DR LISTON

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 2 May 1922, Page 5

DR LISTON

ALLEGED SEDITIOUS UTTERANCE

COMMITTED FOR TRIAL

(BY TELEGHAPB PRESt. ASSOCIATION.) . AUCKLAND, May L lhe hearing of the charge of seditious utterance against Dr Liston was continued at the Auckland Magistrate's Court to-day. Frank Bailer Usher, in his evidence, said that he remembered the bishop saying that his father and mother and many others were driven by their foreign masters from the land they loved, as the country was wanted to be used at cattle ranches for the snobs of England. Referring to the Easter of 1916, the bishor. said that so many people had been murdered by foreign troops. "We must not forget their people. Their memory will live tor ever in the hearts of Irishmen " - Robert Beswick, Customs officer gave evidence. The remarks that impressed him most were these: Reference to the bishop's father and mother< that Irishmen had received the first ia stalment of their freedom and were de. termmed to have the whole of it: that they must not forget the martyrs who died m 1916—155 men and women, including three priests, who were proud to die for their country. Some were shot, some were hung, some died in a hunger strike, murdered by foreien troops." * » THE DEFENCE.

Mr Conlan (counsel for the bishop) said that when he perused the reported statements, and knowing what his lordship's feelings toward his country were, he could find in the report no word or no seditious intent. He referred to the right of free speech as one of the finest privileges of the nation, and said that perhaps the reason of this right was that those who ruled our destiny considered it much better that men should speak thenown minds and not bottle their views _ In the House of Commons, replying to a question as to whether steps would be taken to punish those who made seditious utterances in Hyde Park, the Home Secretary (Mr E. Shortt, KO said so long as there was no breach' of peace caused and the speeches did not advocate any direct violence there was no need to take any notice of them He also said that to some extent Hyde Park had come to be recognised as the safety valve of London. i -V l,o^ th»t a person might be convicted of making a seditious utterance two ingredients had to be proved *irst, the words must be seditious, ■ and, second, there must be seditious intent There was not the slightest sign of any disturbance on the present ; occasion, and one must assume that the audience simply went quietly home Counsel said a criminal intention on the part of the accused had to be shown. Nothing was further from the W g i"s lordship than to commit a i Mr Conlan said he wanted to mention some the' special circumstances which might appeal to the, Magistrate/ The speech was made on the night of St. Patrick's Day to Irish people on the Irish question by a. bishop, who, by . virtue of his.sacred office, must? not +f ak ft*, la?> b^ ™usfc do all he could to uphold it. The wording of the speech would not appeal to the people! « J! relan, d.7 ho Probably would taU na at *n ? wN ° w«*--»-<*« speech at all incited or moved anyonr to valence. The words might,beSnide^ ed indiscreet and unpalatable, but however much^the Magistrate think that so 'counsel hoped he > would Jgree with him that there had h^A*»M great illwill or any disturbance. After Mr Meredith had replied the to me fW -°%° f dltion: "Xt aPPe^S to me that m four resnects at least the speech is seditious. That is i£ l\l ' words of the Crimes Ac^it fi iSely t gise^discontent or disaffectiL iSon^ ilffl g * .ll_wlll and hostility between %¥ lassesof s«ch subjecte. It would be improper for me to comment as'Tt miVhteinpt^-anal^ *he S!' Aher m&ff mdiee thecaAccused was committed for trial bail fallowed in his own «^&S2 V