DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT.

Colonist, Volume LVIII, Issue 14512, 14 September 1917, Page 6

DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT.

IJOUSE. INDIGNANT OYEE'^TRiP;

LETTERS

"FILTHY "AND BLACKGUARD . CONCOCTIONS.'*

Ttvo members?-of-the■■He.us©---t>f Representatives expressed- dissatisfaction with the -ra-ult of. the Auckland postal inquiry when the report was tabled today, but the remaining speakers were of oi>inion that tlit? Postal officers were cleared.

Strong iudignatioo vt&g el own over the nature i)f the trap luttors s^nt by the Rev. Howard Elliott tl^ro^gh ihe Post Office to discover ir » censorship existed.

Messrs Nosworthy sad Jf. 8. Dickson declared that the inquiry tva!* unsatisfactory, and the matter sou!d yet be heard in the Supreme Court. Ttey suggested that it was singular that no censorship was established over Roman Catholic literature,'while a Protestant association's correspondence tras - held ■«p- ■■ " '■■■:■■■ ." /. •,■■■■ .".

Mr;-. Herdman (Attorney-General) stated that, having read the report and the evidence, t c had come to the conclusion that no more ill-advised, recki&ss or ill-judged attack upon a Government . department Jt&d ; ever been made : . iv tl: e history -of -the. ■country! (Hear, hear.) _ The view ii© look was ttiat while this country was engaged in such ajrar no religion section in tire community had any right whatever to participate in a violent political propaganda. (Hoar, hear.) The. reason why the censor interfered with Post Office Box 912, Auckland, was that it came to the. knowledge of the Govern- . Mont that certain literature was being Circulated throughout the country whichl tended to provoke a violent sectarian squabble. Why should not the State step in to prevent the circulation of literature which was offensive to a very large- section of the community holding,religious, viewsP Why did the Crov'ernment censor Box- 912," and not the "New Zealand "Tablet?" ilo would toll the House. Tie' Protestant, Vigilanco Committee circulated its literature through the Post Office, while the Roman Catholic Church circulated its views through the medium of papers which; the Government could get every day; . .. : '.- '-■■■ .-., :-. . . • Mr NjDSwbrthy: It was a dwgraceful ...thing, you didn't take steps; to suppress them. ' ■•■; ' .: ' Hr Herdman: We neither prosecuted the Protestant body -for- .publishing fiideoHs, rJg^t'^ ,;ior '' the tablet.-** -I hea^t^^isay,Aether" the, circular,- "E.orite.'s' ffidtjoiis Guilt/ was seditious, and I say in- my Judgment/ wtat wa.a published in the "Tablet" was not- seditious, and we would not hay© got a rpntictibn; Mr "Herdman.; said '.a censorship -was absolutely necessary during tho war, and li^3 resulted in the. detection of several cases of illegal trading with the enemy. The suggestion that the censorship was established in the interests of tie Roman Catholic Church -was: a : wild, reckless and absolutely, foundationless fctiitement. - The .Rev. Howard Elliott, -might bo a perfectly honest gentleman, but he adopted very reprehensible methods to trap Postal officers. . If he suggested that tre statements, in his trap letters were correct, then 'he should supply specific details, when it would be hia (Mr Herdmaa'fl) duty, as head of tho . Police Department, to make investigations. Mr Herdman, proceeding, read two of the Rev. Blr iSttioti/s: trap letters, wiich were writteai in the form of quest4ooß a« to the accuracy of jumours suggesting possibilities so diabolical tjrat fcho House 'was roused ,to genera! indignation. Mr-Isist declared, in a t<rts> shoeing strong' feeling: "itiiiiaeestH^ ashamedto .-U© a. Protestaat—etjcfe feiaekguard tajneociaons." , . .-:.. , ;„

:Mr Herdman had ; read "tlte %wo letrj *' ters, .aiid - was "proceo&isg -to road a" tltord, when a number o^ members who had shown a groat dist&s&j^or their . unsavoury character, interjected, "'Don't read any vaoi&?* Mr Herdman: No, I won't;; but, 11 -' theso letters ato founded on fact, jt is. tr c clear duty of the Rev. Mr Elliott and those associated with, turn, to pla«e . in the possession of the {joliee the facts. If, on the contrary, the circumstances tstated"in these letterd &ra wrong, 1 can hardly conceive it possible* that a minister of the Christian religion could go into Die quiet of his own manse and eon--7 coct such villainous letters/

Mr Isitt declared that he felt' absor lutely certain, when the nature of the - Rev. Mr Elliott's I&fcicr* was made - known to the inomberß o£ ths Baptist •Union, it would drop Mr Elliott with very great promptitude. "And/ Mr Isitt added, "for the credit of .our Common Protestantism,' when the country is made aware of tit is- man's filthy and blackguardly concoctions, no minister of any church will soil himself by having- any contact or any truck with. . this man."" . ■•. ■■•.-.