THE SEDITION SENTENCES.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1918, Page 4

THE SEDITION SENTENCES.

01 i'ItISTCIIIHIOH MUSOXKRS TO BJ£ KELKASKD. By Telcgrapl)—Press Association. Wellington, May 21. Tlio Government lias considered the appeals on behalf of Hunter, Flood, and Langley, who were imprisoned atC'iiristchurcli for sedition, and has decided to advise their release, on condition Ibat each man enters into a bond, with two sullieient sureties, each i n a sum of £SO, to be on good behaviour for 12 months, and especially during that period to abstain from all acts and utterances having any seditious tendency. The Acting-Prime Minister, in a statement, said the Government considered the observations of the magistrate, when pronouncing judgment, were entirely jtistilied by the facts proved, and, considering the nature and circumstances of the offence, tiu leßtencea \\tt» lonient. The only circumstance which weighed with the Government in favor' of the prayer for remission is that the seditious natur? of the resolution drafted by Flood, proposed by Long-ley, an dseeonded by' Hunter, was not obvious to the Mayor, who presided, to the public men on the platform, who abstained from protest, o\ a large number of persona who voted in favor of the motion when put by the Mayor. If proof could Have been obtained of the active participation by other persons, prosecutions would have b:*en instituted against oticri as well a 3 the accused three prisoners; hut proof sufficient for a criminal case was only available ag&msi the throe. Sir James Alien added that the Government ha'J not dealt with the ease of the Rev. J. G. 11. Chappie, which, lie said, was not in the same category as the others, ne would receive no consideration whatever at the hands of the G-overnment.