BISHOP LISTON

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 24 March 1922, Page 5

BISHOP LISTON

SPEECH DEPLORED

RESOLUTION BY CITY COUNCIL

ONE DISSENTIENT: (EY TELEGBAPH —PRESS ASSOCIATION ) AUCKLAND, March 23. The City Council to-night passed a | resolution as follows: "That the council, solemnly and sincerely affirming its loyalty and allegiance to King George and to the British Empire, deplores the disloyal and seditious speech delivered . by Dr Liston, Roman Catholic coadjutor ! Bishop of Auckland, in the Town Hall, ; ana resolves: (1) That the council here- , by records its condemnation" of the said , lecture, and declares the opinion that no person capable of making statements reported to have been made by Dr Lis- : ton a s worthy of British citizenship: V) that the speech be brought under the notice of the New Zealand Govern- , ment with a view to its- taking appropriate action; (3) that those con- . cerned m the hire of the Town Hall ai?<* Auckland Domain in connection A 8}- ? atrick's Day celebrations be notified that until the sentiments expressed in the speech and evident in the proceedings are disavowed, and an assurance given against any repetition of such statements, neither of these facilities will be available for organisations under these auspices, and on whose behalf the Bishop claimed he spoke; that the city solicitor be instructed to redraft the terms for the hire of the Town Hall and the by-laws governing the use of the Domain, rearatt the by-laws relating to parks and open spaces, and consider the council's powers regarding licensing public halls, so as to require all proceedings to be condiicted m a lawful and constitu tional manner, without disloyalty sedition or other conduct invidious to the realm or constituting an affront to the citizens." J The council's resolution was opposed by Mr Bloodworth, who moved four amendments, all failing to find a seconder. Mr Bloodworth said the Mayor was right in writing to Bishop Liston, but should^have awaited a re~ply before publishing a statement The motion went further than the council should go. He considered that stronger speeches would have gone unnoticed in Britain, and pleaded for freedom of speech here. .The St. Benedict's branch of the gißerman Australasian Catholic BeneJt Society passed a unanimous resolution which deprecated the attacks on iiishop Liston, condemned- the unwarranted attitude adopted toward the bishoD by 80-cal]«d Catholics, and recording unswerving fidelity to and appreciation of Bishop Liston