The Anglican Maori Mission.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7704, 5 January 1905, Page 4

The Anglican Maori Mission.

PUBUC APPRECIATION OF KEV, F* A» BENNETTS WORK i AN APPEAL TO THE BISHOP,. Considering the many counter attractions at the exhibition there .was a .very large Attendance of the * public at the meetpng held in the / Italian gardens on Wednesday evening lor, tba purpose ol passing resolutions urging on. the Bishop of Auckland (the Bight Rev ( Bishop Neligan) the desirability ol his cancelling the removal of the Rjev. F. A. Bennett (Maori missionary) from this district t% Retorua. As was hut fitting, the natives at present lodged in the exhibition buildings .were present in futt force. His Worship the Mayor, who presided, explained that the rcpresentative people of the town had asked him to; convene jbho meeting to endeavour to retain the services of MiBennett as! Maori missionary. He said that everyone would recognise that Mr Bennett had 'ocen e power for good Sa the district. He called upon Mr Goodacre to move the resolution to be put before the meeting. The *Town Clark (Mr F. T. Bellringer) then read the following resolution :— * That this meeting pt citizens, convened by His Worship the Mayor", lear n s with the deepest regret that the Rev, Mr Bennett", of the Maoci Mission of this district, is to be removed to Rotoma. As citizen*; we earnestly request that steps should immediately Jje taken to retafn Mr Bennett's services ; his work amongst the Maori and Europeans alike has been fraught -■ with g'.-cat success, his ministry has been made a blessing to many and has endeared him to people of all • creeds', w e are convinced that at this juncture it would tx disastrous to the future wejl-being of the •Maori were he to be removed, and wo respectfully commend to the con- . aSderation ef the Bight Hev. the . Bishop of Auckland the wishes of this community that Mr Bennet *.-. should coßtinue to labour amongst us in his present capacity." P.' .. Mr Gootiacre, in moving its adopJL; wont * expressed the conviction that lr~ * res °l tt Won of this character s : would be carried unanimously. As * they were aware, there was at the £ present tin* a force working for £ the uplifting of the Maori race-that j. .was the Young New. Zealand Party. fe- The young! Maoris themselves hud ¥- organised the movement, with which S, ? he **** Mr Bennett had identified r- hunself. If the Maori was to be i fe' uplifted it would be by means of |f this party. Dinting the five years &,- Mr Bennett had been amongst us k "he had endeared himself to all, not £. only to tho«c belonging to the K* Church' of England, but to those of Jj other denominations. The people Ir recognised in him a man of ster- - jjjng character, working for the be- ■ Hefit of the race to which he be- / longs. Was it possibla for his work £-, here to cease ? This would be a call; lamity. to the Maoris of this dis- & trict, for Mr Bebnett was a splendid intermediary between the white and gj ■ the brown, jjp stone should be -~ left unturned in order to ret a in fig* the servicesof a man who had done K . a great .work—work for God and BE-* .work for man. K ** E « DocJdrjlJ, in seconding the said that when he came p- to the colony jp £866, Bishop Sci- ' - ; *? n ' w .*?. engaged in the great work *,, or christianising the Maori* But i, unfortunately the .war engendered i - strained relations, and the natives I doubled away from the belief prei ÜB !y &*» by nearly all of them. ;• .-ine Bishop almost despaired of regairang them uatil he could get £ Maoris to go among ttem. I ! Vs . e«*Uenian ,who endowed '{ £L.f** B<m * nd assk9ted them very K, wgely .was a coadjutor and coa .worker witlt that illustrious bj. 'i «.!£*. Ba SB*** lt Woul d bo a dis- * **»?** .**n«>ved< He wasformer- ' 5L * tnoroU Shly. Hnow both the i <fiLJ e pos , ,t,on of ■**»■ * wZii-j-^ 9 ua «ncaWons were Mr Bennett i a m unusu J , The motion was then put, and carried unanimously* MJCJT. K. MacDiarmid thoroughly ensentiments of the previous and .Ported out that Mr Bennett occupied a „ unlgue ™ Won in New Zealand, for he had ™**Z M .''nfl"ence both with white and Maon, What more ,&" s tore ™..- IW V O lalbour ta than Taranah. whefls the bitterest feud and the fiercest war between the tVo m» took place? Mr Mac Warm d *hcn _roovod : i- That his Worship th» Maypr be revested to forward a S°' tta above resolution to the Bight Bev* the Bishop of Auckland •: Mr Bellrdneer bad gi-eat pleasure in seconding- the resolution. The present occasion was unique, f o r there were present members of every churph, Apart from all question of creed, .they all recognised the value of-- Mr. Bennett's good work in the causa fit humanity amongst the Maoris< This resolution was also carried unanimously.; The- Mayor then moved that a comMVtee consisting of Messrs Goodacre, DojjkrjU, Bellringer, Carter, MacDiarmid and the Mayor wait upon Mr Bennett asking him to wlthilrpw bis resignation. iMr 'Ambury seconded thct motion, jwhieh was carried. Three cheera were tfea given for Mr Beanctjt, the Maoris giving another threq,