The Church and the Indians.

The TROUBLE at METLAKAHTLA

(FROM THE DAILY COLONIST, VICTORIA, B. C., JULY 26th, 1882.)

Last evening at 8 o’clock an interesting
meeting was held in the Reformed Epis-
copal Church, Humboldt street, for the
purpose of hearing an account by Bishop
Oridge and Senator Macdonald of thelr
late visit to Metlakahtla, and the present
condition of the missionary field there.

The meeting was largely attended, the
chair being occupied by Mr. James W.
Douglas.

The meeting having been opened with
prayer by Bishop Cridge, the chairman
briefly stated that they were met to hear
an account of Mr. Duncan’s labors at
Metlakahtla.

Senator Macdonald on rising said:

Ladies and gentlemen—Before going
on with my address I wish first of all to
dispel a delusion under which many are
laboring with regard to thetrade at Met-
lakahtla. Many say and suppose that Mr.
Duncan is enriching himself and hoarding
up money. It is also supposed that I am
in partnership with him. The whole
thing is utterly without foundation. I
have nothing to do with his trade, more
than helping him all I can without fee or
reward. If there are profits in the trade
they are all spent for the benefit of Metla-
kahtla, and I am of opinion that there
are few poorer men in the province than
Mr. Duncan. The trade was established
entirely for the benefit and convenience
of the village, and one great object was
to keep the people at home and free from
the temptations and contaminations of
towns. No doubt all of you have heard
something of Metlakahtla. It is a name
not confined to the boundaries of British
Columbia, It is well known in England
and in many other parts of the world as

one of the most successful missions in the
world. A young man, nota priest or a
bishop, but a layman like ourselves, and
formerly a commercial man, went into the
wilderness among a lot of heathen and
barbarous savages, who had never heard
the word of God—a people steeped im
vice, degradation, and darkness—and he,
single-handed with God’s help, carved
out a monument to Christianity, and a
civilization most remarkable considering
its age. You now find a community with
hopes, and ambitions, and breathing aspi-
rations, like yourselves.

Many of you have heard rumors about
the unfortunate divisions at Metlakahtla,.
some of them exaggerated and some with-
out any foundation—rumors circulated by
Mr. Duncan’s enemies ; some of them
being persons he has had to chastise for
offences at some time or other. Hearing.
those reports, Bishop Cridge and I were
induced to pay a visit to that place to
hear and see for ourselves how matters
really stood. We had also the hope that
we might be able to strengthen the heart
and hands of our dear friend Mr. Dun-
can, and be of some service to him. We
also hoped, although a very faint one,
that something might be done to bring
the two parties together. Our first hope
was certainly realized, Mr. Duncan and
his people being delighted to see us and
giving us a right hearty welcome. It had
been given out that he had no friends,
that he was a rotten branch cut off by the
society, without influence or friends, con-
sequently they were the more pleased to
see us, knowing that we were friends.
But with regard to effecting a reconcilia-
tion, we soon discovered from the tone of