THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF OTAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3686, 27 November 1873, Page 5

THE PRESBYT ERIAN CHURCH OF OTAGO.

:;. ' 1:/:,: I .*/.-.'"TO."THE EpitO«< " ;'. .-. ■■:. : ; ss - Sir—About twelve years ago^l' had -the plea^. sur6 of being'present' ii}. -the."British': House of ; Commons oh the'l occasion "of one of''the great .'party: figlits between the Liberals and' Conserve-: ■tivespver some--of Mr Gladstone's budget;p'ropb-,' , sals. ..Disraeli,.: Staffox-d-Nortlicote; and others, had rnado almost damagiag. onslaiight ;on the ' proposals of, the Chancellprr of :the Excheqiier; and feeble was the .defence pa the.- side^qf/.the, Government, until Eofd .'Palmerstpn got'up,,as tlie debate wasVabpujt to elosej and, .wth%is owii., itiimita'ble :gbod-hatui"efl iinpudeiice,' laughed,'at' the-dther!sideV pooh-poohed - .their aVguhteiitS'as 'childish'and unworthy; of reply, arid''in tliis.way turned the tide of battle; aaid; saved the'Gpvera-; .ment. (It was au:admirable-piece<ofv^general-1 ,ship,,' and.. I,: mUst{%/give.s'!you; creoif? for; attemptingi-.ithe ;..same j;sbrt.-;) off^',thiug;i; in ■your' leader, nvt.^reply;, ■ to, :; ,," pistol) ■.shot';"; but, unfortunately. £ oir'.your. success 4 ;the, 'Editor of theipaiX^^imesisn'^^ '?i rid vinstead',of' 'contientiiig yourself J'with pophr pophing-' my arguments, " v you' 'condescend, to attempt'tb i'eplyl";''The Otago'Association' wasj at-!.the:,;time''of'-'tlie settrem'cil't !6f Otago^'tUe' ■State."./ Such; is -your reply.;' "Welly sifter that,' auything. I "B?fearV;it;is hopeless to 'attempt to :clear, up, your mental bewilderment about the historic. past.,./»lfi the Otago Association, or the Kevv,Zealand Compi»y^ were the State; liow did: it come, tp P.H?s that the_ s S l ta,te,ha.d:to : pa.y:suclia: sum': bf /mppeyj.^in ; order ..to acqiiire,; .the rights ■','of-tlipse .bodies .to- their undisposed of r property ?• Wlieii th^OtagO'Association sold land ■in.-the ''!Qikg6: bloekV they were no .more acting for- tue ■Sta.te.'thau: the pi'esentJjNew Zealaiid. ;Larid;Con)pan'y ilv?6iil^ be' acting for the: State if tliey began to cut up' and dispose*: of:,their large' .properties' applying.an>.:eightli^ of tlife purchase money, to purchase pt-dpeirties to belhandeli over^ to^some church or other. Of course,; I ; do< not expect you to acknpwledge- this,as 1 know .editors, 'actupon,' thougliithey.never.foi-malljr.promulgate,: '.the'dogma ; pf.tlJeir- own infallibility,' and the 'iDiiily Tiiaes'Ms*'cei ttainly rigidly "adlierefl,to all, .'the-trsiditibps'of the'Kitners Pn'this matter;' but I appeal to th&hiSffligeiifc' public arid feel confident, that they- w£L!i'; see- a;very great diffe'r--ence.;-]bet\yeenf the-; .iOtago-'" Association; arid :the.;;Stato.; iYoinv"attempt' to'make : my state.menti rr!,that{the"i<Shurphfs rfghttto 'her property is'prptcptep*;;, Jo .her. by^.an Act of; the lm^erisjl P.aj'iiame^it,^" [ &iipport ; ypur;view,of'itssbeinga ; State elidawrijentj.is iuipther: curiousj.instanceiof, ■ " ntetital bewilder'meht.""Because,^%sooth,..h ■title' to? her*' j>vosQvhy~ js 'protected ■Uy:.Ae^pf' Parliament, thf^refore it "is si'Sfeite' endpWmerit. ' But 'is' not the ■' iitle:af every citizen to bis property' ■ protected to him'undei- Act of Parliament,' therefore-; every■ citizen hawing property holds a-State ,endo.wriient:?';:;D6es- not the {Legislature of New > -guaVant'ee all; titles.'!under therfljand Ti-ansfer "Aefc.?^ ; therefore; all; property ; held under-" s)ich title •isvStateendowment.!,. : Jieally,,i *Mr ."Editor, ypii deserve better of, the State for your patriotic, defence oi?. its rights "and"] its:, 'benevolejnce than yotfaie treated.'.'' Surely after' ■tlife yoirwillget'theliand Transfer ad vertisements for^such a display of logici;in^l)e State''biehalf,*^ e'stablish;ing'£i» n^Ht,'wheri'ever its exchequ'erruris dry,;, to- JresumCiill' the'"properties>theVtitle::to which is, protected by\,or helduunder any of its AcytSj.fpi1- are-.they >npt jaUiSisiteiiendowmeri'ts? t|"aii(l may be..iadmihister,ed^,at; the -iwill; of {.the.! same^powers thailr creafeg"; then]." >~My ~ re-, joinder to iy our previous, "article*, you, are .pleased, to-stylea blazing.away of pistol shots, and I.am. very well eonterit io have'it' so. Kstbls carry, 'deadly bullets i. -but your attack on the Church's' rfgh'ttohei'profjei'tydoestibt^conie'u'p^tothatiri^ beingjbut a piece of larrikinism vend throwing of stories/that arinoyvand. is to bet'put -down*more ■ a nuisance:than anythiiig else.:, It; is only> in this light that your* references to jthe: matterafce.;' asyousdy, ";disagr(Beable;" ; jnt auy, other, light; tliey are- simply.indieulbps,' and the r Church can affor«J to"' lavtgli at .aiiy" thi-eats ;'6f 'disleiidowment ■froirt'BiiilyH^mes' of pthdr' Tliunilerer., patting-of the Ohiireh' oiVthV l>ifcid for th'e'ere'dibible' mariner, 1 ih \vliich she;h^is 'performed hier ' work ./.provokes >'&'■■ grim- smile, > arid the* 'fihquiiy—; "Is Saul also among the prophets ?'*-—l'a'm^'&Cji- -:': ■ .-•;;;.■.! ;, ]■;;;■■:;.=■ >-.i;s -l-'i! J.-..--S-; •'■-■(■'■Oli'P BOY:'i»f