SEDITIOUS SPEECH.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1872, 3 September 1918, Page 4

SEDITIOUS SPEECH.

BILL INTRODUCED IN N.S.W. PARLIAMENT. ' A TRIPLE PENALTY. Sydney, August 29. In the Assembly, Mr IV. A. Holman (Premier), introducing the Sedition Bill, stated that it would operate for the duration of, and six months after, the war. After a stormy debate the Bill was read a first time. “Any person found guilty of a seditious utterance or an fttterance prejudicial to recruiting shall be disfranchised for a period of not less [ban four years nor more than ten years, and shall be incapable of holding any public office. Such person shall also be prohibited for a period not longer than six months from speaking in certain prohibited places,” These are the main provisions of (be Sedition Bill which Mr Holman in -June last said the Government intended to introduce. In ins speech in the Assembly, following on a disturbance in Sydney Domain, Hie Premier in foreshadowing the drastic proposals of the Government outlined above, said that I here was at present a provision under the common law which forbade the uttering of seditious words, and another which prevented the publication of seditions writings. There were also (wo regulations under the Federal War Precautions Act which prohibited statements by either word of mouth or in writing prejudicial lo recruiting or calculated to cause mutiny, sedition, or disaffection amoiig the civil or military populations. There was also the Grimes Prevention Act, passed by the Elate Parliament in 1010, .which made it an offence to incite to the commission of a crime either by speech or in writing. “We now propose,” proceeded Mr Holman, “to curry a small measure lo (his effect : Thai any person who is found guilty of an offence ifmler any one of Ihe six .prohibitions of Hie present law which I have mentioned shall thereupon be disfranchised for a period, to be determined by the court, of not less Hum four years nor more than ten years, and that that person shall be incapable of bolding any public office of any 'And whatever." This announcement was received with Opposition dissent, and erics of “Yon are worse than Billy Hughes! 1 -’ and “Why not send for the Kaiser himself?” The Premier smiled a( Hie outburst, and laughingly remarked that when this proposal was made law any map who still sought a martyrs crown would not he abb' to do so through the high road of Parliament House. “We want," he said, “the co-operation of those who do not want to preach sedition and those who do not want to discourage men from doing their duly by recruiting. We also propose to ask the House to give us power Vo pass a regulation by Executive authority, which will he operative when necessary in any public place, any park, or other place where meetings are held, and under which any person who has been convicted by Hie ordinary process of (he law, no! by any new process, of sedilioti or any other offence under Hie six prohibit ions mentioned will he forbidden for a period mil longer than six months.to speak in these public places. The length of the period will be decided by Hie Executive. 1 think Hint it will he found that Htese proposals, without in any way checking legitimate freedom of speech, will do a great deal (o discourage the mock heroics so rampant to-day.”