MISSIONARIES DEFENDED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 921, 14 September 1910, Page 4

MISSIONARIES DEFENDED.

RECRUITING AT- THE NEW ' ' HEBRIDES. (By TeleETftEh.—Prsa> Awoeiatioi.) ■ . Christchurch, September IS. At a meeting of the ChristchurohvPreS' bytery to-day. the Rev.' C.' Murray .. re- 1 ; .. ferred to - the statements recently made by. the French Deputy Commissioner in. 'V ,v ■ the Now Hebrides, attacking- Presbyterian -;- . missionaries in the. New Hebrides; and n*?de a strong : defence on behalf of ; the" v:. • missionaries. He quoted extracts from . a discussion which recently took place . ■ at the Synod of the New Hebrides Presbyterian Mission, during which, in reply ; to an the missionaries* en-.:' deavoured to. stop recruiting, it was em- - ' phatically stated that the legitimate ro- . • cruiting of the.natives in accordance with : , the articles'of .the Convention was not op- : posed; but what the missionaries did ot> jee-fc to was rkruitihg. when the 'natives ' ,were' goiiig to'.be. subjected .to ill-treatment J- ' . .; 1 or used for .immoral purposes, 'as • was'-'too V. often the case. Sir Murray paid a hi-: - v : .bute' to the high; Christian^character of ' the ministers, engaged- in missionary work ' ' in New Hebrides, and moved, "That this s'.- - V Presbytery of.Christchurch, having read... 0;' with astonishment and - indignation - the '•: Prench ; Deputy;Commissioner's denuncia-.-i tion of. the Presbyterian missionaries in' - ' the New Hebrides, records its proiound ' sympathy' With, them'in the situation,; its,:. utmost- confidencein .the!, wisdom and v judgment, of ■our brethren,' the" missionary s ' ies, :- in .their defence .of the natives': aid ; '; ■' native interests, and prays ;God to 6Uc-" cour them in their noble cause." ' The Rev. J. Craig seconded-the motion, which'' was. carried unanimously.- . V- ;■ v