To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume II, Issue 58, 15 November 1845, Page 3

To the Editor of the New Zealand Spectator.

Sir, — In a despatch from our Idte Governor Capt. Fitzßoy to Lord Stanley, dited Government House, Auckland, September 16. 1844, and printed la>elv in the Sydney Morning Herald, j find the Nelson Examiner, there is the following paragraph attm king the ministers of the religion to which I have the honor to belong, but which I should not feel called upon to notice, hal not Cript Fitzßoy a shot t time previous to the date of that dispatch assured me personally that he held a tota ly differentopiuion. " I should he sorry to find, indeed, that any Roman Catholic Mistionaries have contributed to excite such a feeling • * * they have circulated small books in the native language, printed at their own press, ihe contents of which -ire considered to be very objectionable; and although confined, it may be said, to religious question*), there are passages which have, in my opinion, a direct tendency to cause bad feeling towaids the English generally." Now Sir, as such an assertion as the abore made in a public document and printed throughout these colonies may be calculated to create erioneou* impre-sions if uncontradtcted, I beg through the medium of your widely circulated j •uriidl, to gue an account of two interviews I h id with Capt. Fitzßoy on the subject. During » private interview I had with the Governor on the 10.h June, 1841, while attending my duties at Auckland as Member of the Legislative Council, he took oi cation to remark, that he had been i»f>rmed that ceitain pamphlets had been publish-d at the Catholic Missionary press, containing statements of very dangeious tendency. I said I could not believe such to be the fact, but that I would endeavour to obtain the works in que-tion, and lay them befoie his Exci-l.ency in order that he might judge for hiui'.e f. A few days afterwards I did obtain the book 3 both in ihe vat ye and the En«{hMi l<mguage s being all that had or up to th.s tune have been issued Ir >iii the Catholic press. At the same time also I obtained from a person with wh<>m it had been left, a tract issued by a society of laitiei, who, under the an* lices of Mr«. FitzR iy, wete n. the habit of metting weekly at Government Hou^e, for the promotion of charitabl" object*, and amoi.g othei's that of Mipernltending th» distribution of irac s to the Miirouiidiug neighbourhood. The tract brought t<» me had the name of one of the ladies on ihe title page, and contained the most absurd and virulent abuse of the C itholic-.. 1 can onlyjasc now remember one of the various assertions it contained, but which will serve to shestf the tendency of the work. It was putting the readers on their guaid against those honible people ealisd Papists, :md ii.foi'mid ihem tint ih.-y must not be lulled into a false seuuiity nun ttie present quu-t demeanour of thai body, as they weie onlj quiet from the want of power U> work mischief, but if they were once allowed to get ahead, it would be no umonimon sight to see their enemies, or those opuo^ed to them, hanging to the branchesot the tries on the road s>ide as thick as acorns on the oak. This interesting and peace inspiring little bonk I laid before his Excellency at the same time as , ihe works from ihe Catholic press, requestin/ that at his leisure he would have the kindness to peruse them. Oi the 3rd of July, 1844, having agairi occasion to call upon the Governor on matters of business, he informed me that he had carefully read over the Catholic woiks previously complained of, and that be was happy to say he had found nothing in them ihat could be-Ob jected to. The Governor also informed me that he had given the other tract to Mrs. Fitzßoy, who had laid it before the committee at ladies, and he had been requested to state that they had not be6n at all aware that it contained the pas-

•ages I had pointed out, or they would nevrir have ismed it, which they had only done on ihe faith of tfte authors name, and moreover that they wguld take immediate measures for calling in any.fcopies that might still be in circulation. I retrain, Mr. Editor, from making any comments' on the above, as I leave it lo your readers to decide which class of works are most likely t» have " a direct tendency to cause a bad feeling toward* th? Englith generJ/ff,'' being proud to consider i hat though I am a Catholic, I am still an Englishman, and T should be sorry to belong to arty religion whose doctrines would allow its professors to endeavour to excite bad feelings against mv countrymen, be they of what per' suaaijn they may. I have the honor to temairi, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Charles Ci irFOßrij Wellington, New Zealand, Nov. 12, 1845. P. S. I beg td enclose for your information^ and ih.it of any of your readers who may have curiosity to look at it, the printed translation of the Catholic pamphlet alluded to.