ALLEGATIONS BY THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR STRATFORD (CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO).

Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1910 Session I, I-14a

1.—14a.

1910. NEW ZEALAND.

ALLEGATIONS BY THE HONOURABLE MEMBER FOR STRATFORD (CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO).

Latd on the Table of the House of Representatives by Lean-.

The Right Hon. the Pkime Minister to His Honour the Chief Justice. SlR '~ ~ t , , . . Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 20th October, 1910 I have the honour to inform vou that during the debate in the Hm,«, „f u™ \V on the Financial Statement, the honourable member for Stratford Mr TuteZT allegations against members of Parliament m connection with the the Crown for the purpose of close settlement. The nature and form of tV,JL =ILI +• y on page 461 of the second volume of Hi rd for this ssi,,. , ' ~ ', HuSst 'SoT Hine on the 12th October, appeared before a special Committee appointed by fflouse of sentatiyes to investigate and report on the allegations referred to and tl , ,7 ? I these allegations to the following definite charges:— ' ° reduced " J. That Charles Edwin Major, in or about the vear 1904 while i memriM- ~f l>,,i; the Bal f 'n Governmen . t of a P-Perty of Frederick Bay?;ltToko^ndreSS the said Frederick Bayly a commission or sum of money for so doing ' received Horn •, 1;i k V, That ? lal ' k ' S K" Maj " r a " d Walter S - vules > or one of them, in or about the rear 1905 ,vt tVr 0t Pa^r 6Dt ' l . COnd . UCted th€ Bale t0 the Government of a Ufred Bayly at Toko, and received from the said Alfred Bayly a commission or sum J,„ , i said Charles Edwin Major and Walter Symes divided ' ° ommiSB1 ° n '" s '"" "' ni " m '- v - ""'<■'' «* "3. That the said Walter Symes, in or about the year 1900 and ai?ain in lon« i i member of Parliament charged and received from a numLr of wZi Coast of lands commissions or sums of money for preparing and conducting petitions in pTlilent on theS "4. That the said Walter Symes, in the year 1905 while a Darliamonri.™ ~i n presently in prospect, in which the said Walter Symes intended and ,| ' T became, a candidate am, being then actually a memW of £ta, be threatened, a certain newspaper that he would use his influence as a member of to prevent Government advertisements from being given to the said newspaper^ unless hereeved " ™ t0 hiS ° Wn BatiBfaCti * the - -PV du 8 r 8 in h g ffSd "5. That Thomas Kennedy Macdonald, in or about the vear 19(14. and subsequent years while a member of the Legislative Council, either alone or in conjunction with Lis t , t a," (a land agent) conducted the sale to the Government of the property of one John Motley I' ■ h at Sie vendn 1 T P W"" *"' pe, ' SOnS ' and reoeiyed *°* fcl * «>»* Motley the vendors of such other properties commissions or other sums of money; or alternately the MaCd ° nald "* "" **" ~— -TtWs'umt H ", 6 \ T^ at o 6nare Kaihau ' in or about the year 1906, while a member of Parliament conducted he sale to the Government of a portion of the To Akau Block, and received from the renders a commission or other sum of money." "" vendors a On the 19th instant this special Committee reported to the House of Representatives that it recommended that the charges so made be referred to two Judges of the Supren , .- it , as a Royal Commission, to investigate and report up,,,, the charges so referred to 1,,',, The House of Represenatives, by resolution carried on the 19th day of October, adapted v„or I have therefore the honour to ask you- if you will be good enough to furnish me wUh the names of two of their Honours Judges of the Supreme Court who are willing to be appointed members of ntClXr % S mlm "H n *° iM «P»rt "P™ the d.arges iZrI X s , in this letter Should your Honour consider legislation necessary to give validity to the Dronosed Commission, I shall ask Parliament to pass it at once. ' ' P»oposed I have, &c, His Honour the Chief Justice, Wellington. ' ' p^ e Mi n j ßt6r

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His Honour the Chief Justice to the Right Hon. the Pkime Minister. Judge's Chambers, Wellington, 22nd October, 1910. ST: , not Sae «.'.« '»' «« Government. Lmming that theac charge, are .„«, mem. xney urn s within the provisions ot the Legislature Act, 190*. ttownlhe case would* have been different, as that would have concerned, that is a grave charge, and m Australia, I believe, more than r„„^"2n!^ PUm Char"e 4 is the reproduction of the babblement of an election contested if the threats tola .'lament If the Parliament think, .neb agency .honld not be permitted, then a lan " Ztlea'.K.rg- »< caption, althongh cb.rg. 3 ia on, .< improper eondnet. * ■SSI'S the de.»o„ referred to, the ska: : ia- ■,->£"*' mj bro,her Judges approve of this my reply to your letter. ' Robert Stout. The Right Hon. Sir .1. G. Ward. K.C.M.G., Prime Minister, Wellington.

The Right Hon. the Prime Minister to His Honour the Chief Justice Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 27th October, 1910. felß ~ I have the honoux to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd October, tor winch 1 thank you. _ . . . . a on behalf of yourself and their Honours In view of the expression of opinion contained therein on toenailo j CO nveyed to you Select Committees, one from each branch of the Legislature. 'j. G. Ward, „, T ~. Prime Minister. His Honour the Chief Justice, Wellington. ApprorimaU cost o, not given ; printing (1,500 copies), £1 10s.

By Authority : John Mackay, Government Printer, Wellington.-1910.

I'rice 3d.)