MR. PAYNE'S PLEDGE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1372, 24 February 1912, Page 8

MR. PAYNE'S PLEDGE.

. ALLEGED OFFER OF MONEY. SOME STARTLING.STATEMENTS. Mr. J. S. Dickson (Pnrnell) rose and referred to the statement in circulation that Mr. Payne had been offered .£IOOO to change his vote. Keferenco had been made to the 'matter in Parliament/, and he thought it his duty to state what he knew of the matter in the interests of the House and in the interests of the electors of tho Dominion. He paused for a minute or two while a messeuger went to fetch Mr. Payne into the House. When Mr. Payne arrived, Mr. Dickson continued that on Friday week last Mr. Payno had stated to him and to the Leader.of the Opposition that, ho was going to support tho Opposition on the- no-confidence motion. On the following Thursday he saw Air. Payne again, and told him that a friend of his had sent a letter down stating'' that a betting man in Auckland was certain Mr. Payne would break his pledge and oppose the Opposition on a no-confidence motion, and that the man was making bets on it. The member for Grey Lynn i met the Leader of the Opposition and himself (Mr. Dickson) on Friday last, and he (Mr. Dickson) put the'question to him. At first Mr. Payne did not acknowledge it. He (Mr. Dickson) told him that there was a rumour going about Auckland, and he asked him to contradict it., Mr. Payne then said, "I have been offered a sura of money. I was called into an office by a gentleman in Auckland, and I have been offered that sum of money to voto for. tho Government;"- •' ■" ■

Sir Josoph. Ward: Why don't you .say what office and who the people were? ■ Mr. Dickson: I did not ask him, sir. Mr. Pavne can explain who offered it. Mr. Payne (excitedly): You know. Mr. Dickson: I don't know. Mr. Payne You do. I told you bo. (Sensation.) Mr. Dickson: I will be very glad if he will tell who was so as to endeavour to get a man representing a respectable constituency to change his vote because a hundred golden sovereigns were dangled before his eyes. Mr. Dickson added that he did not say for one moment that it was any member of the Government that made that offer. He was not accusing them or any' member of the party. Ho added that he had every reason to believe that Mr. Payne was not the only member of the House that had an inducement offered to him. Mr. Glover: I never had any. Mr. Dickson said he considered that in- the public interest it was the duty of the member for Grey Lynn to explain the matter to the House-that he should make an explanation openly in the House.

The Premier Roused. Sir Joseph Ward urged that it was the duty of Mr. Dickson to.make his statement more explicit. The point, was that the Government had offered Hon. members: No! No! Mr. Dickson: I never Baid so. . Sir Joseph Ward: If he cannot explain Mr. MaS6ey: I wa6 there when the statement was made. Sir Joseph Ward: I want the hon. member to say what he means on that point. He implied a reflection on someone outside, tho House. The hon. gentleman should name the office. He implied that the suggestion was made on behalf ot the Government. (Cries of lyo. ) The member for Grey Lynn should say what was in his mind. ■ Hon. members: He has told you. Mr. Fisher asked if tho Prime Minister was not out of order as he was making neither a personal explanation nor a Ministerial statement. . Mr. Speaker said it waa a request for a more clear statement on the matter, and the Prime Minister was.. speaking with the indulgence of the House, which it was usual to' give in such a case. Mr. Dickson Teplied that if the Prime Minister was so dense that he did not understand what he (Mr. Dickson) had said, he would repeat it again. Ho did so.• ■ ■• .

MR. PAYNE EXPLAINS. ..A BEMAEKABLE STATEMENT.... Sir Joseph Ward asked w'hose was tho merchant's office Mr.: Payne was called in to. ' . . Mr. Dickson: I leave that to tho hon. member who is- on your side of the House to explain. Messrs. Brown, Glover, and Payne roso at the same; time to speak. . Mr. Pavno was called upon. He stated that in deciding to change his vote he was influenced very largely by tho fact that this rumour was in tho air. He had to consider the fact that this innuendo had been circulated and therefore had to consider very carefully exactly what ho was doing. It required some considerable strength of character on his part. (Opposition laughter.) Ho explained that Mr. Charles M'Masters, of Auckland, bad come toward at the first ballot, and had worked very hard for him. He had to accept his kindly offices. He (Mr. Payne) suspected that he had some reason for this. Nevertheless, he had to accept his services. When ho first met that gentleman, he was a strong Ward supporter. Between tho first and thosecond ballots, however,, he became a Masscy supporter. He (Mr. Payne) assumed that Mr. M'Masters was desirous of "selling a corner section" at Grey Lynn to the Government for a post office, and that he hoped to use his humble servant, Mr. Payne, as the means of attaining that end, That was tho rumour that was going oh in -Auckland just now. Finding he had failed on the Government side, it would seem as if. ho had transferred his affections to the other sido of the House—to Mr. Mnssey. Mr. Payne added that Mr. Mnssey had mentioned a remark in Auckland that he (Mr. Payne) had been fixed up in Napier bv " Mr. Vigor Brown. (Laughter.) H* (Mr. Payne) had already heard that such a-remark was circulated in Auckland, and Mr. Massoy showed him a letter from Mr. Chas. M'Masters, in.which it wn9 stated that ho. was prepared to donate .£IOO to "your nominee." That was signed by Mr. O'Connor, of the Thistle Hotel, in Queen Street, and addressed to Mr. M'Masters,' and he sent, it down lo Mr. Mnssey. When Mr. Masscy mude his statement about the .EIOOO offer, lie, Mr. Payno, said ho could see tire reason for the rumour, and could tell him the party's name. Ho was called into tho office-of Mr. Maurice O'Connor by Mr. Chas. M'Muster". who, iu a halfmaudlin state, said, "Do you know I \ have been authorised (o give you anything between MW and ..£IOOO if yon will en.in Hie direction of the Word party?" Be, added Mr, Payne, did not fiv« sw

any furthor explanation. I looked right past, him, and took no notice of his remark. Tho same gentleman had called u meeting in Auckland tho other night, with tho object of forcing me to keep iny pledgo to Mr. Massoy. Ho also sent a letter signed by himself and several others, in which ho urged upon mo to voto for tho Massey party, because if I did not I would lose their confidence in Grey Lynn. Mr. Vigor Brown said that as his uamo was mentioned, he had a right to an explanation from tho Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Massoy: You'll get it. Mr. Brown: In regard to my offering .£1000? Mr. Massey. No. I did not say that. Mr. Brown: If he'll admit it outside, I'll put him in his proper place. (Laughter.) Mr. Massoy: He'll be in his proper placo in another week or two.