DEPUTATION.

Otago Witness, Issue 1242, 18 September 1875, Page 4

DEPUTATION.

A deputation of clergymen waited on Hla Honour the Deputy Superintendent on Monday to request that ministers have free passes by rail. There were present Messrs Edwards, Gow, Leeson (Port Chalmers), Mackie, Martin (Caversham), Rigg, -Roseby, and Stuart. It was mentioned that Bishops Moran and Nevili were not able to be present, and that it was Bishop Nevili who initiated the matter.

The Yen. Archdeacon Edwards said the object of the deputation was to ask the Government if they would grant to ministers in' the Province free passes on railways, when they travelled on duty— that was the object of the deputation calling on His Honour. He believed the granting of free" passes on railways was a privilege given to ministers in America; and at the turnpikes here they did not pay charges when they were on duty. He thought that the Government should grant them a similar privilege when they ■travelled by railway Dr Stuart might remind His Honour that in' the old times Mr John Jones, when he owned all the steamers in the place, gave the parsons of the Province, of all deuominations; a free passage. With reference to what Mr Edwards had said, Dr Stuart remarked it was not universal in America, but it prevailed extensively, to give ministers— at all events ministers on' duty-free passes, or passes both ways for one. fare. His Honour : It is not so in England. Dr Stuart : No.

The Yen. Archdeaoon Edwards mentioned that His Honour the Superintendent had spoken very favourably of the application to Bishop Nevil], His Honour asked where could they draw the line ? There were many people" bound on missions of benevolence who were as welT entitled to free passes as clergymen. The Yen. Archdeacon Edwabds remarked that the same objection applied to going free of charge at turnpikes. The Rev. Dr Stuart would tell His Honour the ground on which he (Dr Stuart) went why" clergymen should have free passes. When a gentleman went up-country for some benevolent object— say to collect for the Benevolent Institution — he did business at the same time. When he (Dr Stuart) went— say to Queenstown — he went as'an educator ; he went to stir \ip men's religious and intellectual nature. ' He (Dr Stuart) went neither to buy nor to sell: with him it was all outlay. He said the authorities should encourage ministers to visit outlying districts— should assist them so that outlying districts might be visited more fre. quently than at present ; and with that view, they might give them free passes so far as the railways went. His Honour was understood to say that he did not exactly see why, in a great number of other cases^ that were not, perhaps, quite so •fcrong as ministerial visits, but were purely.and entirely visits of Christian benevolence, fares should be charged, and yet none to ministers. He did not really see why a visit to a person in an outlying part of the country should, because there happened to be no buying or selling in connection with the travelling, be made without paying fares. A doctor, for instance, paid. Rev. Dr Stuart : If a doctor goes to Naseby he gets a fifty pound note. , If I go, I don't get fifty pence. His Honour thought perhaps the proper Rev. Dr Stuart thought perhaps it would be well if ministers were better paid. His Honour: Of course it is my duty to bring the matter before the Executive, and out of consideration and respect to the gentlemen present I shall do so. I will bring it before the Executive to-morrow. Personally, I may say that I am not quite clear that I am in favour of the step. The Rev. Lindsay Mackie remarked that the principle had been recognised in the Colonies, instancing that Ministers attending the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria got free passes to, and from Mcl? bourne, and that these passes were transferable to ministers who temporarily .filled the pulpits of those attending in. Melbourne. Reference had been made to the railways in England, but "there they were private property. The Rev. Mr Gow spoke to show that the principle of granting free passes to ministers had been recognised in all colonies.

His Honour? The line is not well drawn. The Provincial Councillors voted themselves free passes over all the country, which I highly disapproved of. They had the power. The Rev. Mr Mackie, to show the expense to which ministers attending the Presbyterian Synod of Otago were put, instanced those who came up from Southland. It was a long journey, and they had to pay more expenses than they were really enabled to meet His Honour : I think it is exceedingly unfair that clergymen should be put to such expenses. The only question to my mind is : Should they not be paid by the people who send them ? Dr Rosebt : It is evidently a matter of precedent rather than of principle, and as a matter of precedent there is the case mentioned by Your Honour of the Provincial Councillors, who are supposed to be doing something for the good of the community, and it is also admitted in the free passage given to ministers through turnpikes. I think too much stress cannot be laid on the fact that ministers in this ease are not asking for any personal advantage ; they are simply asking for something that will facilitate the carrying on of church work in 'the community, and render it more easy for them to fulfil duties which it is for the public good that they should be in a position to fulfil. The Rev. Mr Leeson : When the Port Chalmers Railway was in the hands of Messrs Proudfoot and Oliver I held a free pass' which was promptly taken from me when the Govertitook the line over. v •' ■ ■••-,[ Dr Stuart: I got a free pass on the£prt line, but it was for Sunday travelling only." I refused it. ■ '

The Rev. Mr Leeson mentioned that he had travelled with his pass only on Sundays'. *•' •; " His Honouk remarked that he would, bring the matter before the Executive, and The deputation withdrew.