ALLEGED SEDITION
CASE FROM SAMOA. (Per Press Association. —Copyright.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Another appeal from the High Court of Western Samoa came before the Full Court yesterday at Wellington. It was the case of 0. F, Nelson and Company, Ltd., v. Police (Samoa). In January an information was laid by the police in Samoa charging the company-with .28 - different breaches of the Samoan regulations of January, 1930, in that it had “participated in and aided, abetted and encouraged the activities of a seditious organisation, to wit, the Mau, by receiving various sums of money on its behalf.”
The company was found guilty and convicted by Chief Judge Luxford,: and fined the maximum penalty of £2OO on each charge, making the total' fine £5600. The company now is appealing from that judgment. Mr Moody, for appellant company, s|iid the appeal was based on the Allowing ' —~(lj. • ‘v'tthat •, thb convictions . were not' justified by the facts; (2) that they were erroneous in point of law; (3) that in any ease the penalties were excessive. Counsel said the suggestion made by the prosecution in the Court below was that by the receiving of these moneys! and the giving of receipts for them the company had committed a breach of' the Samoan regulations, the inference • being that the moneys were to be used for the purpose : of the (Mau. The total amount received was £283 5/. , The contention of the appellant company, however, as made in the Court below, was that these moneys were paid into the office of -the 1 company at Apia by members of the Man for the purpose of being forwarded to Mr Nelson personally in part payment of debts due by the. hfau to him. The moneys were received by employees of the .company that, they might’ be forwarded to Mr Nelson in discharge of the debts owing to him at a time prior to the Mau being declared illegal. These debts *had been incurred by Mr Nelson meeting legal expenses and purchasing gopds on behalf of members of the Mau. The hearing was adjourned until today.
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Bibliographic details
Northern Advocate, 16 October 1931, Page 6
Word Count
348ALLEGED SEDITION Northern Advocate, 16 October 1931, Page 6
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