CORRESPONDENCE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 1, Issue 157, 25 September 1880, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.

To the Editor. Sir, —A movement is now on foot in Ashton district to give a testimonial to a highly deserving resident in recognition of valuable services he has rendered in connection with the Presbyterian Church. * The object of the. movement has my entire spmpathy, but, perhaps you will permit me, through your colums, to take exception to the means adopted, and to point outhowa more general and public expression of the settlers’ esteem for the gentleman in whose favor the movement is made could have been obtained. . The : movement seems to have been started suddenly, and a subscription list opened without any consultation with the Church Committee. No fault can be found, with any gentleman for giving or raising subscriptions for the purpose of recognising public services rendered, but when a whole Church has been benefitted by these services, the proper management, of a movement to recognise them is the Com-, mittee of that Church, and I take it thatin the matter to which I refer, the function of the Commitee has .been usurped. It would have been far more graceful otf the part of the gentleman who has takerf the subscription list in hand if he had left the matter in the Committee’s hands, and if he thought they were dilatory to have brought it under their notice. . The presentation would then have taken place at a public meeting of the whole Church,, and would have been far more valuable as the experience of the whole body than as that of a. few members. It; is not too late to have thematterremedied, and I do hope that steps will yet'be taken to give the movement'the public expression that, considering the value to ail of the services it is intended to recognise, it certainly ought to bear.— I am, &c., A Member op the Church. Ashton, Sept. 23.