BISHOP LISTON’S SPEECH.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 March 1922, Page 5

BISHOP LISTON’S SPEECH.

DRASTIC ACTION. TAKEN BY AUCKLAND CITY COUNCIL. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. The City Council to-night passed a resolution as follows: “That the council solemnly and sincerely affirming its loyalty and allegiance to King George and to the British Empire, deplores the disloyal and seditious speech, delivered by Dr. Liston,. Roman Catholic coadjutor Bishop of Auckland, in the Town Hall, and resolves: (I) That the council hereby records its condemnation of the said lecture, and declares the opinion that no person capable of making statements reported to have been made by Dr. Liston is of British citizenship; (2) that the speech be brought under the notice of the New Zealand Government with a view to its taking appropriate' action; (3) that those concerned in the hire of the Town Hall and Auckland Domain in connection with St. Patrick’s day celebrations be notified that until the sentiments expressed in the speech and evident in the proceedings are disavowed, and an. assurance given against any repetition of such statements, neither of these facilities will be available for organisations under those auspices, and on whose behalf the Bishop claimed .he spoke, that the city solicitor be instructed to redraft the terms for the hire of the Town Hall and the by-laws governing the use of the Domain, redraft the by-laws relating to parks and open spaces, and consider* the council’s powers regarding licensing public halls, so as to require all proceedings to be conducted in a lawful and constitutional manner, without disloyalty, sedition or other conduct invidious to the realm or constituting an affront to the citizens.”

A SOLITARY DISSENTIENT. Later. The council's resolution re Bishop Liston was opposed by Mr. Bloodworth, who moved four amendments, all failing to find a seconders Mr. Bloodworth said the Mayor was right in writing to Bishop Liston, but should have awaited a reply before publishing a statement. The motion went further than the council should go. He considered that stronger speeches would have gone unnoticed in Britain, and pleaded for freedom of speech here. The St. Benedict’s branch of the Hibernian Australasian Catholic Benefit Society passed a unanimous resolution which deprecated the attacks on Bishop Liston, condemned the unwarranted attitude adopted toward, the Bishop by so-called Catholics, and recording unswerving fidelity to and appreciation of Bishop Liston.