BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3577, 2 August 1890, Page 2

BANK OF NEW ZEALAND.

Mj Hutchison's 01ar«a. On tko meeting of tbe House. at 2.80 yesterfaj, Mr ED.;, Bell was '. Y heard in' coojunolion with Mr St-af- "f iordVon.behaltof the.Bankof»flew*-r- T Zealand, The speaker read the formal ■" correspondence'he had fiad with JfrjY John' Murray as 't</tbe resolution 1 of' ' Bank that Mr H. D. Bell, assisted by Mr Stafford might be>heardon>itß/Y - behalf, The. Speake^theri v obtain4d* .* ?' ) the permission of ,tbe House, to send.' for two legal gentletfldti to beadmtttej '■■■ : and they ;,oame- in, slowly, and •bomng'ceremonioasiyr'Y The Speaker, nptjfied;>them thattbarA; c Houb6 had oons'ente'd f t'oliear r theiri od> ? <] ' ! behalf of the Bank.- . Mr Bell then addressed the Hoiiso: If at consitablo.length, after which U l ' ' and liii|plloagae retired. ' . ix . Mr Withy (Chairman of \he ; Cqm-^.' :^*

mittee) moved on behalf of the Com-, ■ mittee;. the following -resolution';— "That Mr John Murray and Mr Richard Butler Bigg do attend before h the Select Committee on the accus* '" ations'of the member for Waitotara andbring_with;them.orone of them the ...banking hooks or documents n :whioh the' said Committee','has '* I already ordered to be produced or ]*, may be hereafter required." • -■ \'' Mr Macarthur moved toadd to the - [motion,"Provided that the Bank shallonlybe compelled/to disclose books/accounts, aud other papers i» and information of a private nature on the Committee reporting to .the House'tbat, as alleged in the speech" ofthemomber for Waitotara, the. public funds have been improperly used or raised by Ministers to the advantage of the Bank of- New • Zealand to the detriment of tho colony." Mr Ballance spoke at length, followed by Mr Seddon, Mr Downie Stewart, and Sir John Hall. _ Mr Hutohison said he thought the time had come for him to break the silence-which he had' imposed upon himself so long. He contended that really Mr Bell was tho advooate for the Ministers who wero concerned in the matter. He (Mr Hutohison) would have olaimed to show the Committee that Sir Harry Atkinson I was under a' very hoayy .obligation to tho Bank for another person, and that that obligation was out ot all . measure with his ability to pay; that d|i it had iievor been met—probably had never been considered an asset of the ,

Bank. • And did anyone mean-to tell him that the Bank, whioh was not supposed to carry on its business for sentiment, but had to pay dividends to its shareholders, would act in that waj withbutconsideratiori ? Or that any Court- would roluse to hear evidence in such circumstances? They would have proved Mr Mitohelson to have been under very heavy obligations, though ho might not be so now. But the obligations had been discharged in a manner which was inconsistent with payment in full would mean that the Minister was put in a position of servitudo to the Bank. Was there any doubt abouthis ohargesnow ? (Opposi. tion cheers,) He warned the Government that they must take the responsibility of the oharges being left uninvestigated. He was desirous of going on, with the onus on him of proving what he had alleged, subject to the Committee's regulation whether the evidence he adduoedwas relevant at that stage or not, (Cheers.) Mr'Hislop offered.to refer the question loMr/Ballanoe, and take his decision upon it, or be would give Mr Hutchison another challenge, Was tho lion member willing to abandon his privileges as a member and meet the Government elsewhere ? If he was, the Government would meet him. .

Mi' Hutohison: Outside. The Minister: No, it is only members of the Opposition who made such vulgar challenges as that, He proceeded to ask where were the specifft allegations against Ministers ? He vigorously denounced the personal. line assumed by Mr Hutohison and certain members of the Committee. Mr Hutchison having made other c oharges against Ministers now; he ; challenged him to publish another " Indictment of the Government," and to make his charges outside The Government were willing at any tinio to put the fullest particulars before a Committee as to the state of the publio aooount for the last six -fy years, aiid they courted the fullost investigation. (Cheers). After considerable farther disoussion a division was taken on the amendment of Mr Macarthur, which resulted in its being oarried by a majority of nine.