THE PALMERSTON CLERGYMAN AND HIS SALARY.

Patea Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 1004, 2 March 1883, Page 2

THE PALMERSTON CLERGYMAN AND HIS SALARY.

ACTION AGAINST THE BISHOP OP ; WELLINGTON. At the Resident Magistrate’s Court . this moT.nijig, before -Mr H. S. Wardoll, R.M., the Rev. Edward Cams Wilson sued to recover from the Bishop of Wellington the sum of £5 2s lOd, balance of salary due. Mr W. H. Quick appeared • for tife’ defendant. Plaintiff conducted his own case, and gave evidence to the effect that in July of last yearhe was ordained a clerk in holy orders, and was appointed to the Palmerston district by his Lordship, at a salary of £l5O per annum. Wishing to return to England about the end of last year, he wrote to the Bishop applying for-permissioa'tcrtake'his departure" from the district, and on the 112 th of January received a letter from bis Lordship acceding to his request. < The communication Was dated the 10th of; -that; : month. He claimed the sum of £5 as salary due to him from the opening of the year up to the 12th.ultimo. Mr Quick mentidned that a-matter of principle was involved in the proceedings, and said the defence was that his Lordship was not liable, as he held ' cial positiOnV " Examination continued—' ' Since he had been at Palmerston; North he had received two cheques :from the ; Bishop—one for £37-10sfor the quarter ending the - 30fh September, and the . - other for a like amount for the Decora- ' her quarter. He was engaged by his Lordship by letter sent to' Australia, and the ’ amount of the salary v. Jk fixed at £l5O , per annum. By Quick —The document... produced was his license; During a ; part of hisministrations at; Palmerston , North he was a licensed clergyman, the license dating from the 18th July, 1882, ; He had been paid for" two full quarters, £75 in all . He denied that in the course of | a conversation he had with Mr Lowe he admitted that he was satisfied with the settlement of accounts~between himself and the Bishops‘The agreement was ;; that the salary should commence from the Ist of July, and not the 16tn/o.iu • 18tii. The Bishop : had jent him £ls with .which to.proceed, jto iPalmerston \ North, and also promised that, Ihe salary should commence from the Ist; of July, as witness had informed him that ... he was short of funds. L Counsel here placed correspondence before the Court.] He was . notaware that the Diocesan Synod had no control: over the funds.

He was aware that there was a Church Fund. This was all the evidence adduced. Mr Quick submitted that the wrong person had been sued, his Lordship holding no financial position in the matter, and the; Court gave judgment for defendant on those grounds.— Post, Feb. 26.