PARLIAMENTARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1291, 17 July 1886, Page 2

PARLIAMENTARY.

LEGISLATIVE CO UNOIL

Fkidvy Ju' •' 16 The Council im t at 2 30 p.m

Dr Menzies pruenfi-d several petitions from iho woman of Dunedin against the Contigioue Oisetßas Act Mr Reynolds m >ved the second reading of the Civil Serv co Kefor a Bill. Ua spoke at length and explained the proposed measure.

Dr Pollen atrong'y opposed the hill, and counselled Mr Reynolds to consign it to the waste piper basket

Mr Mantoll moved that the Bill be read second time this day six mouths.

Sir Frederick Whitaker moved the adjournm ut of the debate to Tuesday.

The motion was agreed to. The amendments which the House had made in the Defence Bill wore agreed to. The Local Bodies Loaus Bill was read a third time and parsed. The Council adjourned till Tuesday next. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. Feiday, July 16 The House met at 2 30 p. m. The Premier introduced the Representation Bill. Sir George Grey asked the Minister of Justice upon whose recommendation was F. Slbo appointed a Justice of the Peace, a»d what was the date of his appointment.

Mr Tole said that local reperoantatlona had been made on the subject. The date was Jane 8 h 1685.

Mr Tarnball moved the adjournment of the House on the ground that the answer was not satisfactory Sir George Grey said he was not to be put«.ff;by the adjournment being moved, and proceeded to quote a letter by Slee, printed in the evidence taken by the District Railways Purchase Committee, in which a promise of remuneration was made to Major Steward, and “ ”if they sold the railway debentures satisfactorily. He explained that it had become known that Sir Julius Vogel’s name was the original of the blank, and he submitted that Sloe’s proposal was most improper and he ought to be punlihed, Sir Julius Vogel asked to make a person*! statement, explaining that he would have dona so on Wednesday but for being taken by suprise at the P emier’s resolution not being traversed by a motion for the adoption of the committee’s report. The paragraph of that report referring to him was most unwarrantable. Hd admitted that Slee's letter was exceedingly improper. The evidence had totally failed to establish that any member had any pecuniary interest whatever preference to the passing of ttie Railways Purchase Bill. Mr Steward could not possibly have known that Government would purchase the debentures. When he first read the re port he thought it implicated Mr Peacock, but on reading that gentleman’s evidence, to hia surprise he found that the report was utterly InooDsutoat wi.h it. He read a memorandum, dated October 3rd, last year, to tbc Secretary to the Treasury giving the reasons which guided the Government in the purchase of the 1 is f rict Railways deben-

turns, and alao others, live days later, showing that the arrangements had not even then hee.-: definitely made to purchase. Ho had drafted a letter possibly to the Waimate and Duntro n Companies, lat it was not sent, ns Mr Steward ap-

pea ed on the scene In the meantime. He claimed that all these purchasers had been a great bargain to the (dove! nnient, and the account showed £BO,OOO to credit

which it could not do had not the

I eg'illations been conducted with discrimination and judgment. He doem> d i' not right of he select committee to comment upon the opinions hold by mem hers whom they ox;imined, as nobody would be safe could this bo done. Regarding vho privilege of members he II noted ho practice of the House of Commons a winch it had lately been estab■ishec by a large majority that d rectors (if c mpauies were free to on ques--1 ions in which they we-e directly luteiOitud. Regarding the blanks in Sloe’s letter In thought it an outrage on him that hm name had been so used. If Major Steward had lot him know, this matter would have assumed a very different aspect He considered the letter a c mtempt ot Parliament. The Premier would confer with the Speaker and loader cf the Opposition as to whether the writer could not bo punished for daring to suborn members of the Government. He himself h-d given instructions to his solicitors t > take proceedings against two pipers in Wellington lor their comments on his behaviour. Mr Lance detailed a conversation with >ir Julius Vogel on the previous night, to show that the latier then for the first lime, learned that hia name was the original of the blank in Sloe’s letter.

Mr Thompson said surprise had been expressed that, as chairman of the committee be had not defended his report, but he had heard nothing to reply to. The resolution of the Premier, in his opinion, confirmed the committee’s report. He d-dailed the reasons which led him to take any part in the enquiry. \Mien he fi.st heard the rumors he thought them no serious that he at once said they ought to be looked into. The committee was too fair and impartial in its constitution to be warped by party considerations. He himself was reluctant to undertake the duty, but he thought thry had done good work. All right-minded men must feel this transaction was discreditable to all concerned.

Mr Garrick, as a member of the Committee, deprecated the application by the i reasuter to members of t*'o committee of fitch terms as spiteful, vind otive, and ol;graceful, which he had employed in the course of his speech. The hon member then defended the report of the committee clause by clause, using most emphatic language. He accused Major Steward of lo' hying in favor of the District Hallways Purchase Bill by fsir means and foul ; and getting the Waimate line inserted at past 2 in the morning. He was also of opinion that the Treasurer ought to have warned Major fcteawrd of the risk he ran of hla motives being misunderstood.

Major Steward asserted that the Waimato line was inserted about 11 at night and not in the morning. Ha contended that he had gone before that. He felt he had done no wrong, although he admitted he n ight have placed himself in a false position, and all the trouble would have been avoided had he at once withdrawn when the Government came into the negotiations. Mr Wi Pere said it was too much luck for one man to make £IOOS, and ha Intended to move that the money be refunded for the benefit of the sufferers by the eruptions, Mr F. Buckland quoted from the journals of the House to show that Mr Garrick’s statement as to the houi when the Waimate line was restored to the schedule of the BUI was correct and Major Steward quoted again to show it was wrong. Mr Barron complained of Sir Julius Vogel’s remarks regarding the ao'ion of the Committee. There was not a word in the report which ho rog otted. Mr J. C. Buckland condemned the action of Major Steward. Mr Bruce disclaimed any idea of being actuated by malice in his share of the report, or that the Committee acted more as prosecutors than J edges. Mr Sutter and Mr Fulton, also members of the Committee, >p ke In similar terms. The debate was interrupted by the 5.35 p.m, adjournment. »

The Rouse resumed at 73'0 p ra. (Vl' Fulton continued his remarks to f’-e effect that it the Committee really ha i

been vindicive (hoy night have gem*

still further. Th y“ ad though It fane t to leave . ; ir Juliut Vogel’s name himin the le‘tor us p ined, but a memb r informed hm that Major Steward himself it, w.u who ti r“t r veaed the real n;«m Sir Julius Vuge' interrupted the speaker

to say that I.is remarks had not baaa directed to all the members of the Committee, but he wai info-med that one at the least had oper.ly expressed hia regret It could he made better for Sir Julios Vege.l. ( Jries of “ Name.”) Mr Fulton said ho spoke for him-.elf. He contended that it was the Treasurer’s duty to have warned M-.jor Stewird of the risk lie was running. Mr U’Oonnor regretted the charao er of the debate which partook of the nature of a party struggle. His own opinion was that Major Steward trod on delicate ground, and it would have been better had he withdrawn at a certain stage, but he (Mr O’Connor), also considered that the report of the Committee was net within the four corners of t.ao order of reference. The discussion was waste of time, and could lead to no practical result. Major Steward admired the Ingenuity wi.h which the report dealt with the evidence taken. It seemed to contain a good deal at the first glance, but farther scrutiny showed there was little in it There was nothing whatever to inculpate the Treasurer, and as for hrnse’f, the company was at liberty to employ anyone it chose to negotiate i s debentures, He thought Slee ought to have been examined by the Committee, and other evidence taken. Mr Duncan said the Committee had been biassed, and distinct efforts had been made at on® of its meetings to bring Major Steward within the Disqualification Act. In support of this he detailed some of the proceedings which had taken place, ex plaining that he had consulted the Speaker as to the propriety of so doing Mr Bryce said that Mr Duncan’s speech t i his mind had proved mote tlv-n anything else said in the debate the fairness of the Committee, for if there had been a disposition to be too severe it was evident that when they came to draw up their report, they had proved reasonable and devoi i of Parliamentary spirit. Mr Kerr said that the ; had tried the man once and found him not guilty, and he maintained they had no right to try him again. At the same time be blamed M’ljor t-teward for producing private letters at al! before the comm.'fee. Mr I evaetem thought Sir Julius V-gel had every right to traverse the report as he had done The evidence woo d have j .ratified them la bringing in an exactly opposite renort. He thought the Committee ought almost to be censured for receiving a letter marked private in evidence, and obliterating a portion of it Major Steward ought to have ; ns sed on its being left intact, but, knowing what they did, the Committee om?ht certainly to have informed Sir Julius Vogel of the way in which hia name had been used. Mr Bevan corroborated M i j or S' eward’s statement as to his motive for getting the Waimate line replaced on the schedule. Ho quoted a conversation with the member lor VVaimate last session, in which the latter, whan endeavoring to get his support, had told him every oth-r member had got his railway in the schedule, and he could not face hia constituents if he a’one failed. Major Atkinaon'regretted that Sir Juh.us V >gel had attache I the committee in each unmeasured terms, for which he thought there Was no ground. He had known Maj r Steward for many years, and alw .ys found h'in as good as hia word. When he first heard the rumours he disbelieved them. At the request of Major Steward he had carefully perused the evidence, and he was now bound to say, though with great pain, it fuUy bore out the re port ; indeed, he considered Major Steward had no course but to demand a further enquiry, for the present one had clearly not gone far enough. Sloe's letter was of so gross a nature that Major teward immediately he received it ought to have gone to Sir Julius "Vogel and brought it under the notice of the House. Proceeding to the details of Major Steward’s transaction-, lie argued that it was plain Sir Julius Vogel wcu!d have come to terms with the comnany without Major Steward’s inventi .n and practically, therefore, the commission came out of the public chest. Major Steward’s only hope of regaining the good name he had always borne was by refunding the money to Government or to the company. They must be jealous of the good name of the House, and no member was justified in taking such commission after he had assisted by accident or cot In passing an Act like the District Railway Purchase Act. Major Steward himself had admitted that he ought to have retired, and he could not on good faith retain that money in his pocket. He (Major Atkinson) had disliked very much the letter mentioned in Mr Buckland’s evidence, wherein mention was ;mada of £3OO or £4OO to be paid to Major Steward for some pur pose or other. This ought to be cleared up. He thought now they had been too hasty in passing Wednesday’s resolution. He protested in the strongest possible terms against ;he Treasurer’s dictum that it was right for members to engage in such transactions. Mr Rolleston conalded that, if the Treasurer was sincere in h>s views, he ought to ask the Hro-io- * - •--v-rge the committee’s report. . ■ i-ed that the question had been canvassed with a desire to arrive at a fair conclusion, and also that the committee’s report was just and impartial. Mr Turnbull blamed the committee for not having drawn Sir Julius Vogel’s alten tion to the letter when he was giving evidence before them He thought the Treasurer's language had been perhaps too strong. The motion for the adjournment was thou put and lost, and the orders of the day called on. Sir George Grey’s second question consequently was shut oat. The Premier Introduced the Representation Bill. In answer to Major Atkinson, he said he would make his statement on the second reading. The First Offenders Probation BUI was passed through committee with slight amendments. *

The Mining Bill was partially considered in committee. At clause 152 progress was reported, and the House rose at 1.40 a.m.