HIGH-STREET WESLEYAN CHAPEL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 2466, 20 December 1871, Page 3

HIGH-STREET WESLEYAN CHAPEL.

To the Hditor of the Hzraid. Sir, —I was considerably surprised to read in your issue of yesterday the following paragraph : " We are informed that negotiations are pending for the purchase of the Highstreet "Wesleyan Chapel by the Auckland Institute." I was disinclined to credit the rumour, but upon inquiry 1 learn that this is really the case, and that the amount of purcase money named is £3500. A lot: of money, sir, there is no doubt of that! Three thousand five hundred pounds ! and for this amount, that energetic body of Christians, the Wesleyans, are prepared to part with their finest property, "with the building which they raised at great personal sacrifice in Auckland's infancy, and with the only pliicc uf worship which they possess in the lower portion of the city. For this magnificent sum thoy are prepared to alienate the building which, from old associations alone, should be dear to them, —the building in which bo many of theui have)! been christened, married, converted, — iu which they have sat to hear the Word since the early days of the founding of the colony. "Why, sir, I am astonished at our Wesleyans. Are they becoming degenerate in their old age ? or are they so fond of the filthy lucre that the temptation of a miserable £3500 will seduce them into an act of recklessness such as will be unprecedented iu the history of the Wesleyan Church in tlio colonies ? Positively X feel ashamed as 1 write it—an old Wesleyan : one who, twenty-six years apo, when Auckland was but a small hamlet, helped to build this very church, when the number of members did not amount to anything liko half of what it is at the present time. "Well, eir, I am told that there is a debt oil this property of some £1200, but on enquiry I learn that, at a tea meeting in Pitt-street some time since, a gentleman eugaged to pay himself the interest on this amount, so that the property can in no sense bo said to be in debt. The expenses ef the chapel cannot, therefore, be said by any means to bo heavy, since the current expenses must bo covered by the weekly collections. But, eir, it seems to me that one point has been fearfully overlooked in this contemplated transaction. How about the worshippers who for so many years ha.'c j attended the High-street Chapel ? How about the Queen-street people ; the people on the north side of the town; the seamen; the strangers who have all helped to fill the pews at High-street ? And echo answers how about these ? Do the trustees of the Pitt-street Church think that the ex-High-streut worshippers will drag themselves up the hill to their " big house," and fill their pews ? If thoy do, I think they will find themselves woefully mistaken, i have been a regular attendant at High-street for the past twenty years, and, Bhould the Chapel be sold, I, for one, Bhall not toil up to Pitt-street. Do the trustees desire to swell the congregation at St. Paul's Church ? They will assuredly do so if they dispose of tho High-street Chapel. And what light do the preachers view tho case in ? How do they estimate the value of souls ? The salvation of how many human souls do they appraise at £3500 ? Surely we have arrived, sir, at a singularly low ebb, when a paltry sum of money is allowed to interpose in the way of the extension of religion. I always thought that the salvation of souls stood first on the list in importance, but it appears I was labouring under a delusion. The good old days are gone. But why do not the few holders of High-street rise as one man, and protest against tlii« kind of thing ? And if the worst comes to the worst, why should not the congregation buy the chapel themselves, and pay the funds over to the trustees and ministers, who are so anxious about their Pitt-street bantling ? "We have men of means amongst us : let us not be sold like a parcel of dry goods. I hope you will excuse this long, and perhaps rambling letter ; but, Mr. Editor, I feel deeply on this subject, in common with many others, and my feelings must plead the excuse for my tediousness. I subscribed, years ago, to the building of tho first (wooden) Wesleyau Chapel, now used as a school-house, as well as the brick building, and so may fairly call myself

Ax OLD WEStEFAN-. P.S. I suppose the Sunday-school and classmeetings, now held in High-street, will be given up should the properly be sold. Auckland, December 19. [We understand that the arrangements referred to by our correspondent arc- wot liually concluded, and we must, say that we hope they never will be. If what our correspondent says is correct, the church can be no burden on the society, and we cannot see the object or advantage of disposing of the property. —Ed. H.Z.U.J

<*. To the Editor of the liEHiLD. Sin, —Your report of tin; proceedings of ilic Provincial Council is likely to lea I to error. On the question of the Highways Act Amendment Bill it is reported that "Dr. Nicholson moved the recommittal of the Bill, with a view to the insertion of a clause limiting the number of proxies to six." The fact is that long since I moved and carried a clause by which the number of votes to be exercised by any one person

under proxy is limited to sis, fi'.id last night Mr. Buekland moved the recommittal ot the Bill, in order to make the matter more explicit, and several members supported him, with tlio view to extending the limit or expunging the clause, I think it due to the public and to the Highway Boards to let it be known that the Bill has passed with the clause us I moved it. —I am, &c., Jons R. Nrcirotsox. December 19,1571.