, 1872-05-01

of the Commission, for, incredible as it may
seem, the fact is that Of a Commission Of .fue
Members, at Were Lutheran, and three, the
Majority, the parties directly interested on one
side Of the g~WeSt0n-namely the then Pastor
and Wardens of the Lutheran Church, who
could hardly be expected to take an unbiased
view of the point at issue. Accordingly, IN
spite Of the unanimous opinion as to title just
quoted, the majority, consisting Of these three
Members, naively stating that they considered
it their duty to protect the income of their
Church, reported in favor of continuing these
fees; while the minority, two Of the ablest Law
yers in the Island, in their report say that they
consider it a direct consequence of the rights
Of property that there cannot be imposed upon
the English Congregation any payment what
ever, either to the Danish Lutheran Church, Or
to the Land Treasury, for opening graves Or
erecting monuments in their grayc-yards."
Here then was a dilcmma-for such & posi-
tive opinion from so competent a quarter on
such a question could not be ignored. Thu only
escape from the difficulty evidently lay through
that convenient refuge in such cases "masterly
inactivity and accordingly no further action
was taken, and no decision Whatever given by
the Government 50 that these exactions still
continued as before. After waiting patiently
for thirteen gears, and finding that, with their de-
creasing means, these fees were becoming
more and more oppressive to the
people, the Officials of the Episcopal
Church determined on making another effort
this time through the medium Of the Colonial
Council-to obtain relief. a petition was then
addressed to that Body setting forth in full all
the circumstance of the case, and praying that
immediate action might be taken thereon. But,
unfortunately, the petitioners, knowing that the
Governor always sat IL the Council, and being
DESTROYS of emitting no mark of respect to the
Chief Magistrate, made the fatal mistake of be-
ing over courteous, and addressed the petition
to "His Excellency the Governor-tho Chair
error Of which His Excellency availed himself
to keep tho petition back from the
Council, saying in reply to a demand or inqui-
ny made on the subject by a member who was
interested in the matter, that it was addressed
to the Executive, and would be brought forward,
together with some other propositions on the
same subject, at an early day. OF course this
was never done, and the policy of "masterly
inactivity again triumphod, Three more years
then elapsed without any sign being made,
when the petitioners again took action 10 the
case, by sending a duplicate of the petition to
The Council,-this time emitting the Governors
address-and a few weeks after a Committee
Of three members was appointed to report upon
it. Their Report published in your issue of
December 18th 1869 granting all that was de-
manded, was unanimously adopted by the Coun-
Gil, and referred to Government for immediate
action but alas, "masterly inactivity'' again
prevailed, and from that day to this nothing
more has been heard of the petition!
Such, Mr.. Editor, is the plain unvarnished
history of this casa history of logged per-
severance versus 'masterly inactivity'-which
I am sure you will agree with me in calling a
very instructive one. | have been informed
however that there is now some prospect of its
settlement, inasmuch as it has been laid before
the present Government who promise speedy
attention to it. We trust that these expecta-
tions may soon be realized, as the feeling is be-
coming very strong and general that, failing to
obtain relief in this way, these impositions must
be resisted by every other legal means.
Permit me, in concluding. earnestly to echo
the sentiment of Agricola regarding the Officials
to whom these fees are paid. No intlliegent
person can or does blame them for demanding
their dues in accordance with their Instructions
SO long as this question remains undecided ; and
we can easily believe that no one would more
sincerely rejoice in any alteration of the existing
regulations which would relieve him from dis