THE Wellington Independent Saturday, January 9, 1858. ARCHDEACON HADFIELD'S REFUSAL TO ALLOW THE INSPECTION OF HIS SCHOOL.

Wellington Independent, Issue 1258, 9 January 1858, Page 3

THE Wellington Independent Saturday, January 9, 1858. ARCHDEACON HADFIELD'S REFUSAL TO ALLOW THE INSPECTION OF HIS SCHOOL.

We have already informed our readers that the Governor has issued Commissions to enquire into the state of those Native Schools which have received or are receiving Grants of Crown Lauds or Publid money. Ln this Province it appears that there aro five such establishments in actual or supposed existence—all, we believe, in connection with some of the leading ecclesiastical bodies. At Wanganui, there is one maintained, or supposed to be maintained, on a splendid block of suburban land (close tOj womigbt almost call it pari of, the towu) in charge of tho Rev. Mr. Nicholl.of tho Piotestant Episcopal Church ; and another, maintained, or supposed to be maintained, on a similar, but less valuable Grant of land, a few miles further off, in charge of the Wesleyan Minister of Wanganui. -.There is' also, or said to be, a Wesleyan Scfe*x*l at tho Hutt; a Roman Catholic one in Wellington, and a Protestant Episcopal (or Church of England) one) at Otalti; of which last our readers have already heard somothiug. These were all intended for the education of the native andjjjhalf-caste race, in industrial pursuits and litdrary knowledge; and, we believt>, with the exception of the Roman Catholic one in Wellington, havo, or aro supposed,or were intended, to have, farms adjaceut, on which the agricultural instruction might be given, and the culture of Which might contribute to (he support of the Institution.

We have said that those schools aro maintained or supposed to be maintained. Wo havo used the latter term advisedlyj because we Understand, that, with the exception of two tit most, they much resemble thoso imaginary cities of tho Aztecs, whioh a certain Don Hermandoz reports to exist in great splendour in Central Amoricai but of which no other traveller has been able to discover a vestige. Tho Wesleyan school at Wanganui, for instance, we understand, is without buildings of any sort, and equally devoid of teaohors und pupils. Mr. Nicholl's establishment, when we last hoard of it.wusdescribed.to us as having a pretty comfoitabl _ residence tho for Rev. gonlloman himself, and ono elderly maori for a modol pupil • while of tho splendid domain attached to it.a part, was leasod oul to soyoral teilan'ts, and a part'us.d by tbo Rey. gentleman as a grazing farm, on which ho " agists " the/horses, &c, of tho neighbourhood at so much per week, as per advbnisem'eut. Of tho school at the

Hull, wo hitvo not yet boon üblo to ascertain the whereabouts. Tho Rornuti Catholic one at Wellington, forms part of tlie mission- establishment and has, wo believe, given a good plain odiicution to a consiil-rulilo iininlier of natives and halfcastes. Tin; remaining one is that at Oulii.ih charge of the Rev. and Venerable Arciidwuioii Hudfiuld, and attached to tho mission establishment, of which ho is the head.

Of those Institutions that which hits been most petted aud cared for by the Government, is the one at Otaki. In addition to tho large pecuniary grants made to it, Sir George Grov had a town surveyed and laid out in order to concentrate the.natives around tho establishment, to which ho gave tho name of" Hadfield," by which, however, it is as littlo known to the public as Wanganui is by that of " Petre." Its prosperity has been paraded in official despatches, and it has been held up as a model institution for tho admiration of all who might not have the fortune to see it;

Down to a very recent date, although bestowing the public money and land upon these establishments so liberally; we understand that the General Govern' ment has taken no steps to ascertain how, its bounty was applied, and whether the. native race Was really deriving those advantages for the expenditure which it •was intended to secure. A few weeks ago, howove.) Commissioners were appointed by the Governor, as already stated, to inspect these institutions—Captain Campbell, and Mr. Wiclmeed, for Wanganui; Messrs. Clifford, Fitzherbert, St. Hill, and May,jointly for Otaki, Wellingtion, and the Flutt.

With a single exception the conductors of cheso various institutions have, we understand, at once submitted, or expressed their readiness to submit them to the inspection of the Commissioners, and have furnished or are ready to furnish all the statistical, and pecuniary information required. The exception is the Rev. and Venerable Archdeacon Octavius Hadfield, <vho coolly shuts the door in their faces, and sets them and the Governor at defiance.

We printed in our last, a copy of a letter such as the Rev. and Venerable Geutleman, might, under the circumstances, have been expected to address to tho Commissioners, on hearing of their appointment; and we also printed one which had been sent to us as a copy of that he had actually written. Tbe party who furnished the latter, appears to have quoted it from memory; but it was substantially (almost verbally, the same as the original. One of the original circulars (in tbe Venerable Gentleman's own hand writing) is now before aud it is as follows :— (Copy) " Otaki, January 1, 1858. "Sir, —I have the honour toinl'ovo. you that I have received an official communication from Mr. Richmond acquainting me that his Excellency the Governor has been pleased to appoint you tv inspect the Native and half-caste schools iit Wellington, the Hutt, and Otaki.

I havo further the,honour to inform you that as I have now ceased to receive any pecuniary aid from the Government, towards the support of the school at Otaki, I shall not consent to any inspection of that Institution. I have written to Mr. Richmond to that effect.

I have the honour to he, Sir, Your most obedient servant, OcTAVIUS H.-iIFIELD, To —-— _ Esq., &c, &c, he.

Such is the manner in which the Venerable Gentleman meets the request of hisjExcellency to'be allowed to look at the fruits of a large anuual of expenditure of public money. " I have had so much of your money," says he, " that I can very well do for the future without it, and therefore without one word of gratitude for {past favours, without the slightest acknowledgment of your many acts of kindness, I decline to submit to any inspection by you, and if you take the trouble to come after this warning, I sha.ll shut the door iv your face, and that of your Commissioners."

The Commissioners, we understand nothing daunted by tho pugnacious and. defiant attitude of the Venerable Archdeacon, replied that they considered it their duty to execute the Governor's Commission, and that on Friday they would be at Otaki, whither, we are informed, they have proceeded accordingly. Whether the Venerable Gentleman will persist in his rosistance to the powers that be, or whether be will think better of it, and capitulate to the besieging force; we presume we shall iv due course be informed. We cannot donceive a man guilty of n more ungracious and contumacious act than that which the Venerable Gentleman has committed. For years past a recipient of large gruut'sf of'p'iblic money, made for public objects, he is at last required, in the most friendly spirit, by tho highest executive authority iv the colony, to submit his Institution to the inspection of Coihniissionors, in ordor that his Excellency and the public may bo informed what fruit the large expenditure has borne j and he curtly, stiffly, flatly, and without a word of courtesy or thanks, refuses to allow it. Most men when their labours have been attended with any subcess in tho conduct of such iustituiions are only too proud to invito lho inspection of the public, and they feel a pardonablvauity in exhibiting the proofs of their succoss. Schoolmasters; in particular* are" remarkable for this failing. Tho brimstone-and-troaclo pot is put away; the birch and tho picklp tiro stowod out of sight; and parents and guardians aro politely invited to attend the half-yearly examinatiou of tho young scions who are acquiring classical and comtneroial iti-

struotion al the hands of Dr. Grampus. And it is quito natural that whon a man's reputation (ami the condition of his pocket) depend upon the successful results of his lahoiirs, ho should invite thoso who are interested to inspect his stock-in -trade. If he does otherwise, if ho shuts the dour ou his customers; and pulls down the blinds, tho presumption naturally is, thai ho has no successful tesults tosbew, and isafraidof exhibitingthe state of his empty benches. Mr. Hadfiold tolls iho Commissioners that tbe condition of his pocket is such that further grants are a matter of indifference ito him, but we wore not prepared for a [course of action which implies that his reputation.is equally so. No little pains have been taken to puff the Otaki Establishment as a rotnarkable instanco of success. Is it so, or is it not ? If it be, Archdeacon Hadftold can have no reason for excluding the Commissioners. If, on the other hand, it is a signal failure, if ihii attendance of the pupils at his school has dwindled away, in some three years, from upwards of 100 to less than 10; if the natives, originally attracted to it by novelty, now regard it with contempt; and speak of it with derision ; if little or no benefit can be shewn to have resulted from the'largo grants of public money which have been lavished, upon it; then we can easily understand why the Rev. and Venerable Gentleman should decline to submit his institution to inspection, or in other words, to exposure. What inference the public will draw frorh the refusal, cannot admit of a doubt; They aro never afraid to come to the light, whose works will bear the light. It is about a month ago since the Venerable Archdeacon published art angry aiid vituperative attack on the Provincial Government, charging it with nearly every offence of which a Government could be guilty, and among others with arbitrary, unconstitutional conduct, disregard of public opinion, and disrespectful treatment of trio Geueral Government. Does the Venerable Gentldtnati consider it other than " arbitrary and unconstitutional" to decline io allow the inspection by public officers of an establishment hitherto supported by public money ? Does he consider the slap in the face which he administered to the Commissioners as respectful and conciliatory to the General Government ? Does he exhibit a proper deference to public opinion, when he shrinks from public scrutiny into the condition of an establishment which owes its very existence to gr.nits of public money ? It would have been well if the Venerable Archdeacon had plucked out the beam from his own eve before he p traded with so much vir'uous indignation the motes he professed to have found in his brother's.

We shall be interested to know how' (ha Governor receives this act of defiance' to his authority. The Stafford Ministry we know is very desirous of conciliating the ecclesia**-tjca! bodies, but it must be lost to all self-respect, and craven indeed, if it submits to this insult offered to it and his Excellency, by the would-tse-Wolsey of Otuki.