ARCHBISHOP NUTTALL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7808, 12 September 1903, Page 1

ARCHBISHOP NUTTALL.

Th 9 West Indies' Ableit lCu__ (tf#w Tork Sun.) Dinner was over in a country house in the island of Jamaica. Among the guests were the Most Rev Enos Nuttall, D.D., Archbishop of the West Indies and Bishop of Jamaica, and a well-known United States Senator. ''• What do you think of our Arohbishop?" the host asked fche Senator over the coffee cups on the veranda. "Ho is an exceedingly weiHnf ormed and interesting talker ; his knowledge of American politics surprises me," replied the Senator. "I thought ifc would," said tho host. "His knowledge of everything surprises everybody who meets bim. Everybody' who talks with him is impressed ; but few people are aware that he is one of the best statesmen and most influential men in the British Empire. " He is unknown to fame except in these West Indian Islands, bufc he moulds British policy to an extraordinary extent. I believe he bas as mucb as if nofc more real power than some of the British Cabinet Ministers." The host was correct in his supposition. . Archbishop Nuttall is often consulted by English stafcesmem. Joseph Chamberlain has the reputation" of being about the lasfc person to take advice from anybody, but lie , esteems Archbishop Nuttall's counsel highly, and is guided by it a great deal in his , colonial policy. Even Lord- Salisbury, ■ when Premier and Foreign Minister, was not above getting the Archbishop's ideas and suggestions, and occasionally acting . upon them. These men keep in touch with him by correspondence, but sometimes, when there is , a crisis in Brifcish affairs, they cable to ; Jamaica, asking bim- to come over to Eng- ,. land- with them. Recently ifc became necesi sary to reorganise England's educational , system, and do something to allay THE BITTER QTJABBEI, bVEB. BITT-ALIS-M IK THE- CHUBCH OF ENGLAND. . Mr Balfour and the Archbishops of Can- | terbury and York united in sending a telegram to Dr Nuttall, begging him to take the next steamer to England and give them the benefit of his .views. He did so, and r the Educational Bill, over which there has ' been so much controversy, was drafted on '-_ the lines be recommended. . His suggestions for allaying tbe ritbalis- * tio strife were also followed, with. good re{y suits. The same kind of thing has happened : several "times before. _ . Anomalous as it may seem, this man ':•* is not ambitious. He will nofc leave bis ' West Indian work for any preferment. The Church of England in Jamaica is dise-tab- \ lished and poverty stricken, and bis stipend is, therefore, considerably less than £1000 , a'; year. . Some time ago, when Bishop .Creighton died, Dr Nuttall received iau offer of the Bishopric of London .from Lord Salisbury.L The stipend of tbatjsee vis £10,000 a year, ' and the post is second in importance only ■ to thafc: of? the -iielitbisbopric of Canterbury , ' to which ifc is often the stepping-stone* as .it was in the case of Archbishop Temple. There was great difficulty in filling tbe . see satisfactorily. Lord Salisbury wanted ... one man>, lUng Edward anutb^ ther^^ '?. inaitera f^rd'L r tte^ ; '^f^6dy ; ;stfgg^t6d L the Archbishop of the West Indies, anil all . three agreed that he would be THE BEST POSSIBLE MAN FOB THK POSITION. -* But when it was offered to him he re- " fused it. Money and preferment offered * no temptation to bim. He liked his old , work and poor pay iv Jamaica better than £10,000 a year in London. Dr Nutta_l is a remarkable man in many ■ other ways. He was born in Yorkshire, of comparatively bumble parentage, and , rose to his bigh position in fche English Onurch without any of the usual advantages of wealth, influential connections and . special education. He was a Wesleyan minister in bis younger days, and was sent out to Jamaica as a . missionary. There: is a rule among Wesleyans in the West Indies that their ministers must not marry unless they have reached a certain position and income and obtained tbe approval of the ruling body in the Church. Enos Nuttall fell in love, but could not get the requisite permission to marry, as be held a bumble position at that time. He insisted on marrying without it, at tbe cost of leaving the Wesleyan community. Ifc was a good thing for bim, and a good thing for tbe Anglican- Churcb in- the West - Indies. He got a beautiful and 1 d__3__a__ng wife, wiho has helped him greot_y in 'his life wjofk, and to whom be is devotedly attach- ■ ed, while the Churcb got a great'leader. 1 Naturally, there was some prejudice against bim in- the Churcb after be became 1 ordained as an . Episcopal clergyman!, bufc * he soon conquered that, and rapidly ber . came recognised as the ablest man, tbe best preacher, and the cleverest -organiser the 1 Ohurch possessed. When the Bishop of Jamaica retired, in 1880, bis election to fill the vacant see was [ a foregone conclusion, and he was conse- \ crated Bishop in St Paul's Cathedral, Landon, on October 28, 1880, by the Ar»C-_---bishop of Canterbury, assisted by many \ other prelates. At that time the Church of England in Jamaica was in a bad way. Ten years before a law had been passed providing for its disestabli-hmtent' and disendowment. Ifc had grown very poor, and' the Stipends of many of the clergymen were barely sufficient to keep body and soul together. It was a question whether tbe Church would not have to give up its work wholly or in part. But ; under Bishop Nutta__.'s energetic rule, rt rapidly increased- in wealth, influence and usefulness. It is still poor, but be bas PLACED IT ON A BOUND BASIS. Some of fche clergymen wene not all tbat could be desired in holiness 'of life. The Bishop dealt with the_Q sternly, turning them out of the Church, despite protests from influential connections and important congregations. Then, having got his own Cburoh into order, he looked out for new fields to conquer. He saw that the Anglioan cbuncbes in the various West Indian Islands were isolated communities, haying no connection or correspondence with one another, which is contrary to Anglican ideas. By diplomacy he welded them infco one strong, united* Church. The new title of Arcbpishop of the West Indies was created, and 15-r Nuttall was the only possible -non to whom it could be given. The Bishops of Baubados, Trinidad, Anti&ua, British GuJaaia, Nassau and British Honduras are subject fco him. That is to say, he is the highest ecdesiastical authority over all Great Britain's colonies in the New World south rff Canada. He has succeecfed in keeping th_s immense diooese absolutely free from fche many quarrels which hswa a£_6-rt«_ the Church of En^lWnd within neoent years. In the West Indies, under Dr Nuttall's rule, ! there is no ri-ua^stic controversy, no strife over the Higher Oritioism. 1 His success in ecclesiastical admindsfcraj tion won fche admiration of Mr Qladsto-ie, j Lord Rosebery, Lord Salisbury, Mr Balifour,, Mr Chamberlain and many oth .a- Eng- I lish statesmen. This is bow. he. has toggtifet J

a kind of mentor to the _n«» wbo *"» **• British Empire. . But these are no* the only men wh<~**j he has advised or advises.. He.is teeognxaat. in Jamaica as the. cleverest man in practi-. oally every line of business. ' 5 The officials, from the Governor doarn** ward, solicit bis counsel in all ti___ia. impdrtant unde-taJrings. Fesw laws are passed; ** few policies decided upon, until they l^M* received his endorsement. When it was thought that - Jamaica da* pended too much upon the Amerioan mar« ket foe* h«r exports, and had too-few com-. mercial links .with her Mother Country; % was the ArcMrishop wbo induced Mr Chw berlain to persuade the British. Parli-jpant), . fco give a subsidy, of £400.000 for' thi' establishment of a stwimsbip line to gMSjr Jamaican bananafl to England ond cw|t» *' new market for them there. The negro peasants go to Dr Nuttall lo* advice about tbe planting of their crop* am the best way to get a good sale for then*. Mulatto • schoolmasters implore h'm im straighten out their .difficulties _. with 4l_» parents of tie ohildren wbom fchey tf&ab. Business men invite bim to criticise •ud- 1 amend their schemes for tbe commercial der velopment of Jamaica. Everybody look» up to him as tbe sovereign authority iv all matters, big or little, and , THE ONE INFALL-BM CRITIC, AND JWQM. Archbishop Nuttall's ability is appierf>% ed by many influential men in tbe Uak__j_l States. . He was a friend of the late President M'Kinley and of Mr James B. Blaia&L He visited Mr M'Kinley once or twipa % at Washington during the latter* admmi*tration, and mamtainei|^a*'^lpse conesgogA-t ence with him. It is vco^mptod that fii _ _L advised Mr M'Kinley a <_feal on .tjSi handling of r the colour _oaWtoo^ on whicfil he is an authority, owing ti»L__» long _«£• dence in the West Indies. He has played a leading part in all tb# negotiations for tariff reciprocity betve-tlr the British West Indies and the United States. He is a friend of Mr Booker T. Wait* _ ington, amd has largely, influenced the de- --_ velopment of the. work at Tuafcegee and L Hampton. He knows President Roo&evfijt _-£. well, and be is credited in some quaxt<£_| .-& with having brought the President and _js*"*v i'_ Washington together at the famoils dis_t£g l'iat the White House.' . ' •*•''' ,* Personally, Dr -Nut-tall ifl a kindly, good- ,- , i natured man, always ready to -do a good ' ? - tain for anybody, *rr(nn. the highest to tho "lowest. Many a young Englishman in Or | maica has been kept in straight courses bf him, and put on the high xoad' to s»o» ' „ cess.". •>.* *__ Many an honest, industrious negro pet? \ sant has been encouraged by toa ad-fag' and Help to work untube cSbtained an~mdependent position in life. v Many * Madjg' _--j pickaninny in the . Jamaican villages! - 'ifi ?_ petted by bim em bis pastoral visttattbof",, > He is easily the moat popular, as w«U aiy -*' the ablest, man' in the West Indies. * ~___