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New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4543, 12 October 1875, Page 2

It must be admitted that Mr. Bridges as matters at present stand is in neither a pleasant nor a creditable position. He has acted the part of the man who would a tale unfold, and when the opportunity was given had no story to tell. His evidence before the select committee of the House was not of an indefinite character. Standing upon the apex of that pyramidical morality which upholds a hank director, he asserted positively that a bank with which he is not now connected had done damage to the colony by the influence which it was capable of exercising upon Government. He did not hesitate to mention an instance illustrative of that damage, and withheld statements in proof of his assertion merely because he feared the legal consequences, in a civil sense, which might accrue from the making of such statements. When brought to the bar of the House, and in the face of a promised indemnity from the legal consequences which he dreaded, Mr. Bridges adopted a line of conduct which cannot be better described than by the Americanism “ caving-in,” and alleged, in effect, that after having been for years convinced of the truth of what he had said, a single Saturday had sufficed to convince him that he was totally wrong, and ought to read a palinodia —which he accordingly did. From a statement made with characteristic modesty by Mr. Luckie, it appeared that Mr. Bridges owed the enlightenment as to his error entirely to Mr. Luckie’s having kindly reasoned him out of his faith in a few minutes. Despite the anxiety of Messrs. Macandrew and Reid to let the matter terminate here, the country will approve, as the House has approved, of the determination of Government to insist upon the affair being gone into fully, so that it shall not he permitted to Mr. Bridges to make most serious charges against members of the Legislature, and to calmly turn round, when asked for confirmation, and say he was mistaken.