THE MEMBERS FOR KUMARA AND GLADSTONE.

Kumara Times, Issue 2777, 15 August 1885, Page 2

THE MEMBERS FOR KUMARA AND GLADSTONE.

, The parliamentary correspondent of the Grey River Argus gives the following version of the squabble between Mr Sutter (the member for Gladstone) and Mr Seddon, which, it will be seen, is merely a bubble. Telegraphing this morning from Wellington, he stales : During the afternoon, Mr Seddon said, as a matter of importance to him, he had asked Mr Sutter to put a motion on the order paper for the production of the names of any persons connected with the construction of the Kurnara sludge channel No. 2 ; and he (Mr Seddon) received a telegram stating that he would be disqualified. He asked the hon. gentleman if he had anything to say to it in the House, and not in the lobby.—Mr Sutter said he -would not bring up a question of privilege in connection with the seat of the member for Kumara, but he wished to censure all the Governments of the day since 1875. He went on to say, the hon. member for Kumara had continually been urging Government to construct "sludge" channel No. 2, and after some correspondence the acting Minister of Mines (Mr Stout) agreed to subscribe to the extent of .£2OOO any company that would construct the channel.—Mr Seddon replied that there were no companies in the district to construct it. Meanwhile petitions were sent in against the work being done, pointing out that R. J. Seddon, a mining advocate, was interested in the matter. The next thing he found was that there was a blank in the correspondence, and then there was a contract for work at a price of £3432 18s sd, signed by R. J. Seddon and others as contractors. The miners in the district had pleaded that Government would not have the work completed. They pointed out that the contractors were not worth a straw, and they asked the Government to protect them against these men. In conclusion, Mr Sutter promised the House another treat by and bye. He held that the hon. member for Kumara had brought himself under the penal clause of Disqualification Act, and he moved that all correspondence in connection with the construction of the Kumara sludge channel No. 2 be laid before the House. Mr Seddon seconded the motion.

The Premier said there was a sludgechannel at Kumara into which the miners sent their tailings, and it was found this privilege was taken of by too many miners, and that the channel was occasionally blocked. The Government last session placed £2OOO for the construction of a second channel, and that was carried without a question. He found later, however, that the work would probably cost £IO,OOO, and he did not think it advisable to expend such a sum. Several persons had grievances in the matter, and the member for Kumara had consented on his (Mr Stout's) advice to sign a bond indemnifying these miners from loss. There was no contract between the Government and Mr Seddon at all, but in order to indemnify the Government against loss Mr Seddon and other gentlemen had acted as Trustees for the performance of the work. The money was paid to these gentlemen to pay to the contractor, Mr Martin. So far as he knew, Mr Seddon was not interested in the channel.

After a lengthy discussion, we learn that the Premier moved that a Select Committee, consisting of Messrs J. C. Backlaud. Hislop, Sutter, Russell, Conoily, Bruce, Moss, Fraser, Hursthouae, and the mover be appointed to investigate the case, with power to call for persons and papers, and to report to the House in ten days.