The Treasurer's Statements

Manawatu Herald, 30 July 1895, Page 2

The Treasurer's Statements

• - .>i.- •■...iv According to the Post the members for Selwyn, Mr A. Saunderg, an old > Liberal, thus placed on record hig opinion of the much-debated iaat»- r ter : — •' There was not a member in the House who did noibeliexa thftLthfu* Treasurer had made a very great, mistake in his statements in London. But there was only one punishment; for a Ministerial blunder. In old days a man was hanged for stealing a lamb and so humane men often lei the stealing of lambs go unpunished. Ho it was with Party Government. He thought the statement wrong*., but did not think the Treasurer should be hanged. The Govern* ment was not going to be turned out, - and if it was turned out it would soon come back again, and it would d.Q>, Ministers good to be turned out. Therefore he felt free to vote with the Leader of the Opposition, and especially as Captain Russall's preJ-6 poial in the first place, to refer (he

matter to the Public Accounts Committee, was the right thing. The statements of Ministers, that they would feel justified in taking these securities, was a very wrong and a serious thing. The Government should regard these trusts as sacred* as any honest man would regard a trust reposed in him. The three speeches of Ministers were "bad, wojse, worst." The speech of the MJfligter for Education was such a spi BB§is he had never heard in the -''He fitfbefore, and tbat was saying a gcßßreal. It was so grossly persoiW'so vicious, and so vulgar. (The Speaker objected to " vulgar"), would have justified such a speech.