ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 256, 2 November 1906, Page 6

ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE.

BJECTIOX OF a STUDKNT. |J SYKODICAL DISCUSSION. C — I 5 ca Jed: to the item of expenditure appear- f ing m the report of the trustees of St T John's College, presented this season, *«., £150 was paid last year to the ■ tW n °T>, tO mt " et a Claim made "Yon tftem. The mover expressed regret that he had bee,, forced to move in the mat- ( Twr v I , mited th e history of the " t Marsh scholarship, and went on to give J »,- n details of Lhe (:a3e in which "the l £150 was paid. A student was. he said ) awarded v Mar.li scholarship. Wh is ! * tenable for live rears at 170 a year ! He was there not quite a "year 1 , , wiieu something occurred within " the <! college which caused the Warden f to give him notice to leave the i college. That was the mildest way ie could put it. The student accordingly left the college premises. The action of ' the Warden was reported to the Board of Governors. The student wrote to the Board that whilst admitting that he had done certain tilings which he ought. not to have done, there were ether serious things which h e emphatically denied. And ' he asked for an inquiry. The diaposi- ' tion of the Board was to grant an inquiry. During the discussion it came ', out that the Warden claimed the right to discipline the student in that form,' and. denied the right of the Governors as a body to deal with his decision, and • declined to give any evidence if an inquiry were held, or to allow others in the college .to make statements. The Governors held that an inquiry should i take place, but the Warden, who was \ supported by the chairman of the Board, j declined to appear, and handed in liis I < resignation. At ;i later meeting of the ! Board, at 'which two members were ab- ; sent, he was asked to withdraw his I resignation without anything being done as to the principle involved in the dispute. The student, who was ejected ; _ from the college was put in charge of j the Archdeacon of Auckland, and it j was decided by the Board of (Governors ' —without further inquiry of a formal character—-to terminate the scholarship at the end of thp year. The .student . appealed to the law. and six months afterwards it was found that the Governors, so far as the termination of the . scholarship was concerned, were out of court. What he maintained was that when they found that they had no standing in that the scholarship was held for live years, they should have tried the student, and expelled him if he were guilty, and if innocent, have restored him to the college ground. Instead, they apoliogised, and agreed 1o pay over £150. But the Governors had no inonev; the trustees administered the funds, and the general revenue of the college was overspent. So they appealed to the trustees for the money from the Marsh Scholarship account. A meeting was called by circular, (he notice of business being headed " He the Marsh Scholarship." , Then , were present: The Chairman. Canon Kelson, Mr. Upton and Mr. Speight. The. resolution of the Governors was brought forward. The chairman explained the circumstances, and Mr. Upton said that the explanation was a mistake; it should not have been made; but having been made, it would prevent him voting for the money in that form, and he moved that the money be taken from the. Purewa cemetery fund, and on the deliberative and casting-vote of the chairman this was carried. lie (the speaker) contended that this was put out of order, in that at special meetings the business to be dealt with should be that noted on the notice, and there was no reference to the Purewa cemetery account of the notice of meeting. The speaker and Canon Kelson had voted against the expenditure, and recorded an emphatic protest against it to be forwarded to the General Synod. He load also written to the Primate, setting forth the facU. lie had sent in his resignation as a trustee, but had received no reply to his letter; the courtesy which used to distinguish these matters tad departed now. Canon Nelson, in seconding, said that there was a dissenting among the Governors as weJl a.s among the trustees. Whether they passed the motion or not, -the General .Synod must discuss it. The whole policy and course of action, both of the Governors and trustees, wore utterly and. entirely wrong. (Hear. bear.)- It would not be fair to the Diocesan Synod to let the matter be brought before the General Synod without a. recommendation. Kvery facility should be uJTorded for inquiry intu the matter, especially as there was a difference of opinion on both bodies concerned. If the dissenting trustees were _ jong then. they would get a rap on the knuckles from the General Synod: if they were | right, somebody else would get the rap. and the Synod would advise how the I matter would be put right. ; Mr. J. 11. Upton .-aid that .Mr. Speight knew that he wiii out of order when so ruled in commit tec on the matter of taking the money from ihe Purewa. cemetery fund, when that, fund was not mentioned on the order paper. The whole I matter of the paymeiu by the trustees wad a matter cotieenung the (Jinernors. and was not before the committee at all. and it was not right lor lh" chairman tv allow the discussion to continue as to the conduct of the Governors. The (lovernors were not responsible to the trustees, but to the Synod alone, lie was not going to tin . Board-room to repeat "what was said there. Mr. Speight: It was necessary. Mr. L'pton: 1 do not think it is necessary or becoming. A student had been appointed to a Marsh scholarship for a year, and if hi- conduct was satisfactory, the governors would recommend him for another year, until he had had five years' tenure. The scholarship was terminated, but the trustees were not concerned as to whether the governors had the right to terminate it. The student felt injured, and brought an action lor £280, the value of the remaining lour years of the scholarship. The governors said that it would be highly inadvisable- to take the scholar back, and on that point he agreed. The compensation he was willing to accept was £150. Rp had a good case, and would probaly have won. Havg "* f me t° the decision that it would lot be advisable for the student to go m uuek they had no other course to purjjliS "T Q upPflUI

Mr. Speight: No, special. H Li Pt ° n: That is an °P en question. He beheved it was a general purpose. but the trustees had not the respond' bihty of deciding: that rested with the jrovemors, who were responsible to the general .Synod and no one else. Were the trustees to force them to <?o to the fcupreuie Court, aud have their dirty linen washed there? A Voice: Yes, far better. Mr. Upton did not agree. It would have been an evil thing to go to the Supreme" Court. If they had clone so, the student would certainly have won, according to the solicitors of both sides, and there would have been heavy expenses to pa3\ The Rev. W. Beatty said that Mr. Upton was of opinion that the governors and trustees acted wisely in paying the £ 150, because they had saved money by not going to the Supreme Court, but the probability was that the Supreme Court would have ordered the governors, who made the blunder, to defray it out of their own pockets. He would like to point out that whereas the trustees were very liberal in granting £ 100 for general purposes to repair a blunder—he supposed that they made blunders so generally that this was a general purpose —and whereas the trustees paid A! 150 quite cheerfully, they had since then haggled over every pound and •hampered every attempt made by the pre.sont Warden to restore and secure order and efficiency, tie did not believe that the interests of the Church were to be served by expediency. The right was always expedient. The Kcv. Mr Monkton urged that the motion should not be passed, but that all animosities should be buried, and that they should present a united front when, as might be necessary, they appealed for help for the college. After the mover had briefly replied, the Synod divided, and the motion was defctacd, the voting being: Clergy —ayes 17, noes 23; laity—ayes 18, noes 18.