IRELAND AND BRITAIN.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17409, 21 March 1922, Page 6

IRELAND AND BRITAIN.

DR. USTON'S SPEECH.

STBQNG CONDEMNATION. The speech of Dr. Liston, Coadjutor Roman Catholic Bishop of Auckland, nt the St. Patrick's Day concert in the northern city, was strongly commented upon at last night's meeting of the Council of Christian Congregations. The Rev; J. J. North moved the fo'lowing motion:—"The Council of Christian Congregations regrets exceedingly that Prelates of the Roman Catholic Church in New Zealand should more than once have used the occasion of the Irish Treaty, which has been approved by the Parliament of Great Britain, and by the Irish National Assembly, and by the world at large, to express suspicion of the honesty of the intentions of the llothei: Country, and their discontent with the Treaty itse't, and generally to malign the Empire. The Council is unable to believe thfit any man is a good New Zealander who detamea the Empire. The Council expresses its pleasure at the stern attitude of the Mayor of Aucklandj and trusts that an end will be voluntarily put to this type of mischievous utterance."

In proposing the motion, the Rev. J.J. North said that the resolution had been drafted by the executive in connexion with the utterance at Auckland on St. Patrick's Day by Dr. Liston. Such statements were calculated to have a disruptive effect in the Dominion, it made it appear that New Zealand was one country, and the British Empire another. It was a source of satisfaction, that Dr. Listen's speech had betin promptly replied to hy the Mayor of ,Auckland, when discussing the Treaty in Wellington some time ago, .ArchI bishop Redwood also spoke hi ft derogatory manner of it. When it was stated that a man cottM be -a New Zealander, and not a member of the Empire, it was time to make a protest. He considered that it behoved ' the Council to back tip the attitude of the Mayor of Auckland in denouncing the Biflhop's'stiEtement. There were many adherents 'of the Uonwn Catholic Church who were ndt IrMi, and such utterances must cause Them great concern. It was eapecially st r..ngD for tho Roman Catholic Church to tnko up such a view when the Church Always prided itself on being so universal. He considered' that the isolation was .couched, in ' quite mild language, considering the terms of the Speech, The motion was seconded by the tte«\ E. Chard. Mr Bevan-Brown said that he had boon filled with indignation when lie read the speech in the newspapers. To stir up the feelings of the Empire at sucih. a tima as the present was' *-ery wrdfcg. It hurt Jum Uk read that British soldiers had been : referred w to as foreign soldiers. He ciiuld not understand ho* a Christian ■ piifttet qotild countenance such ii deed n*i the ; marker of two sick policemen in Itwspitnl, «s had recently been reported from the North of Ireland.

Bean Carrington considered that the motion was too- embracing in, its terms. "With, the conten\ of the seconder, the mover altered the motion to delete ' the reference to the liftman i Catholic E relates generally, 'Dr. 1 iaton's name. ■' The Rev. J. R,. Pctareon said that the executive had considered the question carefully. They deprecated those people who were seeking to make out of the Irish trouble a disintegrating force in the Empire. The executive considered that the question was of great social importance, h6ctce 'the drawing up of the resolution, '• J k ; ' ' 'A> member't>f the, a^dfth&<'saidVth , &t If auohi a- motion was > passed it wmld loflfectuallt kill any chance there <wa£ of the Roman Catholics joining the Cdunoil of Christian Oongrogat&ns. , - Dean Oarriiigton, mijved , shai,:<4he Council proceed with the'next business, hut the motion • was r < overwhelmingly defeated - ' < x *,-. i

A number of other shakers dtfnoqnced the speech of Dri lonian and stated that no doubt there ivero numbers of Catholics who would not aesociateShemi selves with Dr. Lisbon's speech. i The Rev. J. Napier Milne said that the resolution ought to he pawed.' It did not censure the -iftoman' Catholic /Church, but merely tlie author of the' speech. - P*r»onAlly r tljj* jpeftkar. was j* meek and mild man, who had goto I,trouble because he tad sympathised with the Roman Qatholies on the death of the Pope He was not a member of the P P.A. and neve* Expected to be.' >. The Rev, J. J. North said that if ,we~ P.P.A. had-given tmctiria staSem^nt'utterance he would be jwsfc as conderonatorv of that body as of Dr. Listen. Thii motion as amended was carried with,tto„wo„ dissentients.

MB GUNSON'S EEMABKS. (SPECIAL TO "Tljlt FBBSS.") AUCKLAND, March ; 20. Bishop Listen's utterances regarding Ireland, and the Mayor's official protest, formed the chief topic of discussion in the city to-day. , Speaking at , the Rotary Club luncheon, the president (Mr C Rhodes) said members of the club must, have been interested, if not thrilled, by the publication of Mr Gunson's remarks. This produced loud and applause, followed by three cheers for the Mayor. ' , k . When the demonstration had' funsided, Mr Rhodes remarked that members had said what lie wanted to say fifty times better ,th.in he oould hare done it.

WEWSfrAPER CbMßflßl**. ■■.])[■ "* .■'.■.''■ ■■■' ,V (BPECIWU TO "tbe prbss.") DUNEDIN, March.2o. The "Star'' says: The-remarks of Dr. Linton, the Coadjutor Bishop of Auckland, at the St. Patrick's Day gathering? were not too strongly condemned by the Mayor of Auckland as "avowedly and openly disloyal to King and country, and £p. affront to our citizenship." Dr. Ijfcton declared that he> was a New Zealamder, and loved his country. If his sentiments are to be judgfcd by these reported utterances* this country will be better without his love. The extravagances ui Irish Nationalists may be amusing up to a certain stage, but there is a point where they have capacity for becoming extremely mischievous, and the Mayor has taken a step much in the interests 0/ Irishmen by his reminder that a limit must be recognised. '