Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

MEETINGS IN CATHEDRAL SQUARE.

A FUTILE PROSECUTION

Th© legal right of persons to tako up a stand in the Cathedral Square and deliver religious addresses or expound their views on tho burning political topics of the day was tested in. t'iie Police Court yesterday, when. Louis Grant was charged with obstructing the traffic by holding a religious service. Mr Salter appeared for defendant, and pleaded "ftot guilty," Sub-Inspector McGrath said the case was only brought in order to decide the right of these people to address meetings in tho Square and to draw public attention to by-law 4, section 16. Sergeant Burrowes said that at 2.30 p.m. on June 11th be noticed defendant and others preaching at thesosth end of the tramway shelter shed, and they had an audieace of some two or three hundred people. The crowd extended out as far as tho loop-lino which ran round the Godley statue. Hβ went over and asked who was in. charge of the meeting, and defendant replied that he was. Witness called him to one side and told him complaints had been made about obstructing the road. He replied that they had been going on for four years now, and he wished to make a test case of it. The free use of the road was undoubtedly obstructed. Anyone having business at the Post Office would have found it difficult to get there. j To Mr Salter : He (witness) was tlicro j about fifteen minutes. He saw nothing of a drunken man, and no one drew his attention to a man in such a state. had held meetings in the Square before, but he had never seen such a large crowd. The meeting was held between one and two o'clock, at the busiest part of the day. The Magistrate: I have tho misfor- j tune to live in the Square. Mr Salter: I sympathise with you so [

far as some of the meetings are concerned. The Magistrate: I enjoy good health. Sergeant Bird and Constable Bird also gave evidence. The Magistrate, without calling on the defence, said he* did not think the by-law was .applicable to the present case. For" years past the Square had been used for meetings and collections of peoj)ile. It was probably the noisiest area of its size in New Zealand. If the people of Christchurch wished to change the condition of things which had existed for so Jong, they must, in his opinion, deal with the matter more specifically than had been done under the by-law relied on in this case. That by-law was in regard to permitting loitering and standing abp.ut street corners, etc. The caso ffould ba dismissed.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19090714.2.9

Bibliographic details

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13474, 14 July 1909, Page 4

Word Count
444

MEETINGS IN CATHEDRAL SQUARE. Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13474, 14 July 1909, Page 4

MEETINGS IN CATHEDRAL SQUARE. Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13474, 14 July 1909, Page 4

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert