The Voucher Incident

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXII, Issue 6667, 8 September 1905, Page 3

The Voucher Incident

DISCUSSION IN THE HOUSE,

Wellington, Sept. 8

The House meb at 2.30 yesterday,

The whole of the afternoon and evening Bittings vas taken up in a discussion on the Auditor General's report on the investigation held by him into the alleged payment to Captain Seddon. The Premier moved that (1) the report o£ the Controller and Auditor General be adopted ; also that the House is satisfied that the charge against Captain Seddon of improperly receiving payment for reorganising defence stores, and against Messrs Collins, Gray, and Me Beth, of giving untrue certificates relating thereto, has been completely refuted and never should have been made;

(2) That in the case of Captain Seddon this House regrets that the charge against him should have been reiterated afcer it had been shown to be unfounded.

(3) That it be an instruction to the supervisor of " Hansard " and the Government printer to insert in the bound copies of "Hansard" at the end of the speech made by the member for Wellington, Mr ■F, M. H. Fisher, in which the charge was firßt made and at the end of every debate whenever subsequent reference was made thereto in " Hansard," a copy of the Controller and Auditor-General's report, aad that attention be drawn to the said report and to this resolution, and intimation be given that the said charges have been investigated and refuted.

Mr Seddon then laid oa the table a communication from the Treasury Department to the effect that Captain Soddon invariably signed " R. J. Seddon " not " R. J. S. Seddon," and also the second Sneddon vouoher.

Referring to the statement that Captain Seddon signed his name " K. J. Seddon " on the vouchers, Mr Fisher pointed out that in the documents connected with the case, in letters to Mr Taylor and in his orders to a lieutenant on a certain occasion in South Africa, ha had always signed himself "K. J. S. Seddon." This was a peculiar circumstance and a public enquiry might throw some light on it.

Mr McNab moved the following amendment as an addition to the Premier's motion—" That this House desires to place on record an expression of its pleasure at the receipt of the report of tha Auditor and Controller-General and congratulates the Et. Hon. the Premier, as Minister of Defence, that the charge made by Mr Fisher has been proved to ba unfounded in substance and in fact, and that it has been established that no payment of (he nature alleged was ever made j that this House also recognises with extreme satisfaction ■that the certificate given by the Secretary to the Treasury, the Assistant Secretary to the Treasury and the TJnder-Secretary of Defence relating to alleged wrongful payment to Captain Seddon have bee a proved to be absolutely correct, and this ifouse desires to congratulate the officers Bamed and also Captain Seddon of the Defence Department, upon having successfully vindicated their reputation as officials, and also the reputation of their respective departments from the attacks made upon them by Mr Fisher ; that Mr Speaker be requested to forward a copy of this resolution, and a copy of the AuditorGeneral's report to the gentlemen against whom the charges were made."

Mr Taylor said it would be obvious to members that Mr McNab's amendment was moved to prevent the House being asked to vote on the proposal to grant a fall public enquiry into the matter. He (Mr Taylor) bad given notice of an amendment to that effect.

The Speaker said that Mr Taylor's amendment could be moved after Mr McNab's amendment had been disposed Of.

Oa a division, Mr MoNab's amendment was carried by 47 votes to 14. The noea were — Messrs Jame* Allen, Bedford, Buchanan, Duthie, Fisher, Harding, Hawkins, Herdman, Mander, Massey, Moss, Rhodes, Tanner, and Taylor. Mr Bedford then moved an amendment affirming the necessity for a public inquiry Into the matter of the voucher.

Mr Davey raised a point of order that the amendment could nob be moved, seeing that the petition of Messrs Willis, Larcombe, and Weßt for a public enquiry was before the House.

The Speaker ruled that the amendment was in order.

" The previous question " was moved by Mr Hall-Jones, and agreed to on the voices.

The Premiei's motion, with the addition of Mr McNab's amendment, was carried by 47 votes to 5 votes. The House rose at 2 a.m.