MR ANDREW KEAY AND OTAGO PRESBVTERY. (To the Editor of the Daily Times.)

Otago Daily Times, Issue 782, 20 June 1864, Page 5

MR ANDREW KEAY AND OTAGO PRESBVTERY. (To the Editor of the Daily Times.)

Sir—l observe in y.-ur columns of this morning a letter on the Presbytery of Otago from a Licentiate of the Free Church—a letter which has surely come by some extr-iordiuary mail with which the public is unacquaiuted, seeing thai-so much time has elapsed since the arrival of the j last ordinary mail from Great Brirain. The letter in question purports to be to " The Editor of the Daily Times," and th; writer. Don Quixotelike, trots himself out to do battle for tne Jfcev. William Will, of East Taieri. This letter would seem to shew that this un-heari-of Andrew Keay is a fast friend of Mr Will, and from several indications iv the epistle it would likewise appear that this warrior comes to battle in borrowed armour, and in fact served the purpose of a convenient " tool," to which circti!ustai)C3 he owes his ever having been heard of in these quarters. There is ><Im> a tone of selfI satisfaction and abounding egotism and conceit about the letter, which is exceedingly amusing, and which evidently shows that tbe writer is weak-minded, although he would lead n* to sup-

pose that he is such a paragon of excellence that the Preybjtery of Otago have cause to deplore as a Ios«j to the colony the fact that " he himself, owing to circumstances over which he had no control, could not be booked for Otago/' to form, no doubt, one of those devoted and efficient ministers to whom he refers. Now, Sir, it is a great pity Mr Will's frienda have raked up this subject at this time of day. The vulgar allusions and the impertinence of this unknown scribbler, who attempts to lecture men of standing-, men of whom he knows nothing except through the promptings of interested parties, are of courm couteiuptible, but the couduct of the meu vrho have forwaded to your journal at this !sto hour the letter which appears in this morning's paper is something much more serious and deserving of notice. It is a pity, too, that Mr Will's friends should have thought that those in the Presbytery of Otago who moved for his return intended to blame him for want of success. The simple fact is that while Mr Will is a good enough man in his own place, he is totally unfitted for his present mission. His want of discrimination was very apparent ere he left Otago. He has damaged our church at home, his mission has hindered the supply of ministers to this colony,' and the sooner he ceases to be our representative in Great Britain the better for all the parties concerned. -„.... One thing, however, is apparent: Mr Will s success has reached as far as Andrew Keay, Iftit judging from the style and matter of Keay's letter, I think the province has made & narrow escape, though through "circumstances over which be had no contiol " Should these circumstances at any future time permit <st bis coming here, I have no doubt he will receive a few much needed lessons (though he has need to go "a while " yet to some of the Academic Instituiions at home, ere he finally comes out here as a lecturer on grammar), from men whom he now takes upon him impertinently to assail from a distance. Those who forwarded to your journal for insertion the letter of this miserable tyro, must have been reduced to great extremities for an advocate in favour of their protege, Mr Will.

I am, &c,

JUDKX