FIJI GOVERNORSHIP.

Waikato Argus, Volume XIV, Issue 1500, 6 March 1903, Page 2

FIJI GOVERNORSHIP.

A PROTEST. (BY TELKORAPII—PHESS ASSOCIATION). CiiKisTCiILTRCn, Wednesday. At the Methodist Conference this morning the Rev. ,). J. Lewis moved, ' That the Conference recommends the Board of Missions to communicate to the British Government its strong sense of the tinsuitableness of tho appointment of a Roman Catholic Governor to Fiji, in view of the recent conversion of the native from savagery by Protrstant missionaries-, and of the fact that the presence of a Roman Catholic Governor is an encouragement to the French priests to increase their mischievous attempts to disturb the relieinn of the people, 00 per cent, of whom are attached to ilie Protestant Church.' He said the appointment of a Roman Caiholic Governor to a Protestaut mission field was a remii'kahlc instance of political blundeiing. The Methodists protested, not ui/uinst a Roman Catholic being in hieh office under the State, but aoainst hie beiua Governor of a Protestant mission field, just rescued trnin barbarism, and where his iulliu'oce would favour the priesthood of an alien church. To give precedence to the Roman Catholic bishop over the Methodist minister, who was really bishop of the Church which had saved cannibal and idolatrous Fiji, was a scandalous tice. The Bihle burning aud the political unrest in Fiji were largely due to the religious antagonism resulting from an appointment 'hat was a urave injustice and a fatuous political blunder. The Rev. \V. Slide, in seconding, said he had every reason to believe that the present Governor of Fiji was an honours able, impartial Gentleman, who would do his hest to bold the balance even, but what he objected to was the use the priests made of his name and position. If a Roman Catholic were appointed Governor of a colony of Protestants, equal to ourselves in intelligence, he would ofTVr no objection, because they would know bow to tuke care of themselves. But in Fiji they had a peop'e at a vny elementary stage of development, and the Governor's mttie was used hy priests to back up their proselytising efforts among them. It seemed to him, therefore, that it was most undesirable to commit the government of Fiji to a gentleman who was quite out of sympathy with the reliytnns beliefs of the great majority of the people. Tho motion was carried amid applause.