A GENERAL COUNCIL OF FREETHOUGHT.

Freethought Review, Volume I, Issue 5, 1 February 1884, Page 4

A GENERAL COUNCIL OF FREETHOUGHT.

Dunedin Freethought Association, Lyceum, 10th January, 1884. Sin,— paragraph in The Freethought Review for January has directed the attention of this Association to the desirability of federating the various Freethought Associations throughout New Zealand. In pursuance of the suggestion therein contained, the committee of the D.F. A. as its last meeting passed the following resolutions :

1. .That the various Freethought Associations of New Zealand be invited to send delegates to a Conference, to be held in Dunedin at the Lyceum Hall, beginning on Monday, the 10th March, with a view to forming a General Council of Freethought for New Zealand. 2. That Robert Stout, Esq., President of the D.F.A., and T. Clicyne Farnie, Esq., hi. A,, be appointed delegates to represent the D.F.A. at such meeting. 3. That Mr Farnie be empowered to communicate with the other New Zealand Freethought Associations with a view to bring about such meeting of delegates. The necessity of co-operation in organising and strengthening the Freethought party in this colony is so apparent that I feel sure that your Association will readily recognise the advantages likely to accrue from the union w r c propose. The recent prosecutions of Freethinkers in England make it only too obvious that the active

spirit of bigotry and intolerance is not yet dead, and serve to show what the dominant party in religion will still do when the opportunity presents itself. Circumstances may any day arise even in our own colony calling for united action on our part; and it behoves us therefore to have in readiness an organisation as vigorous and complete as that shown by the churches in their Synods and Assemblies, so that we may at all times be enabled to present a firm and united front to every assault upon individual liberty. It may also bo noted that in the proposed Criminal Code there appears such an offence as Blasphemous Libel, and it may be doubted whether at the present time the English Blasphemy Laws arc not in. force in New Zealand. It is for reasons such as these, then, that I have to ask that your Association will consider the necessity of a Conference such as we propose, and will agree to co-operate with us by sending two delegates thereto, so that the proposed scheme may be carried into effect. The other Frcethought Associations in New Zealand are being communicated with to the same purport. Requesting that you will kindly inform me at an early date of the decision of your Association on this subject, I remain, your obedient servant, T. CIIEYNE Farnie. The Hon. Sec. Wanganui Freethought Association.