AUCKLAND NOTES.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8523, 30 June 1893, Page 5

AUCKLAND NOTES.

June 29. Some correspondence has taken place in the columns of the Herald between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Bishops of Auckland upon tho practice of Bishop Cowie signing himself as " W. G. Auckland." Bishop Luck contends tbat the signature is not a legal one, besides being misleading, and that Bishop Cowie could not append it to any legal document. If either of them has a right to the use of the signature, Bishop Luck contends that it is himself, for Bishop Cowie is the first Anglican Bishop of Auckland, whilst he is the fourth Roman Catholic Bishop. The Anglican diocese of Auckland was hot constituted until 1858, whilst Auckland was a Roman Catholic diocese as far bock as 1848. In the course of his reply to thi3, Bishop Cowie writes :— "My usual signature,. * vY. G. Auckland,' is adopted for the sake of brevity, life being too short to justify my writing * William Gordon, Bishop of Auckland, 1 on every occasiou of signing my name. As to the legality of the form of signature used by our Anglican Bishops all over the world, Bishop Luck correctly says:—•• The test of a legal right to a name is the validity of such name in legal documents. My own right to the signature ' W. G. Auckland '* is accordingly established, as it has been and is recognised as valid iv hundreds of legal documents to which it is appended. In one case, only did an Auckland firm of solicitors ask mc to sign my name in fulL To oblige them 1 did so, after consulting the late Mr Swanaon, formerly Attorney-General of the colony, who said he saw no objection to my complying with their request. The lato Sir Fredk. Whitaker, however, when consulted on the subject, advised mc to continue to sign my name in the accustomed manner of all Diocesan Anglican Bishops. Bishop Luck states that in 1848 'Auckland was created iuto a diocese of the Catholic Church.' He means, of course, the Roman Catholic Church, for Auckland had formed part of the diocese of my reverend predecessor since 1841, the year of the consecration. It is true that before tho year 1863 the present Anglican diocese of Auckland was known as ' The Diocese of New Zealand.' In that year tho name of the diocese only was changed, its. boundaries remaining as before, whereas there have only been two English or New Zealand Catholic bishops of this part of the colony since 1841. but I do not see how the number of bishops occupying a See during a particular time affects a question of priority or right of any kind, legal or ecclesiastical." : To-day is the twenty-fourth anniversary of the consecration of the Right Rev. W. Gordon Cowie, D.D., as first Anglican Bishop of Auckland. .The ceremony was performed by the lole Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Tail) in Westminster Abbey on June 29th, 1869 (St. Peter's Day). On the same occasion the Rev. S. C. Marsden was consecrated Bishop of Bathursb and the Rev. W. Chambers .Bishop of Labuan. Both of these have now retired. As far as the duration of his episcopate is concerned Dr. Cowie is the senior of any Bishop at present presiding o/er any New Zealand diocese, Bishop Hadfield, of Wellington, coming next. During his supervision of the diocese Dr. Cowie has seen a change in the incumbency of every parish in the city of Auckland and suburbs with the exception of St. Sepulchres, of which churoh-Arch-deacon Dudley is the iucumbent. The following extract from his report gives some idea of the work being done by the Auckland Truant Inspector -.—Children questioned m the streets 7298, parents visited and warned 3660, summonses served 2506, parents prosecuted 160., orders to send children to school without costs 53, with costs 60, fined for contumacy 32, cases dismissed 15. The total amounts of Court costs and fines were £57 ss, and although in eight cases couusel were employed by the defendants, five convictions were obtained, three cases being dismissed on technical grounds. On the average about half the children in the public school roils come under the compulsory clauses in districts where these are enforced. The number of children questioned in the. streets dropped from 1506 iv 1837 to 837 iv 1392, while the districts placed under bis supervision have increased from three to twelve. It is undrestood tbat Mr James Muir, a member of the Auckland Board of Education has definitely decided to contest the Eden seat _-t the general election. Auckland people are grumbling that Mr Cadman's resignation leaves the province unrepresented in the Cabinet. The Government supporters here generally favour Mr Shera's appointment in preference to Mr T. Thompson, the lacter being considered too- recent a convert from the Atkinsonian party to be chosen. It ia also considered that the principles of both Messrs Thompson and La wry are to vote with the biggest battalion.