Alleged Bribery

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 203, 24 February 1912, Page 5

Alleged Bribery

"SQUARING" MR. PAYNE. £IOOO ALLEGED TO BE INVOLVED. PLAIN TALK IN,PARLIAMENT. By AMOci*ti«». Wellington, Last Night. During the' no confidence debate in the House this evening, Mr. Bell explained, in connection /with words used by him during the election, that he had no intention of taxing the Premier in connection with the loan of improperly accepting moneyi

.Sir Joseph Ward acquitted Mr. Bell personally of the construction put upon his remarks, but said the main point was the impression which such remarks made upon the public mind. THE BLACK PAMPHLET.

The question of the. "Black pamphlet" here cropped up, and Sir Joseph Ward said he had never attributed it to the Opposition, but declared it was promoted by a supporter of the Opposition outside the House. Ninety-nine men out of a hundred looked upon it as a blackguardly, way of attackim? a. public man. Mr. Massey said Sir Joseph Ward was wrong if he said it was an Oppositionist device.

Sir J. G. Ward replied he was not wrong. There were men who had not quite as much information as he had, and if he saw fit to do so, he could put one or two men in jranl that day. MR. PAYNE'S POSITION.

Mr. Dickson then rose, and said he wished to make reference'-to a statement that an alleged inducement of £IOOO had been offered to a certain member. Mr. Payne had stated to him in Auckland that he was going to support the Opposition on a no confidence motion. Later he received information that Mr. Payne was going to break his pledge, and that bets were being made on that contingency. He put a question to Mr. Payne, in the presence of Mr. Massey. on Friday last that he (Mr. Payne) had been offered money to vote with the Government. Mr. Payne refused to say anything at first, but eventually said: "I have been offered it. I have been called into an office in Auckland."

Sir J. G. Ward: "You should say what office and who the people were.", Mr. Dickson said he would not do that. He would leave the matter to Mr. Payne. . Mr. Payne: "You know!" Mr. Dickson: "I do not!"

Mr. Payne:: "You do. Say it now!" Mr. Dickson said he was very pleased to understand that Mr. Payne would say who had acted this contemptible part of endeavoring to get a man to break his pledges for payment of £SOO. He did not wish to be understood that he (Mr. Dickson) suggested that the offer had been made by any member of the Government party. He was quite satisfied other members could make statements similar to those which he had just made. In his opinion, Mr. Payne was not the only man-who had similar offers or inducements made, to him. It was his duty as member for Grey Lynn to explain the matter to the House. Sir J. G. Ward said it was the duty of every member anxious to maintain his own dignity and that of the House to .make a clear statement on a matter like this. Mr. Massey said he was present when the statement was made. The statement averred that Mr. Payne had told him he had been offered £SOO or £IOOO in a merchant's officn in Auckland to break his election pledge. Mr. Payne, by way of personal explanation, said he was called into the office of Maurice O'Connor by Charles MoMaster. who. r said: "Do vou know, I have been authorised to give you anything between £SOO and £IOOO if vou ■will go in the direction of the Ward Party." He took no notice of his remarks. Mr. Payne proceeded to say that he believed Mr. McMaster was now taking round a petition calling upon him to resi-rn because ho had gone hack on his election pledges.

AN ANONYMOUS. LETTER. REFLECTIONS ON MR. PAYNE. SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO BE SET UP. MR. ROBERTSON SHOWS HIS HAND. CAN SEE HIS WAV TO SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT. Wellington, Last Night. On the House resuming at 7.30, Sir Joseph .Ward raised the point whether a breach of privilege had not been caused in placing an anonymous letter on the table.

Mr.Massey explained that he had been going into the whole of the circumstances connected with the interview between himself and Mr. Payne, and had quoted those portions of tLs letter which Be lad read to Mr. Payne. Sir Joseph Ward said the rumor or allegation was directed aV Mr. Brown, member for Napier, and himself. Evidently the member for Parncll had been put up to make nn allegation.

Mr. Massey took exception to this statement.

Sir Joseph Ward said he wanted to' see the letter, so as he could prosecute the man who wrote it. He asked Mr. Massey as a matter of fairness to-produce the letter. He asked the Speaker's ruling on the point. The Speaker ruled that there was nothing in the letter which made; any direct charge against Sir Joseph Ward or Mr. Brown. In his opinion it was not a breaoh of privilege to lay the letter oh the table. Mr. Payne said he wished to raise a question of breach of privilege on his own account, and asked that the original document be placed on the table. The Speaker said it was for the House to decide if Mr. Payne considered anything read constituted a breach of privilege, Then the name of the writer, the person who wrote the letter, coald be ascertained.

Mr. Brown then rose, and wished to raise a question of breach of privilege in his own case, remarking that tbfc statement that he had been concerned in a payment of £IOOO was absolutely untrue. He moved that a breach of privilege had been committed.

Mr. Msvssey declared that Mr. Brown's name had not been mentioned. . Mr. Payne said he was going to vote that a committee be set up to clear him of the charge that he had been "squared" for £1080.'"

The Speaker suggested that Mr. Payne should move: "That the publication of the following extracts in the letter constitutes a breach of privilege." Mr. Veitch seconded the motion, and said that whatever the charge was it should be proved up to ,the hilt. The responsibility for proving the charge against a Labor member rested with the gentleman who brought the matter forward. There might bo a fear that the member who recorded his vote on the Liberal side might be charged with something similar. \ Mr. Payne said he wanted the original letter laid on the table to enable him to rprosecute the writer. 'Mr. Brown said it was a cowardly thing to make such a statement as had been made while he had no redress in law courts against the writer of the letter. The extract 'from the letter stated: — "Mr Payne told me some days ago that Mr. Massey had said that he

1 'Y*K3 (Mr. Payne, had been squared bys'l kMr. Brown for a thousand." y^ r. Iknan said it was a curious tJbJng'y'w that such a dastardly charge had not been made until after the member for :4« Grey Lynn had spoken. There was no- '"iff thiig to show that the letter was not \X ; i a fake. There was no signature, and all '*?' tiny had was an extract. / J Mr. Fisher hoped the member would ■ *' : haye every opportunity afforded him of ,. L .'i having a fair hearing. '.'J; Mr. Robertson said he was of opinion ' 'J that the charge brought by the Opposi- vs* tion against Mr. Payne was designed to '''! intimidate the Labor members who had "\v not yit spoken. He could see a way to '\" keep his election pledges and yet yote 3 to keep the Liberals on the Treasury ■'•, Benches. Mr. Massey read the memoranda of an interview with Mr. Payne. Mr. Payne '', hiiil told him at the interview in queg- ' ' tiou that he thought he had intended ' to vote for the Government. Mr. Massey, had replied that it would be a disgrace •' to him and his constituents if he did bo. ' Nothing definite was sett'ed. Mr. Payne . •" said he would consider the matter and give a definite reply. He did not do &o, . ■ - and of course he (Mr. Massey) did not ' rim after him. Mr. Dickson was present ' .">' ■ at the interview. He hoped a committee "' '"' would be net up, and it would be found ? lie would do the right thing to the mem- - fibers of this House. , • Mr. Payne repeated, as a personal ex- «■>,_, planation, his transactions with Mr. .;,* Massey and the offer of McM:ister*a of '•'■'; a bribe. , "'- Mr. Millar asked if' the offence had ' ' been committed, and the Leader of the ~; ' ' Opposition • knew of it a fortnight ago, '' '. why had he not made it public earlier in the session? In his opinion, if Mr. ..'.',' Payne had voted for the Opposition they • *•■ would never have heard a word about >'''. the matter. Mr. Atmore urged the House to get, on with the vote. ' '■ '

Sir Joseph Ward objected to the sup- \. pression of-the discussion. „' . Mr. MeKen/ie said the thanks of the House were due to Mr. Veitch for giving a lead in the matter. There was a feeling of intimidation in connection with .♦; the Labor Party, and what Mr. Veitch, ' ■'"' said would have a most salutary effect. ." The result of the inquiry would be that an. offer only had been made, and that no money had passed,' Mr. Forbes said the whole thing was a jj political fake, and had been arranged with the object of damaging the Govern-, ment party.