ALLEGED BRIBERY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9056, 3 April 1908, Page 5

ALLEGED BRIBERY.

CABLE NEWS.

United Press Association—llv Electric Telegraph Copyright.

CHARGES AGAINST FEDERAL MEMBERS. COMMITTEES OF ENQUIRY APPOINTED. Received April 2, 9.55 a.m. MELBOURNE, April 2. Select committees hava been appointed by both Federal Houses to enquire into charges that the votes of some members were bought during the course of the tariff debate. In the Feieral House on February 12th. Dr Liddell, of New South Wales, read a paragraph published in a Sydney weekly newspaper to tho effect that "two Tories" in the Federal Parliament had received £2,000 for changing their views on the necessity for taxing the produce of the Standard Oil Company, and that two others were also bought in ether ways. Dr Liddell asked the Prime Minister if he was going to allow a reflection of this sort to refct on members.

Mr Deakin said that the paragraph referred to had been brought under his notice a month ago. He had enquired if the charge could be made more definite, but had received no reply. The charge made was a most serious one. No names were used, but a general statement was difficult to deal with. They had to consider whether it would be fitting to the dignity of Parliament to bring an editor or publisher to the bar of the House for publishing such a general btaterncnt. Editors and publishers had been brought to the bar, but with no result. The present instance was not the only one. The time had arrived when the House was called upon to frame adequate mechanism to deal with such aspersions without distinction between offenders. He would, therefore, coVisult his colleagues with a view to the appointment of a small commission to consider the best methods of bringing such matters before an efficient tribunal.