PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT.

South Canterbury Times, Volume XV, Issue 2068, 8 November 1879, Page 2

PREVENTION OF CORRUPTION ACT.

Tlic following is tke Bill introduced by Sir George Grey to prevent the corruption of Parliament: — “1. The short title of this Act is ‘ The Prevention of Corruption Act. 1879.’ 2. Every person who gives, or oilers to give, a bribe to any member of the New Zealand Assembly, or another person for him, or attempts, by menace, decet,suppression of truth, offer or promise of any office, or offer or promise of expenditure of public money, or erection of public work, or any particular advantage in as to any localite or by any other other corrupt means to influence a member in giving or withholding his vote, or in not attending the House or any Committee of w r hich ho is a member, or giving assistance or support to any particular side on any question upon which he shall be required to act in his official capacity, shall be punishable by imprisonment for not less than one or more "years. 3, Every member of the General Asembly of Few Zealand who asks, receives, or agrees to receive, or becomes a party to receiving any bribe, or the gift of any offices, or who becomes a corrupt practices set forth in the preceding section, upon any understanding that his official vote, opinion, judgment, or action, shall be influenced thereby or shall be given in any particular manner, or upon, any particular side of any question or matter upon which he may be required, to act in his official capacity, or gives, or offers, or promises to give any official vote in consideration that another member of the Assembly shall give any such vote, either upon the same or another question, shall be pmnishable by imprisonment for not less than one nor more than <t years. Evcay person, who, being summoned to attend as a witness before either House of the Legislature or any Committee thereof, refuses or neglects, without lawful excuse, to attend pursuant to such summons, and every person who being present before cither House of the Legislature, or any committee thereof, wilfully refuses to be sworn or to answer any material and proper question, or to produce upon reasonable notice any material and proper books, papers, or documents in his possession or under his control, is guilty of a misdemeanour. 5 cveiy member of the General Assembly of Now Zealand convicted of any offence defined, set our, or contained in this act shall, in ad to the punishment herein prescribed, forfeit his scat and office, and be for ever disqualified from becoming again a member of the said General assembly, or of holding any office under the Government of the Goiw-