The Fox Commission

Manawatu Herald, 30 June 1894, Page 2

The Fox Commission

The Pod says that the report hat been presented to the Governor, and has also been in the hands of Mmi 8 " ters several days. In the Commiesioners opinion the evidence lpointg to the Evening Post havibg "ffisiß>ed the information on tfie of the 4th April, between owM^^Boiirg during which the paperl^relte^B^he custody of either ths kfi^p^Sir Patrick Buckley or the Hon P J^ J. Cadinan, or in transit Between the two in a olosed envelop^ "^\^he charge of a messenger. s";^:s§|fe In a leader the Post say^-f^at the Fox Commission w*B^fl»ed more at Sir Patrick Baolley^ftß at the Evening post was an,6peoj«firet from the moment of MriU*l|ara Smith's appointment as. C^ggissioner. For some reason, or' other Mr Seddon has for some tivi^back been anxious to get rid of B^E|teiek Buckley, but he has been-afraidof any open rupture which woula invert his present Colleague into a dangerous opponent commanding public sympathy as having been despitedly and unfairly used,/ As &| Fox papers had passed through* &c Colonial Secretary's hands on the day when we published a summary of Colonel Fox's letter,! tbiaqpfijeßt was eagerly seized on' air iiKnmnfeg a means by which Sir Patrick Buckley could be effectively assailed, and possibly be driven in such disgrace from the Ministry as would render him absolutely harmless as an opponent, if, indeed, his retirement altogether from public life was not rendered inevitable." ....jAnd also furthei 1 oii points out that tb^ejlou. Sir P. Buckley and Mr Caufuan had both denied upon oath to the Commiesioner that they had given any ' information. The Commissioner appears to set small store on th(T^ oath oi Ministers. The New Zealand 'Junes reports that the editor of the Post has made I a declaration before a Justice of the

Peace stating positively that the assumption that his paper obtained the information on the 4th April while the letter was in the possession of Sir Patrick Buckley or Mr Cadman, or that the information was obtained r from them or from their messenger, is altogether contrary to fact ; that neither directly nor indirectly were . Sir Patrick Buckley or Mr Cadman ' or the messenger concerned or mi plicated in his paper having obtained the information regarding the letter, and that it did not reach the paper in the manner assumed by the Commissioner in his report. The Premier, in reply to Captain Bussell has promised to have the re* port laid on the table of the House on Friday, and to have the evidence 9 printed. Ibis should make most interesting reading.