MEETINGS IN CATHEDRAL SQUARE.

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

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.