WELLINGTON NOTES.

Waikato Argus, Volume I, Issue 33, 24 September 1896, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

[feoji oue own corjti:sro>n>KXT|. Wellington, September IG. A PEIISONAL EXPLANATION. IT will be rememb?rcd that in the first week of the session Mr Ward made a very personal explanation, in which he hurled accusations more vehement than truthful against Mr John Dutbio, Sir Robert Stout, and others, who have never looked upon Lira as either a bcro or a martyr. Both the members gave a- flat contradiction to the accusations and fully explained their positions with regard to the Banks, Mr Dut'nie never having had any dealings with the Bank of New Zealand. The Hansard repoits reached London in duo course, and the scribes have made use of them in two leading financial papers, and their criticisms are, to say the least of it, particularly sultry on New Zealand politicians. But they seem to have accepted Mr Ward's injudicious and misleading attacks on his followmembers as being true in fact, and they thereupon jnocced to wisely observe that when " thieves fall out honest men get their duo," and that, " thanks to Mr Ward, we now learn for the first time that the affairs of the Bank of New Zealand have not been above suspicion in regard to its dealings with Mr John Duthie, M.H.E., while others Mr Ward stigmatised as criminals themselves or closely related to criminals," and further on it deals in much the same manner with Sir Robert Stout, but. as that gentleman is absent from Wellington just now, it will bo time enough to deal with his part of the article after he has made an explanation in the House. Mr Duthie read the above delectable extract in the House this afternoon, and tbon went on to remark how painful it was to find oneself so alluded to in a newspaper of repute. He had never been charged with having dealings with the Bank of New Zealand, and for over 2d years had dealt with the Bank of Australasia. Although his political views were not fully sympathised in by a large section of the electors, yet ho received their support because, ho believed, they had confidence in his personal integrity. It was a manly and modest statement and might well have ended there, but to the surprise of everybody, the cause of it all (Mr Ward) rose aud proceeded to say that he had not communicated with the Financial News or any other pcrsou or paper about the matter. At the same time he could not withdraw anything he had said in his speech at the time. It certainly said little for the ex-Treasurer's sense of decency or the fitness of things to epen his mouth, and his observations were received in ominous silence, more particularly as his name had been used pretty freely during the day in connection with the Banking Com mittee's report in the Upper House—of this, however, more hereafter. The Premier felt impelled to also put his feet in it by saying that members ought to be careful of casting reflections on each other and preserve each other's honour. As no one has been more free in casting imputations, both UDgenerous and unjust on his opponents' characters, the sage advice was greeted with a chorus of ironical " Hear, hear," from all sides. That ended the matter so far, but we may look for a good deal more when Sir Robert Stout returns and gives his views on what the London scribe published regarding him : it is not to oe expected that he will let it pass by with such a brief protest as Mr Duthie has. THE BANK INQUIRY. The Upper House Commit fee having finished its investigations last week, its sub-committee drew up a report, but the main committee will not accept it. There are some brutally plain conclusions arrived at regarding the oat transaction, and an opinion expressed that the martyr should have resigned the Trcasurcrship when he returned from England and discovered his huge indebtedness to the Colonial Bank. These conclusions do not moot ■with the approval of one-half of the Committee, and there is a dead lock just now. One member of the Committee, Mr Sbriniski, is away, and if he returns before matters are agreed upon his vote will be on the side of those who desire to make things appear as they are. It has transpired that matters were very lively to day among the Lords, and that there were wigs on the green between those who still believe the Honorable Joseph George is a victim and those who don't. The other Committee has been pegging away at. Mr Butt, the Colonial Auditor, to-day, and as there is a decidedly hostile feeling against him in the Ministerial camp, because he was one of the Inspectors who reported unfavourably regarding the P,ank of New Zealand taking over the Ward accounts, his examination by the Minister for Lands was very free indeed, and decidedly outside the order of reference. which is always trotted out when questions have even a distant bearing on the martyr's accounts. As a sample of the enquiry instituted by the hero of the pieldc bottle aud Pomahaka, Mr Butt owned to the crime of being a member of the Wellington Club, but he declined to acknowledge that he had said in that well conducted institution that the Government was a contemptible, discreditable crowd aud he did not care to be associated with them. It is a comforting reflection for the people of the colony to know that Mr Bull nays lie has so good an opinion of Ministers as to vouch for them being neither contemptible nor discreditable as a Club man. Possibly Mr Butt, like many other people, think olkerAvise when outside that highly respectable place of resort to which even Ministers are not entitled to enter, for it is, in the estimation of tho Hon. John a rest for the Tories, who would rend him asunder, if he only gave Sir Walter Duller power to have him tried by a special jury of Club men. Everybody is thoroughly weary of the burlesque and as the Upper House report may be looked for by the end of the week, not the least notice will be taken of Mr Seddon's investigations or conclu'iions. THE LORDS. Although Mr Seddon is very anxious to either have an Upper House of his own choosing, or to exterminate it altogether, it goes on its way with a calm disregard of his wishes, which is really annoying to the groat man, and as a rule whatever is objectionable to him is approved of by the public at large. This has bei n especially the case with two important Bills dealt with this week. Tlipy objected to pass the Loan Bill withou' some information as to what th • money was wanted for. If was a bol! and unusual thing for the Council to do, but the justification of the f tand it took was shown in the acknowledgment that of the million asked for, iMOb',ooo is already spent or pledged

iudepcndcnrly of the £'2\o,ooS Mr Seddon bragged about so recently as Julj l-ttl>. last. Having drawn this embarrassing confession from Government the Hon. Mr Orniond proceeded to show the hollowness and unsoundness of the boasted finance of the Government and proposed an amendment condemning Ministers for departing from the policy they were elected to carry out. and anticipating a loan not yet passed on the eve of a general election. The vote of censure, for such it really was was carried by '2O to 1 G.and the Bill will probably pass its final stage tomorrow. Then the Hon. Mr Walker sadly proceeded with the Advance? to Settlers Act. Amendment Bill. This bad for its object the getting rid of the rest of the million nnl a-half, which no one will have. In the House of Representatives they pass anything Ministers put before them, and the chief features about the new Bill were to increase the amount, which may bo lent from £2500 to £-1000. The Council declined to allow this end struck the clause out. The projects to lend money on suburban land, deferred payment lands and small grazing runs were all rejected, and the measure will be sent back to the Lower House with none of the hoped for 'reforms' in it. Taking one thing with another Mr Seddon and his colleagues are having a very bad time of it, and it may bo taken as a moral that as soon as they are granted money they will slaughter the SG Bills still on the order paper and put the shutters up. These Bills will provide a stock-in-trade of cries for the elections, but it is hardly likely the country will be content with such windy reasons for returning people whose real characters have been so exposed during this session.