PRECEPT AND PRACTICE.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2775, 14 February 1882, Page 3

PRECEPT AND PRACTICE.

[“ Australasian ”J There is something weighty in the charge brought by a Sydney paper against the churches of utter indiffer ence to the duty of attending to the , spiritual wants of the unfortunate inmates of the quarantine station and the, small-pox hospital. Either the churches have been absolutely indifferent to the duty of rendering attention ; to the poor people dying in these places,or they nave been deterred by the moat ignoble cowardice from performing it. “ Is it not" asks our contempo- - nry, “ a shameful fact that a score or more of men and women have died in; the centre of a Christian community without a Christian minister to fulfil his dntyl by their bedsides? Horses, doctors, laborers were found there, each ready to perform the necessary labor—only the minister was con spicuons by his absence,” The fact is not only shameful, it is _ almost incredible. Admittedly, it is a very unpleasant thing for a clergyman to leave his comfortable home, the bosom of his family, his round of minis- •! terial duties, his services to his congregation, and go and subject himself to the dangerous and confinement ofqi ' *ine. It is ‘ oh. se so easy tv think that ye ~ vre : der no obligation to go, and ths : nr duty directs yon to stay where you are. The demand on each man is not personal or direct, and to obey it he would have

to set aside some that are both. All this is admitted. But when the net result of it is that not. a single volunteer could be found from a great city to go and render the ministrations of religion to these poor creatures dying like dogs in the compulsory imprisonment which society for its own preservation has enforced upon them, the fact remains a grave stigma on the churches, and applies a terrible test of genuineness to the professions snd doctrines which are retailed complacently from the pulpit Sunday after Sunday, but the practical application of which in a time of emergency is thus wholly ignored.

A Wellington quid nunc says Parliament will not be called together till the end of May. The attention of those interested: is directed to a notification concerning fees for Slaughtering Licenses, which appears in our advertising coluns. Dr Hector thinks compulsory vaccination should be strictly enforced, and then the quarantining process might be done away with, the community taking its chance of the small number of cases that might occur. He deprecated the fashionable cry for vaccination from the calf, saying there was as much chance of other diseases being communicated by that means as by the arm-to-hnn process. The Government had gone to great expense in providing the means of vaccination he hoped that the unreasonable prejudice against it would hot exist much longer. | An ordinary day’s supply of water for the town at present lowers the surface' of the reservoir, when no water is running into it from the race, about 5J inches. Several applications are in the hands of the Borough, Council for water for motor purposes, but the Council are very doubtful of the supply being sufficient to enable them to grant them. One Councillor had calculated that the rate of payment stated to be a . fair one per horsepower, was equal to only Ifd per thousand gallons.

The “ Otago Daily Times ’’ thinks the Governor is wise in leaving Wellington for Christchurch, though, of course, he would have done still better had he gone to Dunedin. Wellington, says the “Times,” is in many Aspect the least eligible spot in New Zealand for the residence of the Governor. In the first place it is very disagreeable and very unwholesome. The smells immediately in front of Government House are not to be equalled for strength or deadliness in any other part of the colony. Then there is nothing in the world for the Governor to do. No sport to be got, no amusement of any kind, no exercise even unless bis. Excellency happens to be a boating man. There is nowhere _to ride, drive,' or walk, and nobody to ride drive, or walk with if there were. ;>