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New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5424, 15 August 1878, Page 2

There was a long and acrimonious debate in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, on the motion of the Hon. Mr. Fox for “ a return of all advertisements ’published by the Government during the year terminating Ist July, 1878, inviting tenders from publishers of newspapers for the insertion of Government advertisements and notices; of all tenders sent in reply to such advertisements, and giving the rates tendered; and showing any tenders, and their rates, not accepted. Also, a return of all insertions of advertisements and notices in any newspaper by authority of any Government official without tenders having been publicly invited.” Here was a net constructed carefully to catch a good many very queer fish, bnt the Government dexterously by means of their observant servants talked tho question out over the usual hour of adjournment for dinner, when, according to the rule of the House, it lapsed. Except, then, in the pages of Hansard, none of the points upon which Mr. Fox sought to obtain information will bo found recorded, and there they will appear in the nature of a charge, without such rebnltal or confession as might be expected to be found in the required return. Wo shall he glad to record the fact, it Ministers, having skilfully evaded Mr. Fox’s deadly thrust, will still have the grace, voluntarily, to produce the return which the honorable member for Wanganui desires to obtain. The truth cannot be worse, and may, we hope, be found to be even much less damnatory than tho belief which has seized men’s mind with regard to the conduct of the Government and of certain sections of the newspaper Press of the colony in this particular. A perusal of the report of the debate will show that the charges have been very definite ; if they can bo shown to be untrue, for the honor of the public Press and for the credit of the colony which must suffer from the wrong-doing of its Government, we shall greatly rejoice, and be glad to give such publication to the rebutting evidence as we shall be able. But a manceuvre which shunts enquiry, vague denials of asserted facts, or appeals to partisans to rally round the citadel of jobbery, cannot reasonably be accepted as irrefragable proofs of innocence in such a course. It was one of the many blunders which tho present Government have made, to suppose that any permanent advantage could accrue to them from even the most successful attempt to corrupt any section of the public Press. The discovery and publication of the facts is the instant antidote, and the public power and usefulness of the infected journal is gone. In the interest of all the parties, we repeat tho expression of our hope that the return moved for will be immediately laid upon tho table of the House.