THE BRETHREN'S CHAPEL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 83, 17 June 1881, Page 3

THE BRETHREN'S CHAPEL.

TO TOR KDITdP "OF THE MANAWATU HERALD. Sir, — In your issue of this day's date I notice -that 'Mr S. Howan ia getting subscriptionajrom the public for the purpose of erecting a chapel for the Brethren, and which would appear to be a very deserving object, provided the public are made aware r of the circumstances, which are briefly as follows : — At present they have a chapel, the site of which was given by my -mother many years 'ago, but was not conveyed to any trustee; ' Since her death the property passed into my hands, and I have repeatedly, aa'Mr Howan knows, offered to convey the same to any. person appointed by that body, as a trustee, and on their paying the coat ef such conveyance. No steps were taken by them for this purpose, and daring Ihe tune my affairs got complicated this property passed out of my hands with the rest, but steps.were immediately taken by me to have this moiety of land conveyed to a trustee, and. I found that by' the original agreement it was intended that Mr Boots, of Feilding, should be that trustee. I arranged wjtn him that this property should vest in' him as trustee for this section of the church, and steps have been taken accordingly, and notice thereof given to Mr S. Howan previous to his starting the subscription lkt, and that too in the presence of Mr Liddell. I may, add that through certain, remarks' of hjs (Mr Howjm'l) io some of the members a dispute a-ose among themselves which ended in one of tjb,eir number taking the key and forbidding the honse^being opened until matters had assumed a more definite shape. I * have no objeotionjp Me Howan, or any one else, getting uff.STibjgcriplions and building one or more chapehv-provided such energetic people jtak;e care to place, this facts before the subscribers, and which <Mr Howan may have gone I do not know, but I deem it necessary thus to Ye explicit in order that all parties concerned may know the facts of $hV*&ej I may alsi say that daring the. time J. B. Harcourt, Esq., was owner of tha aa& property Mr Howan endeavouredCfo purchase it from him, and I then pointed out to him that it was never ifjended by any one individual, for that it was given to the whole denomination, and further more I am distinctly informed ,that Mr Ho^i»liß!n6t in'any sense the 'representative of th9j§rethren,and haß no authority to act on 'their behalf, but on the contrary they disapprove of his action. ' If I might ventuW^O give him a suggeation I ' would s»y, Je*>b?m'gßfc ) a'lresolu ; tioh from a committee of his denomination authorising him to act on their behalf. lam, &a, .-.-■■■-■.■■■ - , Francis LovjS6x. Foxtoo, Uth Jane, JLBBI.