PENALTY FOR SEDITION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 14608, 18 May 1918, Page 7

PENALTY FOR SEDITION.

«♦— . REV. J. H. G. CHAPPED SENTENCED TO 11 MONTHS. (Per Press Association). OHHISTCHUKCH, last night. The 'heaving of oharges of having made seditious utterances at Greymouth on March 26 and 29 last against Rev. J. H. G. Chappel, lecturer, of l ' Christohurch, j was taken to-day by Mr Bailey, S.M. Evidence as to accused uttering the wprds was given! by Stenior-Sergeanlt Simpson and Detective-Sergeant Ward. Mr Twyneham, for the defence, submitted that the information' should be , dismissed. If the words ihad been used m the way the witness had' reported i thorn probably they could 'be held to be ' seditious, but it had been clearly established that they had been divorced' from ; the context and were mere extracts from j au address M'hic'h took 90 minutes to j deliver. The words had not been used m the way set out m the information, and he submitted that they gave an entirely erroneous description of the , speech. itis Worship, m convicting accused, said that ho considered ho was a dangerous man, especially at this time ia the country's history. He would be sentenced to eleven months' imprisonment on each charge, the sentences to be concurrent. There, were low cries of "Shame," and the Court was declared adjourned. As the public were filing out a woman raised her voice m passionate protest against the sentence. , TTMARtT,. last night. j The Timaru branch of the New Zealand Labor party to-night passed a resolution protesting against the "savage sentence" imposed on Rev Mr Chappel, and expressing the opinion that "even if guilty of a crime (which violates no moral code), m view of his advanced years a fine could have adeqiiately vinj dica.ted the authority of the law." ! Mr. Chappel was formerly n Unitarian minister at Timaru. i —