HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 209, 4 September 1871, Page 2

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

(From the Wellington FMt^ftptember \.) An interesting debate took place last night on a motion by Mr. Collins, " That the reply of the He«. fho Colonial Treasurer to the qucsti** put to the Government by Mr. Cflliai be entered in the journals of the H«m». w (The reply referred to was made *• a {atilion of Mr. Collins whether £50,00© •btained from the Comptroller for ob« pisrpose had been devoted to another.) Mr. U«llins said be had hoped ; by adopll»f Ihii course he should have induced At Colonial Treasurer to give him a go*d satisfactory answer to his queati«». But the utter insufficiency, inadequacy, fatuity, he might say, of the reply mual have been evident to the House. When he put, a few days ago, a question to Mr. Fox, he might say now, he had not expected to receive an answer; but, now that the Colonial Treasurer, who did kooir something about the affairs of the Government, had come out, be had hoped to have been able to obtain some information. Well, he certainly had got an answer, and out-and-out supporters of the Government had with great glee said to aim, " Well, you can't make much out of that." And he must confess he had net got much, but he was sure that the anavrar ef the Colonial Treasurer had damaged the Government in that House much more than it had hurt him. . The conduct of the Government in this matter conld only be described as a species of financial thimblerigging. The. question which he had put was a most important die, and a country would not be safe where such matters were treated by the Government and the Legislature with levity. The fact was, as members had already been told, the finances of the country were slipping out of the hands of the Home, and he for one would raise his voice agaiist such a calamity. He had hoped tkat by this motion he should have screwed as answer out of the Colonial Treasurer, and that he might have been able to poiat young members to the efficacy of such means in future. The Colonial Treasurer. had been pleased to term him ths mouth-piece of the Comptroller. He considered that the habit of applying terms of reproach to members in the execution of their duty was objectionable, and one to which they should not be subjected. He was the mouth-piece of no official in New Zealand. He had merely applied to the Comptroller, a high officer of the House, for certain information, and he had obtained it, as was his right. The disparaging insinuations of the Colonial Treasurer would, he was sure, have no effect on the Comptroller, and, as for himself, they were harmless. The Colonial Treasurer had said that it was inconvenient for him te give a categorical answer. Of course it was. The House knew why, and agreed with him that Mr. Yogel had not got out of giving an answer creditably. — The Speaker said it was easy to put the motion to the; House; but he did not know where h« was to get the answer from.— Mr. Colliai suggested that perhaps Mr. Yogel knew what reply he made and was hot askamei to repeat it. —Mr Yogel .said that Mr. Collins question had been ingeßiousiy framed, so as to cause the reply to give as little information as possible. Till, however, the House knew whether Mr. Collins was the recognised leader of the Opposition, it was mere wast* of time discussing these small matters. The plain course to adopt was to bring down a vote of want of confidence. He had no wish to offend Mr. Collins whea he called him the.mouthpiece of the Comptroller. On a recent occasion, when Mr, Fox, who was quite able to give a castigation, had had ; an opportunity of doing so, he (Mr, Vojgel) had.begged ; him,;off. jSe wished really; to let aim down easily. He referred to the Comptroller's balance seett, in which a portion of the* ' Trust Funds was stated 1 to be represented ! bypyer due Treiwury. Bills, and he characterised it as a deliberate attempt to injure the credit, of the colony. |The Government would oppose the motion, and if necessary' divide the House upon it. He then dwelt at length on the nselessthe Comptroller,,; and the present system of control. — Mr. Gillies took exception 'to the remarks made by the Colonial Treasurer respecting the Comptroller, who was a most valued officer of the House, and one in whom the House placed every confidence. Those remarks were unjust, uncalled for, and ungenerous, considering that it wat impossible for the

gentleman to whom they referred to defend himself there. The fact was that the present system of control was good under a good Government, but of no avail against the schemes of an unscrupulous Government. — The hon. J. Hali almost hoped the motion would not be carried. It would have been the more manly course if the Government had come down and said they had used the money for other purposes than those for which it was drawn, and that they would give every explanation at the proper time. With regard to the Comptroller, he thought him a most useful officer. The system of control over the issue of money to the Treasury was good — it was the control over the expenditure that was faulty. That was no reason for abolishing all control, but rather for improving it. — Mr. M'Gillivray propounded a singular doctrine of morals in a few words and sat down.— Mr. Swanson said that Ministers' answers to questions should be in writing. — Mr. Reid said the morality preached and practised by the Government seemed to be rather queer. One Minister said the Executive had discussed whether the Comptroller's report should be laid on the table of the House or not, because it contained matter they did not wish divulged. This proved, he thought, the necessity for the Comptroller, for had it not been for him the fact that the Treasury Bills were not taken up would have remained a secret. It also showed the necessity for the Comptroller sendiDg his report direct to the House, and thus, not giving Ministers a chance to suppress it. — The debate was continued by Messrs. Reynolds, Bunny, and the Premier, when Mr. Collins replied, briefly defending the Comptroller against the insinuations thrown out, and then withdrew his motion.