The most insignificant
. club, up to the Legislature itself, were all suopesed to
' he doing what is right and prudent when they met
, together to consult (cr.'r their common Interests; but
Churchmen are not to have any opportunity f doing
so. For many years the Church was silent so far as its
collective voice was concerned, but this state of things
bad been changed by means of conferences, and synods,
and the like. The synod of t .is Diocese had bean
established on the most thoroughly popular and
representative basis that could be imagined. Every
Churchman in the Diocese was allowed to toke an
actual) gat in the election: First of all in the different
I parochial assemblies, each pariah sent it representa-
tives, and they then met together as they were doing
that day to choose out those they might think the
; fittest to carry out the great objects they all
I had at heart. (Hear, hear.) The Bishop
did a creed thing indeed when he called • meeting of
the whole diocese—the most intelligent persons in the
diocese—and that meeting decided by a nearly
unanimous voice that there should be this assembly.
(Hear, hear) Some people went about trying to
!rimier the usefulness, and the credit of the Synod by
saying there was no free discussion there. But who
were the persons who brought this accusation ? Not
those who went into the Synod ; but those who stood
outside and therefore knew but very little of what
was going on. (Hear, hear.) They all knew what
aort of • man the late Vicar of Fordington was. If
ever there was • man—who was really fearless and
always spoke what he meant in such matters
the Rev. Henry Motile WAS he. (Hear, hear.) He
MSS elegted at the first Session, and when they parted
he said to him "If ever there was freedom ef speech
at any place, it is at this Synod." Yet people who
knew nothing about it kept ou reiterating the cuckoo
cry that it was a plaoe where people were silent and
could not speak their own minds. Let those per ons
go to the Synod, or read the reports, and they would
then cease making such a baseless accusation. (Hear,
hear.) He believed it was doing a great work in
uniting Churchmen together. Mr. Floyer had truly
reminded them that union is strength," and there
was indeed much more union amongst them than
there was before the Synod was established. The
different parties in the Church—High Church,
Broad Church. and Evangelical then stood
aloof in a suspicious way, each one thinking his
brother was not • sincere Churchmen, because he did
not believe in some things. But since they had met in
friendly counsel and shaken hands together, they were
much better friende,and better Christians than before.
(Hoer, hear.) Let them not forget the motto which
Mr.Floyer did alluded to, not only so important at all
times, and espedelly important in conducting the
affairs of the Church, but virtually the words of the
great head of the Church Himself—" Union"—" By
this shall all men know that ye are MT disciples if ye
have love one towards another." (Hear, hear.) He
thanked them in conclusion for listening to thee
words, and he trusted they would all have the motto
written on their beasts that " Union is strength."
(Applause).
It having b-en understood by several present that
Mr. G. W. Floyer had been nominated in extother
rural-deanery.
Mr. Amnia LOCK asked, in case of his election at
the other, which he would represent?
The Rev. CHAIRMAN replied he presumed he would
represent the one in which he lived,
I ho meeting then broke up.