DEACON FINED £5

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 947, 14 April 1930, Page 1

DEACON FINED £5

ALLEGATIONS AGAINST MARRIED COUPLE

QUESTION OF DIVORCE “This is the very mischief that the Act was passed t’o prevent.” remarked Mr. P. K. Hunt, S.M.. at the Police Court this morning, when he lined Louis Alfred Silson. a deacon of the Church of the Assemblies of God. £5 for alleging, expressly, or by implication, that a couple in his congregation was not truly and sufficiently married. Mr. Sullivan appeared for informant and Mr. Stevens for Silson. The detailed charge brought by

Jesse Charles Hawkins, the complainant, against Louis Alfred Silson, the deacon, was that Silson bad alleged, expressly or by implication that complainant and his wife, Alice Mary Hawkins, being persons lawfully married, were not truly and sufficiently married. The allegation was that Silson had committed a breach of subsection 1, section 7, of the Marriage Amendment Act, 1920. In his judgment, the magistrate recalled the facts of the case. He referred to allegations that Silson had preached at complainants and had quoted Scriptures reflecting on their characters, when asked for an explanation of his conduct. The trouble had culminated with a letter addressed to informant on March 6 and signed by defendant. It stated that the church wished for no further fellowship with Mr. and Mrs. Hawkin under their present condition.

“Marriage of divorced people is legal.” said the magistrate, ‘and by the Marriage Amendment Act, 1920. every person commits an offence and is liable to a fine of £IOO who alleges expressly or by implication, that auv person lawfully married is not truly and sufficiently married. "This, coming from their spiritual advisers must be very distressing and disturbing to religious-minded people like the informants, and it is the very mischief that the Act was passed to prevent. This is the, first prosecution of this kind in New Zealand, therefore i will not impose a heavy penalty.” A fine of £5 with costs. £2 2s, was imposed. At the request of Mr. Stevens the penalty was increased to £5 Is to permit of appeal, should it be desired.