SR. LISTON’S SPEECH.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 48, Issue 14625, 27 March 1922, Page 5

SR. LISTON’S SPEECH.

GABJfIiET WILL PROSECUTE. .ALLEGED SEDITIOUS UTTERANCE. The Prime Minister stated on Saturthat the Government has decided, the report of the Crown Law Office, ' prosecute Bishop Liston on a charge of seditious utterance, in respect of tiu speech he delivered at Auckland on St. ■ Patrick’s Da}'. LOYALTY. SERMON BY /DR. PINFOLD. At .the Mnsterton Methodist Church last evening, the Rev. Dr. Pinfold spoke „on the subject of “Loyalty,” with special reference to the recent disloyal utterances of Coadjutor Bishop Liston, of Auckland. Taking -as his text 1. Peter JX 17, he showed that it was the duty of every Christian to “ Honour all men, love the brotherhood, fear God and honour the King. ” After indicating the reason why subjects like loyalty require to be treated in the pulpit, he referred'to Bishop Liston’s address in Auckland on St. Patrick’s Day, and to the Mayor of that city’s statement that -the speech was avowedly and openly disloyal to King and country, and an ■.affront to our citizenship. Dr. Pinfold affirmed'that, such being the case, every Christian, as a citizen of our great Empire, must not only protest but require that the Bishop be dealt with as ■fcutterers of sedition should be. His of the sad and abortive rebellion of Easter 1016, his sheering allusions to the Empire, and his reference to British soldiers as “foreign soldiers,” were not only uncalled for and •offensive, but demand an apology and punishment.

Dr. Pinfold expressed pleasure that so many Catholics had repudiated the statements of Bishop, Liston; but this only proved that the Bishop should not be allowed to use his high r and responsible position to make sueli erroneous, .rude and disloyal utterances. The Bishop in Jiis speech said that he was a native of New Zealand, and loved his country? But when that country was in the greatest possible danger, what had he done to help it? When, during the great war, he was principal of the Training College, for Priests at *Mosgiel, how many young men had he encouraged or allowed to go to the war? And even towards the close of tha-war, when some were drawn in the ballot, jiow many -really went? What New Zealand needs to-day are men who will fulfil the God-given command, “Honour not, like the Kaiser, speak nsSp God was their particular possession, while they do their utmost to stir up, strife, jut one class against another, and show disloyalty to the country which gives them shelter' and every blessing they possess. Bishop Liston *s remarks on St. Patrick \s Day were not the effusions off a rash, impulsive, ignorant schoolboy, but the words of a. bishop in charge of a large diocese, -claiming the right to speak by virtue of his office. The words were a deliberate, studied insult to the British ■crown and people. It is to be hoped that the Solicitor-General, who now has the matter in hand, will do the loyal thing, and more will certainly be heard ■of the matter.

The service was closed with the singing of the National Anthem.