J. W. SALMOND.]

47

F.—B.

77. Was the new regulation retrospective?—No; but if it applied at, all it should be applied to the subsequent distribution. 78. You advised to that effect?— Yes. 79. Mr. Gray.] Not, Mr. Salmond, on account of any doubt as to its tendency?— No. 80. When, you were asked to advise, there was no regulation in force which might fit in. There was a regulation in force, but not when the publication was first distributed and circulated, and you would have had to depend upon the subsequent circulation to prove the offence? —Yes. Rev. Howard Leslie Elliott further examined. 269. Mr. Ostler.] Do you know who sent the report of your Hamilton meeting to the Star? —Yes, a Mr. o'Grady. 270. What is his religion? —He is reported to be a Roman Catholic. 271. You have already told us it is not a fair report?—lt is a very unfair report. 272. Mr. Gray.] Only by reason of omissions, I understand? —Oh, no; I said it was twisted. 273. Mr. Ostler.] Have you any fair report of that meeting?— Yes; this is a fair report. 274. Where was it published?—ln the Waikato Argus. Mr. Gray: That is, fair from the witness's point of view. His Worship: He is in the best position to know, of course. 275. Mr. Ostler.] You were asked if a row was not made. You said "Yes." Tell us exactly what occurred?—We had advice on the day of the meeting from fourteen miles out of Hamilton that there was going to be a demonstration. We communicated with the police, and the police also intimated that they had heard that. When the hall was almost full—an audience of about nine hundred and fifty present —a band of young fellows; about, forty in number, came in, and immediately the chairman took the chair one of them rose to speak, on behalf of the Roman Catholic Federation. All through the meeting they disturbed and yelled and shouted, and Inspector Phair of the police sen! in a notice that if the chairman desired it he would remove that section from the hall, since all the disturbance came from that section. 276. Did you desire to have them out?— Not at all; it was the making of the meeting. Then, at the close of the meeting, when we sang " God save the King," some remained seated, and some started to sing "God save Ireland." Then, after coming out in the company of Mr. Bollard and the Rev. Mr. Clark and others, there was yelling. T was never in any danger; I kept my hands in the pocket and smoked my pipe, and walked along to the car of my friend, who drove me to the place I was staying at. Afterwards, about half a dozen of these young men are reported to have driven over to the house of Dean Darby, showing that if was a Roman Catholic organized disturbance. 277. Tell us exactly what was said between you and the Attorney-General afterwards in discussing the matter of this meeting?—ln discussing this meeting 1 intimated to the Attorney-General that the subject-matter of my lecture was included in a number of books and publications. I quoted this book, for instance, "The Papal Conquest," written by Mr. Robertson, D.D., of Venice, and published in 1909. 278. Never mind the book. You told (lie Attorney-General that the subject of your lecture was contained in several well-known books?— Yes, and in several English publications, American, and Canadian, and Australian. I also reminded him that in Australia a well-known dignitary of the Anglican Church, Canon Digby Retry, had delivered a lecture which might, have been word for word my own. 279. Have you a copy?—l have a copy. It was delivered in the Town Hall, Melbourne. 280. It might have been word for word your own ?—Yes; drawn from the same authorities. 281. Mr. Gray.] Did you say you read this? —No. Mr. Gray: It is unduly loading the inquiry. Mr. Ostler: The witness is being asked what he said to Mr. Herdman. His Worship: That is so. Mr. Ostler: Go on. Witness: 1 also said that the whole trouble of the meeting arose from the fact that Roman Catholics were determined to allow no expression of facts or opinion, different from, their own; and that, if they resorted again to the same tactics in other of my meetings the men who stood with me in the cause were prepared to take the defence of the meeting and their interests into their own hands. Mr. Gray: I thought the witness told me he applied for police protection. Mr. Ostler: You would not let him give reasons; y T ou insisted upon his answering yes or no. (To witness) :Go on. Witness: Mr. Herdman said there would be no necessity for that; that in lecturing—as we had a right to do —adequate police protection would be afforded upon application at any time. 282. Mr. Ostler: The suggestion has beemmade that he said something to discourage you from continuing your lecturing. Is that so?— Not one word. 283. The suggestion was made that he discouraged distribution ? —lt, was not a question of disl ribution. 284. He said not one word of warning or to discourage you ?—No. 285. Have you ever in any public utterances you have made in New Zealand said one word against the religious observances of Catholics? -No; outside the teachings from my pulpit, where 1 dealt with them from a religious point of view, T have always carefully avoided the religious observances of Catholics. I have dealt with their politics only. 286. It has been suggested by the editor of some obscure paper in Taranaki that you ought to have been at the front. How many children have you?— Five.