REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT'S CHARGES.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14482, 14 August 1917, Page 6

REV. HOWARD ELLIOTT'S CHARGES.

- THR CFABORBHIP

(Unitkh Phk&s Association.)

/ r., Wsliington, August 13. Tho'lioval C'omu'.issio-n to lnvefitigate the rhai'g^a'iiif.di' hy the Ilov. i3oward Elliott tiiat postal 'waiter with rei'er<;nco to n meeting of the Protestant .Political Association vas tamperedVith in the course of its delivery 'through tho'Au'ckland Post Office, opened fchid morning, Mr Biyluw, S.M., pi"csiding. . '' r The order of referouW* _ contained three charges, briefly (1) tbit envelopes •that had contained circulars were doliverod empty; (2) that cu-culars directed to clergymen asking tiieni to aniionnco the meeting from tiie pulpit, posted on-Fiiciay night a I a suijurban •post office, wore not delivered nntil after the foilowiiin; Sunday, and (3) that correspondence..addressed to the post liox cf the heal Grange Led so had been subject to military' .censorship in .the interests ..of the Horn an Qatholic Church and -some let tcrs improperly detained f though they had :io rofcroncc to military matters■ or j-he Avar 'but dealt-ex-clusively'.with, the -subject cf Koma'a Catholioi,sm,

The 'Prune "Minister had Intimated that there-Wa ( s-»o. ojbjootiou to inquiry ijas -to- alleged iißprpper deliyGry. or conjsorshjp, :bi!t. !T:;;^?ntK;i!' as a state of war 'had mrvde "the'•e^tafrlisijmerit'.a?' tao censorship ■nwv's.-.iivy. -.and: -a's jirattfrs' arising out- of t'lu-' ct-'OKorship are 'for'Bta-te reasons swrc;:. th«> • Cabinet cannot agree to a-lkuv the CommiftHion to caM any censor o'r.por nT)dor -t-be contrpl of the Chief Twiiitru'v Cerißor'vo do anything more i!;on ox])!e.-iri what was done •by'him' with 'in.v lotters or documents iefprre<] h> v\ the rhnrge r.ftor their goin^ .into his minds. A c^r.-or officer con Id crjvo no opinion ;in.;l no reason for oensnrini-; nuy don;n:ent.s or corrcspondoutv.

Mr Ostlr-r ;;.n>-,nit,ifd that tho Censor was'i7i)flor tho o^urrol of tho Kinistpr of DoroiK3o.

11 r Grov 0.:;u.-;!f!('(l ihai tho Censor was v.ncler Iniprvvil oor.t'-oL : . Mi: "Bishvip '-aid Tio v.-onkl not proceed "with the inquiry'until h« had' ?. definite, order of r^f s ->r°fiop .<;hov>-;ns: his powers in relation to +ho Censor, tnv}- ndjonrned thoinn-j;ir v sino die to c^oi'that point defined. v .