Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-04-07
REPLY OF BISHOP WILLIS
He Brings Heavy Episcopal Guns 10 Bear
on Ms Adversary.
How a Quotation Is Misleading When Divorced
from lis Context - Why Mr. U.s.
borne was Dismissed.

borne's side Of the controversy
with Bishop Willis, the BULLETIN
would voluntarily give the gist OF
the Bishops reply. This not only
as matter of fairness, but be-
cause the controversy has been
thrown upon public attention.
Bishop Willis replies to Mr. Us.
borne in the editorial columns of
the Honolulu Diocesan Maga
zine.
The Bishop says that be accept
ed a spontaneous offer from Mr.
Osborne of his services in the
cathedral, when, about December,
1896, the Bishop was considering
how he could ge. away from the
diocese to attend tn, Lambeth
Conference. In appreciation of
what he calls "tbe generous offer"
the Bishop signifi-d his Intention
to put out a cathedral constitution,
and under il to make Mr.. osborne
a Canon and Vice Dean. "But
that he should have the title and
style Of Rector not a word was
said"
At his own earnest request after
arrival, Mr.. Osborne. says the
Bishop, was instituted Rector on
he same day, April s, 1897, that
he accepted the cathedral cousti-
tuition, and was installed canon,
solemnly undertaking to defend
the rights of the cathedral against
all persons who should endeavor
to violate or infringe the same,
aud promising obedience to the
Bishop as Dean.
As the controversy in question
is over the purchase of site and
the erection of a church at Maxi
Xxi by Mr.. osborne while the
Bishop wac absent at the Lam
beth Conference, the details of the
respective positions of the parties
beyond the foregoing may be
omitted to quickly reach that
point. The Bi-hop states that
among other things Mr.. osborne
ought to have known wss that "no
freehold rights in church proper
ty, such a. are claimed in the
pamphlet, can be given in these
islands to any Dean and Chapter,
Rector, Vicar, or other Minister,
all such rights being vested in the
Trustees of the Anglican Church
in Hawaii"
AT sydney on his way to Eng
land, Bishop Willis received a
letter from Mr.. Osborne asking
him to agree to ce' taiu proposals
for the union of the two congrega
tions-that is, those worshiping
in the cathedral building. To
this the Bishop replied, Insisting
that such union must be an un-
conditional one, and adding that,
If such union wers brought
about, this would not involve any
curtailment of liberty which
members of a reunited congrega-
ton would enjoy to organize a
new parish in Honolulu aud build
Il new church at the dis 'ance of
one mile from the cathedral. The
Bishop said in his letter, accord
ing to his own summary of it t:"Tnat
the time was not far distant when
we ought to have a church in Pa
lama and another in the Puma
hou direction, and whenever
sufficient number of people might
be able to start such a new organ
ization there was nothing in the
cathedral constitution to hinder
their doing so; that whilst as
Bishop he would not give his con
sent beforehand TO consecrate an
other church for the English
speaking race within a mile of
the cathedral, beyond that dis
tapce he would be prepared to do
SO; its erection and support being
both satisfactorily guaranteed.
That this practically gave the
laity all the liberty they could
possibly desire, ETC., etc "
From this letter Mr.. osborne
gave an extract that purported to
give him the Bishops authority,
irrespective OF previous union, to
proceed as he had done with
building near Punahou. The
Bishop holds that the passage cit
ed by Mr. Osborne is incapable of
a true Interpretation without re-
ference to the statement preceding