SEMPLE'S SEDITIOUS SPEECHES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3275, 20 December 1916, Page 18

SEMPLE'S SEDITIOUS SPEECHES.

TWELVE MONTHS' IMPRISONMENT IMPOSED. CHRISTCHURCH, December 15. In the Police Court to-day Robert Semple appeared to answer three charges of seditious utterances at Auckland, Wellington, and (Jhristchureh. Evidence was given in support of the charges. Accused, addressing the bench, protested against not being allowed bail, and also against the case being heard at (Jhristchureh. in h;s message from the Australian people to New Zealand ho was referr.V.g to the light at the ballot, and not to physical violence. He was an anti-conscriptionist, but not an enemy of his country, lie had 11 relatives at the front, and his only brother was killed in the Boer war. The remarks attributed to him were absolutely correct, but a wrong interpretation had been placed upon them, h' he had urged the people ot his country to rebellion, he would be a traitor, and would deserve to be shot. 1-iis party felt that they were within the law in making the statements they had done, but it was for his Worship to decide whether he had overstepped the mark or not. lie had heard a remark by a man named Lill to the effect that he hoped a German bomb would drop m our midst, just because there had been a rise in butter. He himself wanted to hurt no man. He respected the Government as a citizen, but disagreed with its policy. He did not wish to murder them, but to murder their policies and argument. ~ -». . , The Magistrate (Mr Bishop, S.M.) said that in the face of Sempfe's opening speech, and in face of newspaper reports of his speeches, he 'his Worship) was bound to explain what exactly was his position under the law in justification of the decision he was about to make. No one for a moment could doubt that Semple had brought himself under the sedition clause of the Crimes Act. He had listened to Semple's first address with much interest. Some of his ideas were admirable, and if those were his true sentiments he had not shown himself in his true lighl from the public platform. He had evidently a most unhappy way of conveying his ideas His Worship continued: •'1 don't think for a moment that one of these reports conveys your true intentions. You arc a man of evident ability, and it is a pity that you prostitute that ability. Prostitute is the only word. If you were to use your ability in the right way you could do a tremendous amount of good." His Worship then proceeded to read extracts from speeches not mentioned in the charges. " I cannot say that in those you have done a very great deal to encourage recruiting. If you go on speaking in this way you must inevitably land yourself mto trouble. I have come to the conclusion that the words you have uttered have been highly seditious, and a direct incitement to violence, whatever you may havo had in your mind, and an encouragement to forcible opposition of ihe laws of New Zealand. That is my conclusion, and I am verv' sorry for it. It is my duty to stop you as much as I can. I cannot allow a man to interfere with those who aro upholding the Empire to which I am proud to belong. The time will come, no doubt, when this war will be over, and you and others will be able to say what you like about the conditions obtaining in this country during the war time; but now it is dangerous, and I must put a stop to it. There are three charges, and you are sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment on each, the sentences to run concurrently." Mr Raymond, K.C., intimated that the remaining charges would be held over.