THE NEW HEBRIDES QUESTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7644, 22 May 1886, Page 3

THE NEW HEBRIDES QUESTION.

A meeting of the clergy and laity of the Church of England was held yesterday evening at the Diocesan office. to consider the proposed annexation of the New Hebrides by France, and the effect such an action would be likely to have on missionary labour there. The Right. Rev. Dr. Cowie, Bishop of Auckland, presided, and there were were also present: Archdeacons Dudley and Clarke, the Revs, Messrs. Mulgan, C. M. Nelson, A. G. Purchas, Durrieu, J. S. Hill, Bates, O'Callaghan, R. Burrows, J. Haselden, Richards, Phillips, VV. Tebbs, Colonel Haultain, Messrs. Bourne, Upton, Rawlings, Aickin, Gossett, Lodder, Quintal, and Boardman. In opening the meeting, the Bishop said he had received a communication from the Presbyterian body with respeot to the se cession of the New Hebrides Island to France. Mr. Runciman, incumbent of St. Stephen's, had asked him whether the Church of England would net co-operate with other religious bodies with a view to prevent this cession. They had great sympathy with the Presbyterian body, in whose missionary work many devoted men had been engaged and some had lost their lives. Large sums of money had also been spent upon it. They were aware that Bishop Selwyn took great intorest in the missionary work in these islands, and they knew very well that if they came under the rule of France very little encouragement would in fotnre be given to missionary enterprise. He had, therefore, asked them to meet that morning, with a view to appoint some of themselves a deputation to meet the general meeting of religious bodies to be held on Monday next, expressing their sympathy with the question, and their readiness to co-operate in any measures which might be thought desirable to prevent the cession of the New Hebrides to France. He asked the gentlemen present to sign a petition to Government on the subject. The Key. Mr. Tbbbs said a cablegram had been published that day stating that the English Government would not consent to the cession unless it were the wish of the colonies. It was therefore the more important that their opinion should be expressed. In the course of a short discussion Archdeacou Dudley pointed out the interest of the Church of England in mission work in some of the islands in question, and other peakers enforced the same view. The Bishop moved that the following gentleman be appointed a deputation to attend the general meeting of religious bodies, and represent the views expressed by the present meeting : Archdeacon Dudley, the Revs. C. M. Nelson, J. S. Hill, W. Tebbs, Colonel Haultain, Messrs. Graves Aickin and J. *H. Upton. This deputation was accordingly appointed, the name of the Bishop being added to the list. The following resolution, proposed by Archdeacon Dddlky, was also adopted:— That this meeting, in representing the interests of the Church of the Province of New Zealand, commonly called the Churoh of England, in the north-eastern islands of the New Hebrides, concurs in the opinion expressed by the representatives of the Presbyterian Churoh of New Zealand, acting in the interests of its long-continued and important mission in the south and western islands of that group, and earnestly deprecates the annexation of the New Hebrides by France; that the Bishop be respectfully requested to convey the foregoing resolution to the Government of New Zea'and," The meeting then terminated.