BISHOP COWIE AND MR. W. RICHARDSON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVII, Issue 11542, 29 November 1900, Page 6

BISHOP COWIE AND MR. W. RICHARDSON.

We are requested by the Rev. J. P. Cowie, Bishop's secretary, to publish the following correspondence: — Bishopscourt, Auckland, "November 20, 1900. Sir,—ln tho Herald of to-day you are leported to have said that " Bishop Cowie was interested in hotels." Be so good as to inform the Bishop on what authority you made that statement, if you did so.— am, etc., J. P. Cowie, Bishop's Secretary. Mr. W. Richardson, Auckland. Summer-street, Ponsonby, Auckland, November 23, 1900. The Rev. J. P. Cowie, Bishop's Secretary, Auckland. Sir,your favour of the 20th inst. is to hand, and in reply I dosire to inform you that neither on the occasion referred to by Mr. Glover, nor ft any other time, have I made any such statement as was attributed to me in the rejtort of the trial which you refer to. Glover's reputation can be easily discovered, and I am surprised at the newspapers giving anything of the charactor complained of on his unsupported testimony. To be candid, however, I must admit that on several occasions I have publicly discussed the Bishop's attitude on the prohibition question. For instance, I have publicly criticised the last two synodical addresses delivered by the Bishop from a prohibition standpoint, and have complained of the colourless tone he has adopted, because I think this tolerant demeanour towards the liquor traffic on the part of the Bishop and churchmen generally is a crime against God and humanity. Feeling this to be so, I have felt anxious that I should not also be implicated in a similar way myself. So I have condemned the palpable indifference of a Protestant Church like the Church of England in connection with this shedding ci innocent blood (see 11. Kings xxiv. 4). I have also on several occasions mentioned that I had been told on the authority of persons I took to bo reliable that "the trustees of St. Matthew's building fund have invested money on mortgage on public house property in Hobson and Queen Streots." I gave the statement for what it is worth, and shall be glad to bo informed that such is not the case. If so, I shall only be too glad to as publicly correct the statement. I have no personal feeling against the Bishop, whom in many ways 1 highly respect. But in this war I dare not spare anyone who professes to be a servant of Christ's who does not do all he can to remove this greatest of all hindrances to the spread of the Gospel.—l am, etc., Wit. Richardson. Bishopscourt, Auckland, November 28, 1900. Sir, — have received your letter of the 23rd inst. The Bishop desires me to inform you that he is in no way responsible for the investments of the trustees of the St. Matthew's building fund, and that he knows nothing whatever about them.l am, etc., J. P. Cowie, Bishop's Secretary. Mr. W. Richardson, Summer-street, Ponsonby.