Correspondence.

Anglo-Maori Warder, Volume 1, Issue 4, 16 May 1848, Page 2

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Anglo-Maori Warder. Sir,—As you are supposed, unless we be mistaken in the person of the Editor, to have devoted some time to the study of Ecclesiastical affairs, you will perhaps be able to tell me what we arc to understand by the Free Kirk of Scotland." What it signifies in Aucaterarder, I know well enough—but I confess myself totally unable to attach a clear and definite meaning to such a term in Auckland. It is clearly net the same with our Established Church, yet no nne has yet been able to point out to me the essential difference. What is the origin of the schism that has called foith such acrimonious feelings—which has raised up so much bitterness and strife even among friends and relatives, from one end of Scotland to the other ? To use as few words as possible, it ib simply the objection held by a portion of our Church to the exe r cise of Laic patronage in presentation to livings, to the " Intrusion," as they call it, of a Minister upon the Parishioners, who claim the right of refusing any one whom they may deem to their own peculiur spiritual ue« cessities. This feeling, manifesto'! at a very early date, increased in strength until it resulted in the passing ot the famous vet >, or Nonintrusion Act, by the General Assembly—which provided that if in moderating to a otll to a vacant pastoral charge, the majority of the Congregation shall disapprove ot the person proposed, such disapproval shall be sufficient ground for the Presby ery rejecting him. An action, however, having bc-n aiterwdt Js brought by u rejected preseutee, the Court of Session declared that the rejection of a Miuister in reject merely to the veto of the Parishioners was illegal, and the judgment having been afterwards affirmed on appeal before the House ot Lords, the vetoists seceded from the Church. They may hu\e been right m principle, or they may have been wrong in prmeip e—upon that point I for one offer uo opinion—hut 1 s'lll uM'iit.mi, that in New Zealand no such principle i» involved at all. The question oau be reduce! ti> tin-,—-whither that body tjeeeied for the sake oi stcc-sion, or because of a grievance ; and if for the hitter reason, why noes it continue in secession in a cou.itry where the grievance doe? not eMst?

there H no fear of patronage, of intruMon, or of M ir k Ern°ti»nism here; the Auckl.nd 1 ve not only their liberum veto, all that was orig imllv contended for in Scotlan.l, but absolute election "f their Ministers. Once -gain I »k. "bat . -an h. Free Kirk be supposed to mean ? J rrin bc attained by making an uncalled-for display of inclination to dissent, almost as eazerly as if disap- ' -„rlent were felt at the inability to find a cause for £°| Mi'bt it not be naturally supposed that we should lie more anxious to hide than to parade the unhappy divisions of oar Nation.! Church ? Tl.o.pm t. . C!Z 7", it ii a Nationa, fai,i, B «»h ™. «b=re the rOur Correspondent has an unlucky sisna■smss* ass Bceiningly a nparently without much reason, that no " Stole upon his name. Joking apart. J we are as much at a loss as himself to account for the name that lias becu rhoseu. '• Ccssante mercede, -cessat opera,"—an old law raoliro, wlnchn.ay be il<& translated-"The bone of contention being -ithdjawt}, th® pi ece °f b hould cease '—-would 6cem to fiavebeen disregarded in this case. must ronfeßß, indeed, that the term " Free Church. appears to us ill-judged. Lee its advocates say what they will in its favour, they e«mot deny that it is sections , and exclusive. The Scottish coogregaiion in Auckland, may possibly be all much ot the same mind with regard to teceesion; »e believe, indeed, tint they really are so: but they seem to have reckoned ior themselves a'oue, loreetting that other Presbyterians might yet arrive, imbued with very different opinions, who wou-d decline to join them, lest by bo doing they should seem to £ive io tbeir adhesion to principles of which they disapproved. We should have thought that thj Scotch would hav Liken a pride—no conscientious scruples beinjr involved -m establishing a National, rather than a Sectarian Church, at the extreme antipodes- I» how different aspirit were the articles of the Church of England drawn up, framed rather with a view of includes than excluding men of various shades of opinion 10 use the expression of an old Divmr—" like an upright shoe, to be worn on either foot/' But we have already said too much—tbey muse be supposed the best judges in their own affairs. «l interference with vvh.ch they are proverbially jealous.—Ed. A.M.W.]

To the Editor of the Aiujlo-Maori Warder. Sir —Would it not have been a? we'l to have reprinted in your Maori cdumn, that account of the •neeting between the Governor and Heki which appeared in one of your contemporaries ? Having been written by a Native who was present, and in the Native language, it might have beeu supposed exactly suitable to your purpose. ? . [The account might certainly have been republished, n Note of Inierogation suggest*. It was probably co reet enough, eid there was nothing in it calculated either to excite or io alarm. But still it Was not exactly suiiab»e to our purpose. Ulphilas, who translated tnc Bible for the Goihs, prudently omitted the Books of in hi* \ersion—not that there was any harm in them, but because he feared that they would be studied too greedily by a war-like people. For a bimilar the less said at present about Mister Johnny, » aJ ,d his doings, the better.—Eo. A.M.W ]

To the Editor of the Anglo-Maori Warder. Sm. —Has your cherk upon despatch's, as you call it nf tnin'g tn say concerning W an«aim> 'i There are warn rutious tales«urrentalmut thstiuglorioUHcam, a'gn. some of «hem fnely told b> Olivers who seived in it. which will probably n-ver reach Home officially—one in particular about a certain great gun. Verbum sapitl'l* Vigil. [We are perfectly well aware of the circumstance to whii h our Correspondent so mysteriously alludes, havin? taken the gnat st pains to patl-er together materials for an unvaruibhed tale. Sed melius nescisee fuit: wt-re we,to t.-'l, not all that we h.id heard, but all that we believe, we mitfht say too much. Bot Vipil may rest coutent—the whole account is safe in peito, and « n some future occasion may possibly see the light.—Ed. A.M.W.]

To the Editor of the Anglo-Maori Warder. Sir, —Is there not something remarkable about the tone of those observations on the suspension of the New Zealand Charter, which you re published from the iu last Tuesday's Warder. The article displays, either the grossest want of tact, or the greatest refinement of milice; which of the two lam unable to say. It would be difficnlt to conceive anything more calculated—whether iutentionally or by mistake—to damage the Governor in Lord Grey'# estimation. Only conceive that irasciWe statesman being told that be had set to work, tryiug again, patching up o modified constitution, in the hope of pleading his able and absolute Governor. The first impulse would probably be to bring 44 His Absoluteness' 1 up with a round turn. And though he may have been talked over for a while, he will assuredly not forget it, for Ministers are no more than men, liab'e to be nettled and stung by these sort of shafts as well as ourstives ;i:id oftentimes more deeply than thvy would care to "onfess. I can hardly bring myself to believe, on tbe i supposition, that so clever a journal could blunder so grossly; yet» upon the other, it is difficult to account for its turning r<Mind so suddenly on Governor Grey, towards whoiL it had hitherto been unsparing in Its laudations. It is just possible that in this case coming events may caßt their shadows before. It mußt be l> rue in mind that the Spectator is in tbe m'crest oc the Company; aud that there is something very suspicious abom the tone which the Company's organ, the iVeu; Zealand Journal has lately adopted in commenting upon his Escfrllency's measures. 1 believe that the Company has nev«»r heartily forgiven Captain Giey's purchase of the Wairoa, an act v hich at once conceded a principle which it has been fighting, toohaud u&ii, from tie beginniog From thjt time its* apt nmution has been uiorc upon the hp than in the heart. Vigil