The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-01-24
The Letter from the Rev. C. G. Williamson

since, but unavoidable circumstances have prevented
its appearance in print until now.
The Letter from the Rev. C. G. Williamson.
To tie Eiitor of he Pacific Commercial Advertiser !:
Ri letter of the Rev. C. G. Williamson
contains so full a confession of his transactions with
regard to the property of the Anglican Mission at
South Kona, that need only ask for a brief space
in which to notice his letter.
l. Your readers will observe that the paragraph
in The Hawaiian Church Monthly Messenger of which
he complains simply mentions the fact of there being
an ~encumbrance on our property at South Kona,
and the consequences of that encumbrance, for the
removal of which a liberal grant was made by the
Society for promoting Christian knowledge. Not q
word is said as to the origin of the encumbrance.
The writer carefully abstained from saying anything
that would connect the encumbrance with the Rev.
G. G. Williamson. For this he charges the writer
with ambiguity. Could he view his transactions as
others view them, he would have appreciated the mild
forbearance Of the words that were used. His own
statement of his transactions is enough.
1. Previous to Mr.. Davis arrival, l had the
management and control of the Kona property which
directly or indirectly belonged to the Reformed
Catholic Church" Thus he allows he was manager
not owner of the said property.
2. "The money for the church was provided by
some of my personal friends in England, aided by
some ofiertories.'' "The expense of the house was
only about $500, the Synod of the Reformed Catholic
Church making a grant Of the auction price, viz.
$780,
3. At the time of their erection he regarded these
buildings as Mission property, and tells you that if
the site which had been Ja4IEsaggy 10 e8ardl4sd! fox then
Of that award) TO the Synod, the church and the
house would have gone with it.
4. But being reluctantly compelled to accept the
land as a personal gift. ian act which was ~justifable
and indeed laudable on the ground that be received
it in trust for the Anglican Mission) he takes a new
view of the property, and having opportunity of dis
posing of the house he g accordingly did so, giving
the purchaser q lease of the land for a period not
exceeding 20 years, reserving a right of road to the
church
5. On the arrival of Bishop Willis, he gave him a
personal deed of the property, i e., of the remainder,
which at the expiration of 20 years the Bishop would
be able to use for the purpose of the Mission, mean
while h%aUing only a right Of road TO the church and
r~eceiUiHg a nominal rental.
These facts as recorded by himself carry their
own condemnation so plainly on their face that I
have only three remarks to make:
1. Mr.. w. would have your readers understand
that by conveying the land in question to the Bishop
80 N N@NNNAS E10~AN WIN AS NRNANNA N
But l must point out to you. first, that in this coun-
try a Bishop is not as in England q " Corporation
Sole" so that a conveyance to the Bishop was merely
q conveyance to him as an individual, not as the
representative of the Mission. The legal represent
alive in Hawaii of the Anglican Mission is the corpo-
ration, then known as the "Synod of the Reformed
Catholic Church, now "The Trustees of the An
glican Church in Hawaii To that corporation Mr..
W. refused to convey the land in question. Secondly,
all reference to this conveyance is beside the mark.
The point at issue being that a piece of land set
apart as a site for a church which had been erected
out of Mission funds, a property which, he allows,
8 belonged directly or Indirectly to the Reformed
Catholic Church, - although circumstances had made
it necessary for the deed to be made out in his own
name, was leased without the knowledge or consent
of the synod of the said church, for a term of 20
years, in order 10 enable him 10 dispose of the house,
tcithout lis remoral from the land.
2. His letter shows the case to be worse than
believed it to be. Hitherto I supposed the house to
have been his own private property, and that he had
q moral right to sell it, however much against the
interest of the Mission, till I read the confession that
the synod had granted the purchase money, viz.
$3.50, which entirely alters the case.
3. l would express a hope that now he has made a |
clean breast Of the whole affair, some one among his
numerous friends, to whom he desires your paper to
be sent in the two hemispheres. may be found to en-
Tighten him as to the real nature Of these dealings,
and save him from again entangling himselfin trans
actions which in an older country would involve him
in serious trouble.
Yours very faithfully. !