PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1912, 4 July 1889, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY NOTES.

MEHTSTERIAIi AM^KITIES,

The warlike Defence Minister, Mr Fergus,, made a shameful attack last Tuesday evening on Mr Hutcheson, the member for Waitara, who beat' Mrßrjce last election. Mr Fergus was in charge of the estimates in his own department, and when the item for Ha i'bor defences came forward, had toanswor a question put by Mr Hutcheson, wh o wanted to know whether he had received any communication to the effect that Major-G-eneral Stewart had said tho defences of New Zealand were practic ally useless. Mr Fergus denied knowing anything about it, and made a furious attack on Mr Hutcheson, accusing him of personal cowardice, inasmu.ch as that he left the company of cavalry to which he was attached ! in the Maori war, and skulked off to " a diatamt part. Mr Hutcheson replied that h,e left his corps because they were recalled from active .service, and went t o join Colonel Whitmore, who was ! i lighting the Hauhaus. He appealed to Colonel Whitmore to prove i.t. He also stated that he had seen i a the Agent-General's office a memo, from Major-General Stewart, a high authority, seating that the defenc qs of New Zealand were practically useless in the face of a newer systent. He accused the Minister of ignoraiuce of important documents in his owiu department. In reply to Mr Ballan c;e, Mr Fergus promised to inquire iaifco the existence of the memo. Now what a blackguardly thing for a Minister of the Crown to make such an attack on a man concerning a J matter which occurred over 20 years [ago. What had Mr Hutcheson's J fighting capabilities to do with expenl diture <on Harbor defences ? This is