THE WINDHAM SCHISM.

Evening Star, Issue 10749, 8 October 1898, Page 2

THE WINDHAM SCHISM.

A PRESBYTERY CLERK'S DIFFICULTY.

At the meeting of the Presbytery of Mataura, held at Gore on Tuesday, the closing scene in the Wyndham church trouble was enacted, proving at times distinctly lively and exciting. The Rev. J. B. Smellie intimated that he had received a call to South Australia, to take charge of the Smith of Dunesk Mission, which reached him by cable on Saturday. After considering the matter carefully and earnestly with his friends, he called the Kirk Session together, intimating his intention to accept the call, and to ask the Presbytery of Mataura to relieve him of his office. The Kirk Session and congregation had unanimously agreed to facilitate his translation. A resolution in favor of sustaining the call having been moved by Dr Copland, the Rev. Mr Johnston (the retiring moderator) moved an amendment not to deal with the matter juifc then. He did so from a sense of duty. As moderator he had received a document

which contained serious statements. He had forwarded copies of the letter to several members of the Presbytery, and as a matter of conscience he was bound to see the tfrmg threshed out before they went any further. In the face of the allegations contained in the letter it would not be. wise for them to consider any other business Until that was disposed of. He asked the clerk to read the document.

The Clerk (Dr Copland): The letter has no bearing on the matter before the meeting. He dbjected to reading the letter. The regular way was to hear the representatives appointed to support the resolution Of the Wyndham congregation, and that should be done. The Moderator: The Presbytery should be fully aware of the seriousness of the position. This letter should have been before us before. We should not as it were suppress the first thing to make things smooth for a second thing. Why has this letter not come before us? Is it not Presbytery business ?

Mr Johnston : Yes, it is. The letter came to me as moderator.

Rev. Mr Davidson: Some members appear to know all about this business; but I must confess to being quite in the dark. The Rev. Mr Kyd would second Mr Johnston's amendment.

After discussion it was agreed that the amendment be altered to read: " That the letter be read." In this form the proposal was carried by 6 to 4. Mr Johnston laid another document (received by him as moderator) upon the table, but as the letter bore no signature it was resolved to take no notice of it. Consideration was then directed to the other letter mentioned in the early part of the discussion.

The Clerk: r J/his letter lays libellous charges against a member of this court. I cannot read the letter, as I would be publishing a libel, and lay myself open to an action. However, anyone who chooses may look at the letter.

The Moderator: I take it that the clerk is under the authority of Presbytery. Why then did he not read the correspondence in the usual way and at the proper time, and have saved us from this muddle? 'Mr Davidson: Hold your peace, man. The Clerk: The clerk knows his duty, and if he is to be indicted for neglect of duty it will have to be in a regular way. Mr T. Mac Gibbon thought the correspondence should be read. The Clerk : I cannot read this letter. The Moderator: The clerk has acted wrongly in this matter. Here we have a signed letter in which serious charges are made, and he withholds the correspondence. The Clerk: I must call the moderator to order. There has been no withholding of correspondence. This letter would have come up at a later period. The Moderator : I would ask the Presbytery is this business being conducted in a right manner? The Rev. Mr Carter : We should know if that letter is a private one, or intended for the Presbytery. The Clerk : For the Presbytery. Mr Carter: Then I do not see that the clerk can refuse to read it. If there is any libel it rests with those who wrote it. The Clerk : As we have recently seen, that is not the case. The person who publishes the libel is liable.

Mr Mac Gibbon moved, and Mr Kyd seconded, that the Presbytery go into committee, in order that the letter might be read. The Moderator recommended that a small committee be set up to consider the letter in private, and to report to the Presbytery in the course of a few minutes. Mr Davidson : I do not like these private things. This business should Le done in public. The Clerk said the letter made charges m the vaguest form; it had not come up through an inferior court of the church, and was in every way irregular. The letter was signed by James Allen, Thos. Ayson, and Hugh Marshall. Moncrieff laid it down that in receiving any serious accusations special attention must be paid to the individuals making them. Now whose name appeared first at the foot of the letter before them? Why that of a person who furnished a list of serious charges to the Rev. Mr Borrie against a minister, every one of which, after an exhaustive trial at the Supreme Court (civil) had been held as groundless. After that, were they to listen to more charges from such an one? To do so would be contrary to all the laws of the church. He moved, therefore, that the letter be not received. Mr A. M'Queen seconded.

Mr J as. Allan: Those statements are false. I (the speaker was here reminded that, not being a duly appointed representative in Presbytery, he was out of order). Mr T. MacGi'bbon pressed his proposal to place the letter before a committee to be considered.

Mr Smellie asked why the ex-moderator, on receiving the libellous production referred to, did not observe the usual custom, and instruct the accusers to send their accusation to the pai ty accused. Mr Mac Gibbon, after perusing the letter, said he was quite of Dr Copland's opinion, that it was not worthy of acceptance. Mr Johnston explained that his motion was made, not on account of any feeling towards Mr Smellie, but out of a sense of dutv as Moderator.

The other members having raad the letter, the motion that it be not received was put and carried unanimously. Mr Playfair, speaking as a representative of the Wvndham Kirk Session, said the main body of the congregation had a high appreciation of Mr Smellie's services, but under the circumstances did not consider it wise to oppose his translation to South Australia, convinced, as they were, that it was for the minister's benefit.

Mr G. G. Fyfe, the other representative of the Kirk Session, said the call might lie for Mr Smellie's benefit, and the congregation's good, seeing that a quarrel had existed in the congregation for the past eighteen months. Mr Doull (representing the congregation) said the people in general regretted the necessity for Mr Smellie to seek another field of usefulness. They were sorry to lose him, but were glad for his own sake that he was going. Many in the Wyndham congregation deeply regretted his departure, but on the other hand there were many who were glad. It was always thus, however. The speaker concluded by stating that he did not desire to say anything that might accentuate the bad feeling existing between the parties. Mr James Allan : Can I say anything.' The Clerk: You are put of order, sir. You have no standing here. The Moderator ruled that only duly appointed representatives could take part in the proceedings. Mr Allan : Then I claim the right to libel Mr Smellie on the floor of this building. The Clerk: You have no standing here, sir. Mr Allan : We have complained by letter, and surely have a right to be heard. The Clerk: I protest against outsiders speaking. This is most unseemly. Mr Allan: Then we will complain to the Synod. The Clerk: I move that the business be stopped until these outsiders are cleared out. Mr T. Ayson : If you read the laws of the church (Voices :'" Sit down, sir.") If you read the laws of the church you will see The Clerk: If these interruptions continue I shall move that the court be cleared.

Mr Ayson: If you read the laws of the church you will see that outsiders can speak. Mr Smellie protested against the Presbytery being brought into disrepute by unseemly interruptions.

Mr T. Mac Gibbon moved—"That after hearing the members of Wyndham Session and congregation, the Presbytery sustain the call to Mr Smellie to South Australia, and relieve him of his charge to enable him to accept the call, his pastoral relation to the Wyndham congregation to subsist until his induction to the charge of the Smith of Dunesk Mission." He regarded the call as a merciful interposition of Providence, and should be the means of clearing up the Wyndham trouble. It was a pleasant solution of a serious difficulty, and it was to be hoped in the providence of God that unity would prevail at Wyndham, and that the congregation would settle down peaceably under the new pastor.—The motion was carried.

Mr Smellie said he purposed leaving Wyndham about the beginning of next month. The Rev, J. A. Asher proposed the Rev.

Mr Davidson (an old fpsad of the Wyno> ham congregation) as interim moderator «« Wyndham, to declare tEe charge vacant on Sunday, 13th November.—This was carried. Mr Davidson: I used to be very good friends there once, but I'm not very sure now I stand now.—(Laughter.) Dr Copland moved that the Presbytery grant a Presbyterial certificate to Mr Smellle, certifying that he had been minister at Wyndham for the past seven years, during the whole of which time he had diligently, successfully, and faithfully carried out the duties of his office, and that the Presbytery cordially express the wish for his future sue* cess.—Mr Davidson seconded the motion, and spoke in high terms of Mr Smellie as a minister and a gentleman; the motion being carried unanimously.—'Ensign.'