RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE: EXTRAORDINARY. American Evangelists Ordered Off Nortolk Island.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 92, 7 March 1885, Page 6

RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE: EXTRAORDINARY. American Evangelists Ordered Off Nortolk Island.

The Norfolk Island correspondent of the "Sydney Morning Herald " recently wrote giving the following account of extraordinary proceedings on the island with reference to two passengers from Auckland : — Last Wednesday the Government steamer Thetis arrived, bringing Mr H. Wilkinson, the visiting magistrate of Lord Howe Island, Mr Wilkinson was soon in possession of the facts concerning the burning question of the island— the new schism. The particulars of this matter are as follows : — home seven or eight months ago two Americans, named Phelps and Dorman, styling themselves evangelists, arrivod horo by tho lona from Auckland, and for a time professed themselves anxious to act in conceit with the Anglican mission at this place. After a brief period it was porceptiblo that their teaching was productive of dissensions amongst members of families, some seeming disposed to condemn the service ot tho Church of England. This schism continued to increase until the arrival of Mr Wilkinson, and as he came authorised by His Excellency to inquire into matters, our Chief Magistrate deemed tho opportunity favourable to take the sense of tho residents on tho question, and after a consultation with the elected councillors a magisterial meeting took placo on the 15th instant. In accordance with insular custom, the Chief Magistrate, Mr Arthur Quintal, took tho chair, and Mr A. Buffet, first councillor, read a letter from the privato secretary of the Governor explanatory of Mr Wilkinsons prescuce thero. Mr Wilkinson then addrossed tho meeting at some longth, expressing his regret that matters had attained such a position, and hoped that tho peoplo would tako stops to removo the cause of tho dissension which existed amongst thorn, otherwise they might lapse into tho stato of the ruins they saw around them. Mr John Adams said that never belore in their history had there- boen such a crisis, such ill-feeling, such disturbance amongst their peoplo, and this he attributed entirely to the prosence here and leaching of certain strangers, and he tlierofore moved the following resolution .' i — "That the following regulation or law be added to tho laws and regulations of Norfolk Island, and that it ab onco become law under clause 16 of the laws and regulations of the island, namely : If it shall bo decided at a public meeting of the colony by a majority of two-thirds of the adult male members there present at such meeting that tho presence of any person residing on the island is prejudicial to tho interests of the community, it shall be competent for such meeting to pass a resolution expelling such person from the island, and he shall accordingly be expelled in the first vessel convenient for that purpose."' After some discussion a ballot was taken, whon the motion was carried by 00 votes against 10." This summary method of dealing with heretics or Nonconformists will doubtless commend itsolf to those who believe in the principle of local option. It will be seen that the method of decision is the same, and the underlying principlo identical with that which temperance advocates put forward with regard to the drink curse. A certain thing is specified as being " prejudicial to tho interests of the community," and a twothirds majority is assumed to havo the requisite wisdom and is olotheel with the power to order the suppression of the objoctionablo thing. The Norfolk Islanders j have set tho whole world a noble example of how evil is to be wiped out ! Let a twothirds majority but be invested with the power to order all objectionable persons and things off tho face of the globe, and millenial times would immediately dawn on a humanity which is presently cursed with too much freedom.