THE DEBATE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1374, 27 February 1912, Page 6

THE DEBATE.

" THE ALLE6ED OFFER OF MONEY. STATEMENT BY MR. MASSEY.. , A MANLY RETRACTION. Tho Houso rivet at >7.30 last evening for the ."resumption" of .tho, debate on Mr.. Majssey-'s motion of want of'-confidence in tho Government. After prayers had been said'and tho formal business ,of the Houso had'been disposed of in a few minutes. The LEADER OP THE OPPOSITION (Mr. W. P. Massey) rose in his place, and said: "Sir; may I crave the indulgence of tho. .Houso to make a statement that will' not occupy more than two or threo minutes befoi'o the orders of the day are call<jd upon?" Mr. ISITT at this point arose, and called attention to the uoiso that was going " <pn oiitsido _ the windows from a queuo that was lined up 'in the grounds, and could not find room inside to'hear tho ; debate, Ho said if the noiso continued 'it would bo~ impossible to hear what was A; going on in'the House. Tho SPEAKER having demanded order, .*" -Mr. Massey proceeded as follows:— "Sir, on Friday evening, in giving an ac:Co'unt of a conversation between tho ; member for Grey Lynn and myself, at tho request of the former, I quoted an extract from a letter that I hod read to 'the member mentioned. In doing so I committed a grave error. The terms of it-he extract suggested that a member of ' this House was subjected to corrupt in- ; fluences. Somo of my own words may havo been capable of tho same oonstruc- :. tionj though I did not so intend them. By some honourable members, the words . I used with referenco tu the Frime Minister, and the'member'for Sapier appeared to havo been understood as suggesting that the members I have mentioned em-,, ployed somo improper influence. I feel it my duty to tho House, to the Prime Minister, to tho member for Napier, and tho member, for Grey Lynn, to express ■amy regret not only for reading the extract, but for the words I myself used, and, further, it .is due to them that I should at the earliest possiblo moment unreservedly withdraw all imputations against those lion, members. Ido not believe that a bribe has been accepted by any member of the House, or that any member of the House has offered another a bribe. My statement is made without previous consultation with my party, and I havo only been guided by my sense of what is duo by one man to another and by a member of this Houso to the House." . . As Mr. ■ Massey resumed his seat, ho •was greeted with a round of applause, in which many members of the Government 1 side of tho House heartily joined. Such a frank, manly, and altogether unreserved .utatement could scarcely have failed to ■ inako the excellent impression it did.