THE SALVATION ARMY AT. W0LL0NG0NG. TWO MORE OFFICERS COMMITTED TO GAOL.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 315, 10 November 1888, Page 3

THE SALVATION ARMY AT. WOLLONGONG. TWO MORE OFFICERS COMMITTED TO GAOL.

At the Polido Court, Wollongong, ■ John, Faulkes Tuckerman and Henry Richardson, two "lieutenants" in the Salvation • Army, were charged "for that they did in a musical procession parade Crdwu-streot, a public street in the borough of Wollongong I ,' without the written permission of the Mayor of thc : borough." Mr Mvir 'appeared for the prosecutionv The offences having been committed on two dHFeient evenings, the case=i were heard separately. ' The Inspector of Nuisance, deposed that on the night of the 20th linst. he saw the, first-named defendant march up! and down , Crown-street playing a cornet and singing. ' There was no othor member of the Salvation Army marching with him, but there were a great number- of persons following behind. Constable Harrison also gave similar evidence. Doiendant admitted that he had marched up and down the street, as stated, but c-nid he had nothing whatever t^o do with anyone that might have followed him. He did not (invite them to do 'so. and thore were no members of the Salvation Army amongst tbem. He, therefore, did not think he could.be termed a musical procession. -He bad, hem d that there Was- a! by -"law of- the Council prohibiting mu&ical processions, and knew that sevoral members of the Arnvy had been iined and imprisoned for violating it." /J?he witness having^ ,rot<H'cd, thq i\M. said that defendant's, .contention eqemed to bo that one ; person could nob be a'procession, and theieiote that he ought not to be convicted. The law provided for the nUmber of persons ifc took to form a riot r but nothing wab said as to how-many it took to make a procession. The act ot'dcfendant in marching up the street was a procession on his part, and the fact of his playing a musical instrument whilst ho was proceeding up the street made it a mu&ical procession. If defendant had not broken the letter of the law he had broken its spirit. He knew that the by-law was in torco and al&o knew that its object was to put a &t6p to objectionable noises in the streets, fetid -he had acted as he* had done simply to , try "to , set the law at detiance. •He ordered defendant to pay a fine of J63, or go to gaol for two months. . Defendant -said ho had .nothing but what he stood up in, -and therefore would have to go to gaol. The chargejigainst "Lieut." Richardson was that on the night of the 22nd inst. , he marqhed up and down" Crown-street, beating a drum and singing. His defence was that 'as he marched by himself hecould not b6 .cOnJsjbructccl in to- a procession. His Worship having stated that his remarks in the previous case _ would apply. too the present one, ordered defendant to pay a similar fine or go to gaol for a like period. . Defendant said he had nothing and therefore would have to be imprisoned. Several female members of the Army and the only male member at present at large in town were present during the hearing of the cases, and on their termination escorted the defendants as iar as the gaol gates, where they -topU leave 'of them. There are no\v&e\ en member? of the Army undergoing imprisonment for violating the by-law.

THE BY-LAW CONDEMNED. Seveial public meetings have taken place to condemn the action of the authorities against the Army. At one of these, ulie Rev. S. Gilby, Primitive Methodist, also spoke of the action of the Council in severe terms of censure, contending that the members of tbe Army were being persecuted lor conscience sake. The Rev. R. H. Waugh, Prcsbybex-ian, stated that some time since, owing to his congregation having been disturbed during service on Sunday by the Ariijy playing down the street, he had written to Mayor Jeffries on the subject, and had received a very courteous reply from that gentleman to the eftect that the Army desired to work in harmony with the other Christian churches, and that what had taken place was through inadvertence and should not occur again. Mr W. 'J. Wiseman contended that the noise made by, the Army, especially with their drum, ' was an intolerable nuisance, and that it interfeied with the leligious services, of other churches. The Mayor (Mr W. J. 'Poulter) stated that the by law had been put in force chiefly owing to complaints made by the Rev. Mr Waugh to "the effect that the Army, by their noise, had interfered with the service at his church on Sundays. The Row Mr Waugh admitted having spoken fco the Mayor on the subject, but &aid that since he had written about the matter there had been no cause for complaint. Mr Richaidfion here said, fie de?ircd to ask' the Mayor whether he and MrJ Wiseman were supporting the wives ; and tamilics of the Salvation Army oflicergf while they woVe* in 'gaol. The ! Mayor said ho would have no objection to support Mr Richardson if he got there. Mr Rjchardson then called for a show of hands in favour of the by-law and also against it. No hands were held up in its favour, but a great -many against it. Not one-third of thos>e pre&ent voted.