MR. SMALLEY.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 329, 1 December 1875, Page 2

MR. SMALLEY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —So it seems that Mr. Smalley has visited Gisborne, gone to Wellington, and at a public meeting stigmatized us as “ a degraded and immoral people.” This is rather strong. This opinion of us must have been formedmany months ago, therefore, what Mr. Smalley stated could not have been on the “ spur of the moment,” but deliberately thought over, and publicly expressed. Whence this lie ? Is the secret to be I found in the fact that Wesleyanismis at a l discount here, and that Mr. Smalley was bitterly disappointed in not making proselytes ? I only hear of one Wesleyan in the whole of the district, and in the last census 13 was the number recorded for Gisborne. It is known that Mr. Smalley went busily about seeking to pervert people from their own faith, and profession, but finding them staunch, consistent, and satisfied with their ovrn Church, he in his dismay and folly could only understand such qualities to arise from “ degradation and immorality 11” If Wesleyanism can thus view other communities, it cannot offer any tempting inducements, even for its own liberal members, to advance its principles. The next time Mr. Smalley visits Gisborne, it would be well for him to attend the services at the English Church on a Sunday evening, where there are about

200 worshippers, as well as the Presbyterian Church, where the number is not so large, because this is a smaller community ; and from the appearance, and devout manner of these congregations he will soon be convinced of his error, by finding a certain style quite the opposite “of degradation and immorality.” Mr. Carr must have known that Mr. Smalley was pulling a “ very long bow,” and it is a pity that he had not the moral courage to deny the assertions of the defamer of Gisborne.—l am, &c., VINDBX.