Bathurst Free Press and Mining Journal (NSW : 1851 - 1862; 1872; 1882; 1885 - 1897; 1899 - 1904), Wednesday 11 June 1862, page 2


CARCOAR.

(From our own correspondent.)

PUBLIC MEETING.

A Meeting took place in the Court House, on Thursday evening last for the purpose of re-organizing the Carcoar Auxiliary Church Society. The meeting was not numerously attended, and very few of those parties who are well able to assist the Society, and who ought to set an

example to their poorer neighbours were present. The Rev. Mr. Burke opened the meeting by Prayer, and introduced the Rev. A. H. Bull, incumbent of Cook's River, Sydney, and alluded to the personal inconvenience and expense that the Rev. Gentleman had incurred in travelling to forward the interests of this society. The Revd. A. H. Bull then gave an account of the useful-ness of the Society which was formed by the Bishop of Sydney in 1856, since which period £14,000 had been collected for the purpose of providing clergymen and churches in those parts where none had been provided by other means ; previous to the sending of clergymen in their places the Lord's day was unknown amongst them and no attempt was made to keep it holy ; there was no person to sooth the bed of sickness, to protect the mother, or to baptise her infants, all that was thought about was to look out for the rich pasture lands to feed their flocks and herds upon, or to dig the gold out of the earth ; the residents on the Lachlan River (about three years ago) subscribed amongst them sufficient for the support of a Clergyman, and the Rev. Mr. Brownrigg was sent to them who has been travelling amongst them ever since and has done a large amount of good in that part ; since the Lachlan gold-fields broke out he had exerted himself greatly for the moral improvement of the diggers. In Sydney £3450 had been subscribed in one year, out of which sum £2700 had been expended, leaving a balance of £750 for the benefit of the country district ; at Jambaroo where they received no assistance from the Government, the people had now a clergyman, had built a church, rectory, and school-house; nt Shoalhaven £250 had been sub-scribed during the year ; lat Cook's River £100 had been subscribed last year; the society had built 54 churches besides Rectories, and rendered assistance to thirty clergymen ; The society was composed of clergymen, and laymen, and as parsons were bad bookkeepers, some of the greatest of the Sydney Merchants had under-taken that portion of the business for them. The Society was continually receiving letters from country Clergymen asking for a trifle to assist to build their churches, which was always granted, so far as the funds would allow. Did the Govern-ment talk about doing away with State Aid ? it was necessary that the funds of this Society should be augmented, for when the Government lock their coffers against religious support, the country Districts must then do as well as they can. If the Minister were not properly suppor-ted he would be taken from the District, but to prevent this, they should petition the Govern-ment for State Aid, and return no Member to Parliament but who would pledge himself to support State Aid, so as to prevent us from becoming heathens. The Revd. Gentleman then stated that a small Committee in which Ladies could join should be at once formed, and he trusted that the people of Carcoar would give with a free hand. The Revd. Gentleman then sat down having been attentively listened to in his able description of the usefulness of this Society. The Rev. Mr. Bourke stated that he agreed in all that the Rev. Mr. Bull had stated, and read over the Names of the Committee for the present year. Captain Gennys stated that our church was already indebted £200 to a gentleman, and wished to know if this Society would assist in paying that debt. The Rev. Mr. Bull slated that at present the Society had more pressing demands upon it, and could not do so. Captain Gennys then returned thanks to the Rev. Mr. Bull for his address of that evening, when the sum of £11 was collected, and the meeting separated. ROBBERY. — On Wednesday night two new tarpaulings were stolen out of the stack-yard of Mr Wm. Glasson, of King's Plains, where they had been left to cover some thrashed wheat. OUR MEMBER. — I am sorry to say that this gentleman has not proceeded to his Legislative Duties ; we were in hopes that after his being absent from the Assembly nearly the whole of last session, he would have seen the necessity of appearing in that house as early as possible, so that he would have tried to urge the Government to put our roads and bridges in proper repair, to enable them to stand the im-mense traffic that is passing along them to the Lachlan, and Lambing Flat Gold Fields ; we have also other local wants that need attention. As this gentleman seems so unwilling to attend to his Legislative business, we wonder his friends who placed him in that high position do not ask him to resign, so that we might get a member who would attend to the wants of the district instead of allowing it to be dwindle into insignificance.