THE BISHOP OF WELLINGTON ON THE REMOVAL OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XX, Issue 6816, 21 September 1883, Page 5

THE BISHOP OF WELLINGTON ON THE REMOVAL OF ST. JOHN'S COLLEGE.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Thursday. The Bishop of Wellington, in a speech to the Diocesan Synod, now sitting, made the following reference to the action of the General Synod, in the late session, relative to St. John's College, Auckland " One act of the General Synod I mention with extreme regret, it occurring during the last evening of the session, when 1 was unavoidably absent. In saying thi3, Ido not imagine that my presence would have made any difference in the result. X allude to the resolution authorising the trustees of St. John's College to apply to Parliament for an Act, enabling them to remove the collegu from Tnmaki, its present site, to Auckland. An Act has been passed, enabling the trustees to do this. I regret this for many reasons. The founder, the late Bishop Selwyn, did all in his power to secure the continuation of the institution whtre he placed it, that is, at a moderate distance from the town. He did this deliberately, in cousequenceof his experience in such matters. It was not in bis power to prevent the passing of an Act to defeat his object. I cannot reconcile myself to the propriety of subverting a founder's intention live years after his death. It is also objectionable on other grounds. The institution belongs to the whole ecclesiastical province and not to the diocese of Auckland only. Those who might have wished to send youths > from otuer dioceses would have sent them to the College in.its present site, but might feel a strong objection to their residing in ot Auckland."