A FIERY DEBATE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2185, 8 May 1908, Page 3

A FIERY DEBATE.

SIR WM. LYNE IN HOT WATER. A KEROSENE QUESTION. United Press Association— Copyright. (Received May 8, '12.58 a.m.) MELBOURNE, May 7. There was a stormy scene in the Houso during a discussion on kerosene duties. . , , ~T m Sir Wm. Lyne interjected: I am told there is no use going on because tho Standard Oil Company havo numbers in their bag.” Mr. Reid, rising to a point of order, characterised it as a slanderous statement, and it was a scandalous thing to say. It was giving currency to tho infamous slanders uttered outside,that members could be bought in connection with tho tariff, and it was most abominable that the greatest slander over cast on members should come from a Minister of the Crown. Sir Wm., Lyne interjected, I say •deliberately that .the message has been. brought to mo,’ adding, amidst a storm of dissent, that the company •had been to every member and tried to get a promise. “The company has Totea list of members,’ he, continued,, <Vho had promised their support. So much has been said about this outside that I turned the representative of tho company out of my office. It was a scandal that men should be sent from America to force the matter through. I cast no imputation on members, but we have bad quite enou>di of .this from America. . Asked how members were influenced Sir Wm. Lyne said by persuasion. Ho did not know that members were br Tho noisy scono continued for a considerable time, members hotly attacking Sir Wm. Lyne and^ denying bci„l approached by the Standard Oil Comjiany. Eventually Sir Wm. Lyne withdrew his charge unreservedly. Pressed to give tho name of his informant, ho stated that Ins information camh from one of Ins colleagues.