HEATED DEBATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 11, 13 January 1934, Page 9

HEATED DEBATE.

Seven Deputies More Or Less

Implicated.

CHEERS AND COUNTER-CHEERS

PARIS, January 12,

When the debate on the Bayonne affair commenced yesterday afternoon the police were reinforced by troops with tanks, and guarded all the approaches to the Chamber. Every deputy occupied his seat, including M. Dalimier, who recently resigned from, the Cabinet, and M. Hesse, ex-vice-president of tho Chamber, Stavisky's counsel, whom the deputies derisively cheered as he entered.-

The public and Press galleries were packed, and queues of people crowded the corridors.

Tho atmosphere was feverish in view of the fact that at least seven deputies are more or less directly implicated in the Bayonne scandal, while M. Chautemps for the last 18 months was head of the police as Minister of tho Interior.

There was a fusillade of cheers, counter-cheers and "boohs" as a Socialist member, M. La Grange, vigorously shouted: "Graft!" and demanded the punishment of the "men on top." He said the public believed the police had murdered Stavisky.

M. Chautemps retorted: "That theory is absurd."

M. La Grange demanded the prosecution of the heads of the insurance companies who had invested in Bayonne bonds and "pocketed fat commissions."

M. Monnet (Socialist) declared that the blame for the scandal rested on the capitalist companies which had safeguarded primte but not public interests. He also alleged that a deputy, M. Proust, has accepted £16,000 from Stavisky for propaganda.

Continuing, M. Monnet attacked •M. Tardicu for his connection with previous scandals. Ho caused a heated scene when he referred to another deputy, M. Hulin, who was recently suspended from acting as a solicitor and forced to resign an Under-Secretaryship in the Daladier Government.

M. Hulin blamed the magistrates for his suspension. Uproar followed, till M. Chautemps intervened and defended the magistrates.