THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1895. THE WELLINGTON BISHOPRIC.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1196, 1 February 1895, Page 20

THE New Zealand Mail. PUBLISHED WEEKLY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1895. THE WELLINGTON BISHOPRIC.

To the members of the Anglican Church of New Zealand the proceedings of Friday last were, for many reasons which they understand quite well, especially gratifying. They are at the same time not without interest for general readers, who have long extended their respect to the historic Church which has in these countries ceased to depend on the old lines of its union with the State for the benefit of both. In the beginning of representative government ther Church was placed everywhere in New Zealand on a foundation of self-reliance, like all the other churches. Friday’s occasion was a landmark in its history measuring the extent of its development, organisation and life. The presence of the seven bishops of its hierarchy, of a large body of its clergy from the various dioceses, and the brief but comprehensive references in the sermons to the salient points in its history were apart from and yet in connection witli the special ceremony of the day, the leading features of interest, which gave a destinctive character to the historical landmark which the occasion constituted. To the members of the Church present it was an additional gratification to meet a prelate of the Mother Church, to mark the evidence of intellectual strength in the sermon he preached, and to observe how familiar he was with the details of their histoiy in these lands, and of their connection with missionary work in the neighbouring islands. Christians of every denomination have read with cordial approval his weighty disquisition on some of the internal evidences of the truth of the Christian Scriptures. And everyone who venerates the name of Wordsworth—and among colonists there are tew who do not, for among the old who have not kept abreast of molern literary achievement few have forgotten the literary enthusiasm of their youth, and among the young many have in the course of their studies made wellpleased acquaintance with one of the great classics of the century everyone, we repeat, who venerates the name of Wordsworth will have been pleased to see for himself that the nephew of that great poet is a man who owes his high position to the strength and refinement of his intellect. It is a remarkable fact that the families of the two friends Coleridge and Wordsworth continue to be distinguished by the intellectual power and useful work of their members.

The sermon of the newly-consecrated Bishop naturally does not call for remark, so far as its general bearing is concerned, from the outside critic, whose province it is not to interfere in any of the matters which lie between church pastors and their flocks. In one matter, however, we may be permitted to make a remark. When the Primate resigned, the controversy naturally to be expected in every diocese in a young s community like this, which during its rapid development has begun to furnish men for every post in politics, in the professions and the Civil service, arose. The question was of the selection of a successor from within or from without. Into that controversy we do not propose to enter here. There is much to be said, and much has been said, on both sides. It is sufficient now that the selection has been made. What we wish to remark upon is the fact that in his inaugural sermon the new Bishop displayed a creditable acquaintance with the history of his predecessors. Nothing could have been more clear at the same time than the cordiality of his sympathy with their objects, and nothing more definite than his formal acceptance of the wide scope of the duties they set before themselves when they began the work of founding their Church. The fact will no doubt be reassuring to those whose honest convictions led them to advocate a local selection. It will help, if any help is wanted, the moving appeal made by Bishop Wordsworth for considerate treatment to carry the full weight its fine spirit deserves. For the statesman there is a special interest in the two sermons preached on Friday. The references in both to -the Island populations were specially addressed to Churchmen. They brought into prominence the fact that the Anglican Church acknowledges a duty towards the Island populations. The spirit is not confined to that particular denomination. Every denomination has established missionary work, and carries it on in the Islands with systematic energy. In this respect the statesman has a bond of union with all churchmen. Though the methods and motives are different, the bond of union makes a sort of union for practical purposes between Church and State. It possesses the advantages of similarity of object, and avoids the disadvantages which make any formal union impossible. The motive of the statesman is the consolidation of one kind of empire, while the churchman works for an empire of quite another kind, and he of course occupies, in virtue of his more unselfish motive, the higher position of the two. The difference, however, is reduced somewhat by the acceptance by the statesman of the duty of conserving the Native populations. That is one of the reasons why our Government has consented to pay the salary of the Resident of Raratonga. It is also implied in some of the

arguments used, by the Premier in support of the Ministerial proposal made early last year in regard to Samoa. On the last day of the session of 1894 the Premier, during the discussion on Samoa, said he had been greatly pained by the news of the naval demonstration by which the authority of King Malietoa had lately been consolidated. That a British ship of war should have been sent to shoot down these natives he deplored in terms which found an echo in every right-thinking mind. The superior experience of New Zealand was, he felt sure, a guarantee for its better management of such things. Some of the leading Opposition journals of the Colony have sustained the argument, and the British

press has taken a view largely favourable to the Ministerial position with regard to Samoa. We do not know, as the Bishop of Salisbury so pathetically said on Friday, whether these Island races are destined to live. But we can say safely that if they come under colonial management they will have a better chance than under a mixed political supervision which avoids responsibility by occasional recourse to cannon balls. The churches being impressed with the necessity of helping these native races, the weight of their influence should be in favour of the Ministerial Samoan proposal. In this matter public opinion supports the churches, and therefore may be regarded as favourable to the Government project.

THE CONCILIATION-ARBITRATION ACT.

The best point in Mr Reeves’ speech was the reference to the Conciliation-Arbitra-tion Act, which he hoped would never be required in its entirety. The hope is well grounded, because if the conciliation machinery is used by all sides in the proper spirit, there will never be any recourse to arbitration. The first part of the Act is the machinery for adjustment, and the second supplies, in case of necessity, the final adjustment. But as for all reasonable men the adjustment machinery is abundantly ample, the final adjustment department may have to be content to stand idle; at most as a warning that the consequence of getting into an impasse is increased expense without hope of averting the final settlement. The conciliation portion is so simple and fair that it cannot fail to be used, the arbitration if ever it is used must be effective, both are on the Statute Book ready for application before industrial difference has got to the temperature of excitement which makes industrial war inevitable. We confidently anticipate for the Act the verdict of history : as thus ; "In free America they depend for the settlement of disputes on battalions, in freer New Zealand they rely on a law which, being the embodiment of good sense, has the support of every individual in the community.” For the present, however, we must confine ourselves to pointing that while all other countries place cure in the place of honour New Zealand has determined to try prevention. The new departure is, of course, bold. But when did faintheart ever win anything worth winning ? Moreover, what else but the lack of courage keeps the whole world paralysed under the weight of insoluble problems ? There is an ocean of policies, recommendations, nostrums, fads, of the pronouncements of Commissions, the programmes of statesmen, the dreams of visionaries; and last, but by no means least, there is the practical but much derided philosophy of “ General ” Booth. He alone has any courage ; he has as much as would equip the rest of the world and leave some to spare for another planet, if it be possible for any other planet of God’s creation to be peopled by a race so half-hearted and purblind as ours. But while the rest of the world has the paralysis of want of courage, he is paralysed or nearly so by lack of means. Overboldness is the fatal objection of the present day to everything, while it is the last which ought to be listened to.