PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. CONVERSAZIONE AT ST. JAMES'S CHURCH. Auckland, February 16.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 344, 20 February 1889, Page 4

PRESBYTERIAN GENERAL ASSEMBLY. CONVERSAZIONE AT ST. JAMES'S CHURCH. Auckland, February 16.

A con versazione in connection with the Presbyterian General Assembly was held in St. James's Church, Wellington-street, last evening. The Key. Mr Beattie, Moderator of the Assembly, occupied the chair, and other members of the Assembly were also present. There was a large attendance in the body of the hall, where stood two tables heavily laden with refreshments. The hall was tastefully decorated with flags, flowers, and foliage, on the front of the platform being a fine collection of pot plants. Proceedings commenced with the singing of the " Old Hundredth," after which the Chairman made a few opening remarks, and the Presbyterian Choral Association rendered '-How Amiable are Thy Dwelings " very nicely.

THE TRAINING OF* THE YOUNG The Rev. Mr Baird referred to the hospitality which had been extended bo the visiting members of the Assembly, and then went on to speak of " The Training of the Young," which he described as one of the most interesting and one of the most hopeful works that wecould engage in. Thiscountry had not been forgetful of the young, for we had a grand system of education — at all events so far as it went — and provision had also been made by our legislators for those children who had been unfortunate. The Government had provided for individuals after they had fallen, but it would, he thought, be better if they were cared for before they became fallen, on the principle that prevention is better than cure. In the training of the young he said nothing should be allowed to interfere with the training of family life, and the greatest care was necessary in the exercise of authority to enforce religious instruction. The Sabbafch-school did a noble work, and it was valuable as supplementing, but not as superseding, the training of the family circle. The successful training of the young would make them useful members in society, in the family circle, and in the Church of Christ. (Applause.) Solo, "Waft Her, Angels," Mr J, P. Fell ; very well rendered. "

ANNEXATION IN THE PACIFIC. Sir George Grey, who was accorded a very hearty welcome, next addressed the meeting. He said that he was desirous ot enlisting recruits in one of the greatest causes presented in recent years. He alluded to the present state of the islands in the Pacific Ocean — that ocean in which the dominion of New Zealand is placed, and over which, for all time, the inhabitants of New Zealand may exercise a very great influence. It was with the inhabitants of these islands that he was present to enlist the sympathies of those who had done for fchein more than had been done by any other church. They had established a mission in the New Hebrides, and when it appeared probable that the mission would be interfered with, some of their leading 1 men came forward, and so steadfastly resisted what was intended to be done, that they were, to a certain extent at least, successful, and secured the continuance of the Presbyterian mission in the New Hebrides upon very good terms. (Applause.) But how did they obtain their influence there? It was by men actuated by the holiest and best of motives, laying down their lives, the great task of Christianising these Islands was achieved. They had found £200,000 for that noble work and had lost several lives, notably the Rev. Mr Williams, Mr Gordon and his wife, also a brother of Mr Gordon, and in that way, by those noble, saintly sacrifices, the end was achieved of converting a large portion of the New Hebrides Islands. !Now again, great disasters had occurred in the Pacific, and it was their place to do their utmost to maintain their missions and the rights of the inhabitants of the Pacificlslands. (Applause. ) In the Pacific they had seen the labour 'traffic established, and their body (the Presbyterian) had done their utmost to have the traffic put an end to. They had also brought forward one noble man, Mr Inglis (applause), who had shown that all the worst features of the slave trade for a long time prevailed. He gave one instance in which canoes were sunk alongside of the vessel, the occupants were apparently j saved, and taken on board ship, but i when there the men were bound down and fettered like slaves. When these men attempted to escape from the hold they were fired on. Thirty were killed and twenty wounded. After that the vessel was washed down cleanly, and when she was immediately afterwards inspected by a man-of-war she was reported to be all right. The power of doing that had, to a certain extent, been swept away by Acts of Parliament, but Mr Inglis recommended that an end should be put to the existing system altogether. The question now was what is probably the best step to take to prevent atrocities in the future ?; It had been pointed out that the natives of New Zealand had shown themselves capable of taking part in the government of the country, and a similar state of things existed in the Sandwich Islands. What he had to propose now was that no more annexation by any European Powei ot islands in the Pacific should be permitted, and that the natives themselves in these islands should be permitted, under European guidance, to gradually establish a form of government suitable to their condition ; that, as had been done in the Sandwich Islands, they should be allowed to engage the services of Europeans to conduct the affairs of government for them, and that, under the watchful eye of one, two or three European Governments who had Commissioners in the Pacific, it should be seen that they walk in the right and just paths ; that they do not engage in wars with one another, but that, as far as possible, peace should in every way be maintained : and in that way various advantages would be gained, as those who thought with himself upon this subject maintained. (Applause.) They would then be completely clear from the quarrels of European Powers. They might fall out, but in the Pacific there would be little chance of auy contest taking place. (Applause.) Not only that, but the United States would be free from all danger from their coasts upon the Pacific side being invaded by foreign foes. In the old European countries barbarous tribes once fought with one another, vast tracts of country were conquered, and boundaries were never properly fixed. At present Europe contained vast armieß, ready to fall upon one another at a moment's notice, but here we were exposed to no , dangers of that sort. In America just now, our own race occupied all the principal parts of it, one language was spoken, there was one faith, and one set of laws. . There was the same thine in Australia, the same in several of the islands of the Pacific, and in New Zealand, more especially. "We

feel anxious,'^ said,. Sir George, "in the! event of war arising in Europe that ,it should not come into the Pacific, because it might compel us to maintain standing armies, and constant blockades, instead of laying down totally', new" customs, and totally new objects, suited toour'new posi-' tion, and capable of emancipating mankind from the evils ' which prevail in the Old World. (Applause.) Now the question is, whether, in , these occurrences which have taken place in Samoa, whether you pity Malieto'a — a man unstained by any faults, who has never been accused of any act of cruelty, beloved by his people, and yet who has been torn from his country, deposed from his throne, banished to an unhealthy climate, in the first instance, on the west coast of Africa, and who i8 still in a climate by no means equal to his own — and the only fault he is accused of is that of what is called having insulted the German Government. Even if.'JJthat were true, supposing oniy a partly civilised man to have used some expression, or committed some act| diplomatists, who bow to one another in the most friendly manner, while they are trying to deceive each other at the very same moment, is it a fit punishment for such a t thing that he should be deposed from his throne by a foreign- Power ? banished for life from his country, for an alleged ! insult, or something which is received in that way by a foreign nation ? Cleat ly such a thing is unfair (applause). I : ask : Who really has inflicted an injury on ; the German nation ? Is it Malietoa ? He never intended to offend, and he is not conscious that he has done co in any way. The \ man who inflicted an injury on the German nation was not Malietoa, but the man who interpreted as a crime against the dignity of the Germans, a mistake into which a semi-barbarous man may have fallen. (Applause.) Just conceive the great German nation. Go back to the earliest historical records, and you will find that they have always been a brave people, an honest people, and a people commanding respect in almost every possible form, who defended their country against the Romans (they were weak and.the ßomans enormously powerful), and never succumbed. Justfancy a dignity of that kind, acquired centuries ago. Can you conceive that some chance act of a semi-barbarous man should offend it? I say ' No,' and if the crime of offending the dignity of the German Emperor has been committed, I say the real criminal in offending that dignity is the German Minister who has treated so badly a suffering people. (Loud applause. ) I speak warmly upon this subject, because'Malietoa, in his great distress some years" ago, applied to me for advice. He evidently was contemplating resisting the German Power if necessity arose, and bringing**down fearful evils upon Samoa, and I advised him to do nothing of the kind. I said* ' I hear that you are a thoroughly efpractica£*Christian man, that you will make any sacrifice in the world for what is right and just; therefore, let nothing move you to warlike acts, let nothing move you to intemperate conduct. Reason fairly and justly, upon every occasion, with your enemies, and never resist — submit — and if th6y do wrong you will find, tinder such circumstances, that, by degrees.jthe sons of Europe and of the United States will rise against them (applause), that they will become ashamed of acts which they have committed, and that the public opinion of the world will compel them to-do justice towards you.' (Loud applause.) And you will find that to this advice Malietoa most) rigidly adhered, that the' Germans sent to him and required him to deliver himself up as a prisoner, that at first he went away to the forests and to the mountains, and for three days remained there with his family and his counsellors, and then he said, 1 No ; I find the people of Samoa are arising. War will be the consequence if I remain here, for the Germans have alreadydeclared war against us ; for the love of my country, and to save bloodshed, I'll go and deliver myself up ;' and he did so. He came into Apia, and delivered himself up at once. He was taken on board a vessel as a prisoner of war, shifted to another vessel next morning, and finally carried off to a deadly climate on the West Coast of Africa, so far from home. On the day after his departure another chief was brought in by the Germans and proclaimed King of Samoa in his stead. Immediately the Consuls of England and America met, and they published a counter-proclamation in which they declared that neither they nor other nations would recognise any other monarch in Samoa except Malietoa. So the matter stands at present. First, I think that what we have to do — that is, as far as that individual man (Malietoa) is concerned, is to say, on all fitting occasions, anything that we can say to get a change made in his fate. This is the one great object on which my heart is set, and upon which I would carry you with me. (Applause. ) We should agree that henceforth there should be no more annexation in the Pacific Ocean, that the natives should b6 allowed, under the guidance of European Powers, the privilege of conducting their own affairs. Their islands aro so small, and their strength &o slight, that this is a matter easily managed. If we do that, I believe that our descendants for all time will laud us with blessings. W,e shall have the Pacific free from wars and desolating contests from year to year, we shall want no standing army in ,New Zealand in force, nor our coasts protected to any great extent, but, with the United States, Er gland and other friendly Powers, we should be enabled to keep upon these seas a fleet that would give us absolute command. We should really be the masters of all this portion of the world, from the Atlantic to the coast of Africa, and be virtually able to control these seas in such a manner that no wrong could be done. I do not mean to say that we should make a descent on any other Power or interfere with their affairs, but that we shall make ourselves so strong that the Pacific shall be a neutral sea, and happier than any other ocean has ever been. Only let us be resolved, and although the boon appears to be so great, I feel sure that if we in New Zealand determine that this should be done, we have influence enough in England to carry Great Britain with us (applause), and the noble act performed by the United States the other day, in resisting that which we should have resisted from the first | (loud applause), will render England emulous to acquire that prestige which all who love her desire to see, and lead to that lasting peace which I desire to induce you all to try and follow." (Loud and prolonged applause. ) Solo, "But fcheLord is Mindful of His Own," Mrs Edmondes — excellently reni dered. Refreshments were served during an interval <of ten minutes, after which, the choir rendered the anthem "FairestFlower." Addresses were delivered ,by the. Revs. Adams, Fraser, Ogg and Treadwell,. and musical items were contributed a» , follows :— Flute solo, Mr Ellyett ;' song* "The Bugler," Mr McGregor; duet, "I Would that My Love," Mrs Newcombe and Miss Tait ; violin solo; Mr Davis,; part eong, " See the Moonlight Beams, " choir. The musical programme was under direction'of Messrs J. Knox, Culpan.'and Bhilpot. Proceedings concluded with the National Anthem. \ Vv >