and talk of past days. Only those who have spent as many years as I have in a new land, which has no past, can understand what a holiday means in the Old World.
In February I attended the session of General Synod, in Dunedin. My Father, the Bishop of Christchurch, gave notice of his intention to resign the Primacy, which he had held since Bishop's Selwyn's departure in 1868, on account of his increasing years; Synod presenting him with an address, expressing the affectionate regret of the Church in New Zealand that his long and effective tenure of the office was about to terminate, having lasted over seven General Synods; and thankfulness for the prolongation of a life of such value to the Church, beyond the ordinary measure. Then followed the election of a Primate to fill the vacancy. It may interest you to know why Bishop Selwyn, and those with him, who drew up our Church Constitution, chose the title "Primate," instead of "Metropolitan" or "Archbishop." It was, I believe, because "Primus" or Primate was the title given in the earliest days of Church organization to the Bishop of Churches grouped together as a Province, who occupied the position of Presidency over them. Such a Primate had no higher spiritual authority or dignity than his fellow Bishops, but, as President of provincial Synods, and of the College of Bishops, he had certain duties committed to him, relating to matters of discipline, such as confirming episcopal elections, with no right of direct interference with the ordinary rule of another Bishop, but in certain cases of irregularity, a certain right of decision, if appealed to. He was also the executive of the Provincial Synod. It was held that though the title "Metropolitan"
