SIR GEORGE GREY AND MR. STAFFORD. – A QUESTION OF VERACITY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4836, 21 September 1876, Page 3

SIR GEORGE GREY AND MR. STAFFORD. - A QUESTION OF VERACITY.

Some time since Sir George Grey, in one of those flights of fancy for which he is famed, gave a circumstantial account of a compact between his bete noir, Dr. Pollen, and Mr. Stafford, by which some great advantage was to be secured to the latter gentleman. Last evening Mr. Stafford took occasion to flatly deny the statement. He said he could only account for th? assertion by attributing it to the too fertile imagination of the hon. member for the Thames. Not only had there been no such compact, but he had never even spoken to any member of the present or past Ministry on the subject. Referring to the complaint that the Canterbury members had come up pledged to support a particular course, he said an hon. member who was continually talking of the rights of the people, should regard it as an incontestible proof that the people of that province at any rate were represented. As to his having pledged himself by a compact, he denied having communicated with the late or present Government, either verbally or by letter, on the subject. It was an unworthy accusation. Sir George Gbet then rose and said he had been informed of the circumstance by the hon. member for Timaru himself, and that hon. member could not deny it. Mr. Stafford: I deny it altogether.

Sir George Grey remarked it wag a question of memory against; memory, and went on to relate how he had heard that the hon. member for Timaru and the Hon. Dr. Pollen had met at Christchurch for the purpose of settling what was to be the future of the country as to the abolition of provinces; and upon asking the hon. member for Timarn whether the report was correct, he had admitted that it was. Details of the conversation he had not given, but he had admitted that he had met Dr. Pollen, and a compact was entered into, by which the hon. member had bound himself to vote for the Government on all points which affected the existence of the Government.

Mr. Stafford said he had never used such words, and never had made and never would make such a compact with any member. Sir Georgb Grey said he could trnst his memory, and was quite sure the hon. member had told him so.

Mr. Stafford said it was quite true that an interview had taken place between himself and Dr. Pollen, and that the question of abolition was talked of, and it was true that he had mentioned that to Sir George Grey ; but he had only told the hon. member what he had told the Honse the first day of the session. He had on that occasion Baid, in consideration of the Government having extended the question of abolition to both islands, he should in all questions affecting the continuance of the Government in office give them a loyal and cordial support. A member of the Government, who immediately followed him, said they had heard that declaration for the first time; and that was true. So much for the compact. It was true he had spoken to the Hon. Dr. Pollen about abolition, and pressed him to extend it to both islands on the occasion of the meeting ; but that was not the question Dr. Pollen and he had met to talk over. What the Bubject was none but Dr. Pollen, his colleagues, and he (Mr. Stafford) had ever known up to the present day. The matter then dropped.