CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 270, 8 May 1875, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

:O: Our columns are open for free discussion ; but we do not hold- ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents. :o: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —As one to whom the Roman Catholic priest was indebted, will you allow me to ask the Church Committee of that body, what was the issue of the meeting, called by advertisement in your paper some month or two ago, for the purpose of arranging the affairs of the Parish? Neither I nor any other, as far as I can learn, in the same position, have heard of anything satisfactory; on the contrary, it is said (with what truth I don’t know,) that one member of the committee has placed certain property in chancery, or thereabouts ; another has appropriated a valuable horse ; another a bridle and saddle, &c. If such be the case, the indulgence of creditors is misplaced.— Yours &c., Creditor.

Sir, —A short time ago you inserted a letter in your paper calling attention to the neglected state of the burial ground in this district. May I now trouble you with the following account, showing clearly the amount of respect that is shewn .to a deceased person. On the 3rd inst. a man named Edward Turner, was found dead in one of the outhouses belonging to lhe Makaraka Hotel ; in due course an inquest was held and a verdict was recorded of death by natural causes. On the 4th instant, whilst staying at Makaraka, I saw a vehicle going towards the Hotel, and, being aware that the body was going to be buried that afternoon, I requested one of the jury at the inquest to accompany me to the grave yard and see that the funeral was conducted properly, as the poor man might have some friends to whom it would be a satisfaction to know that he was buried decently. On arrival there, we certainly found a grave dug, about 4 feet deep, but neither sexton, nor clergyman On tbe arrival of th© corpse in the waggonette, it was

found impossible to take out the coffin without our help, and had we not been there, the undertaker would have had to search for help in order to remove the coffin, and lower it into the grave. On my asking why there was no clergyman present I was informed by the undertaker that he had received no instructions about procuring one, and was under the impression that one had been asked to appear or he would have requested Mr. Root to come up ; but as there was no clergyman, the body must be buried without the service. A portion of the burial service was ultimately read by a gentleman present. 1 then asked, where was the grave digger ? The answer was, we suppose he has gone as his work is finished. I would now like to ask this question. Whose duty was it to look after the decent burial of this poor man ? To all my questions at the inquest I was told that the “ Police ” had the matter in hand. If so, why did they not see that everything was done respectably, and in accordance with the general observances of the sanctity of the dead?—Yours &c., The Foreman of the Jury.