DISGRACEFUL SCENE IN CHRISTCHURCH.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2476, 15 April 1909, Page 5

DISGRACEFUL SCENE IN CHRISTCHURCH.

PATRIOTIC MEETING BROKEN UP BY FANATICS.

[Per Press Association.]

CHRISTCHURCH, April 14

A meeting was held in King Edward barracks to-night under the auspices, of tho Navy League to consider a motion endorsing the action of tho Cabinet re presenting a Dreadnought to Britain, and approving of the offer made to the British Government. There were quite 4000 people present, and from tho start the meeting was most disorderly, and it broke up in confusion. None of tho speakers were given a hearing. THE BISHOPS REFUSED A HEARING. Even Bishops Julius and Grimes, on rising .to speak, received groans and cheers mixed, which continued and prevented them from being heard. Nobody in tho crowd had tho least idea of what was going on, due to the awful uproar made by • a section standing just in front of the p.atiorm, and a call for a show of hands in favor of tho resolution had to be done by means of a notification on a blackboard. Tho motion was declared carried amici a scene of indescribable confusion, and then followed a perfect pandemonium. Mir. T. E. Taylor, ALP., in whom the disturbing faction recognised a leader, endeavored to speak, but could not be heard owing to the din, and Ins violent gesticulations were not understood. THE union jack TRAAIPLED on. 1 Union Jack at one corner of the platform was pulled down by some fanatics, and before it could be rescued was torn and trampled under t 00,.. Eventually, after a great struggle, in which hundreds of men joined, the flag was rescued, towed on to the platiorrn, and hoisted aloft by the Hon. Colonel Smith, amid frenzied cheers. Another great fight took place over the possession of the blackboard upeu for putting the motion. It was first of all snatched away from tire tab.e on the platform on Air. Taylor s advent, and an attempt was made to carry it to where Air. Taylor was standing, presumably with the object of putting a hostile amendment in the same wav, but the patriotic crowd got) to work and tho blackboard was towed like a raft on a sea of heads till it was cairied to tho end of the barracks. Even when i t v.t•> an)’ r rneed that the proceedings had closed, thou-amis remained cheering and hooting and ;t was not until the lights were extinguished that the barracks cored be cleared. . .. . A noisy open-air meeting was held m Cathedral Square afterwards. The bishops and other prominent citizens at the meeting speak in terms of the greatest disgust of the conduct of a certain section of the crowd at the (meeting. _______ '