THE EXPELLED MISSIONARY.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1680, 31 December 1887, Page 4

THE EXPELLED MISSIONARY.

Sydney, Dec, 16. The Rev. J. Jones, who has represented the London Missionary Society in the Loyalty Islands during the past 83 years arrived in Sydney yesterday from Noumea. On the 9th inst. he was removed from Mare, in the Loyalty Islands/by a small military force specially sent from Noumea for the purpose of expelling him from the islands, the authorities regarding his actions as calculated to compromise public order and tranquility in the islands.

Mr Jones, who was interviewed today, said that the whole thing was most unjust and uncalled for. "I shall appeal.to the'British Government and demand compensation for the injustice and for my loss, which I estimate at upwards of £2OOO. I have been living in the district of Eo, on the island of Mare, one of the Loyalty Islands* for thirty-three years. Besides doing missionary work, I have been acting as physician, and have dispensed medicines to the natives daily. -The natives will suffer from my absence in this respect very acutely. There' are about six white men living on these islands besides the clerical'residents. The clergy consist of two Roman Catholic priests and-a French Protestant pastor, besides myself. I have never done, anything to teach the natives to be disloyal. I think that the authorities are very much put out at having to vacate the New Hebrides. It is no doubt merely one way of retaliating for the action of the British Government in pressing the French Government to keep their agreement. Their feeling of dignity is wounded. About two years ago the Governor of New Caledonia sent a Commissioner to me tosay-that if I did anything,to influence the people to be disloyal I should be expelled. X assured the Commissioner that I would never do anything of the kind. The visit of the Commissioner was due to the refusal of the natives to submit to the French pastor's jurisdiction, preferring to be independent. Previous to this visit I had been notified by another Commissioner from Noumea that I was no longer at the head of the church at Mare, but that one of tbeir own countrymen had been appointed, I have already written a protest against my expulsion to the Governor of Noumea. This morning I left is the hands of Lord Carington a copy of the despatch of the Governor of New Caledonia expelling me from the Island, and also my protest to him against this action on the part of the Government. His Excellency promised to give the matter his immediate attention. He said that it " was certainly an act of injustice for me to be expelled on bo short a notice." .'.''.'.;