DECISION REVERSED.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 845, 17 June 1910, Page 6

DECISION REVERSED.

NATIONALIST LECTURER AND THE ! : V . TOWN HALL. ; BARRED BY, A COMMITTEE. : . STRONG AND SUCCESSFUL PROTEST. A deputation of over forty persons .Waited oil the City Council last evening ~ to protest against the refusal of the j " Finance Committee to lot the Town Hall anil Concert Chamber to Mr. Joseph M'Cabe, the well-known nationalist lec- ; ■ turer, who intends to give a series of lectures in Wellington. Dates were first of all granted to. Mr. M'Cabe, but after- ■ ;wards they were.' withdrawn... The depu- ; tatiou was apparently very earnest iu its protest, and 1 the Mayor had more than • ■ once to rebuke the visitors for their exl - pressions of applause'wheh the arguments Df their speakers were put before the . council. Mackenzie, .who was the first ■speaker, said the deputation considered it ; incredible that a body' of intelligent and enlightened, men could entertain tho > slightest objection tb, letting the To.wn ... .Hall and Concert Chamber for tho lec- • , hires. Mr. M'Cabe was a distinguished Rationalist, who was to lecture on the . subjects of such unanimous interest as I - "Secular Education," "The Evolution of Civilisation," "Tho Church and Modern j and "Tho Evolution of Morality." : Yet;, in this free and civilised country, : an effort was made to offer hini and such ' as _ wished to hear him a public and gratuitous insult. It was simply .monstrous! - At this-declaration there was loud api . plause from the. visitors to the Council : . . Chamber, and the Mayor had to make a mild protest. "It is quite unusual," Mr. .Wilford said, "this outburst of enthu- . jßiasin, but the council feels quite satis- . ;uiod' that you really-were carried away i by the eloquence of tho speaker." "A Great Injustice." ;Mr. John Gammell said that the depuf ' tation wished the council to redress what : .they regarded, as a great wrong and a' i , great ..The speakers represented ;' the committee who were making arrangeL _ ments foe , Mr. M'Cabe's lectures. They r .had made application for, the use of the Town ■ Hall on two evenings, and of the Concert Chamber on two evenings, and. ■they-were allowed to pencil their appli- : cations. Yet they 'had been informed on i ; the previous day that Mr. M'Cabe would ;. ' mot: be permitted to. lecture in either the Town Hall or the Concert Chamber. He i supposed that that must be either beV .- cause Mr. M'Cabe' was unworthy of-pub-1 . lie iiecognation, or because his subjects] were such as ,v;ere unfit to be enunciated :: in a public ■ hall. The council could see I _that there - was nothing in tlie least objectionable in the subjects. Two. of , them were scientific, one was critical, and i, one was on the great subject, of secular -education. Secular education might be taken as a- typo of the others, ana secular education was one of the institutions of this country. They had made ar- ' Tangememts for the lecture on secular education, and had secured as chairman •the Chief Justice. They could be quite sure that Sir Robert Stout would never consent to countenance an improper lec- ' turer, of a subject unfit for public disV mission. The only reason he could sug- ;. gest for the refusal of the hall was that ■ someone might have spoken unfavourably ■'■of; Mr. M'Cabe. The lecturer was, hows. ever, a man of world-wide reputation and. of very high culture and scientific ' , attainments. His life had Ibeen before .. the world for many years, and no one, . ths' speaker thought, had ever ventured .to assail it in any particular. He hoped •that the council would reverse t the ,de-'-.cisioTi of the Finance Committee and I grant tho use of tlhe halls. "A Most Unusual Thing." Mr. Hogg also, asked that the council : -should rescind the resolution not to let ; the hall to' Mr. M'Cabe. 1 He himself had actually pencilled the Concert Chamber for two lectures: "The Evolution of Man" and "The '.Evolution of Morality and Civilisation." Sectarian subjects had ' Been avoided. Deputations to the- City Council. often asked fur privileges, but they came now seeking what they con- ; sidered their . rights. There was some I, doubt about the booking of the Town I- Hall, it being stated that a prior claim: i had been made. They, therefore, waived ■ claim to the Town Hall, but considered that they had a legal claim upon the j. Concert Chamber for July 2 and 4. He ' had been informed that if an under--1 ..taking were given that Mr. M'Cabe would not say anything to hurt the feelings of ; establish >d religion in the city, the hall *. would bn les to him. Councillor Devine ; had said that.:' It was' a most unusual : thing, seeing that there was no such thing'as -established religion in Wei-' : lington. The Mayor thanked the deputation for •.'.'their clear outline of the case, and as-' •sured them that their representations .would be weighed carefully. The Position Explained. ] Councillor Devine remarked • that his 'name had been mentioned, and he want- . «Ed to hear the exact position. . Mr. Hogg explained that lie had 'iu- . : terviewed the Hon. -Mr. Hislop, ex-: •• Itayor, who, having seen Councillor De- • . vine, informed him that .Councillor De- ; : Tine had. said that the hall would be ' .granted if tho undertaking referred l to . '.were entered into. • !.. Councillor Devine: Well, sir— The Mayor (to Councillor Devine): : 'There is no necessity.' (To tho deputa- ; tion): I can assure you, as chairman of : this council,. that ..no such thing hap- ' zpened. ' ' . Hindmarsli (to tho deputation): Do I understand you to say that : jou had a contract with the council? ; !iVhom did you see? Tile town clerk P. : 'Mr. Hogg replied that, on ringing, up : the Town Hall, ho was told that ho I . . would have to be prepared, to pay for tho ' four nights in. advance. On calling I .later ho found that a musical society had obtained the hall for ,tho Friday night, and anoth'er body had'the halt for > the Sunday. Subsequently, tho pencillings were scored. through, Mr. M'Cabo ..being allotted tho hall for the Friday. He saw the Mayor, who promised to send a. letter conveying information regarding . the decision of the committee. He had Teceivcd no letter. . . The Mayor:'l instructed tho Town ; Clerk to write you. That was all I , Scould. do. •Mr. Hogg repeated that tho deputation [ Trould now waive their claim • to the ) 'Town Hall, becausc of a misunderstand- . ring, but- they, protested that the grant- . ring of the hall for July 2 and 4 had | been fixed definitely. ' Councillor Atkinson asked the deputation in what sort of places Mr. M'Cabe had held his lectures in Australian , towns, and whether or not his lectures had caused public scandal. Mr. Hogg replied that Mr. M'Cabe's meetings had been very successful, and his last lecture, in the Melbourno Town Hall,, had been delivered to an over- ; flowing audience. The Sydney "Bulletin," . referring to Mr. M'Cabe's having left ■ the Church (a matter which had not been publicly, mentioned in Wellington), hail j said that "tho Church had lost a soul, 1 but humanity had gained a brain." Motion to Reverse Committee's Decision. . Councillor Hindmarsh asked that the usual procedure should not bp followed ■in this ease. He desired to move, with-out-further delay:— • That Mr. M'Cabe lie allowed to have the Concert Chamber on th'o • nights of July. 2 and 4. , . Tho Mayor: 1 accept that, motion. In speaking, to the motion, Councillor Hindmarsh said that, if Mr. M'Cabe wis opposed on religious grounds, those who were opposed to him were doing the . very best tiling to advertise him. If ho (Councillor Hindmarsli) objected to' a . visitor on such grounds, he would allow the matter to pass quietly, taking 'no notice of him. It. seemed strung, said .Councillor Hindmarsh, that Wellington should attempt to avoid recognisiug a •wan of Mr. M'C'abe's importance. Tho "City Council could not go iuto the domestic quarrels of tho Church. Because Mr. M'Cabe had left tho ranks of •a particular persuasion, that was no reason why tho City Council should refuse to let him speak in the Town Hall. / Tho council ought to look upon him as n scientific man, a lecturer well worth listening to. Citizens should be only too K glad to open their halls to him. When ■ Mr. North and Dr*. Gibb had shown '-£heiwlves to be in" opposition to Sunday

concerts in tho Town Hall, they had been "slated" by a number of mcu, and doubtless they felt the attacks keenly. Dr. Henry had recently been allowed to liavo tho Town Dull, without let or hindrances for a fortnight. Why, then, asked Councillor Hindmarsli, had . tho Finance Committee'refused the hall to Mr. M'Cabe? He (Councillor Hindmarsh) was positive that a.man who, 011 general principles, lectured on tho subjects mentioned, did nothing that could bo offensive to anybody, ilr. M'Cabo was not a vulgar .abuser of the people's religious views. lie was a highly-educated and cultured man. In connection with the public library, tho speaker had been tho means of obtaining reviews published by different religious bodies, and lie believed in broad-minded-ness in such matters. Councillor Hindmarsh Astonished. "Wc, as a City Council, have no right i to havo religious opinions and try to I force them down people's throats," said | Councillor Hindmarsh. "We should throw open tho Town Hail to Mr. M'Cabe. 1 ! am astonished that the Finance Committee should havo taken up the position they have. It is a strong argument in favour of taking away from any committeo tho power of letting tho Town Hall. It is a matter for the council, not for tho Finance Committee, for we seo now that they aro hot to be trusted." Councillor Luke, in seconding Councillor Hindmarsh's motion, said that • he believed in widening the thought of the people, and not in restricting "It. He considered that the council should give effect to tho resolution. Councillor Fletcher also expressed the opinion that the whole council should .deal with the letting of the Town Hall. Some months ago, he had moved in that direction, but had been defeated. It was not right that the council should learn, only through the medium of the papers, what the committee were doing with the Town HalK .Endorsing all that had been said by Councillor Hindmarsh, he went on to express astonishment at the attitude of the Finance Committee. Opposition by Councillor Devine. Councillor Devine defended his action as a member of the Finance Committee. He had opposed the granting of the hall to Mr. M'Cabe, and would continue to do so, under similar circumstances. Tho majority of Wellington citizens- believed in Christianity— 'Councillor Hindmarsh: They might believe it, but they, don't practise it. (La\^hter.). The Mayor (to the deputation): I am afraid I shall have to clear the .hall, if you gentlemen cannot refrain from applauding. Councillor Devine continued that he was in the minority of the council, who considered that the Town Hall ought to be given for Sunday concerts. He believed iii free speech, as. long* as it was on broad principles, and did not attack anything that was. dear to the people. But if the'-council were going to allow the feelings and susceptibilities of people to be outraged, then they had entered anothor sphere. Private halls were differently situated, but this referred to the hall of the people, nine-tenths of whom were professing Christians. Strong feeling had been expressed against the holding 'of boxing exhibitions in the Town Hall, and the council. had been keenly divided on that matter. He himself did not object to'the allowing of boxing contests in ( tho Town Hall. Councillor Atkinson-: You consider that prize-fighting is Christian? Councillor Devine, continuing, said that he maintained that the susceptibilities of the people should be protected from any remarks bordering on . moral blasphemy. ' If the lecturer adhered to strictly secular subjects, and did . not traduce wh'at was dear •to the people, leaving sacred, subjects alone, then he would not object to Mr. M'Cabe having the use of the Town Hall. , He objected, however, if any. language of a scandalous nature was likely to be used. • The motion was carried, with one dissentient voice. "1 think councillors have done right," was the Mayor's comment, and the council passed on' to other business.