THE CRISIS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7262, 23 January 1889, Page 5

THE CRISIS IN NEW SOUTH WALES.

HOW IT AROSE.

[rBOU OUB CORRESPONDENT.]

[Br Telegraph from the Bluff.]

MELBOURNE, January 16,

The political crisis which has arisen in New South Wales was brought about by the action of Mr John Want, a former Attorney-General, who as "soon as the Assembly met last Wednesday, brought up the subject of the charges made against Mr William Fehon, one of the Railway Commissioners. He stated that the inquiry made by the Government was insufficient and unsatisfactory, and he ac~ cased the Government of breaking their promise to hold a complete investigation into the wool frauds on the Railway Department, in which it was alleged Mr Fehon was implicated. He repeated the charges which he had previously made against the Commissioner referred to, and quoting from the explanations made by Messrs Fehon and Wright (of Messrs Wright, Heaton and Co.), contended that it was distinctly shown that Mr Fehon was a holder of shares in the firm of Messrs Wright, Heaton and Co. at the time the wool frauds were perpetrated. The frauds had, he said, involved the Government in a loss of something like .£60,000, and the perpetrators had swindled not only the Railway Department, but the consignees of wool from country stations, and Mr Fehon, he Bad been reliably informed by a former employe of Messrs Wright, Heaton and Co., was Managing director of the Company at the time. He characterised Mr Fehon as the arch perpetrator of the frauds, who had, in fact, produced them. As proof of his earnestness and good faith he declared that he did not wish to be protected by Parliamentary privilege, but would state outside the House mat Mr Fehon was a Director of Messrs Wright, Heaton and Co. in 1883, a member of the firm during the time that the gigantic frauds were committed, and had pocketed most of the proceeds. Sir Henry Parkes left the Chamber while Mr Want was speaking, and when he returned he did not deign to make any reply, although he was frequently pressed to do so. This studious disregard on the part of the Premier gradually aroused the indignation of many Government supporters, as well as members of the Opposition, and the motion for adjournment was allowed to go to the House as a vote of censure on the Government. Sir H. Parkes called for a division, the result of whioh •was that the motion was carried by thirtyseven votes to twenty three. The House immediately rose, and the Premier tele graphed for the Governor, who was in the country, and tendered his resignation. "When the House met on Friday Sir Henry took the opportunity of addressing the "House on some of the circumstances which had led to the political crisis. He said that he had nothing- to regret, but was, in fact, jubilant at the prospect of his early freedom from office. Regarding the appointment of the Railway Commissioners, he contended that no choice had ever been ' purer or more carefully made. The country was undoubtedly with the Ministry in the matter, and he believed that their selection had been extremely happy. To make such charges as. had been uttered was inconsistent with the honor and integrity of a public man, for they were bare assertions based on hypothetical statements, and he had 'challenged 'Mr Want to repeat them where they were not privileged. HMr Want had accepted the challenge, Mr Fehon would have issued a writ against him, or else, he would have been prepared to take action. Speaking of his retirement from office, Sir Henry aaid that to a man of his temperament high office was not worth holding if, at every turn, he had to -fight against the weapons of falsehood and' slander. The : *pr&ctice of libelling; - the country, and creating charges for which there was not a vestige of support, had been resorted to to obtain office, and the Opposition' had descended to the level of the gutter in order to disparage its opponents. He, for one, was glad to escape from this moral pillory, as he had been traduced daily without a tittle of evidence, and whoever succeeded him would not be subjected to similar treat meat to what he had been subjected to, hor would they have to deal with devices for preventing the policy of the .country from being carried out, and simply wasting time. No Government could carry on under circumstances such as they had to contend against, and he hoped that his successors would he better treated. He complained of some of his supporters mistaking the functions of the j Government. He understood that some of i the gentlemen who had voted against him did so from distrust, though' they had known him for thirty-five years, and he wanted none who trusted to rumor to follow him. He enjoyed the support ef the country, and he had the grand satisfaction of knowing that he had never sought benefit for himself at the public expense. Mr Want in reply said that the \ course taken and the tone adopted by the Premier were utterly unprecedented. It was ungenerous, unmanly, and unbecoming in a Crown Minister to speak as Sir Henry Parkes had done. His (Mr Want's) action was taken in a friendly spirit; and if the Premier had promised further inquiry nothing more would have been said. The defeat of the Ministry was entirely due to the action of the Premier, who was tired of hie colleagues. Mr Dibbs, who was called upon to form a a Ministry by the Governor, has allotted the portfolios as follows:—Mr G. R. Dibbs, Premier and Colonial Secretary; Mr Edmund Barton, M.L.C., Attorney General; Mr Jas. Fletcher, Minister of Works and Railways; Mr J. P. Garvan, Colonial Trea surer; Mr L. M. Slattery, Minister of Justice; Mr H. J. Clarke, PostmasterGeneral; Mr W. J. Lyne, Minister of Lands; Mr F. M. Chanter; Minister of Mines; Mr F. B. Sutter, Minister of Public Instruction; Mr John Lackey, "Vice-President of the Executive Council. Mr Suttor is not a member of either House at present, but if . a seat cannot be found for him in the Assembly-, he will probably be appointed to the Upper House. This ! will be the fourth Ministry in which Mr i Dibbs has held office, the last occasion- ' feeing when he was Colonial Secretary in > the Jennings Ministry. Most of the ot£er members of the .Ministry have also been in office before.