REY. HOWARD ELLIOTT.

Press, Volume LIII, Issue 16037, 20 October 1917, Page 8

REY. HOWARD ELLIOTT.

ATTITUDE OF BAPTIST UNION EXECUTIVE.

(press association to*egram.) WELLINGTON, October 19. Tho question of tho action of the Rcr. Howard Elliott as the organiser of tho Protestant Political Association, and the attitude assumed towards him by Parliament-, and especially by Mr L. M. Isitt, M.P., was carefully discussed by the executivo of tho Baptist Union, and resolutions were unanimously adopted. The secretary (tho Rev. R. g, Gray) was authorised to ma ho public the following resolutions:— That wo desire it to bo understood that the Baptist denomination has no connexion as a denomination with tho Protestant Political Association, or any other political association, but inasmuch as the l'act of the Rev. Howard Elliott being a minister of the Baptist Church was stressed m Parliament as though the denomination were itself involved in Mr Elliott's this executive resolves: 1. That this executive condemns the action of tho Government in instigating a censorship over tho Protestant Political Association's Post Office box, apply, ing not only to literature but also to private correspondence, while it refrained from any similar action with regard to Roman Catholics, and holds that its failure to prosecute tho Roman Catholic organ tho "Tablet" for the publication of seditious articles warranted the charges of religious partisanship. It attaches no importance to tho statement made by the AttorneyGeneral (the Hon. A. L. Herdman) that, acting upon the advice of the Crown Law Office, ho concluded that »o action should bo taken, as a verdict could not he obtained, sinco such advice was tendored to a Department which, either in ignorance or defiance of tho facts, acted without any legal authority in giving instruction that the unjust censorship should be instituted.

2. That, whilo it accepts Mr Isitt'a assurance that so far as the Baptist Union was concerned he was actuated only by a desire to defend it® good name, this executivo fools that it was quito competent to deal with tho matter, and regrets that its action was'prejudiced by such a public declaration as that made by him in Parliament. Itconsiders that a more judicial statement of tho caso might have been expocted from him, and is greatly surprised that ho uttered no word of eon. domnation of tho Government's unjustly discriminating consorship. Thnt it entertains no doubt of Mi Elliott's but dissociates it self entirely from the charges and insinuations contained in the letters which caused so much public discussion, and condemns tho use and publicatioi of them in controversy with tho Roma! Catholic Church.

(SPECTAIi 10 "THE PRESS.'*) WELLINGTON, October 19. It was tho Protestant Political Assoi' ciation —not tho Baptist Union executive—which last night paseod a resolution of sympathy with the Rev. Howard Elliott in the recent attack made upott him in Auckland.