Dr Gibb’s Breach.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 3569, 5 September 1905, Page 3

Dr Gibb’s Breach.

REPLY FROM THE PULPIT.TIME TO SPEAK OUT. St. John's Church, Wellington, was densely crowded on Sunday night when Dr Gibb conducted a service in commemoration of tho declaration of peace between Japan and Russia. Before beginning bis sermon Dr Gibb made reference to the breach of privilege with which he had been charged by a majority of the House of Representatives the other evening. He sajd:

I suppose many of you expect me to say something concerning the remarkable breach ot privilege debate ia the House the other evening. It was In many respects a very remarkable debate. If a member of Parliament proves false to bis promises yon may, it seems, go into his electorate and plainly tell bis constituents so. That involves no breach of privilege; but, marvellous to relate, if you venture to intimate your intention to the person chiefly concerned, you are guilty of an ofience against the laws of the House. Well, for my pari, I utterly fail to see the point which a majority of the House apparently saw clearly, and in like circumstances I will again do exactly what I did. The fact is that it is time and more than time for the promoters of the great crusade for the restoration of the Bible to the public schools to speak straight out, and to insist that promises made to them shall be kept. It has come to a precious pass in this supposedly free if a man may net speak out his convictions about Parliament and its members without let or hindrance. And yet I do not think that anything better for the cause could happen than that an effort should be made to restrict freedom of speech. But that will not happen. There will be no martyrs made. Neither bonds nor imprisonment await the boldest champion «f our] cause. As a matter of fact, the laughter which greeted the statement that the dignity of the House bad been vindicated show# dearly enought how the matter was regarded 'by Parliament itself. The whole thing is absurd The discussion, however, revealed a remarkable vocabulary oi vituperation, aid a dictionary of slang might be enriched by culling some of the choice expressions that were used by one or two members concerning the bold, bad man who had 1 dared to invade the sacrosanct privileges of Parliament. I have, however, it was said, been sufficiently punished. Well, well! I have had a good deal of quiet amusement out ot that statement, as doubtless so have you.—" Times.'