COLONIAL PREFERMENT.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8477, 8 May 1893, Page 6

COLONIAL PREFERMENT.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —I much regret having so wounded the feelings of your • correspondent, a " Colonial Master of Arts." However, "ie is an ill wind that blows no one good," and so possibly the style and tone of hia letter may convince the Wellington people of the desirability of seeking a cjlonial graduate for their Bishop ; it may, however, have the reverse effect. I urn eorry he should see sneers where none were intended. The ■writer, himself a University undergraduate, is quite aware that the possessor of a New Zealand B.A. diploma is, as far as his studies have gone, a far better read man than an ordiuary Oxford or Cambridge passmau. We, however, do not w*nt ordinary passmen for our Bishops; we require at least second-clads honour mcn — mea, moreover, who possess that culture which travel aud good breeding alone can give. With regard to New Zealand decrees, your correspondent, must know that it ia quite possible to obtain a colonial degree without being able to translate, much less pronounce, the most everyday French expression. Quite possible too, or it was so until lately, to take a New Zealand degree without possessing any knowledge of Latin. lv the matter of Greek, how very few New Zealand students take up that subject at all ? Again, English schoolboys of fourteen are taught to "knock off" Latin verses. Is Latin versification eveu taught in tlie Uuivensity ? Sureiy, Sir, one can hardly apply the term "cultured" to those who do not possess eveu soma slight knowledge of the above subjects. Again, I urge it is men of culture we want for our bishops—meu, who being gentlemen.by birth as well as by education, cau associate at least oil equal terms with all their people, wiio will feel equally at home in the humblest cottage or in Government House—men, too, who in force of character aud general ability will take rank with Moorhouae and Barry, with Selwyn and Patterson. If the man bo in the colony by all means secure him.—Yours, &c,

A COLOXIALLY ORDAINED CLERGYMAN. Canterbury, sth May, 1893. P. S.—Kindly allow mc to add that the clergymen I alluded to in my last letter are neitner New Zealand graduates nor residents of Canterbury, and as I stated that only some 25 per cent, of our colonial clergy are graduates—a very small percentage of whom are New Zealand men—surely your correspondent went rather out of his way in assuming that in my relerence to them I was hittiug at the New Zealand University. Moreover, the very expression I used, "strong in colour," should have told him that no such reference was intended, for the New Zealand hoods are particularly quiet iv colour.—A C.O.C.