Mr.HINE JUSTIFIED

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 984, 26 November 1910, Page 7

Mr.HINE JUSTIFIED

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. IMPROPRIETIES PROVED. THE FINDINGS. QUESTION OF POLITICAL ETHICS. ■ —v w ■ LEGISLATION RECOMMENDED, Tho following are the findings of the committee of tho House of Representatives set up to consider the charges made by Mr. J.'B. Hine, the member for Stratford, against certain membera and ex-members of Parliament:— CHARCES ACAINST MR. SYMES. In regard to charge No. 1 against Mr. Symes, in connection with the salo of Alfred Bayly's property at Toko, it is shown that Mr. Alfred Bayly voluntarily gavo as a gift to Mr. Symes a promissory note for tho sum of £300, which note was duly paid at maturity. The committee, although satisfied that Mr. Symes did not influence the sale in question, find that it was improper in tho' circumstances for him, being a member of Parliament, to accept' the .gift of £300 from Mr. Bayly. ' •In regard to charge No. 2, accepting sums of money for preparing and conducting petitions in Parliament on behalf of West Coast lessees, the committee find that though Mr. Symc3 may have considered he was entitled .to charge a commission for his services ia connection with the collection.of moneys voted by Parliament, these services were so closely connected with hie duties, as a member of Parliament as to render the acceptance of any payment or reward therefor improper. Regarding tho third oharge, Vabput threatening to use his influence 'with the Government against a newspaper, tho committee find that the charge of a threat is not established. Though Mr. Symes's letter of October 4 may bo susceptible of such construction, it may not have been- so intended by the writer; It ■ must be -remembered that it was a reply to a request made to Mr. Byrnes that he would get a certain newspaper a share of Government advertising. This advertising was-au-thorised by tho Government on application from Mr. Whitlock and without any representation to the Government from Mr. Symes. ' CHARCES AGAINST'MR.' MAJOR. The first charge against "Mr. Major was that he received a commission, from Iredonck Bayly for the sale of his property at Toko to the Government. Hie committee- finds that the evidence did not show any'breach of tho Disqualification Act/but that Mr. Major's action is in direct contravention of a resolution of, tho House" agreed to in July,' 1886; ' ' ; - !: ■•■: •. . , ■ In regard to second charge as to the receipt of a commission in connection with tho sale of Mr.. Alfred Bayly's property, the evidence "shows that it was Mr. Symes and not Mr. Major jrho was; connected with the transaction. Mr. Major in this case neither received a'commission nor shared a commission with' Mr. Symesi nor with anyone else. CHARCES ACAIPJST MR. KAIHAU, M.P. ; ■■■ '- ;• •■' Tho first charge is that Mr. Kaihau received a sum of money from the vendors in connection' with the .salo of tho To Akau Block to the Government; 'The i evidence shows'that after tho purchase money; had been paid by the Crown to tho Natives Mr. Kaihau received from the Ngatitihenga tribe a sum of about £2000, which had been fixed by the : leading man. of. tho tribe with the consent of the tribe as a reasonable remuneration for Mr. Kaihau's ssrvice3. rhis amount included tho sum of about £600 disbursed by Mr. Kaihau in connection with the litigation. The finding of tho committee is that Mr. Kaihau did not conduct the sale to the Government, but that tho sale was negotiated and conducted by the officers of the Native IJarid Purchase Depart-: ment directly ..with the Native owners. Ihey add that nothing done by Mr. Kaihau in this transaction amounted : to a breach of anv rulo of law.

In re six charges that Mr. Kaihau received payment in connection with certain petitions to Parliament, the evidence shows that in four cases tho ■■ charges are established, in one case the charge was not established, and that in another caso the chargo was withdrawn. Tho committee find that the receipt by Mr. Kaihau of theso payments in connection with his duties as a member of Parliament was improper. THE FL.AXBOURNE CHARGE. In this case the chargo in brief was that tho Government of the day paid an extravagant feo to ono Alexander Lorimer Wilson, with tho intejit of remunerating T. K. Macdonald, or his partner, or firm for tho' services of the oaid T. K. Macdonald as assessor. The finding of the committee is that' Mr. Wilson duly performed the services' stated, and was regularly and properly paid therefor, in accordance ■■ with tho authority for payment certified to by Dr. Findlay, and approved'by the late Mr. Seddon. ■' They further, find • that such payment.was-not made with ; the intent or object of indirectly remunerating the : Hon. Mr. Macdonald, .either alone or as partner of tho lato firm of Macdonald, Wilson, and Co., or of remunerating Mr. A. L. Wilson for tho services of the said T. K. Macdonald as assessor. RESOLUTIONS PASSED. PROPOSED LEGISLATION. The committeo passed tho following resolutions:— .- ■ ■ -..'.. ni (1) Referring to the third charge' against Mr. Symes,. the committee desires to express tho .opinion that it is a matter of regret'that 1 a" confidential communication written "by ■' Mrl Walter Symes . to .Mr. ■. H'Cliigßaße, which by universal custom ■ is always treated as private, should liavo been ignored and made public by those into whoso hands tho letter passed.... .' ' . / (2) Tho committeo is of opinion that legislation, should bo passed making it illegal for a ■member of Parliament to act on his own behalf or on behalf of any other . J person in "negotiating the salo of an estate to the Crown. A MINORITY REPORT. ' [ "A minority report, signed by Messrs Massey, Allen, Fraser,' and Buchanan, was prepared in respect to one charge, that against Henare" Kaihau, in connection with tho To Akau Block. Tho signatories state ..that they .dissent from tho majority report in respect to this charge, . because, in their opinion it should hare been stated in tho finding (a) that Mr. Kaihau did agree with the Natives to., conduct tho sale to tho Government of' tho Tβ Akau Block; (b) that Mr'. Kaihau did receivo from tho vendors ~ a . sum of. . £2000 which included commission for tho sale of the To Akau Block; (c) that Mr Kaihau's action, was: in direct contravention of a resolution of the House agreed to on July 14, 1886. It will be,.noted that the dissent: re-' tors only to the To'Akau purchase. It is understood that tho chairman, at first ruled that ho would allow tho dissent to bo recorded on the ground that tho inquiry was a judicial inquiry, and becausejJudges who hold different opinions from tho majority are permitted to record their, opmioiis./ Suhsequontiy

he reversed his ruling, and ruled the dissent out of order. This being so, it was useless to make other formal'dissents. Tho Te .Akau Block- referred to is , tho 13,000 acres of the Te Akau: Block purchased by the Crown, and , not the whole block. ———• \ 'THE REPORT ADOPTED, ■<■ Mr., Hanan moved the• adoption of the report, and that it be laid on the; tablo of the- House,. also that the evi-' dence be printed. Mr. Massby asked the Prime Minister/ what he intended to do to give the House an opportunity of. discussing the report. There was, he said, a considerable difference of opinion between members of the committee on some of the findings, and he wished to have something to say. ■:. The Prime Minister said he thought the report should be considered on Tuesday. Hβ also-wanted to speak on-; the matter. Ho thought the discussion should bo deferred until Tuesday,-' and ho consequently moved tho adjournment of tho debate. After a short discussion as to whether or not the report and evidence were now public the Speakol ruled that everything was now public. The debate was adjourned until Tuesday. • , ' ' Mr. Fraser (TVakatipu) read a motion passed by the committee expressing ap-' preciation of tho ablo services rendered by the chairman of the committee,' Mr. J. A. Hanan. '• ' THE COMMITTEE. The committee consisted of Mr. J. A. Hanan (chairman), Sir Joseph Ward, the Hon. J. A. Miliar, Mr. W. F. Massoy, Mr. James Allen, Mr. \V. Fraser. Mr. A. M. Myers, Mr. V. H. .Reed, Mr. W. C. Buchanan, and Mr. AV, Graham. , ■ ' .. The minutes of the committee were not available to the press last evening,-