THE MAORI KAIK AT OTAGO HEADS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 265, 27 February 1877, Page 4

THE MAORI KAIK AT OTAGO HEADS.

There is (k great scandal in ecclesiastical e&rfea ra Dunedin. It U caused by the Anglican Bishop- talcing possession ©f the church building at the Maori Kaife (at the Heads), and placing the Rev. Edward Ifgaro* to- labour among the- inhabitant*. The history of the church is given in a long article in the Otmjo (fitantlcm, from which we cull the following particulars •. The first minister who preached at the Hoods wa» the Rev. Mr. Creed, a Wesleyan. Ife was succeeded by Mr. Baker, in deacon's orders, an ilpbcopalbri, yet appointed by a general committee, of whom the Rev. Dr. Stuart was one. At this time there was in* church building—■ nothing more at least than tie small School-hottSev Then came the Rev. Mr. Riemenschneider, who. had acquired the Maori language in the North Island. A reformed Lutheran, he laboured in connection with the Bremen Society. He set about the building of a church, planned it,, and, with the help of skilled Mbour, saecttted it himself. This church, recently repaired and re-opened, may be considered a monument to his memory. It was aided by a sunn frown Government and the liberality of Dunedin residents. Unfortunately, this devoted missionary sickened and died, and was; buried in the fraveyard at Port Chalmers. T.ie I'resytenans then tools np the mission, with the consent of the liremtsn Soeitty, and the Rev. Mr. Slake was appointed toooitieiate in the church. i>wit**' to- illnesses in hi* family, Mr. Blake was ompelbd to transfer his work to the ordinary branch of the Church, and Uartliototu.w, a native, was engaged by the Presbyterian liody to re-open it as soon as those of t;te congregation who were away shearing should come back. Ti-is was the sft*to-of affair* when the Moat Rev. Bis!v>p> 2*evitt took possession of it, and installs.l the Rer. Mr. Ngaro; The IhMritkm s report. winds up by saying-, *"A» the Pres'vwercan Church made compensation; tt> Mrs. Rtemenschneider, and laid on 1! txpetwe on the manse, it will bo proper now for tue self-constituted owners of the mission to recompense the Presbyterian Synod. The Convener of Mission is tie v. VV. iSaansrman,, who wilt probably communicate with Bishop Nevill on this subject." BISHOP SEVtCC. t>" um.Y. We make the following extracts fmtn Bishop. JJfevi.U's reply tt* the charge against him : On, the Soth Janr.ary, 1873, shortly after taking up my rvSatauce in tins Colony, I paid a visit, to the Maoris at tue Taiaroa Kaik, and held divine s tvwo, in the course of whicit 11 baptised an adult and four children. T. i» was- iu pursuance of a promise made on the occasion <>i a former visit in company witu the R..=v. Mr., Stanly,. wlWu 1 had, at the request of that gentleman-, *-.vwumtMl titer adult candidate and made enquiries as to his character. In t..e course of th-iise visits I found—(li ) That there was no-resident minister of any denomination (ft.) That many of the natives had been baptised as members of the Ktvgtiat't Church—some by R.s!u»p Stdwytt himself. That they were stilt using the liturgy of the Church of waving feeen instructed in its use, I believe, !>y Mr. Riemenschneider, and that they desirtsd to obtain new Hiowks in order to «hbtinue its use. In consequence of these things, I expressed to I#. G. Taiarott anil ot tiers my intention of seeking for a native clergynuvn. witlk » view to his residing ain>*ng them> a matter which at that time I thought would take no- long correspondence. Some time afterwards I received a visit from Bartholomew {i*arate.n»tit). in w.iic*, he informed me tluvt the Pi- shyterians w«ra about to employ him, and that t uy itquM give hiuii £lf> a year. Until the present t,me I have been unable t>> obtain the sefvues of a Maori clergman for this post r but daring the interval 1 tave never made the slight..st secret of my endeavours on this behalf; on the contrary, I have pubticty a«d privately spoken of vny anxiety to establish this mission.. SV>mewbat suddenly, and on th© eve of my departure from home, the Rev. Mr. JNgara arrived'. J gave hint a letter of introduction and sent him to the Kaik. Subsequently, I went thither myself, accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Mo«re> of Port Chalmers. The chief, with the consent of his people after full discuanion, made me certain offers which I accepted, and in the course of my remarks to> the people assembled, J distinctly informed all that it was my desire that a friendly relation should be maintained with Paratomu, and that he should have full opportunity afforded to hold such services as might be desired by the body to which he was attached. I gathered that this was tpiite understood, and I took my departure.

.In n» recent libel c;iae in England, Lewi.* ▼„ the W*wht t the Loctf Chiei Justice,, in diiachiurgiag the rvtte that; hati been obtained for ft criminal infermafcioti, snid that! whe» * man entered into j>obt'tc.life &» most expect t*> W the ofejeet of criticism, and shottM net be t jt> tlnn-skinncd. Me strongly «>f the style oF the articles* eonif»bincel <pf, haft ttut not tMnk they amounted to libel. The c*>onset lor Mr.. Law is, in erder tt> shew m/ilic.?, at!?ertei ti> the way in which the minds «£ the r scMs tf the H'wW had been g; aeloaßy p apttlfrct f*>r these artieCes by «.<OB«t'ln.; yctitt«# art«l vafgar ahrtde, exft >*uiing ©><»t* mosfchj*, attacking Mr. Lewi*'* gerstM*, his ludts,. his clothes, and hi* motivw.