PASTOR BIRCH'S TESTIMONIAL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8529, 1 April 1891, Page 3

PASTOR BIRCH'S TESTIMONIAL.

TO THE EDITOII. Sib, —Strange methods have been adopted to secure signatures to what ia termed a letter of sympathy to Pastor Birch, but what is really a testimonial to be used hereafter as an evidence of the high esteem the recipient is held in Auckland. It would have redounded more to the honour of the promoters, and proved of more sterling value to the recipient, if they had given full publicity to the wording of the testimonial by publishing it in the press, that all who were asked to sign might have known its full import. Two Wesleyan ministers have signed, one at least under a misapprehension, and now openly announces his ■ dissent. An efiort has been made to get the Gospel Temperance Mission represented as in favour of it. There being no president in office just now the chairman (Mr. (J. G. Hill) of the executive was asked, by telephone to allow the secretary to sign in his official capacity. At first he objected, but his scruples were overcome by being assured that the "letter of .sympathy" had. no reference to the past, whereas it distinctly states " that circumstances of a most trying (and, in our opinion, unjust) nature led Mr. W. Birch to resign. So this signature was obtained by a false statement. The secretary's signature was evidently sought for because of the representative nature of the society's members, most of the Nonconformist ministers being on the roll, the large majority of whom have withheld their signatures to the " letter," as also many of the lay members. The secretary had no right to sign in such a way as tc compromise members without the latter having been consulted. Under the circumstances the only honest course to pursue is to erase the name, and for the secretary to convene a meeting of members and gain their consent. — I am, etc., Ex-President of the Gospel Temperance Mission.