THE ENGLISH CEMETERY.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 2, Issue 166, 19 February 1878, Page 2

THE ENGLISH CEMETERY.

To the Editor of the Akaroa Mail

Sir,—Acting entirely on my own responsibility, and without the concurrence of my fellow Churchwarden, I briefly reply to the challenge contained in your leader of the Ist inst. re the Cemetery road. If you will refer to the proceedings of the Provincial Council of, I think, January, 1866, you will find tlie description of the land reserved for the Dissenters' Cemetery to be as follows, viz.: — " Commencing at a point on the Beach road, the same being the north-western corner of the abbatoir reserve, No. 88, in red, following the high bank forming the western boundary of the said reserve and a line in continuation of the same road and also along the north-western boundary of the Roman Catholic Cemetery, No. 116 in red, a distance altogether of four chains forty links ; thence northerly at an angle of 80 deg., a distance of eight chains 90 links, to the road leading to the Church of England Cemetery, and from thence returning along that road and the Beach road to the commencing point, and numbered 117 in red."

I have not had authority to have the English Cemetery accurately surveyed, nor, in the face of the foregoing description, do I see the necessity of doing so ; the more particularly as I am given to understand that the exclusive use which we have had of the said road for the last 25 years, gives us a legal right to ic. However, be that as it may, I am sure the members of the English Cemetery Board will be only too happy to meet the Trustees of the Dissenters' Cemetery in an amicable manner, and arrange the matter to their mutual satisfaction. With regard to the misappropriation of the cemetery funds, as you are pleased to call it, I have not been able to discover any minute or account of it in the papers or books which have been handed to me, except the £14 4s which the present Vestry borrowed —not for the purpose you insinuate, viz., the extravagant enlargement of St. Peter's, Akaroa, but as your correspondent " Parishioner " very rightly explained, for providing the requisite seating accommodation for the congregation attending the services at the above Church, and which sum, if necessity arises, we are prepared to pay back at once ; but the fund being still in credit, I, speaking for myself, do not see the necessity of putting ourselves out of the way about it, but, as I have said before, if it is necessary that the money should be paid, we look upon it as due to the fund, and it will be paid. But with regard to the road. I hope the Dissenters will consider my remarks and re-measure their boundaries.

Any further explanation that may be necessary, I shall be happy to give verbally, as I fear I have already trespassed too much on your valuable space. Yours, &c, H. WAGSTAFF.