Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954), Wednesday 26 February 1879, page 2


OUR LAUNCESTON LETTER.

[From our own Correspondent.]|

LAUNCESTON, Tuesday.

About a week ago I mentioned an unpleasantness which had cropped up between the Launceston Benevolent Society and Mr. Henry Reed, owing to the desire of the latter to make the now proposed almshouses a sectarian affair, in opposition to the wish of the Benovolont Committee,' tyho ¡have always conducted theil- busiicss on the broijd. bajjs. of chaiity and humanity, and-haye never allowed narrow sectarian principles to ontor amongst thom. I then expressed tho iinpo that Mr. Henry Reed would not press what must provo a wedge of dis-union, and expressed the opinión Huit the society, which comprises men of every creed, and has worked harmoniously -for years on unsectarian principles, could not give way, but in this, it appears I was mistaken, I dld'bolieyp. tljat these gentlemen were above stultifying tl|cip npt|on ever since the existence of tlje Sjocjety, tliat thej} were aboyo sacrificing a r,ecoghisqd ' principle it) conciliate any mau on earth ; tho,t sqoijor thaa, break up ono of tho fow uuscutariau institutions ÍH the colony, and sow the seeds of disunion and ill« feeling, they would hand back to Air. Roed hil laud and his £100, and trust to tho generosity of tho public ta recognise tho sacrifice; that they would sooner bo without nlmshousos at all, than gonduci thom upon an opposite principle, tq that ^l(êy ha\[4

ever previously actcdupon-acotarían charity. HQW< over, I will state the facts, and let your readers draw their own conclusions. Mr. Reed refused to withdraw his conditions, and when the matter was next discussed in Committee one proposition was, that the subscription lists should bo gone through, and all monies received from Oatholiog should be returned. This was kpqqked iQn t')q head by a statement frouî a Protestant member, that many Protestant members wero going to withdraw all support, if the almshouses woro to be conducted on sectarian principles. Tho majority declined to reject Mr. Reed's conditions, and the meeting ended by the treasurer resigning his position, ana) with two Catholic members leaving the room. TI)« others then', as private individuals., not as (ha Committee of tho Benovolont Sooiety, formed them-selves into a new committee, and appointed la treasurer, to take poasession of all monies col-lected and donated for the almshouses; and I believe it is their intention, sooner than lose Mr. Reid's donations, to submit to all his conditions. Now if it were a committee of private gentlemen alone who had this matter of the almshouses in hand, it would bo no business of mino what principles they conducted it upon, but as it was iqitiiited under. (Iii auspip'es of a public sooiety, and subscriptions' woro obtained upon the distinct understanding it was to bo managed by the Bonbyolent Society upon un-sectarian principles, it becomes a public matter when 0 few private gentlemen secretly form themselves into a committeo and {ay hands on public mq'noy to divert to another purpose thaifthât it was ¡nteixjeif for. ' I say M secretly,'' bc'qausd before molting any comment upon it, I have waited nparly j) fortnight to seo whether some puhlio announce' mont of this chango would be made, and I have seen none. The newspapers hero scorn to bo in the dark altogether, for tho only mention of tho matter 1 havo scon was a paragraph copied into a looal paper from a former letter of minc, with a few lines "hoping it.was not as stated/' but the local papers do not seom to haye mado any inquiry into it Pt ali. The Benovolont Socibty'is supported by j,ho'pilbHoy by mci) of all creeds, and}, hope always will r!oc6tvl¡ gouefous support. '"Aid was' sóíiofto'ít for the alms-houses iipo'fi the same broad principles ¡Va fow mern hors of that Society havo diverted that molloy to "sectarian charity," and ¡tis a qijostioi} for. the public ' tyho * huyo sub'sçrlbçd, ' to cay whotUgp thoy will allqw it tqJ lib so diverted, ¡piq ffiP tho sooioty to say if the action of- som'o of ii* members meeta with tho,sanction of tlio society or not. I regret deeply the stop that has boon taken, it is one in tho wrong direction, and will, I am. afraid, impair tho usefulness Of tho society.

On Sunday evening Mr. Wm. Chas. Bowman, of Cheshunt, died in town at the age of 48. Mr. Bowman was a colonist we can ill afford to lose. He came over here some years ago from Adelaide, and in conjunction with his brother, Mr. John Bowman, purchased the fine estate of Cheshunt, on the Meander River, some ten miles beyond Deloraine, from the late Mr. William Archer, and they have since carried on agricultural and pastoral pursuits there, in conjunction with their large properties in South Australia. They have done a good deal to improve our pure-bred stock, partic-ularly in cattle and the Messrs Bowman Bros. exhibits are well known at most of the agricultural shows. They were large employers of labour, and I wish we had a few more colonists like the late Mr. W. C. Bowman.

It is now considered certain here, that Mr. F. W. Grubb will offer himself as a candidate for the vacanay in the Legislativo Council for Tamar, in the room of his father, the late Hon. W. D. Grubb, and, tliougji as a young'man, a year or two iu the Lówor lifouso ' would bo of great sorvioo to him, wo might find a worse candidato, for Mr. *FA \V. Grubb has for yoars takoq a warm, iqtorqs,tj in politinnl affairs, ql^'ays taking an active, ttiough notj qbtjusiyo pflj't in all elections, and is hardworking mid Very attehttt'o'to business. But whothor he will over replace his father is anothor mattor, I was liuich struck with a remark mado tho other day that o\ir Qld,.idontitios arp passing away, and leaving no suqecssars,. Thoy havq been prqirdnont and usofql public rqon,, oui"! moat of thom havo boan auusod anil, blaqkgqardod moro or leas «t timos, fjal|od'nb's'liuiotivos and old fogies, but whore shall Wo find bottor ? Whoro aro thq young mon to take their places, and dovqto their timq ami ouorgios for yoars to tho publia sorvioo as thoir fathers have dono ? Wim will roplaoo Mr. Chapman, tho " best abusod mau in Tasmania," Mr. Grubb, Mr. Innos, Mr. Aikonhoad, Sir J. M, Wilson, Mr. T. B. Bartloy, and tv host moro of past and prosent publio mon y The question is ono worth thinking oyor.

Burton's Oirous sooms as popular boro as it wai in Hobart Town and ovory ovouing sinoo it has boon oponod, oxcont Saturday night, has drawn fine housos. Last night " Diqk Turpm's Rido to York!

was introduced, and groat fun was oausod by one of Juno's old mail uoachos, with tho orthodox four horses, coming up tho street outside with a clatter that reminded ono of old times, ami dashing into tho oirous, there to be "stuck up " by Turpin, «na then olattoiing off to the oo*oh,bu|ldiiig yard il WM )>onwwftftw»t,i,.i,!.1,i.uj ütui (ll(J ,. iJtil.

1 til,*, .iirjuiqiil.!