Purchasing Votes.

Otago Witness, Issue 1650, 7 July 1883, Page 4 (Supplement)

Purchasing Votes.

In the course of the debate on the Addreas-in-Reply Mr Joyce made the following sensible remarks, which was all the more forcible aa coming from a member of the Opposition : —

Mr Joyce : I think the hon. member who has just sat down (Mr Fulton) haß excellently well cleared himself from any possible imputation of his vote having been given to the Government in expectation of favours to come. It struck me, while the hon. member for Akaroa was speaking and giving instances o£ what I must be excused for describing as something approaching a misuse of public money, that he was very injudicious. It seemed to. me that he was bringing forward cases in such a manner that the result would not unlikely be that to-morrow the Opposition would be found on the other side altogether, for every man knows that if he could go back tohis constituency and say, " See, I have got you this road " or ''this bridge," the constituency would be very grateful. The constituencies corrupt the House ; they look for these works, and regard members of this House very much as fishermen regard bait. The fisherman looks out for the bait which will catch most fish. The constituencies look for the men who will get what they want in the way of works. The poaition reminds me very much of an old-world story of a little girJ seen by a paaser-by to be the centre of a respectful circle of other girls, who were moßt assiduous in their attentions to her. The passer-by inquired the cause, and found that the girl in the centre was the fortunate possessor of a penny. From the moment a member of this House gets on the Treasury bench ha may be said to be in the position of the little girl who had the penny and had the respectful circle around her. It is not the fault of the, Minister. Ido not often appear as the apologist of the Government, but I do say it ia not so much the fault of the Governmental the fault of the system. We have done wrong in mixing up public works expenditure witn.the work of legislation, and until we can separate these two functions we shall see little improvement in the present condition of affairs* We want to know what is proposed to be expended, and have it fixed so that no member shall have anything to hope or fear for the result of events in this House. I cannot say I agree with the Colonial Treasurer in his opinion as to the incorruptibility of members of thiß House. They are not corrupt in the sense or bad corruptibility, but no man can obtain for his constituents a share — what the House--thinks a fair share, but what they think an insufficient share — of public money without feeling pride when he goes back that he has succeeded in getting it. Ido not agree with the. Colonial Treasurer in saying that a man who would come here merely in the hope of doing* what he can for his constituents is not fit to bea member of the House ; but I say we/should place men as far beyond the reach, of temptation as possible by having the Estimates brought down early in the session, on the understanding that they shall not be departed from so far as expenditure on public works vc concerned.