Page 3 Advertisements Column 1

Kumara Times, Issue 2695, 12 May 1885, Page 3

[avdertisement. J ,/ TJMARA PRESBYTERIAN IV CHURCH. THE REV. B. J. WESTBROOKE CORRECTED. [To the Editor of- the Grey River Argus.] Sir—As the Rev. Mr Westbrooke lias been so good as to introduce my name in a rather doubtful manner into his letter to you of this day's issue of your paper, kindly permit me to point out a few of what appears to me to be misstatements of the matters he refers to. 1. The evidence given in the petitions to the Presbytery did not bring out the fact that four out of the five elders in connection with Kumara Church were dissatisfied with my conduct. Mr William Coutts' name was never even mentioned. Mr John Pirrie was a witness in my favor ; Mr John Bain said nothing against my conduct. The leading petitioner against me was Mr John Garvin, elder, who was on Sunday morning found under the church without reasonable excuse. 2. It is not true that I ever gave half-a-dozen or even one apology to satisfy the complaint of the treasurer of my church, and I challenge Mr Westbrooke to produce them. But I can produce an apology from him to me. 3. It is not true that the evidence in the petitions showed "the whole of the adult teachers to be dissatisfied with my conduct." The petition sent to the Presbytery by only five of the ten teachers was ruled by the Moderator to have no reference to me at all. The names of five of the adult teachers who were at that time teachers and are still on the most friendly terms with me, I can furnish at any moment. (They are Mr Duncan Fisher, Miss Nicholson, Miss Murtagh, Miss Hay, Miss Perton.) 4. There were. 47 communicants then connected with my church, 28 in Kumara and 19 in Stafford, only 13 of whom expressed themselves dissatisfied. There were 118 who signed my call in Kumara, only 19 of whom expressed themselves dissatisfied. About 250 signed my call in the whole parish, only 19 of whom complained to the Presbytery. I am ready to furnish the names at any moment. 5. The resolution given by the Rev. Mr Westbrooke as having been passed by the Presbytery was not passed while I was present, and I have heard of it for the first time. The suggestion to resign was made to me by the Presbytery with the view of healing the breach that had arisen in the church of Kumara, which I had not the slightest hesitation to do, for the obvious reason that the conduct of the Pi-esbytery made it no longer possible for me to hold a seat among them. The petitions, of which the Rev. Mr Westbrook makes so much of, I submitted to a leading minister of the church, and he writes me to say that "It is a scandal to the Presbyterian church that there should be a Presbytery in connection with it that would even condescend to receive such rubbish as they contain. He declares that there is not a minister in New Zealand but has ten times over-done all the acts attributed to my charge." As to the need of consulting the congregation before my resignation was accepted, that is a matter for the congregation to say. The law says it must in every case be done. The Presbytery have not done it—hence Rev. Mr Westbrooke's rather unkind removal from the church grounds on Sunday.

6. It is not true that John Garvin held a key of the church lawfully. He did act as stove and lamp cleaner for a time, but six months ago he resigned his office as door-keeper, and three months ago was, on the unanimous vote of the congregation, requested to resign his eldership. Is it any longer strange that he should have been requested to do so. 7. Mr John Garvin is not a teacher of the Sabbath school. His resignation was sent in and accepted months ago. I deeply sympathise with the difficulty of the task assigned to Mr Westbrooke. I did all I could to procure an entrance for him to the church, the more especially as he was the one proposed to relieve me of a very difficult charge in Kumara. I do hope he will bear up under his sore trial, and that the public of Greymouth will award him all the support he is entitled to under his sore humiliation. Unkind Kumara to shuffle a man of the cloth. If the case of the Presbytery had been so good and mine so bad, would such a thing have happened? Would it not have been me they would have shuffled and kicked into the street. —I am, &c, GEORGE HAY. Kuma,ra, May 6, 1885. >ROPERTY ASSESSMENT Applications are invited from thoroughly competent V.-tl tiers who are willing to act as ASSESSORS for the next Triennial Assessment, which will be commenced on or about AUGUST lat. A memorandam stating the nature of the duties to be performed, and forms of application, may be obtained by applying personally or by letter addressed to the Postmaster at any Post Office which is a Telegraph or Money Order Office. References will, in all cases, be required. J. SPERREY, Commissioner. Property-Tax Department, Wellington', 4th May, 1885.