OUR LETTER BOX.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLV, Issue 258, 16 December 1903, Page 4

OUR LETTER BOX.

(We are at all times willing to publish correspondence on matters of public interest, but it must be distinctly understood that we are not identified with the letters of our correspondents.—Eti. Daily News.) THE "CHURCH" IN TARANAKI. (To the Editor.)

"I ciwinot undertake a ' makebelieve' in the expression of my faith." —Bishop Neligan.

Sir, —Referring to the above passage from Bishop Neligun's primary charge. Rev. C. 11. Garland said on the 9th inst. to the laymen at the Wesley an general meeting held in Auckland : "It was the policy quoted by Bisihop Neligan that formerly caused the Anglican Church to cease to be the ctyurch of the majority of the English people." TJie church is still, with the exception of the Roman Catholic Church, the only church of the English people, and tltat not so much because of the assumption attributed to it by Rev. C. H. Garland, that Episcopal ordination is essential for a valid Ministry, and where there is no biis-hop there is no church, but for the far ■deeper reason that there is on essential a'njd unbridgajble gulf between the ideals, the aims, the needs of church and chapel in the eyes and in the consciences of their respective denizens. The matter has also- boen UCken up by "A Taranraki I'arson" in your columns, and he trenches on the matter of political influence by clerics, but it is dillicult to make out from his remarks whether he advocates i>r deprecates sluch iafluence. It seems evident, however, that the soi distant parson does not bear Ihe brand of the ri-giht fold —he dubs himself "Parson.'" as Booth dubs himself General. But there are several senses in which we use the word

"politics." In common parlance we understand by the politics of a country the couj-sc of its government —more particularly as regards its relations with foreign countries; in a looser sense, political affairs, or the conduct ami contests for political parties— party politics, in- fact. As the Rev. F. W. Robertson (of Brighton) s-ays : ''When we say that two men are talking politics, we often meant that they are talking about some mere party question." From such party questions, from the mere contests of political parties, the intrusion of ecclesiastics is earnestly to be deprecatud—it sullies thyt ernuine. But the science of politics includes the theory and practice of obtaining the ends ol civil society in as perfect a form as possible—the protection of citizens in their rights, together with the preservation and improvement of their morals. In this aspect of politics the lead of our bishops is not only advisable, but a positive duty, and it is in this sense that Bisihop Selwyn intervened in the matter which 'has given rise to so much controversy sinwe Bishop Neligun'e utterance in vindication of oiur great bishop's memory. When Bishop Selwyn arrived here he found that the Christianising efforts of the Church Missionary Society were being frustrated by the land greed of the early missionaries. In 1843 he informed the Church Missionary Society l>y letter that the land purchases of the missionaries had "an injurious effect upon the minds of tlve natives and the English settlers." In 1847 the bisihop again wrote to the clergy of his diocese that the luaud purchases of the missionaries hud created jealousies, affected the character of the society, and alienated Maori aflections. ''All this,'' he says, " 1 will undertake to prove, if it should ever be necessary ; but 1 eamesrtly desire to be spared Biie pa-intul duty by your aotyiietaenee in the Governor's proposal i.e., to limit each claim to 'J6UU acres.- On this it may be stated that among other claims, we liud Kev. K. Taylor claiming 50,000 acres, Kev. Henry Williams a 2,000 acres, Mr George Clarke 19,000 acres, Mr W. T. Fairbum 20,000 acres, Mr James Kemp 18,552 acres, etc. Sir \veorge Grey when he arrived here as Governor, found that these land purchases were —as pointed out by the Bishop—creating a division between the Maoris and the settle re which would surely lead to war, and took steps which destroyed the validity oi these exorbitant claims, amd in the struggle he had a linn supporter in Bisihop Selwyn. Peace prevailed in -Sew Zealand during Sir George Grers lirst term. But after his appointment to the Cape G o'vern-orsihip in 1853 troubles recommenced which culminated iu the Waitara purchase of 1860 by Governor Gore Brown. This brought on the Maori War, which Sir George Grey was brought back to New Zealand to settle. He at once instituted enquiries, which left no doubt that the purchase was absolutely illegal from every point of view. Te Teira, who had sold the land, had only the right of occupation ; the Maim (tribal title; to the land resting in Wiremu Kingi, and, moreover, it was afterwards proved that ieira had sold the land with the deliberate intention oi forcing Kimgi's tri'be into war with the Government in revenge for an alleged insult, knowing that the war would end in the destruction of Kingi and his people. All these things were known to Bishop Selwyn ; they were not known to the Taranaki settlers. These latter only knew that they had been 'deluded into taking up land irom which they were aiterwards dri\ien not so much by the natives but by the constituted authorities of the land, who declared that occupation of the hind was illegal, as no valid title could be given. In vain did Mr Spain, B.M. Commissioner, deliver an award confirming the settlers in the occupation of their land —this was upset by superior authoria"*l the settlers again dispossessed These circumstances were quite su Kiait to excite the indignation oi the settlers. But it is only right that Biyhop Seiwyn should be exonerated in the matter. His intervention was, from his J)() i n t of yie\v, a positive and history justices his action, and fullv justices Ills .successor, Bis.Hiop Neligan. in I deprecating the obloquy which ha i boen cast on him in the past.—l am v .„ , thorough. -New 1 lymouth, Dec. 14, 1903.