The Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1868.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 31, 18 June 1868, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, JUNE 18, 1868.

Win obfloi'v© tlm(j Homo profane wag ban iwHiiod a challenge to awim nny mombor of tho Oaiiiodral Commiasioii for £60 a oido, fcho course to bo fcvricb round tho Cathedral pond, Oatlibdral Squafd With iv view to tho en<joui'Ago r menfc of honlthful -oporfc wo havo turned to tho iiofca of tho Oathodral Oominißaion to roo whothoi' tho match can bo ui't'iuiged, "Wo ai'o obliged to con foap our doubt« about the pr'flcticability of tho Bohomo. Though muacular chrintianity ia (juito tho rngo, itn practico luih boon hitherto confined to tho junior moinbora of tho • clerical body., Tho dignifcarioa of tlio Ohurol) have not m yet condoscondod to tako any pnrt in join" fiujhipiiablo athlotio eports, and <JU«tom i« too strong to bo abruptly broken through. Tho Ooinmismon ib .compoflod mainly of ecclOHiaßtioal dignilarios. iTho Biohop im away, and fchoroforo ho m oub of tho quosfcion, though ho has proved his eapaoifcy as a errimmer moro tluvu onco m eroaning our dangorou« rivora in tl>o disclmrgo of hia duty. It would bo an odifyijig night to e<oo tho Dean, nttirod in chain» [now fftHl'vioii, and , <?h<3flrod on by aii admiring throng,of Cunoiiß, coming in as . a winnor ; - but for roa»onn already givon, wo aro 1 afraid that it ifl out oi the (juo.Mfcion. Tho task, if ifc is to bo done at all, mvi«t fall on one of tho lay inoinborH r and,wo /yenturo to rocominqnd tho Arohitoct aa a -young man of strong sporting' tondoncios who must ffoux tho position of hia oflico, bb well

acquainted with tho courao. Jc'ebii^ for entrance might bo madb/thV-fund to go to draining and filling up- tH& pond. „-'/.■; ... fy :;; -; \ ;-.* Whothor tbo match comos off ormofc, tho pond muflt'bVfillfcd, Upland 'that soon. l?rom a conWrißftwoH vwluch lately took place unori tlio Subject in tho Borough Council, wV gathor that tlio site is poyond tho authority of tho Council, wo may be permitted to doubt this. In all matters relating to nuisances, the powor of the Council is BUpreme|nnd s ltis their duty to deal with tho Cathedral Commission in the name way m they would deal with the smallest offender. The ' pond ' is an intolerable oye-soro, and would bo a disgrace to any respectable town. It ! should hot lie allowed to remain one ; moment ilo'hger tlmn tlio time required to put the law in forci. « ; , ; . " W ithout^enturing a dqoidod opinion upon so important a aubjoct, we think it would be wiaofw the Commission to reconsider the wholo question of the Oathodrnl. What chanco now romaine of raising tho promieod subscriptions P As yoar after year paesos, tho list must look woree and worse, Wumbew of thoao who wore ablo to pay at tho time thoy promiaod, ! cannot do bo now. Deatha, misfortunoa, aud doparturoa, muat-bo daily adding to the list of defaulters, arid will ateftdily continue toidoso, In a year or two -hence, a vorv small remnant will remain, and if a Cfathodral on anything like the scale of tho existing foundations is ever to bo built, it will bo by other tnon, and with the funds of another set of subscribers. For our part, wo look upon it as the work of anothor generation. And, bocaueo we wish to see something dono for the present race, wo ask, would it not bo wise to soil the present site, and with tho proceeds "orect a iCathedral Church olaowhpro upou n scalo bettor suited to our moans and our wants ? Tho money sunk in the preaoiit foundations will not bo altogether lost, as tho land would bo Bold for building purposes, and tho work already done would bo taken into Account "Wo nro prepared to expect strong objections to tho proposition, but tho balance of argumont will, wo boliove, bo found in its favour.