West Coast Times SATURDAY SEPTEMBER, 1, 1866.

West Coast Times, 1 September 1866, Page 2

West Coast Times SATURDAY SEPTEMBER, 1, 1866.

We believe that from time to time, meetings are held at the Court- House, |»dy styling itself the Church of id Committee. As its meetings )t pubicly convened, and as no * of the proceedings is handed to have hitherto been deprived of >portunity of rendering such askto the committee as might be ?Mj> > ~-Tfe sjmUic5 jmUic advocacy of its i. We re^er from the facts have been pG*&nitted to transpire, the friends B^ the Church of England are aiming a\ v the collection of a fund sufficient to e>^' ll> them to build h church and piirMf^'K'' house.' The object is one m<>bt pv/^e worthy ; one that appeals strongly t* public suppdrt * nnd one which jnit^Airely be easily reaUße(Lif^iyj|y^wvo

heads and chiefs of the movement appear, however, to be purhiung a course the best adapted in the world to alienate from it public sympathy, and to prevent anything like the general co-operation of the people being given to it. The action of the Church of England com mittee is held in as much reserve, as though it were a body plotting some revolutionary movement of politics, rather than solving the simple problem how to get together a few hundred pounds to put iip a place of worship and a clergyman's residence. If we are guilty of error in any subsequent references we may make to the rumored action of the committee, the circumstance must be attributed to the mystery that has been allowed to surround its whole proceedings. Not only has our reporter, on presenting himself, received the hint that the meetings were " private," but even "communicated" minutes have, as we have said, been withheld. ,

We refer now to the matter because it is one of real public interest. It'is one of the scandals of the West Ccmst, and of the Church of England in Can- . terbury, that no place of worship has yet been erected, and no resident clergyman appointed, for a population of upwards of thirty thousand souls, pursuing an active industry, and supporting a profitable commerce. The position of the Church of England in Canterbury is a peculiar one. Certain privileges and property rights were secured to it at vhe first settlement of what was intended to be am "Anglican" colony. And what is the position in the social system, which the Church of England has invariably claimed ? That of the Church of the people — responsible for the spiritual instruction of the people. By one section of churchmen — and that, indeed by no means a small or uninfluential one — the Episcopal Church is held to be the only rightful religious educator. By these all other denominations are regarded as intruders on the field. By a more liberal school, the non-conforming denominations are recognised as coadjutors capable of rendering effective service in a common cause. But no class of churchmen would ever surrender thu dogma that the "establishment" at home, and its affiliated branches in the colony, have the primaiy right to be the religious teachers of the people. Dr. Hook, in preaching from his celebrated perverted text " Hear the church," expounded the views of those who hold that the Anglican clergyman is the only authorised teacher. Dr. Stanley, tho Dean of Westminster — one of the mos>t devoted and at the same time one of the most enlightened of churchmen — on a recent occasion, gave expression to the views of the more Catholic party in the church. Present as a guest at the ,-Sur-MU* Chapel. London, ftt a hrealffr "t give"n'by thi Rev. Novniimribll. ' the chairman of the Pongregationul Union of England, Dean Stanley made a speech remarkable from the breadth of its views. He said that the church had a work to do which nonconformity could not effect ; and nonconformity a field of operation to occupy, which the church could not take possession of. But all parties belonging to the church adhere to the coinra >n principle, that it has a duty to discharge before and beyond any other religious denomination ; and the very last part of the colonial empire, in which we should uave expected to see that duty neglected is the Church province of Canterbury.

The friends of the Church of England have always claimed for its organisation the special credit of a fitness to deal with remote outlying districts, and thus supply the ordinances of religious worship to populations which the imperfect machinery of the more voluntary churches would be inadequate to reach. This theory is not sustained by the experience of the West Coast. Its 1 friends have seen the buildings of one denomination and another rising on every .side around them, without any practical movement being undertaken in their pwn interest. And now that the Bishop liimself has come over to the West Coait, to promote the adoption of the necessary measures for the erection of a church and a parsonage, the matter secrns unaccountably to drag. It is rumoivd — and this is the particular occasion of our present writing — that the committee propose to send an appeal tosonfe Church Prorogation or Aid Society in England^ soliciting a grant to help them in their object. We sincerely trust that such an idea will not be entertained for more than a moment. What could reflect greater discredit upon a district, of whose wealth and prosperity we are perpetually telling the story, than to make the fact patent to the world that it had not the^ means or the heart to' build a modest structure for the public servicesof a .church numbering a very large proportion, if not a majority, ot the population, amongst its noinfnal adherents ? What would the public at home think ? What woul<* churchmen think ? Why should the tale of sloth, of unearnestness, of neglect, be bruited abroad ?

That difficulty should be experienced in raising the necessary funds for the erection of a Church of England, we believe is merely due to the long-con-tinued apathy of the church authorities by which a large population have been gradually weaned from the old decent habits of the mother country. The Church of England has practically taught thousands of its former adherents the lesson how to live without the old religious ordinances, and how to spend the Sunday without the place of worship. If it had done a twelvemonth ago what it i& trying to do now, it would have encountered few of the - obstacles that impede^,^-ifc at \tiie time —^ sUt>taclos

apathy of those who are nominally its members. It would have had people to appeal to, not alienated from churchgoing habits, and it would have fostered those habits as the basis of a constant movement for church extension. Circumstances now, however, have to be dealt with as they are, and we trust there will be found sufficient liberality and zeal yet surviving amongst the members of the Church of England, in Ilokitika, to obviate the necessity for an appeal to English charity, Avhich would greatly damage the reputation of the district, and cast upon it an unworthy stigma. 9 .

Cobb's Chrisichuvch coach left town yesterday morning at tho usual hour, with a good lading. The passenger list included Mrs Wilson and child, Mesbrs llobinson, Tompkins, atid Philips. The G-reymouth, conveyance carried away seven passengel's, whilst that to Kosstown_ contained but one. With reference to the Totara line, which is of comparatively recent formation, we may state that Messrs Cobb and Co. intend to maintain it j daily, and anticipate a great increase in trade during the summer months. We are sorry that bo far this lino has not proved very remunerative, although no positive loss has resulted to the company, whose enterprise, we trust, will be substantially rewai'ded. We hear that au usually heavy lading is already engaged for the (jh-eyinonth coach, which leaves town to-day. : West Coast weather has now established its reputation. No more glorious day was ever experienced in any.' clime than yesterday ; and it was but the repetition of mam' and many a day which the people of Hokifcika have enjoyed of late. If a clear Italian sky, a genial sun with its warmth tempered by cool and invigorating breezes, and an atmosphere so translucent as to show the minutest outline of the far-off snow-capped mountain ranges, are to be accepted as witnesses as to climate, we should for the reputation of the district wish no bettor evidence thau that of yesterday to I be put iv the boxJ It was a day that made the mere act of lifing itself a luxury. According to the l'eport of Sergeant White Inspector of Slaughter Y.u-Js for the Ilokitika .District.. 45-17 angfcials wore slaughtered for the market hetiv&u -April Ist and August 13th. They ardf eiiissetl -is follows :—539: — 539 biWl of cattle, 52*ci^Te<* } 3776 sheep, and 180 pigs. This estiiun/f can only be taken approximately, as numbers of sheep and pigs are slaughtered within the town of which the Inspector obtained no record. The long promised Police Camp at the Saltwater Creek rush is at last formed, a sergeant and two constables, with tents and other necessary appliances having been despatched in the Kennedy on heir last trip to G-reymouth. Tho delay in despatching these men was rma-"' voidable, as for a poriod of ten days, previous to the Kennedy's leaving, no coasting steamer had been i.ud on for Ghreymoutli. • — ■armr-tk'WTsn crrniEfSjiJtt?^ sn 'f auofect street v being rapidly proceeded with, and in ths course of a week or f,wo will make another handsome addition to' the ecclesiastical structures of Kofitika. Tory great credit is due to tho members of the Hebrew faith for the spirit and liberality they have displayed in providing with au appropriate place of worship. That portion of the Ilokitika aud Kanieri tramway Already completed is now open' for traffic, of; which the public have been duly advised iv. another column. At a small cost ,goods cm be transmitted to any part of Gibson's Quay, s\s tho line is finished to a point some distance beyond tho Islay Hotel. From the mnjii line, a branch has been constructed to tho tvrge beach just above "the first rapids, so thaf the risk which has hitherto attended the carriage of merchandise to the Kanieri township may now be considerably lessened by transmitting it by line to this beach, where boats are always in readiness to receive and convey it onward. We sincerely trust' that the tramway will meet with. legitimate support at tho hands of the public, as it is a work of no mean importance, and promises to co'nfar permanent advantages upon the district, by connecting the "very important Kunieri goldlield with. town. Besides this, the line will reclaim (ho country through which it runs, and we have no hesitation in asserting that when it is completed, evury yard of grooiu" between the two townships will be sl,.r-.ij^-aas valuable, and stand high in (i.c market. -We hope to see the day whou tlie line will b^ bordered by Cultivated lauds, cottages, and hedge rows, and believe that good'timc ia not so very distant. The enterprise of this company in undertaking a work which tho Governor ,- t should have performed, cannot be f. r Lw*f\ commended, and should it piove^p-' ?ucce?B will, doubtless act as an incentjyto the commencement of others of^JAt^same khuLiu places on t]m^st K viixero the mode of transit is both- tedious >nd uncertain. Wo understttriuthat tho company purpose oxtendiug the tcam'way ulong Gibson's Quay to Wharf effect, and have received permission from the Government to do so. Just now, a branch is being constructed to the wharf, as a contract has been taken by tho company, through the manager, Mr Hamilton, to supply the contractor for the wharf works with 600 yards of gravel, which will be taken from the big beach■we have above alluded to-.— The rate ngreod upon will very handsomely reipAwse the company. Mr Hamilton "ssuro^wiftat even in its present incomplete eoiKlvj;jot»pP^ li l|ne is paying, aud is sanguine thai^^^^lie wharf branch is finished, trallic will be doubled, ami that ships requiring ballast will find it advantageous to obtain the supply from him, as his charge will be very much lower than present prices.

In its shipping summary for the month, the " Otago Daily Times," of tho 20th inst., has the following :—": — " The Hue paddle steamer Bvuce, belonging to this port, -which has been for some timo trading on the We3t Coast, lately arrived, and has been hauled on Messrs Ttl'Kinnon !iiuK^liu^^^i|^jijr vopuirs, ne-