RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS IN FRANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2528, 27 August 1902, Page 15

RELIGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS IN FRANCE.

VIOLENT RESLS XANTE

PARIS, August 18. ' Trouble continues in France in connection with the Religious Associations Act. The commissary, while exercising the decrees in one town, threatened to dynamite the school, which had been barricaded. The defenders replied, "Us too." ' The commissary ultimately entered by making a breach in the wall.

At Ponteroix the gendarmes charged the crowd, and there were terrible melees. Women were overthrown, and one had both her arms broken. Two priests were knocked down and roughly handled. On this the mob unhorsed the commissary, and beat and kicked him until the priests were rescued. August 19.

In connection with the religious troubles in France, the populace barricaded a school at Plouha and deluged the gendarmes and soldiers with mud and stones. The troops used scaling ladders, bat the defenders threw burniiig^ faggots and trusses of straw upon them, compelling them twice to retreat. Eventually the. people capitulated at nightfall, acting upon the advice of the members of. the Senate and local council.

Another serious conflict occurred at Saint lleen between the gendarmes armed with pwords and the peasantry armed with cudgels and stones. T.wentyscveii v.-ore injured.

August 21

The Church party in Brittany propose to boycott the l;iy schools, and the tradesmen threaten not to supply the te-iicheis "ivith food.

August 25.

A large majority of the Department Councils support the action of the Government against conventional schcoh.