When our Charter was obtained by an Act of the Imperial Parliament, which, was granted in a most grudging spirit, and but for the encouragement afforded by His Grace the Duke of Wellington might have been much longer withheld, it was provided that a Colonial Chaplain should be appointed, and an income of £300 a year be set apart out of the colonial funds for his support. This was the only special privilege given to the branch of the Episcopal Church of England designed for the new colony, and so far was an approach to a connection of religion with the State.

But some time afterwards, in addition to this, and against the wish of a majority of the colonists, grants in aid of public worship and sites for churches and glebes were given by our Colonial Government to such of the various bodies, in proportion to numbers belonging severally to each, as would accept the money or land.

This grant-in-aid was, within a few years, withdrawn by a vote of the Legislative Council, of which there were 18 members; two-thirds elected, and the remainder nominees of the Governor.

I may here mention that previous to the grants-in-aid, a correspondence appeared in the paper of the day, the Gazette and Register, on the principle of Church and State union, and this was carried on in a very moderate tone and spirit, and, indeed, in a community where such a principle had been introduced to so small an extent it would hardly lead to much acrimony in discussing the question.

The Rev. C. B. Howard's letters I can remember were expressed in firm and moderate language. Here churchmen are now at any rate content with the condition of equality in which their church has been placed with other Christian communions. Although in this young State there have not arisen any evils from the separation of Church and State, and the withdrawal of State grants-in-aid of religion, it may be presumed that there would be greater difficulties in applying the experiment to the old country, where vested interests are to be encountered, and deep-rooted prejudices to be overcome.

At the death of our second Colonial Chaplain that office was not again filled. Our first Colonial Chaplain, the Rev. C.. B Howard, was specially adapted for the important post he had to fill as a missionary Priest. No sooner was the site of the city fixed by the Surveyor, Colonel Light, and the small population somewhat concentrated, than Mr. Howard desired to commence his ministerial duties on dry land. To carry this out conveniently, in the absence of any building in which services could be held, he borrowed a large sail from a captain in Port, to be used until a temporary room could be provided.

Having progressed so far, the next difficulty to be overcome was how to get the sail conveyed to the proposed city. All other means failing, he applied to his friend, Mr. Osmond Gilles, the Colonial Treasurer, who had a truck at the Old Port, for the use of it. This was at once granted; but then came the obstacle of a want of hands to drag the load seven miles along the dusty track, in blazing hot weather. This difficulty seemed to be insurmountable, as all hands were fully occupied in landing baggage and cargo, and in various other occupations.

Saturday had arrived, and so there was no other alternative for the two enthusiasts, who had already, and alone, commenced the arrangements, but to put themselves in harness to drag the load. Let those who knew the stout Treasurer imagine him in the pole and the Rev. Chaplain in the lead, with a rope over his shoulder, and then fancy them, having toiled so far, crossing the gullies as they were then at Hindmarsh, before that township was laid out, and they will be able to realise the figure they cut at the bottom of the first gully, with the stout Treasurer sprawling on the ground, over-powered in his fruitless endeavors to hold back, and steady the pace.

As neither poler nor leader was hurt, they sat down and had a hearty laugh, while the fallen one dusted himself. How they managed to cross the Torrens I do not know. I have no doubt they had assistance there from a few people who were busily engaged in erecting tents and huts on the encampment between North-terrace and the river. The sail having been rigged to the best of their ability the services of the church were held beneath it the next day and until a temporary wooden building was ready.

Members of the Church of England next had the use of a room situated in the Arcade in Currie-street, rented by the Government, and which was used on week days as a Court House. This was so small that many of the congregation had to remain outside, and here I and my family had the privilege of attending the ministrations of the Colonial Chaplain until the present Trinity Church was completed.

The broad and truly catholic principles exhibited by our dearly beloved first clergyman cannot be too highly spoken of. His zeal, and that of the Treasurer in their desire to erect a substantial church in place of the flimsy wooden-framed one sent out from England led them to become responsible in the sum of £1,000 to the contractor for the stone structure now in use. How this liability was met, and the sad effect produced on the Rev. Chaplain, I will narrate before I conclude this chapter.

As the last ministerial duty the Rev. Mr. Howard performed was over the remains of one of my family I may be permitted to give an account of it as a doubly bitter experience. Some months after I with my family had settled in the bush, i.e., nearly three years after landing, we were called upon to suffer the loss of a dear child under two years of age. No place of worship had at that time been erected out of the City, nor had any other than the West Terrace Cemetery been set apart by the Government. The Rev. Mr. Howard, although at the time in a weak state of health, came to us in our distress to perform the funeral service over the remains of our boy.

The Treasurer had sections in my neighborhood, on one of which he had promised to give several acres as a grave yard, but it had not been conveyed or consecrated. One adult had already been buried there; it was in the open and wild bush. After the service had been impressively delivered, and we were returning from the grave, reflecting on the unprotected place in which I was leaving the earthly remains of my child, I became almost overwhelmed, and paused in the bed of the creek we were crossing, and there I received from my dear pastor, a long kind consolatory address.

Sad to say they were the last words I was to be favored with from his lips. On mounting his horse, he departed from the wild and unfenced spot, and I saw him no more. On reaching his parsonage, weary and faint, he retired to his bed. Soon after, as I was informed, a person who said he required to see him on pressing business, was allowed an interview, and prostrate as he was, there and then served him with a writ for the amount in which he had become responsible, jointly with the Treasurer, on account of, the contract with the builder of the church. Melancholy to relate his death followed within a few days, hastened as it was feared, by the shock he received from the service of the writ.

The lamentation and grief at his loss was universal, and he was followed to the grave by the inhabitants en masse. I should here explain that the claim for the debt on the church was principally met afterwards by the Treasurer, who surrendered one of his best sections, and so our modest first church was cleared from liability; but our pastor's life had passed away before he was permitted to feel the work, completed on which he had exercised such untiring exertions, and had sunk under the weight of them.

Of the Rev. G. B. Howard I can only repeat what has been so often said of him, that he abounded in Christian charity, and consequently was beloved and respected by those of the colonists outside our communion. He was a Broad Churchman in the highest sense, and rejoiced as all true Churchmen do, in the comprehensiveness of our Church and history. Such a clergyman, occupying the post he filled, by his example did very much to produce the harmony which prevailed in the colony in his day, and since, as to religious matter especially exhibited in the pleasing actions of Christians of all, denominations contributing to the building funds for the erection of places of worship under whatever name they might be called.

I would say, as to non-essential differences let them continue to prevail if Christians of all denominations join in loyal and united support of good government, and work together in harmony for real liberty without licence. When we old colonists, after many hard struggles in our own private affairs, at this time now turn our eyes from Trinity Church, across the river, and Park Lands, and see on the opposite rise the beautiful and imposing Cathedral, which our venerable and respected Bishop has been able to complete so far, and know also that he has been aided in funds by the liberality of members of other religious bodies, we cannot but rejoice thereat, and feel that the good examples set in the early days of the colony have been followed.

It is also a source of gratification to see the many beautiful and characteristic sacred buildings which have been erected at so large a cost, and with so much taste by other communions. ln calling to mind the difficulties which beset us in opening this now prosperous colony, and in founding the City of Adelaide, pioneers have the advantage of feeling pride and satisfaction that each one of us has been more or less a worker in accomplishing so far so great a work, adding to the renown of our glorious Empire.

This feeling is experienced to an extent which fresh arrivals can hardly appreciate. To such I would say, as you have arrived after so much has been accomplished by those who have preceded you, do not slacken your hands; there remains plenty for you to do by crowning the edifice, in extending improvements over our vast, and yet unconquered regions, larger in extent than some European kingdoms, and also in perfecting the institutions which have been inaugurated to elevate the great populations this province is competent to maintain in peace and plenty.

We old ones are fast passing away, and we may justly claim that we have left our marks on the land and we do not forget the sanguine expectations, which were published by our second and energetic Governor (Colonel Gawler). He was here in office a little too early; but his reports and forebodings are not merely already accomplished, but have been greatly exceeded.

I cannot leave this part of these narrations without advising my younger fellow-colonists, especially those native-born, to take a wise and proper advantage of the great political privileges they have inherited by selecting as representatives men of good moral character, and who by their previous actions have proved that with them, self is not the predominant passion.

Having devoted so much space to our first Colonial Chaplain, I now desire to do justice to another eminent fellow-worker with him in pastoral duties, who, although not of the same communion, was yet in harness, and in a high degree successful in gathering a flock under the banner of the same Spiritual Master — I mean the Rev. T. Q. Stow — I was a witness to the praiseworthy manner in which he devoted himself to the task he had undertaken.

I then, as I have often since, wondered how a minister of his high talents and popularity could have been induced to leave England, where he could have commanded a first-class position in the Congregational Church, to undergo the toils and privations of pastoral life in a new and wild country.

Though he had the support of the Colonial Missionary Society to depend upon, in addition to the free-will offerings of his flock in South Australia, he drew upon the funds of the Society as little as possible, and for this reason for some years educated a few private pupils, and after-wards engaged in farming until the times of struggling and depression in the colony had passed away, and the pioneer Independent Church and congregation became self-sup-porting.

It will be seen from this that the privations Mr. Stow endured were voluntary, and were borne in the true missionary spirit. It is also to be recorded that he assisted with his own hands in building the first Congregational Church, which was constructed of pines and reeds, and was situated on North-terrace, a little to the west of Morphett-street.

A pleasing contrast to all this is exhibited in the present large and influential body of Independents. The esteem in which the father of the Congregational Church in South Australia was held is marked by the beautiful Stow Memorial Church, which loving members of his communion and the public have erected to his memory, and by the monument over his grave in the West terrace Cemetery. He was spared to his people until the colony greatly increased in population and prosperity.

To the late Rev. Mr. Stow may be justly applied the remarks I extract from the South Australian Magazine of January, 1842, which are there applied to the Rev. Mr. Stow and first Colonial Chaplain--- "To him is doubtless to be attributed much of that cordiality and good feeling which has existed among all denominations of Christians from the establishment of the province up to this hour." This can be again repeated at the end of 35 years.