PORT MOLYNEUX CEMETERY.

Clutha Leader, Volume IV, Issue 183, 11 January 1878, Page 6

PORT MOLYNEUX CEMETERY.

TO THR UUITOR. : Siu,,— Will you allow me, through the columns of. the Leader, to state the present'position of the Cemetery Reserve in j reply, to :the opinions of some of: the ) speakers as to the duties of trustees or I managers expressed at,. a. public mooting hsld.'on the 21st ult.,, and make a few re~-mai*-lc3 tiioreon. The Oomatery Reserve consists of about .twenty acrqn, sitnatpd neai* .the Earatba bridge. The gro-iiid h unfsneed, and no -•iraprovometita -'have been, made. .Two bodies havo- been interred, both, of .which ■ woj'o found on the b?ach and one' identified. "Tlie, las; was buiibd about ssverr years ; ago, and the graves arc " placed sufficiently near to*ethor that if a piece of ground was; laid ofrtiaithor of the. bodies , would require removal -I am not aware,, from my' _own ; parsonal knbv/I'edge, that any application 'has been made for other . burials in ; -the -ground. Had .such been .the. ease l should hive;givon such informat: on- and '&rX> stance- as may have been in my p6-ror,;l HXi^ one of thrcotru^ees or appo.ilit.3d- about riiiip year's ago. At the public meeting- a very, btrongly- ■ worclod rG3,')l;viion .was' parked asking me to reriign,- the mover dsnouncing mei n no ''measured terms, declaring my conduct as having bspii dfagraceful, &X ; hut he being, a person -of dittb standing and lass principle, with no head on his shoulders or heart in his bosom, and no. soul above the top of his boots, perhaps' the less said about; him thebptter. Mr Hay "(teacher^ said .when this laud v/as giveii in^trust the Government expected that 'the,; trustees. would at' once ; see • that the ground was properly fenced. wall:s formed, and other-. .- wise' "ornamented. Nothing' of - the kind , having been, done, for such dereliction 'ofduty, the. trustees must resign,, and .make • room, for others: who would gladly d.owhat ■was • nececsary. • Mr Shiel :1s -said the mane ger' Had allowed a' quantity; of tiniber to. be "cut ai-^d carried 'aw'ay.frprn' -the reserve.; that; a : gar den .slipn^d, have .been made with A beautiful walks and,-; .shady •groves; that theman-igers had been : guilty-. ! ■' of ( - ; culpable; neglect of duty'; and; that a shp.uld^'be'-'a^pkte'd' to wait^ npoh-.^\;Jenl£]hs'bri,'; ancf reqviest him to -.^sign-,-, and. if*. ; he"; refuspd,', io ; inform his iExcellency the Governor of his, obstinacy, l! arid 'request tbat^hisniifue be ; stru ; ck" from , tlie list!;, Mr-Pat^ r.fe*P u £^ ago, and th%; were as" much vl'of'bhim'eTasf themanagenj.i,{HersliouldTnJc>t like* to hear of his name being r forwarded, to .. the

\Xa Xiii^XM^Xh^AXiijiAxAAy^ A,Gpyernqr ipr dismissal, because he -'was : . bette-jjfknp-^ni uixpthgr par-t^^of .the^cojintry " ■than at>i sPort :i-M;plyneu^|;'( nbut , : ifj j-Mr . ■ *yenlcin^i %"duld fek§faj*kswonld-'hQ.,f ancl 1 ' . aiid' ifo^lcf |)i;omi|e ; riot ;, ]to "Hold J; a*siirlilaf" ! , ..pp-sitipniat Pprf'Mol^idux ■ iri { th-Ff utiireJ jSucli^w.erej.the.^QpniionSj.exp^ at,* the Imoethig-.andifromvwilich, I beg^tp^&fferi When/the l man9gers- -Were.: appointed^ no. iristructrdns were 'giveri - f tp v 'thfem^- arid- the r * Qp vernlpfen-JT : ; never', mtferidecl / .that '. they ' should Lbe#r, ithe ( e^pense/pi :" ii^proving.'the • ; Cemetery Reserve.-.. <fcsucfofoa^bepn^- , tended- fewpersoris could . 'have i been; got. to take -tlie responsibility.;- The^-Reserve, is public prdpert^/and the public, -should take . , the ■ initiative . ih- ; repommending 'im-: < prpvements, finding,. the means lor parry-r. ing. them but, and seeing-tha't the means are properly expended. -.* The 'duties of trastces'see'm' to ihe r to' be, ; to see that theground.be not" alienated ''from tlie purpose^ for which. it.' was set apart^ to see^thatUhe , ground be, not injured, and that any alter- ; ations;made'be:'not inconsistent with • •the" prevailing opinion Regarding: cemetery-im-prbvernents. '• A . ■''•'■'' '' ' - - c ' ' . If Messrs Hoy/.and Shields .kho'nld' feel disponed to show their , liberality.by'forming 'roads through- the Oenietery, nvakihg., gardens with- beautiful*. walks ! ;and ■ shady grove's j'• I shall be ';' glad : ; at : any 'time to render them what assistance'' l can as- , trustee, so that they. :may commence at ■ once ; and- 1 would remind Mr Shields of ' a promise' he made nine years ago— that he woulcl fence'in'an acre of. the. Reserve ; for burial purposes, and plant., the. fence-", ■line, with hawthorns— -a .promise, lie has .not yet. performed!; and should such a, thing happen -again,- 1 shall be * compelled, to: 'think' that' his' remarks are maukish/. sentimentality, ;bordei ; ihg' on -hypocrisy Afraid to trespass more, upon your 'space, I shall not comment on; the remarks of my . co-trustee- further than to: assure him I ■fully appreciate his determination not to desert me at 'such a' 'crisis;: and thank-' him*, for the fidelity, and proof of cqnfiderVc'e lie shpws..7 : towai*ds me.' At the meeting: a .proposition was. made. to fill the vacancy caused two- years ago by the- death, of one of 'the' managers, which 'was 'peremptorily, refused, ancl nothing but an. unconditional .surrender of. my trust, would satisfy them, a course which at present I decline to take, and shall wait with deference for the' humiliating sentence which -will deprive me of the honorary -position I now. fill— 'l am, &c., ■ " • John ' H. Jenkinson - . Port Molyneux, Jan. s', 18"78.'