ST. PETER'S, AKAROA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 115, 24 August 1877, Page 2

ST. PETER'S, AKAROA.

Sir,—My attention has been drawn to a paragraph which appeared in your issue of the 14th instant, having reference to the liev. P. C. Anderson, who :.m is not unlikely to be the Key; W. H. Cooler's locum tenens at Akaroa during the twelve months absence of the latter gentleman. As the paragraph I refer to is calculated to prejudice the minds of Church-people at Akaroa against a most estimable clergyman, and to impair his influence for good amongst them, I feel tailed upon to protest against the insinuation contained in it as groundless and unjust, and to request that you will give insertion to this protest in your next number. / Mr. Anderson's words spoken at the recent meeting of his parishioners at Taradale, on which you comment, referred "to the part he took in the recent unhappy disagreements which have distracted the . Church in Hawke's Bay. I am tolerably conversant with the history .of these £• troubles, and with the part "which Mr. Anderson took, not from Ms own account of the matter only, but from the reports and letters published in the Hawke's Bay*, Herald, and I can venture te say with ~ Ai confidence, and without fear of contradic-

tion, that hk conduct, though it might have been in some respects mistaken, was thoroughly manly, straightforward, and becoming the character of a Christian and a gentleman. The writer of the paragraph derives his information from the New Zealand Church. News of August. If he will refer to the July,"number of that periodical, he will find some extracts from the Bishop of Auckland's journal of his recent pastoral visit to the diocese of Waiapu, and amongst them the following : —" It was a real pleasure to me, to be able in any way to strengthen the hands offso goed a parish priest as Mr. Anderson." I may add, that not only were the words commented on in the paragraph deliberately written by Mr, Anderson himself, but that the report of the parish meeting was written and forwarded to the Hawke's Bay Herald by himself. I mention this as a proof of the openness and straightforwardness of his character, and as shewing that he did not feel that he had any reason to be ashamed of anything that he had said or done in the matters referred to. Yours, &c. HENEY JACOBS. The Deanery, Christchurch, August 18, 1877. [The Very Reverend the Dean of Christohurch, in laudable haste to answer a fancied charge against a minister of the Church, has allowed his zeal to get the better of discretion. The " insinuation " which he protests against is purely imaginary, and certainly not contained in the paragraph alluded to, consequently we ngree in his terms " groundless and unjust" as applied to his opinion of our action in the matter. Further, the Dean says :—" I may add that not only were the words commented on in the paragraph, &c." A reference to the paragraph in question will prove that we actually refrained from any comment whatever, and made a statement to that effect. This must close the correspondence on this subject.—Ed. A- M.]