Fijian Affairs.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXX, Issue XV, 11 April 1903, Page 1033

Fijian Affairs.

The opinion given respecting the Governor in the following letter from the Chairman of the Wesleyan Mission in Fiji, published in tlic Suva press, is endorsed by the undersigned, and Europeans generally in Fiji:—Messrs D. Calder (acting warden), Borroii, Gemmell, Smith, Joske, Burton (members of the Legislative Council), Lieutenant-Colonel Brown, Major Marks, A.U.S.N. Company, Brodziak and Co., G. Benjamin, L. Benjamin, Bowman, Barnet, Cleary, Fitzgerald, Garrick, Murehie, McCrae (proprietor of the “Western Pacific Herald”), Reimensehneider, George Smith, Sturt, Ogilvie and Co., Turner, and Thomas Tate (the latter being the head of the Wesleyan Mission), and Governor. The letter is as follows: —

“Sir,—l am glad to be in a position to state, for the information of the public, tlmfc the Methodist Conference of Sydney will certainly not take the extreme step of memorialising the Imperial Government as indicated in the telegram published in the issue of the “Fiji Times” of the 28th inst., unless a thorough investigation shall compel such action. For the purpose of making the necessary inquiry the conference appointed a commission consisting of the Rev. Dr. Brown (general secretary for missions), the Rev. George Lewe (president of the General Conference of Australasia), and the lion. W. Eobson, M.L.C., to proceed to Fiji at an early date. It is a matter of deep regret that any reflection whatever has been east upon the fair name of our deservedly esteemed Governor. That unwarrantable use should have been made of His Excellency’s name to further the proselytising work of the Roman Catholic mission, 1 feel perfectly sure that none would deprecate more severely than His Excellency himself. During the few months His Excellency has resided in <mr midst he has won the esteem of all by his impartiality and Christian courtesy. To myself and colleagues he has from the first showed marked kindness, has visited several of our mission stations, addressed our native ministers,

teachers, and students in words that they warmly appreciated, and, moreover, has borne generous and unstinted testimony to the good work that God has enabled this mission to accomplish in these once savage isles. Speaking for myself and colleagues, we have strong hopes that under His Excellency’s able administration the best interests of all classes of the community will be promoted, and at the expiration of his term of office lie will retire with an even higher reputation than lie brought with him to these shores.—l am, etc.. Arthur J. Small, Chairman of the Methodist Mission. Fiji. E. District. Dr. Brown, general secretary of the Methodist mis-ions. explains that the resolutions adopted by the Sydney Conference made no reference to the Governor of Fiji personally, bat only directed attention to the disturbing influence caused by the appointment of a Roman Catholic Governor, and that unfair use had been made of the fact of that appointment by the priests in Fiji, though it was entirely, in Mr Brown’s opinion, without the Governor’s consent <>r approval. Letters iceeived bv Mr. TToarc. Sydney, from the mission olliee in Fiji, speak in very high terms <f the courtesy and impartiality of the Governor. A commission bus been appointed by lite Methodist Conference to visit Fiji, and will leave by the Aorangi on the 20th inst.