EXTRAORDINARY ANTI-VACCINATION PROCEEDINGS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5267, 9 February 1878, Page 3

EXTRAORDINARY ANTI-VACCINA-TION PROCEEDINGS.

Some extraordinary scenes occurred recently at the Brighton Police Court (England), arising out of the hearing ot a number of summonses against well-known local anti-vaccinators for refusing to comply with tho requirements of the Act. The defendants were eight in number—several of them being tradesmen in good positions, and the others mechanics, most of them, if not all, being members of the AntiVaccination League—a society which has been the means of provoking most strenuous opposition to the operation of the law. On the first case being called ou, the defendant, a master hatter, who was summoned in respect of three children, said he had conscientious objections to having the operation performed, and should positively decline to comply with the law, adding excitedly that there was no justice to he had in that Court, for he had heard one ot the officials tell the solicitor for the prosecution that “ the best thing would be to shut them up as soon as possible.” The other defendants in Court broke out in loud applause at this remark ; and later on, when another case was being heaul, the magistrates had to order a woman to be removed from the place. Great uproar ensued, the anti-vaccination party stamping their feet and hissing with such persistency that the magistrate threatened to adjourn the Court unless the police could secure silence. On quietude being restored the business was proceeded with, but the defendants successively abused the vaccination officer, the solicitor of the Board of Guardians who prosecuted, and the magistrates, their colleagues at the hack of the Court frequently applauding them, or crying “Shame” and for “justice.” The bench several times threatened to clear the Court of these hitter persons, but took no notice of the invectives flung at them by the defendants, merely replying that they conld only administer the law as they found it, which they intended to do. Upon this a ’ hosier, named Harris, acting as spokesman, said the magistrates had the power of dealing leniently with such cases, for many justicesjhad held that one penalty released a man from further prosecution. The magistrate responded that that very point was determined otherwise only quite lately in the Court of Queen’s Bench. The Lord Chief Justice had decided that a man might be fined again and again unless the law were complied with. The Bench ordered all the children to be vaccinated within fourteen days.